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Reference The RPF Summer Blockbuster Event (now playing)

Discussion in 'Role Playing Resource' started by The Loyal Imperial, May 3, 2011.

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  1. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    [image=http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/movie-theater-1.jpg]

    Good morning, afternoon, evening, and other indeterminate portions of the day to you, ladies, gentlemen, and other assorted denizens of the RPF.

    Today, I bring before you a concept. A game unlike any other (or most others, to be technical).

    If your typical RPG is a television series, think of this as a movie.

    A beginning and ending predetermined, a duration set to the length of a single month.

    A cast large enough to be varied, but small enough to easily keep track of.

    A specific time and place in which it occurs, with an identifiable theme and genre.

    A production staff of many, consisting of all of you here today, tomorrow, and yesterday.

    A scale that spans not galaxies, but cities and towns and starships.
    Confused yet? Good. Let me simplify. A one-month long special feature RPG. Cooperatively designed. We start by tossing around genres and ideas: heist game, murder mystery, crashed starship on a lost world, squad trapped behind enemy lines, that kind of thing. We find one we like, and we run with it. Set up a plot, time, and place, a beginning and an ending. The players and the GMs (more than one, to ensure things flow smoothly) know both of the last two. The goal is to get from point A to point B in the most interesting and entertaining fashion possible. An exciting climax is a must. Cooperation a necessity. Anybody can participate: the planning process is open to all. Admission is free, seating unlimited.

    Let's hear some thoughts and ideas. Questions are also welcome.
     
  2. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2007
    What an interesting concept! :) A player and no GM myself, I must say I would like to see something broad in scope. A movie-like plot with a lot of Star Wars. Something with an OT feel to it. But that are just my two cents.

    Oh and I think a "Lost"-like game is planned by a certain GM for August (let´s call him Fin for now) so we might not want to steal his idea. Although I heard that one will be a lot like a TV series. I wanna that game happening :p

    A murder mystery hasn´t ever been done as a game itself, I believe. Has it? A Star wars serial killer game in the vain of Se7en might be interesting, as I think about it.
     
  3. BobaMatt

    BobaMatt TFN EU Staff star 7 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2002
    I'm pretty excited for this, and I think in order for this to work properly it's got to be a completely original universe. No preconceptions, everyone gets sucked in, everyone is involved in seeing things unfold, everyone is involved in creating. Perhaps contradictorily, it should probably fall into a comfortable enough framework that we're all starting from the same place. Dare I suggest Sword & Sorcery adventure?
     
  4. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    I was thinking Star Wars, actually (though I do love a good Sword & Sorcery, don't get me wrong). :p Agree with no preconceptions and getting people involved with creating, though. I'm envisioning, say, something small-scale to start with set in the unfilled days of the Old Republic (before the Stark Hyperspace War, but after the Bane books). Next to nothing in canon to interfere with or use, no preexisting characters or storylines to worry about, and you can fit in just about anything. I imagine the framework would be well-suited to something grand and original, but I'd suggest starting with the simpler and more familiar, if only to make sure everything works properly. If all goes well, I can imagine it as a sort of seasonal thing, leaving opportunities for other types of stories to be explored in the future.
     
  5. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2007
    The great unexplored war of the 100 Year Darkness perhaps? We got little knowledge about the actual war, pretty unusual alchemic Sith guys with swords and I think I know only one Jedi who lived by then . . . so it´s a blank slate. But again, I should leave this to GMs. As you might realize, I am excited about this :p
     
  6. The Great No One

    The Great No One Jedi Grand Master star 8

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2005
    let's say you have me intrigued TLI. would definitely like in on something like this.

    i'm with sirak on the 100 years thingy, think that could prove very interesting.
     
  7. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    Interesting concept. With the month-long timeline, though, I'm thinking any war-based game would work best on a smaller scale. Say, a single prolonged battle or campaign, revolving around a single unit (the players). Jabiim-like, maybe. Don't want to reach too far too fast, and run the risk of expiring mid-game like so many others.
     
  8. Ramza

    Ramza Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 13, 2008
    Obligatory NSWRPF fan derailing attempt! :p

    These big organized games always involve Star Wars, which, while a logical choice in terms of this being TFN, gets a bit dull. Wouldn't it be a more rewarding challenge to try and come up with our own, cohesive setting for the game to take place in? It'd certainly involve fewer pointless research hours, and the game would be forced to rely on its own, intrinsic merit to try and recruit participants, rather than just banking on built-in interest - not to mention it could help bring some life back into the NSWRPF, which certainly could use the infusion of interest.
     
  9. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    This isn't intended to be a particularly one-or-the-other kind of thing. If it works for Star Wars, I see no issue with trying something else with the same format and moving over to NSWRPF after this.
     
  10. BobaMatt

    BobaMatt TFN EU Staff star 7 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2002
    Considering some of the more popular play-styles on the RPF, might I suggest Galidraan? [face_mischief]
     
  11. BobaMatt

    BobaMatt TFN EU Staff star 7 VIP

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    Aug 19, 2002
    I've always been sad that our Dune attempts never took off. I think something like this would be pretty cool, of course. Maybe some urban fantasy, or just a completely original sci-fi concept.
     
  12. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    Now you're talking. That's actually pretty close to the ideal I've got in my mind. Since you went that route, I'd mention Korda 6, too, as it's basically the perfect template for the movie-like format I've got in my head. Group of mercenaries (players) called in for small-scale operation, something goes wrong, they have to fight their way out. Easily dropped in any era in just about any setting (original or otherwise), doesn't interfere with any significant plots, a not overly-complex plot that people will lose track of, and there's a great amount of freedom there for players to chart their own course.
     
  13. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Mar 30, 2007
    Although I think a "blockbuster" game should probably give the GMs something to work with, despite the battle itself. I mean these games were out there a lot. You can tell an intense story against the backdrop of a great conflict, too. See 133 ABY - The Cold Embrace or Lea Monde. Both games were just 300 posts long and lasted only a few weeks. They had pretty good plots and unique characters. Just to point out the past examples. A single battle has been dne a lot. Something more plot based might be much more intruiging.
     
  14. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    Leá Monde isn't far from what I'm imagining, actually. The single battle thing was just one example. There are quite probably hundreds of story concepts that could be applied in various interesting ways. For the sake of simplicity, I'm only suggesting we start with a common genre or plot seed and then spin it into something interesting however we want. Only the beginning and ending are intended to be decided in advance, after all, not the entire story structure and style.
     
  15. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    I'm in. My first thought, which came one third of the way through reading the existing posts was, "Let's do something like Stagecoach." Random people thrown together into a situation who now have to figure it out. The merc idea could work into that if it's like one of those heist/job flicks where you get a team together (Reservoir Dogs is the first thing that comes to mind though there are many examples).

    This is a stellar idea and the one month time frame fits perfectly. I'd make it a priority in terms of posting knowing that we were doing an intensive effort.

    As for Star Wars vs. non-Star Wars, it doesn't matter, but I'm voting for something accessible. I read Dune, but I can't RP it. Obviously some research will be required, even if it's just reading an opening post really well to grasp the surroundings, but I think the lower the barrier the better.

    But, whatever way this goes, I'm down.
     
  16. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    I think you just peered into my mind and defined what I'm imagining better than I could.
     
  17. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

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    Nov 15, 2004
    Galidraan would work, though an engagement during the period between the end of ToR and the beginning of the New Sith Wars would be good fun as well. Galidraan cuts down on Force users (unless you want that)...

    ... something new, or something set in an undeveloped war... or some kind of undeveloped battle...

    I always considered developing the end of the Kanz Disorders, as these end in 3,670 BBY, during the Great Galactic War. Have the Kanz side with the Sith Emperor, and the Jedi head in to stop them. We have a Yuuzhan Vong shaper hiding in the Kanz at this time, too. Potential for Jedi, and Sith, and Empire, and Republic, and Mandalorian, and smugglers and rouges all bound up together.

    The Battle of Argazda - a slog across world to do good.
     
  18. SirakRomar

    SirakRomar Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Mar 30, 2007
    Accessible will be a key, surely. As would be a good plot that is approachable and not too simple, to keep players interested. We would need hell-of-an-OP I´d say. enerating interest and tension from the first post on . . . But probably one of the Masters of the Art could help out there. And you GMs might need a head-Gm or a secret group to discuss plot details o_O If we read it all here, the tihng makes little sense, right?
     
  19. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    The plot is to be entirely fluid, with only the initial opening and certain details of the ending fixed (people trapped escape [or not], climactic battle at location [blank], etc.). So there's not a whole lot to be spoiled about here. :p Actual coordination regarding how to get from one to the other would, of course, be handled among the players and GMs in private. No spoilers.
     
  20. Ramza

    Ramza Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 13, 2008
    Well, clearly, if we're going with the whole "bunch of people trapped in a hostile situation" plot, we have to end with a Bolivian Army Ending, as this is quite possibly the only kind of game where that could work.
     
  21. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    Now that, I like the sound of. Experiment, theorize! We've certainly got the room for it.
     
  22. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

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    Nov 15, 2004
    I'd quite enjoy a story whereby the characters are trapped on a planet deep in enemy territory.
     
  23. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    Blockade runners who ran the blockade and then got stuck, perhaps? :p

    Hang on a second, that might actually work...

    Blockade runner, delivering much-needed supplies to a rebel movement or a besieged planet. Or both, maybe. Variety of character types, easy to do. Delivery is made, they can't leave. So, join the rebels (not necessarily the Rebels, though). Plenty of both plot and action, yes, simple and accessible, yes, that could do nicely...

    Or not. Just a thought.
     
  24. Ramza

    Ramza Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 13, 2008
    So a sort of variation on a Black Hawk Down scenario? It could certainly work.
     
  25. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Nov 19, 2007
    Something like that, yeah. Mix it up a bit, maybe it's more of a transport engaged in smuggling than a pure blockade runner: with unknowing passengers aboard. They get caught when they land, and the whole lot end up wanted and on the run.
     
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