RPR Archive The Game Designers Guild

Are rules really necessary? I mean, I guess they're good to have, but for most RPs, the rules section could be replaced by:

1. common sense
2. GM in charge
3. play nice

And really, two and three are included in 1.

 

It's rather ironic to find someone with the handle "Hammurabi" questioning the need for rules...

Seriously, it's a long-established protocol of the forum. You've got to have some rules so there's some sort of objectivity to the RPG. And also so people who aren't familiar with RPGs generally have some bar to set their posts against.

 

Think of it as your RPs constitution, whereby you can objectively correct player conduct rather than just yelling at them in OOCs and telling them you have the death sentence in 12 systems.

 

Oh man, I lol'd.

I think while some rules are obvious (e.g., obey the TOS) others aren't and are necessary to state (e.g., PM in character sheets for approval before posting).

 

...what about the game itself?

 

Bah, I gave up on rules in the 15th century. BC.

 

Well, even I have understood by now, that there will be enough lawyers in this board to entertain a lawyer game, so I think it is time for someone to make a game about it, hehe.

For all those interested . . . the pleads and award have made me reconsider. Somewhen in late summer ~Beyond~ will return. Fin will be my No-GM again and I will play it to it´s bitter end, this time.

Obviously people did not share my low opinion on my english language skills.

 

Yeah, Rachel. Simply YEAH!

And Sinre, a game about lawyers? Empires? International Law so to say? I see SirakRomar so joining this That´s an intersting one, can´t wait to hear more about it . . .

 

Sign up this criminal defence/industrial relations lawyer if someone does sit down to build such a game. And I'd understood TheSithGirly is effectively my German counterpart in that regard, so there is a base out there...

To do something like that, though, you'd have to actually establish what the frak the legal system is in the GFFA. Fair enough, it isn't usually a source of great fun in novels, but most writers (including Uncle George himself) seem to give it no more consideration than "Courts suck cuz they do stuff too slow, yo."

Hey, tell ya what, seeing as Imperial_Hammer isn't watching (heh heh), how 'bout we turn that into a discussion/challenge/forum here:

Design a Star Wars-based "court" game, making it fun and accessible for lawyers and others!

So far as the legal system is concerned: I operate from the Australian system where the Federal (overarching) government has power to make law on any of a defined list of subjects, but that's the only extent of its power, while the individual states are able to make law as they see fit except where it clashes with federal power -- the result of which is that the federal law overrides that of the individual state. I suspect there's a similar system at play in the GFFA.

MIB, can you be a little bit more specific with your queries? Is there anything about the game that you feel isn't right?

 

Here's the problem: you have to more or less agree on using an already established legal system - belonging to some nation - as the standard, otherwise you're making up laws and legal precedent as you go along.

Now, a police RP would be super duper fun, and less icky...

 

Does the Magic system I put in place make sense?

 

I guess I was thinking more along the lines of Law & Order, or other such shows. Even the examples you gave above don't fall outside of the realm of needing, at least some knowledge of the law - though I'm not sure lawyers are usually allowed to carry out investigations, for example.

I guess it depends on the kind of game you're going for, and the kind of cases being handled.

Personally, I think a News Media game taking place during the Second Galactic Civil war might be more fun...

 

Well Sinre´s game has a little more to it, has it? 3000 BBY? After the Sithwar with the Ruusan-Reformation and stuff . . . but I think it must be very tensed GMing to keep the tension up because let´s face it . . . lawyers are no Jedi or Sith. We are boring.

BobaMatt we aren´t allowed to do investigations? Who forbids it? Actually when you look at a firm like Clifford&Chance they have more ressources and experts to investigate crimes against their wealthy clients than the state has . . . so I think this is and has always been part of the job.

But is it international law or usual state-law. That would make a difference. And is anything from the new series relevant? We have the old republic here, do we? We could have any kind of law-system.

 

I guess I was referring to those instances where a lawyer's investigation could be considered interfering with a police investigation or withholding evidence.

But like I said, that depends on the sort of cases we're dealing with.

Anyway, my feelings on the News Media RP comes from the fact that LotF highlights the media's role more than any of the other series'.

 

Any game that lets me yell at other people with evidence to support the yelling deserves three thumbs up and one down, because he's the dissenting juror and Henry Fonda hasn't yet thawed his heart.

 

I have given this a little thought and I think . . . it could be awesome. The tensed setting of a single case, whatever it might be . . .

Concerning MiB´s Mage: The Ascension game . . . Mage was always a beast hard to come by. It is a very, very complicated world hard to play in. I think the introduction is great. But without wishing to demotivate you, I doubt a game where players would play full grown mages instantly and are thrown into a plot like a secret war . . . would really work.

Probably an origin-story might be a better fit. Let players learn about the world and their abilities as you go along. It might be easier to play.

 

? Men of broader intellect know that there is no sharp distinction between the real and the unreal...?[/i] H.P. Lovecraft

[image=http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb132/4umTroll/llogo.gif]

Mage: The Ascension

Reality is a lie, and lies are reality. Magic was real, but is becoming faker each day. Science was the ultimate absurdity, but has become the pillar of rational thought. But you all know this you are all Mages.

Reality isn?t a fixed state; rather it is a work of art each human mind and heart adds to. Reality is the Tapestry, if you will. Long ago man added to it freely, but as it was some minds where more creative, organized and just plain thoughtful then most. These people created codes, techniques, and methods; we remaining Mages call Paradigms; and applied them perfectly to reality. These additions could not be removed with much easily, and would take multiple humans to undo. Eventually wanting their additions to become permanent they grouped together and informed other men and women, the reason their forms where hard to remove was because they were true. In time, people began to believe them (even most of themselves), and the masses themselves empowered the changes the Mages made to reality.

We used be the ones who shaped the Tapestry of the world without consequence, and our word was not only word but fact. We where once literally gods. Maybe the blood of Mage called Apollo or the Mage named Amaterasu. Well, they as group might have had their differences but there was relative peace. But we all knows of myths of an Apocalypse, a Ragnarök, a Rapture. The myths exist because it happened to us long ago.

[image=http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r228/tabias_gatekeeper/ascension.jpg]

It slowly began when Scientists, a small seemingly insignificant group of Mages at the time, laid claim to the city of Athens, Greece. At the time most Mages thought nothing of it. After all powerful groups of Mages not only controlled cities, but entire cultures and Empires. They where just a group of up and comers; the most powerful group of Mages thought they might let into their inner circles in the new future, as possible allies or enemies in friendly political games. But soon Mages who followed the Science based Paradigms began to march forward at an alarming rate. No longer was just Athens under their rule in ten years, but all of Greece. It was then the other schools of Mages stepped forward, and started to take some action. Most of them still wanted to present a friendly front to the Science based Mages, after all they had done nothing wrong, they were just fellow artists?abit unusually talented artists. Something to be admired, not hated. It wasn?t until Aristotle, the Science based Mages leader, refused their overtones of friendship, blaming them for all the ill in the world like Dragons, Hundred Handed Giants, and other living nightmares. Instead they called themselves Scientists, and declared war on what they called Magic and us Mages who used them.

Mages back then, not wanting a war, waited too long to act. One cannot blame them, there was enough in fighting when the new religion based Mages came to fruition, and given their power?we thought nothing would really change with the Scientists, win or lose. In fact we thought of them, there where far more powerful groups of Mages out there, and they where much more violent. As the Scientists gained more power thanks to Technology, and became the strongest faction at the end of the Middle Ages, we found our own power waning. Our magic was much harder to perform. No longer could we just ask God to smite our foes with the plague, or make a door to the other side of the universe by just writing out the word ?door to Egypt". There was a chance our spells would backfire. That?s when we united and finally fought the Scientists on the battlefields of yore. The war lasted centuries, but you already know that.

Di Vinci, was the one who made us sign a unconditional surrender, and the defeat had sent us ree

 

When I read the first version I felt strangely . . . unattracted. Despise the fact I have been a Mage player for a decade, now. I couldn´t point my finger to it. Fin´s eye for story structure was as always better than mine, though.

Now suddenly I realized it. It was too much. The second version is a huge improvment. Having it as an origins story makes more sense and the game more fun, actually. Brings humanity back to the characters, instead of making them demi-gods of various degree.

I like it better. Much better.

 

Here's the OP I was planning on going with for an upcoming Dinotopia RP...

---

[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttQjm-8OITE]Welcome to Dinotopia[/link]
[image=http://dinotopia.com/images/art/dinosaur_boulevard.jpg]
[blockquote]Survival of [hl=black]all[/hl] [i][b]me[/b][/i] or none.
One raindrop raises the sea...[i][b]fish poo gives it flavor.[/b][/i]
Weapons are enemies even to their owners...[b][i]but mostly to the guy on the business end.[/i][/b]

Give more, take less. [i][b]<-- Bad business.[/b][/i]
Others first, self last. [i][b]<-- Ditto.[/b][/i]
Observe, listen, and learn. [i][b]<-- Good business.[/b][/i]
Do one thing at a time. [i][b]<-- Ditto.[/b][/i]

[hl=black]Sing [/hl][i][b]Drink[/b][/i] every day.
Exercise imagination. [i][b]Nothing too dirty...[/b][/i]
Eat to live, don't live to Eat. [i][b]The cook spits in the food, anyway.[/b][/i]
Don't p...[i][b]ay for anything unless you've got it in your hand.[/b][/i][/blockquote]
[b]-The Code of Dinotopia tablet in the Black Fish Tavern,
with accompanying graffiti.[/b]

[color=teal]Isaiah Achebe was sitting in the Black Fish Tavern when the idea struck him: there's a lot of business to be had in transporting cargo over land. On Dinotopia, if it's too heavy for a skybax to carry, a guy has to deliver it himself or hope there are caravans going to the right place at around the right time. There was no overland, dedicated courier service. Realizing this, and realizing that the world of theater was leaving him behind, Isaiah and his partner Bolo founded Backbone Shipping Company. Now he just needs some more help. That's where [b]you[/b] come in.

[b]Intro[/b]
Welcome to Backbone Trading Company, a different kind of [i]Dinotopia[/i] RP. Charitability and selflessness aren't for everyone, and it's those types that populate Isaiah Achebe's world. Outright evil may be rare, but charming rogues and salty dogs abound; it's Han Solo/[i]Firefly[/i]/[i]Pirates of the Carribean[/i] meets the Land Apart from Time, and it may prove to be quite interesting.

[image=http://dinotopia.com/images/art/attack_on_a_convoy.jpg]

[b]Guideline[/b]
- This RP is based, primarily, on the books by James Gurney and other contributing authors. The TV series will receive less consideration.
- Character sheets should be messaged to the GM (me) before posting, for approval.
- Most characters should be affiliated with Backbone, but exceptions may be made.
- You need not feel pressured to make your character a scoundrel, if that feels uncomfortable, but many of the characters in the RP will be.
- Please try to keep soley OOC posts after the start of the game to a minimum. If there?s something that needs addressed, add it onto an IC post or send a PM.
- No one line posts!
- Writing well counts for something. Grammar, spelling, sentence structure...take it seriously, please.
- Combat, if it occurs, will be turn based, obviously.
- Do not God Mode - you cannot take control of another character without permission.
- Don?t claim too many skills for your character. A person usually has one thing they excel in but can be proficient in other skills as well. You may be a jack of all trades, but also a master on none.
- Don?t try to carry to much stuff. A being can only bear so many items in their packs or pockets.
- [b]While a little less squeaky clean, this is still Dinotopia. Bear that in mind.[/b]
- [b]While taking place on Dinotopia, we're exploring the elements of the island that are less squeaky clean. Bear that in mind.[/b]
- Save for the GM, you will be limited to 1 character, though additional characters may be allowed with the GM's permission.
-Try to post regularly. If you are absent for more than a week without warning, the GM will move your character so the group doesn?t lag behind. If you?re going to be gone, please be courteous and tell the group.
- If your character is of a former alignment to any other groups or factions, mark it down.
- If you have any questions, just ask!

[image=http://dinotopia.com/images/art/will_and_bix_sm.jpg]

[b]The Character Sheet[/b]

Name:
Spec

 

Okay, I´d give you my honest opinion. I think you have created a game for people who know the books. Books I have never heard of. Therefore, I have no idea what this is meant to be. It is totally inaccessible to me. I couldn´t even imagine what kind of character I could submit.

Nice pics, though. And written very well.

 

Been trying to design a Star Wars pirate game, focusing mostly on the Ecom aspect of being a pirate, wondering if I should go in depth about ships or not....