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Complex Roleplaying

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3/24/2013 13:47:27   
TJByrum
Member

The typical roleplay consists of you, your character, and your interaction within the world though your character's eyes. But I've always been a bit more complex than that; I've always wanted to go 'bigger' and have a huge play area, with a lot of things to do. I like to re-enact wars and battles, and go for a political approach at times, and I've even thought about doing pirate roleplays (with full-scale naval battles and ship-to-ship fights). My latest idea is a science-fiction do-as-you-please type of roleplay.

Anyway this thread is to discuss and help build complex roleplays. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or anything - just tell us! But remember, these types of roleplays are easy to confuse people with and tend to fall apart or not do so good.

---

I was thinking of doing a pirate roleplay... but now I'd rather do a starship roleplay...

Everyone is the commander of a fleet, which consists of one Carrier and a few smaller ships. Your Carrier can travel around the different systems and claim them, some of them producing a valuable resource. Combine two of the three resources to build more Carriers and more ships, which increases your overall combat effectiveness. The third resource, fuel, is needed to actually travel the systems. You all also begin with some Credits, which you can use to buy/sell resources as well ships and systems to other players. War will be waged! However there is also emphasis on alliances and the player-driven economy in the game as you buy and sell resources.

Players are absolutely free to post whenever and whatever concerning player-to-player interactions (negotiating a deal/truce, buying/selling, trading, etc). However when it comes to movement and travel within the star systems it will be somewhat turn-based, but that's to make sure the roleplay is fair. Every 'turn' will consume some of your fuel.

When two fleets move into the same system they can start a battle. During a battle all players and any fleet that is within their system will be able to warp to that battle and join, whether to help allies or reap advantage in the chaotic moment. There is a rock-paper-scissors method of actually winning the battle, and you have to deploy the correct ships at the right time to gain an advantage and slowly defeat the enemy force before finally destroying or capturing the enemy Carrier.
DF AQW  Post #: 1
3/24/2013 14:25:35   
Arthur
How We Roll Winner
Dec14


 @TJ, if you don't mind me saying. It sounds a bit technical than free-flow RPing.
I hope you get my meaning.
DF MQ AQW  Post #: 2
3/24/2013 16:38:47   
Legendium
Member

I actually support Arthur on this. The problem with technical Roleplays is that they don't really focus very much on character build-up. These kind of things are great as sides to a main quest, but if it's just two players battling and then describing, it's pretty hard to build a character. Making and controlling an army is fun, and I support it; but only if there's something to help make the characters feel real. Having a bunch of generals war all the time isn't very fun. I prefer something more like A Game of Thrones style of writing when it comes to wars. The war is viewed through the eyes of a certain person, and some of the persons even control what happens. But there has to be more to it than just seeing the Starks and the Lannisters fight their battles. If you mix in people like Jon Snow or Arya, then you get a much better experience. (Note: I have only started reading A Storm of Swords. A: No spoilers! B: Things change rapidly in the book, so my examples might not be current.) This example is all assuming you've read the books though.
DF MQ Epic  Post #: 3
3/24/2013 20:00:34   
TJByrum
Member

No I totally get what you guys mean. That's why I said these ideas tend to fall apart or not do so good. Thanks for your input; I reckon my ideas are more of forum-games than roleplays, but it's really cool to have ideas like this floating around.

I'd be a good game designer.
DF AQW  Post #: 4
3/25/2013 4:12:44   
Legendium
Member

@TJ

Well, I'm actually trying to learn a bit of code, but I barely know anything yet. Definitely not enough to program a game, but I'm working on it. Maybe someday we can design a game.

Although your ideas aren't entirely "Fall-apart-fast" ideas. They're very useful as a side in an RP. If we, for instance, go with something like GoT, we could totally pull off these wars. The only difference is, the battle would have to be planned out between the two characters beforehand, and then described through the eyes of their character. If their character is a knight, lucky you. You can describe the fight from the heat of the fray. If you're one of the lords or something else entirely, bad luck. You'll have to describe the battle from a strategic standpoint. If you're something else entirely, (i.e. Arya-ish) you only have to be slightly affected by the war. That's the kind of stuff I would love seeing.
DF MQ Epic  Post #: 5
3/25/2013 9:56:16   
TJByrum
Member

@Legendium: Unless you're in Europe, where chivalry was expected and a leader had to ride out with his forces. Kidding.
DF AQW  Post #: 6
3/25/2013 11:18:07   
Legendium
Member

@TJ

I am in Europe......
Although I suppose some leaders would join the battle, but not all. The great leader can only participate in one battle at a time, ya know? Although there are more parts than leaders and knights. Municipal guards, damsels in distress, whatever else. I wouldn't mind seeing a traditional medieval RP though, actually. Having simple knights and destriers where magic is shunned and very seldom used in the RP. That sort of thing.
DF MQ Epic  Post #: 7
3/25/2013 18:53:54   
superjars
Member

The problem with most RPs of this scale is that they ignore the micro in favor of the macro. Most people who roleplay would much rather try to focus on the micro instead. It is easier for an RPer (especially when they first start) to play a single character and do them well, as opposed to trying to direct an entire army, or nation, or world.

The title of this thread is somewhat of a misnomer, however, and changing your thinking may help to improve your RPing overall: to switch from the micro to the macro is simply changing from one system to another. It is no more complex to play an entire nation or world than it is to play a singular character. This is because they are, when brought down to similar terms, played the same way.

How so, do you ask?

Say you like the political aspects of playing an entire world; to take this down to a singular character, you would focus on your characters morality and delve into what motivates you to make decisions.
Enjoy a full-scale war? Switch to the internal struggles of conflicting feelings about some person or ideal.

To be honest, an individual in an RP, interacting with the world and struggling with understanding themselves and coping with what is going on around them, is every bit as complex, and messy, as a far-reaching RP is.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 8
3/25/2013 22:51:33   
TJByrum
Member

@Superjars: Huh... guess I never thought about it like that. I've been getting a Mass Effect/Star Wars/Star Trek feeling going on lately... and I think it is looking good.

A group of survivors from a space battle (crashlanded onto a planet) must band together and carry out the original mission. But... well, the story I got planned seems pretty good (no spoilers!).
DF AQW  Post #: 9
4/23/2013 2:23:44   
jerenda
Member

Can I "like" Superjar's post? :)

I personally don't like playing such RPs because I'm no good at tactics and I always feel like I'm making the wrong decision. At least when I'm dealing with people on a personal level I can trust my gut, but in a full-fledged war situation my gut is going to get a lot of people killed for no good reason. :)

One way I get "epic"-scale work done but still keeping it personal is have your character be a pivotal character. For example, in a D&D game I run, the players have to make decisions that affect the future of the world, but generally consist of such questions as "Do you trust this NPC" and "Should you try to get the map from the queen before or after her advisor gives you the opal?" Their actions have the ability to affect the world.

This played out very well in a Diplomacy RP I was running - my character's entire job description was "protect X ambassador." In the course of her duties, my character uncovered the plot to take over the kingdom by forces of extremely questionable morality, saved the life of a sworn foe to her kingdom, thereby earning his trust, and kept six other very important figures alive (and friendly to her kingdom) by saving their lives as well. I really like the concept that individuals can change the world - after all, Christ was just one man, and yet easily 2/3 of the entire population of the world knows who he is. (This statistic based purely off guesswork, please don't cite me in any papers.)
AQ DF  Post #: 10
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