RP Makeover?

Hello guys. For the record, I'm not trying to initiate a hostile takeover of the RP section. However, I do like to RP, and I like getting involved with it at all levels. So I apologize if I seem like I'm stepping on someone's toes here.

That being said, LH is looking to reorganize the forums on the site a bit, a task I've been helping him with. I figured this would be the perfect time to discuss possible changes in the organization of the RP. Right now it is a bit disorganized. Of course, I'd never go out on my own to make changes like that. RP is a community, and therefore changes within it should be a group decision.

As such, here are a few suggestions of my own. We need some subforums here. The RP home forum would contain the RP rules and OOC topics. Next there would be a series of subforums.

First would be a profiles topic. I know so far all of the profiles have been posted in topic, but I personally like to use a core set of profiles. This allows for a character to build and develop. Relationships with characters can be forged and brought up again in other RP's. It really adds to the community feel of the forum in my opinion. Now this is not saying you can't make a character exclusively for a single RP, but this allows for you to have a character or characters that can develop over many RP's. You'll also get better at playing the character, and thus the character is more lifelike.

How would this work. Each member would have a topic containing all of their profiles. There would also be pinned topics with guidelines for creating profiles and one containing links to everyone's topics. A database if you will, to allow for people to easily find a specific profile. I would also suggest members using the first post of thier profiles topic to create links to each of their individual profiles.

The next subforum would contain the RP topics themselves. The OOC's in the parent RP forum would correspond to topics in this subforum. This forum would have a name which would would chose. I personally prefer something creative, but it could be a simple name as well if that's what the majority of people wanted.

There would also be a help and feedback subforum. This subforum would be a place where people could get advice and criticism on their roleplaying ability. There would be topics for critiquing profiles, and posts. Members could post their stuff, and members would reply stating their opinions and, if neccesary, ways to improve them. Politely of course. No bashing would be tolerated. Topics such as this one containing suggestions for bettering the RP would be located there as well.

In addition to those, I've always been a fan of different types of RP. Especially large scale RP's. I've been involved in a few stat RPs. For those people familiar with Table top RPing (Dungeons and Dragons, etc.) this is basically the same thing over the internet. For those of you who may not be. these RP's involve creating a character with action stats that grow and level over the course of the RP (HP, MP, Strength, etc...) You build and create and level your character much like an actual RPG. There are random encounters and members post thier characters actions much as they would select their moves from a menu in a RPG video game. The difference, you have control over where the story goes, and the character you use is one of your creation. You can make them to your liking to fit your own personal style. It also is expansive enough to exist within it's own subforum, containing multiple topics and a large

Now so far, I've only ever participated in stat RP's, but I'm in the process of trying to create one myself on another site. I would be willing to do the same thing for this site. I can use the same basic battle system I've been creating for the other, with a new story and of course, some fun twists to make it it's own RP separate from the other one. The design system would be structured so that there is a decent amount of flexibility, allowing you to create whatever character you like while still able to fit within the confines of the system. For instance, rather than having specific weapons to chose from, there are instead classes of weapons that encompass a number of different possible weapons types. You would create a weapon of your liking, and then decide which class it best fits in. and if you think a new class of weapon is needed, you could simply talk to me and we could try to work something out that works to your liking while still being fair in comparison to the others.

This is only one suggestion. If you're interested please say so. I'd love to do one here. Or if you have other suggestions for new RP's let's here them. Or any other ways to restructure the RP section. I'm not planning on hogging the spotlight. Voice your opinions. And if you don't like something, please say so. I've seen what happens when people don't like changes but chose to remain silent. It isn't pretty. If this sort of thing is going to work, everyone needs to be involved. How do we know you're opinion if you don't voice it.

So let's here it. What do you have to say on my suggestions? What suggestions of your own do you have? Let's really make this RP section an awesome RP section we can enjoy and be proud of.

 

They turn out badly because the topic starter loses interest. And people can say a lot of things about me, but losing interest in a topic isn't one of them. Remember my campaign to keep Meta Theos alive? I can definitely hold interest.

 

Please voice your opinions folks. If no one says anything, we are only left to assume that you either don't object or don't care. We can only take action based on opinions that we receive. So far, that just makes three including myself, and they say do it. I would love to hear everyone's input on things to do with the RP. For the unselfish reason that it doesn't just belong to me and the couple of people who spoke up. and for the very selfish reason that every time I try to do something someone doesn't like, I get accused of trying to set myself up as some kind of RP dictator or something.

 

Not quite. The whole system is more or less completely customizable. I have 12 stats, and players choose to arrange their stats as strengths, weaknesses, etc. Characters can create weapons of thier choosing, but I have broadly defined categories to fit them in. For instance, a player could create a big warhammer. That would be concidered a mid-range, two-handed blunt weapon and would be given those stats. Rules will be given for creating abilities and such and players could make any ability they wanted within the rules. There are also defined general abilities such as flight, telelpathy, vampirism, elemental alignments, etc. This allows for players to make whatever character they wish to make, but still be confined to a structure.

I do this because I know there are people like myself who have RP characters they like to use frequently, and we like to use those characters in stat RP's as well. This allows us to be able to fit our character into the RP system without compromising too much of the character we originally created.

So basically, you have the freedom to be as creative and imaginative as you like in creating your character. You can make a character that suits you and your own RP style. And yet still be able to fit it into the system that is created. And if there is something that you want to do and you don't see anything defined for it (i.e. the weapon you want to make doesn't fall into any of the classes I've come up with) all you have to do is ask me about it, and I'll try and come up with something.

That being said, if you are familiar with this sort of thing, I'm kinda stuck. I have most of the concept system down already. What I'm having trouble with is the numbers. I've never done this before. I've played RPG's and participated in stat RP's, but I've never actually seen how the final numbers are determined or how they are used. I live with a D&D DM, but I've not had a chance to sit down with him and figure this out. And I've tried looking online for resources, but it's either too technical or too specific for me to use. How do I come up with stats that work and are fair?

 

Yeah, there will be a definite cleaning up of topics, I'd say. I've seen a few things that in here that don't belong here, as well as a few people spamming up old inactive topics.

Personally, I'd say that since so many people have disappeared after the slow time on the forum, waiting for the upgrade, we should just wipe the whole thing and start fresh. New RP's for the forum's second life. After all, it's possible that many of the people who were in a given topic have given up on the forum and aren't coming back, at least not for a while. Maybe even the creator of the topic has left. In cases like that, there's little point in continuing with a story when all the characters are gone.

 

So you'll notice that the forum has indeed been cleaned. Now all we have to do is get LH to set the forums up. I have the concept idea for the stat RP, and will have a number system by the time the actual gameplay is ready to begin. I can start sign ups as soon as the subforums are up.

Now, there is an issue of naming our Main RP subforum. This is where the bulk of our RP's will be located. Any suggestions?

 

That was one of the few fanfic ideas I liked. It was Guan Yuber's show though, so I dunno where he was planning to go with it.I know he has an account here, but whether he's active I dunno.

If we try to redo it, I say screw Diagon alley and get straight into it.

 

Right. For now, we've names it "The World". It's fairly generic, but it'll be good until we decide to change it, if we do so.

Apocalypse is the stat RP. I'll go ahead and get started on sign ups. It'll be gradual, as the guide will take a bit of time to enter into the forum. People will end up creating their characters one piece at a time. I'll post the full profile template, and you can fill in the fields as I put up the information.