PlaneShift
Gameplay => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mathy Stockington on March 18, 2009, 01:20:08 pm
-
We could use this thread to write down ideas for role-plays that could be used in game. This could also be used to help develop a personality for your character as well.
Some examples that have been done:
Tournaments
Wars
Auctions
Weddings
Another idea was to put on plays in game where some players could entertain others. This could be something that could happen on a regular basis so many could take part. What I am hoping to do here is talk about role plays that will last a long time – an on going story that many can participate in. This is a great way to bring the role play community together and have fun.
This is hopefully will be a good way to help the new role player in game. Any thoughts?
-
I think players will create most of those events on their own when they want to tell those types of stories. However, what I would like to see is a few more animations that make it easier to act out these scenarios.
-
I just thought we could discuss some new role play ideas that could be used in game.
-
Anyone had a funeral lately? What about Mardi Gras at the stone head?
Lolitra was looking for some domestics at one time did she ever get any?
What about dwarf bowling? How many Xacha can you knock down with a rolled dwarf?
-
I apologize if I came off negative or flippant. Encouraging in-game events is a good thing. I was just saying that I'm not sure we need much from the devs to make those things happen. If players are interested in events like that, for the most part they can make them happen.
Weddings can be performed in the temple for instance. Players could simply gather together and perform them in game. I took part with a guild of marching in formation for wedding processions in Ultima Online many years back (around launch!).
If you want everything to be pure text, then just roleplay in IRC, a mud, or a forum. However, Planeshift is a 3d client, and to that end, I would like to see some more animations to help with that aspect of visually representing roleplaying major events. That being said, animations are very difficult, and not many people do them.
-
I did not think you were being negative or flippant enderandrew therefore there is no need to apologize. I made this thread to see if anyone wished to post role play ideas. I agree it would be great to see more character animations. Prolix had some ideas though I hoped to get more.
-
Civil War in the Hydlaa region of the Dome (our current game world).
The Octarchy due to unforeseen circumstances flees socio-political unrest in the area, and all the factions start recruiting and fighting for control.
Some factions/guilds, such as the Warriors, will fight for peace, and would favour the return of the Octarchy to the area.
Others would seek to stop such a thing, and gain their own little patch of land.
If rp'd well, different factions would run different towns, alliances would be made and broken, and it'd be the most fun experience in a long time.
It all ends when the GMs get bored and bring back the Octarchial NPC's and rules in a sweeping reinvasion to regain control two or three weeks later.
Also, to prevent newb/merchant unhappiness, maybe the wars could take a rest for a few hours each day. Just an extra idea.
-
Same stuff over and over again. All done already. No new RP is possible. Don't agree? Go in game and prove me wrong.
-
I think new role plays are possible verden. We have to put our heads together to think of them.
-
Why the negativity... WHY?!
If you seriously think there are no new rps possible, no new ideas...
If you think it's that bland...
Why associate yourself with PS?
-
/me proves Verden wrong "A mine." 'nuff said.
-
That is not a negative comment. The thing is that wars have happened before in PS. We are talking about something orginal - a totally new role play. Your war is fun and I hope you and your fellow players are enjoying it. Again this is not a negative thread. All I hoped to do was come up with a new and orginal idea.
-
I haven't started my war.
And the fact is every war PS has had has been a guild war. Not an all out civil war.
-
Then your role play has a new twist and that is great!!
Has anyone ever tried an election to be maybe be a mayor of a town? He could try to get people to vote for him. He could say he would make changes and doesn't. The people find him to be corrupt and try to get him out of office. Then a new person has to replace him.
What do you think?
-
I like it very much.
Another idea, an entirely RP 'court' system.
We talk in /group ooc, but act out parts in the court (that way we aren't handing out punishments to anyone that doesn't want to partake...)
It would help solve the violence in Hydlaa problem if RP'd well (most violence in Hydlaa is by RPers... make'em accountable for their RPs I say)
-
The Octarchy is there for a reason and you'll realise why the Octarchy is very difficult to unseat/overthrow/disconcert as the story unfolds
-
What I would love to see is a role play that includes everyone. Make it like so that the people are part of a community. Say you do have an election and need to get the word out. There could be people who will tell others about what the 'mayor' proposes to do [food for everyone, jobs for everyone, keeping violence under control] and then another could run against him saying he would do a better job. The gossip about the two could spread [one is corrupt and yet the other was caught steeling something]. The actual voting process is another role play in itself. Then this can continue once the election is done by having the actual 'mayor' doing his job. It is a big role play that could last a long time. I think it could be fun. Persistence is key here so that the role play does not die.
Also Mordraugion I would not think this would unseat or overthrow The Octarchy. It could bring the role players together.
These are my ideas. I would love to hear other ideas.
-
Would work well for Ojaveda or Gugrontid I think.
Where the Octarchy doesn't already have a Vigesimi and the towns aren't exactly large like Hydlaa.
-
Maybe my ideas could be modified to fit into the larger towns. How?
-
You can't have a mayor or other political leader because they are already in place as npcs. You can have a citizens' committee or neighborhood watch kind of thing that has no official status that, with sufficient player support, can make the officials take notice. You may not appreciate whatever response they choose to take.
If you want the whole political thing you can have your pressure group be democratic and hold elections for organizational positions within the group.
This is the kind of thing COACT is but I am not interested in actually putting any effort into it.
-
So, who is mayor of Ojaveda and who is mayor of Gugrontid?
Never come across them ingame.
-
Yliakum operates on a Ochtarch/Vigesimi system. I don't believe there are any mayors.
There is a Vigesimi in Hydlaa.
-
Yeah, but that's like saying small towns don't have mayors because there is a big city nearby.
-
Lolitra was looking for some domestics at one time did she ever get any?
The Royal House of Purrty is alive. And as usual, has rather more issues to solve than time to follow their original "in-house" plots. But we still don't mind new house members. Preferably reliable, present members.
I can only agree: People have their plots, they have a lot of imagination. If you just sit and wait in a place where people usually meet, you can hardly avoid being dragged into one or another roleplay.
-
Maybe my role play idea does not work. Give me another idea that will work to bring us all together.
-
The vigesimi of Gugrontid is on the top level, Ojaveda's is quarantined in one of the inaccessible dsar's, if I am not mistaken and the Winch's vigesimi is behind his desk on the second floor of the main winch building. Like I said, though, you could form citizens committees to deal with the officials but those people (NPCs) are unlikely to care about you unless you create a significant amount of noise.
-
Yeah, but that's like saying small towns don't have mayors because there is a big city nearby.
No my point is that there are no "mayors". There are 20 Vigesimi for the Dome, so it makes sense that each city will have at least one. But they wouldn't have a mayor.
-
All I am saying is that someone should know enough about this game, being that I do not, to come up with an outstanding role play to bring the masses together.
/me waits for an idea from someone.
-
Go with what fits your character and what you want to do. People will get involved or not, as they feel is appropriate for their characters.
In the beginning of the fifth epoch, there was an incident where the Ylians decided to claim ownership of the land and cause some grief. Only the top two levels are really good for agriculture, and as the population of all the races grows, there is only so much land and food to go around.
Maybe your character is concerned that war might brew between the races again. Perhaps you're afraid the Ylians will try to claim most of the first level again. Maybe you want to beat them to the punch by organizing your race into trying to make a land grab.
-
All I am saying is that someone should know enough about this game, being that I do not, to come up with an outstanding role play to bring the masses together.
/me waits for an idea from someone.
Bring the masses together---that's the historic mission of The One, the guild of equals who recognize that progress lay in communal ownerships of the land. Competition among the masses will only result a loss of power for us all for the Ochtarchy who has always derived it's strength by keeping the masses divided and exploiting every division for immediate and long-term profit could not do so if we were all united against them as they are against us.
-
Well I tried my best to help bring a bit more role play into this game, to bring the community together.
/me shakes my sad sadly.
-
Well I tried my best to help bring a bit more role play into this game, to bring the community together.
/me shakes my sad sadly.
Bravo! Good job. Please don't give up, fresh players are arriving daily in search of role-playing, and they need you.
Role-playing requires constant attention and pampering, like a beautiful lover. Ignore it and it will cheat on you with a stranger, and you have no control over who it chooses to replace you, either.
Oh, cold! ;D
-
All I am saying is that someone should know enough about this game, being that I do not, to come up with an outstanding role play to bring the masses together.
/me waits for an idea from someone.
You can learn a lot about Yliakum if you just go in-game and do some exploring, reading, and chatting every now and then. You can do that while you wait, btw.
Well I tried my best to help bring a bit more role play into this game, to bring the community together.
/me shakes my sad sadly.
Talking about roleplay does not equal roleplaying. If you want to bring more of it into the game, you'll do much better by doing it mainly ingame instead of the forums. Use the forums to let other players know about what is already happening so they too can join in. Otherwise, it's just talk. Use the energy you put into these threads to engage players in actual RPs by playing the game, and moreover, please don't make this anyone's responsibility and avoid playing the guilt card. It's not going to fly. We have enough drama as it is already. You started this thread to share ideas. If you don't get the community to respond it's not because they are not interested in RP but maybe they are not interested in the forums and, those who are, prefer to keep their ideas off the boards so players can enjoy a few surprises.
-
I agree completely. That's why I said pick and idea and go with it in game. People will join in or they won't. My wife does play-by-post roleplaying, and it drives me nuts that they basically plan everything out in advance before they do it. Instead of planning out the events OOC here in the forum, try to start something IC, and allow people to respond IC.
Isn't that what roleplay is about?
If people only go along with it because there is some large organized effort OOC, then it wasn't done because characters agree according to their beliefs or desires.
I don't mean to criticize the effort of wanting to organize, but I think that energy could be redirected to actual roleplay.
-
I have to agree with the last post, Big scripted or preplanned "roleplays" arent roleplaying but amdram, acting a preset role for a preset reason.
As Dajoji said if you really want to make a worldwide event create a character, get ig and go for it on a WWMCD basis.
Secondly acting as if there are no Vigisimi in a particular area (Ojaveda) because there isn't yet an NPC Vigisimi in place is a bit silly, the game is still in development we only have less than a tenth of one level, out of seven completed. So like we know the next level down (Barn) is there even if the maps aren't ready to go in game yet, we should also act as if the NPCs are there, the Guards Patrolling, the Court system, the Vigisimi and the Octarchy.
-
Why pretend it's all in place? Why not get GM permission on a few things and RP it ourselves, such as mayoral elections etc.? It would do nothing but help increase depth.
-
Many times 'friends' were gathered in chats to plan ideas of role plays out of game. Some of the best role players I have known have even honored me by allowing me to join in on the planning. I even remember once hearing one person say, "I like this role play idea, can you give me a role also?" Therefore I threw it out there to see if anyone had any ideas. The whole idea behind this was to bring a large role play in game. There are many small role plays that last a short time but what we wanted to do years ago was make big role plays so that the community could be a part of it. Being that most of the people I used to play with are now gone I posted this on the forums in hopes to get have a larger audience and get many more ideas.
-
Why pretend it's all in place? Why not get GM permission on a few things and RP it ourselves, such as mayoral elections etc.? It would do nothing but help increase depth.
Firstly its not down to GM permission, but the Settings Dept. Secondly you've been told already there are no mayors and if you check IG there is already a mechanism for election of Vigisimi and Thirdly whats the point of having a settings dept working hard to create content if you want to ignore it when convenient and do your own thing?
Asking for a Role in a play or taking your character and actually roleplaying your way into whatever is going on? Bring a large roleplay in game? the whole game is roleplay, like I said if you want to involve all the community then make a character and get in game and do so.
-
Asking for a Role in a play or taking your character and actually roleplaying your way into whatever is going on? Bring a large roleplay in game? the whole game is roleplay, like I said if you want to involve all the community then make a character and get in game and do so.
I agree the whole game is to played as a role play. Though I see no harm in talking about ideas that could help make more role plays to bring the community closer. In other words instead of many little role plays there could be a story that brings all of us together based on the story of PlaneShift itself. These are role plays that are player based and not GM based btw. If something does come of this thread that is interesting I just might go back in game to help make it work Mordraugion.
So if anyone has any ideas about role plays maybe they could post them here.
-
how about look for those pesky riverlings? They can not be from the stone labyrynths, as the Octarchal decree would of required us to kill them, and the officials discouraged that... so they must be somewhere.... ;D
Or how about try to build community support for someone to become a vigislmi (sp?) ingame. do a bit of research and figure out how that can be done. (of course no idea if the settings team would allow that, but why would the Octarch not allow for the peaceful progresion of a proven community asset? ) :devil:
Of course Bamko tends to end up exploring new areas... while he keeps on eye on Yliakum, seeing if some new areas will be added soonish. grinding there does not seem as fun as elsewhere. I think he is probably advanced enough for RP purposes. No need for him to ever be maxed out on sword, though he is close. He has not left, just kind of hibernating. :innocent:
Are those first 2 ideas what you mean Mathy?
-
These are great ideas Bamko. I need to understand more about it to further discuss how a role play would work. Please explain it.
-
Just as the son of a blacksmith often grows up to be a blacksmith, the role of a Vigesimi is often passed down within a family.
-
Mathy, I would go ingame, and see if anyone wants to do that type of activity, research it there, and play it out... seeing how it might work would be at least half of the rp...
Enderandrew: really? In what world? Bamko's father (if I remember right) was a blacksmith and mother was an herbalist or whatever, yet Bamko can, and has trained in many different fields, with no discouragement from any class or Caste system.
Oh, do you mean in europe circa 300ad, for example? I hardly see that kind of system in play ingame. Was this explained by a book in the library I missed? I might of missed that we were supposed to keep to the jobs of our parents.. :devil:
-
I didn't say always, i said often. And yes there is a book in the library entitled Government Fundamentals.
"Vigesimi normally come from craft guilds, and their position is hereditary. Nevertheless, it is not too rare to find some high citizens that are acclaimed to the post by the populace. This happens when a Vigesimi dies without leaving a successor, is judged inept or is found guilty of a high crime."
-
This is another idea I had in mind.
If many characters still dig for platinum I thought that one could say the mines belonged to him and he would get a part of all the profits. Then as time went on there was a rebellion against the ‘supposed owner’ of the mine. Though in the mean time there were many role-plays that brought this rebellion on. There could even be a marriage that could cause strife between the people. Together all the people had to come up with a way to fix the problem and make life peaceful again.
-
ah, that does sound familar, good show! seems odd that they would have that be heriditary when the class system is so open otherwise.... Oh well, I stand corrected.
Does kind of fit my idea though still, just need to find a "high citizen", eh? Now, where are those herbs....
I thought the mines belongs to the octarch or the govt. though OBVIOUSLY i do not have all the settings memorized completlly ... :whistling:
-
Yes the settings are a big issue for me when it comes to role play. Maybe that is why I do not play anymore. It is confusing. I find going into game just to read all the books a bit tiring, sorry.
-
[maybe it's been already discussed and I just didn't find]
A Public Council (or Popular Senate, or Popular Assembly or whatever).
On given days/hours, online characters could freely gather in a given public place and start the assembly. The council could:
- hear and discuss a question/topic proposed by a character;
- mediate an argument between two or more chars and come to a decision on it through vote (/greet would work fine) – with the help of a GM the council's decision could have practical consequences, like an actual court;
- be a place where characters in turn take the floor and introduce themselves (briefly, no short novels) then aswer questions about their past, how long they've been in town etc. – it may sound like an AA meeting but would be great for newcomers and shy RPers (like me :-[);
- announce group missions for volunteers;
- manage itself and its rules.
When formed, the Public Council (or whatever it's called) could need Representatives (or Senators, or...) for moderation of the assemblies etc. (their functions could be a further matter of discussion), so you can have those elections you were talking about.
More: the council could start its gatherings in the Laanx temple, the Laanx followers could protest against it etc... – it would be a regular RP meeting easy to start, with virtually infinite possibilities and, most important, open to all.
-
Yes the settings are a big issue for me when it comes to role play. Maybe that is why I do not play anymore. It is confusing. I find going into game just to read all the books a bit tiring, sorry.
How are you supposed to promote RP without getting ingame to actually roleplay yourself? ???
-
If something good comes of this thread I just might play again Dajoji. This is not about my playing or promoting role play for me. It is for the entire community.
Bajazag I like your idea. Something similar to this was tried many years ago, but I think it worth trying it. How would you do it?
-
If something good comes of this thread I just might play again Dajoji. This is not about my playing or promoting role play for me. It is for the entire community...
Come into PlaneShift. This thread is great but if you don't log in any more (I didn't know you'd stopped) most people here in the forum who might be inclined to become allies for the cause of good role-playing will dismiss you even if you present good ideas in this thread. Not saying it's right, but that is how human being are, usually. :)
-
Come into PlaneShift. This thread is great but if you don't log in any more (I didn't know you'd stopped) most people here in the forum who might be inclined to become allies for the cause of good role-playing will dismiss you even if you present good ideas in this thread. Not saying it's right, but that is how human being are, usually. :)
I will follow this thread for role play ideas then and no longer post here if I will be dismissed because I no longer play.
-
Maybe my characters are not established enough to profit from the big-scale events, and perhaps I'm not yet settled deeply enough into settings, guilds and IC player conflicts, but for my characters the on-going story comes from themselves and the characters they meet.
many small RP's > one big RP
Some of the best RP I've had yet came from chance encounters - usually while addressing people who were loitering about, or having my character stand and watch. It's no use to expect everyone you meet to have time or an interest, as much as it doesn't help to /greet and say "good day" to every passing person. Playing along naturally, with an interest in one's surroundings and being open for things to happen seem to yield the best results. This has lead to anything from philosophical arguments to being robbed so far :lol:.
One thing that's immensely important for any of my characters is to have a limitation or bias. This will always help me to give me a direction where the free form environment doesn't give one, and bring me into situations where I must be creative to resolve a situation with a given character. Some examples I've played with:
My first character has a strength in the thirties. Juggling his inventory between quests is a challenge in it's own right, sometimes, and he sits down frequently while receiving quest items :P. He doesn't like hard work or getting dirty, and never mines himself (although I might have violated that one once or so). That means he is often in need of others mining for him. He's not a non-combatant, and his sharp blades and sword skill can dispatch some creatures.
My current character is a little less out-going than the first. This makes it a little harder to engage with people, but the RP I've had was more rewarding. He tries to learn magic but shuns books or academia, and the followers of Laanx. He prefers to learn from nature and exploration (and loves to comment on bugs and glitches in an IC way), and is curious to study the world. He likes to find remote places and hide some items there for others to discover (and he has learned that there are others who do the same). I think the limitations on this character are more of a social nature (no, he's not in a guild or a follower of Xiosia either), but in addition to that he trains mace & hammers as his main weapon.
Another character concept (a bit cliche, it's true) came from playing on EZPCUSA. A female dwarven cook with a big mouth... she's in her best mood when she can berate others. Mostly she complains about NPCs. Once she was doing a small errand for a GM-led Harnquist, and couldn't stop going on about how he was working too much and eating only apples...
It helps having opinionated characters, IMO. A lot ;).
So yes, have duels and wars, and big markets for weapon sales. That will give my characters something to complain or worry or wonder about... :P
(I'm still levelling my characters, just slowly and as unrepetitively as possible, in case you wanted to put me in some RPvsPL camp)
-
Zoran has a very good approach to RP, one that any player can use because it can fit around his or her style and abilities like a cloak---you just wear it, it covers everything. The Zorans and Mathy's of PlaneShift can coexist and easily meld into oneanother's RP if they want to. Lots of choices and flexibility, a nice combination.
-
Here's a simple idea. Greet and meet every character you can. Interact like a normal human would when seen on the street. Nod your head, do something that brings the community of RPers just a bit closer together.
-
I agree with both Mathy and Zoran.
A world is not complete without day to day meetings and greetings.
My alt Malkius had a random encounter, hes a mercenary commander, and he was randomly hired to take Giroum to see Levrus. Along the way a mysterious character confronted them, and Malkius slew the man, who claimed Malkius was aiding evil. It of course gave me a perfect chance to display Malkius' psychology: He cares not for good and evil, just that he serves the person who is paying him well.
But also we need big events, markets, elections, court systems... they add depth... dare I say on another 'plane' of roleplay. Going to big events is neither more nor less exciting to me than the little personal RPs that I encounter and join in with. But both are necessary for depth, because I frankly find the usual treasure hunts, disorganised tournaments, and plaza and tavern swordfights pathetically boring and unrealistic. Although there are some good tournaments from time to time, when a good organiser gets it together.
For me, good RP, is anything that would really happen to my character, anything he would really get involved in. Of course I have about eight characters, each with a different style of character, so I'm usually capable of being involved in anything.
-
If something good comes of this thread I just might play again Dajoji. This is not about my playing or promoting role play for me. It is for the entire community. (...)
Or you could get back in game and if something good comes out of it, you could post about it so others can keep an eye out for that RP. Seriously, you're doing it backwards.
-
I can see where Mathy's come to. He obviously went through a period where PS suffered bad RP, an got sick of it and left, and watches the forum hoping to spot an RP to follow....
I can understand why he would rather check the forums once a day or so, than spend hours a day hunting for an interesting RP.
I play because the game hasn't gotten boring, because for me I'm still finding new RP ideas.
Hey Mathy, have you noticed that Ojaveda would fit Market Saturday better than Hydlaa? It would be a cool way to attract some 'economy' to Ojaveda...
We could form an Ojavedan Commerce Guild, and for an hour on Saturdays rent out stalls and spots in the Ojaveda City. the Guild Master (CEO) of the OCG would collect the rent, and keep a book of all the rental spaces. Ones more central to the town will be pricier than the corner stalls, and merchants could lay out their ores, swords etc...
Some guilds could share a stall's rent and have one of their young'uns or higheruppers selling on behalf of their guild.
/auction would be encouraged... and so on...
fun idea?? also, within the Comerce guild elections would be held...
-
Oh there are so many great ideas! For one, I've seen plenty of evil characters, why not an evil convention? :D Or as mentioned above, gatherings for citizens of Yliakum to ask questions that others may have answers for that may help their character prosper further into their roleplays.
Who said evil can't love good? :love: :devil: That'd be an interesting wedding, indeed!
-
Dajoji, how can you expect Mathy to keep playing when he's run out of RP ideas and is completely bored because the devs and GMs keep a lockdown on anything else that may threaten the grip the Octarchy has on the people?
I can see why he's had enough, when the only RP available is a player made treasure hunt or a little Ulbie hunt, or running your own shop for a few days.
It's about time we started allowing/planning some major RP, that gives the players a feeling of being a worthwhile member, not some underling.
-
Think broader thoughts, limiting yourself to RPs that attack the Octarchy is very narrow minded, there have been some very large scale rps that didnt involve rebellion or any other cliched style of roleplay
-
Massive rps have been held in the past under just this Octarchal control.
Try some of these.
War-
-Rival Hunting Parties in a guild war outside of town.
-Mage's alliance, (mages are hard to get up to a high level of skill, unite and take on some warriors
-Insult must be redressed (someone popular makes an insult on Ojaveda and its residents take up arms against that person and their allies until compromise is reached.)
War needn't be simply fighting, there are chances for meetings, discussions, treaties, spies, captured lovers etc etc etc. . .
Pestilence-
-A sickness, magical or otherwise takes hold. People consent or not to participate in the spread of the affliction. People try to work out a cure against some preset or evolving plan the event creator has made. (see the uncommon cold rp)
Dearth-
-Yliakum comes under a time of famine, players consent to "have to eat" for a time and food is made scarce, cooks are made popular, but who or what has caused the famine??? (might devs provide rain once in a freakin while?)
Dark Prophet-
- (requires a good core rper) Dark prophet comes with prophecy of doom (other players support the prophet using spells to augment his comings and goings.) What is the prophecy? Is it true? It can culminate in one or all of the above.
________________________________________________________________________________
Smaller events that can be fun.
Kidnapping
Murder mystery
robbery
________________________________________________________________________________
Things people don't do often enough
Take some area in game that goes unused (I used the temple of Laanx) and make it alive with players aligned with it's ambitions
Tournaments
Beauty contests
Poetry Readings
Story Telling Contests
________________________________________________________________________________
Don't allow yourselves to be shut down by the pessimism of other players. If you make sure your RP is consensual for all concerned parties you can probably make fun for a lot of people.
-
A lot of those were successful in the past, too. There is no limit to the list of ideas for great roleplay for all to be involved in. We just need positive attitudes (or evil if you desire so) and work together to bring the best of roleplays out in all of us.
-
These are great ideas. I am still looking for something original, new that has not ever been tried before. Keep trying.
/me is still keeping an eye on things.
-
-There is nothing new under the sun-
-The Bible-
__________________________________
The misguided search for novelty for its own sake is a mistake that many make in the pursuit of creativity, in truth novelty lies in combination and permutation of previous ideas; this is true whether the author is aware or not.
__________________________________
-Good Artists Borrow, Great Artists Steal-
-Pablo Picasso- (not definitive)
__________________________________
If it is true that novelty is a fool's quest than it behooves us as creators to sample from spiritus mundi liberally to make the odd juxtapositions of ideas that will SEEM new to a given audience.
__________________________________
-If it ain't broken, don't fix it.-
-Common proverb-
__________________________________
Just because ideas have been tried does not mean that running them again can't be fun for a new audience or a combination of new and old participants. Gms for instance are permitted to run events from a list of approved events and I am sure gms will tell you that the same event never turns out the same when run a second or third or fifth time as it did the first time.
__________________________________
New Ideas*
-Have a player claim to have direct divine contact with one of the gods and have this player write a new holy text, and gain followers, who will try to "spread the word." These newfangled believers can come into clash with those holding more orthodox views or even the followers of another faith (see protestant reformation).
-Philosophic debate society in the plaza (see Socrates).
-Blackflame mass infiltration of guilds- Have some of the better rpers play as newer people and attempt to infiltrate all active guilds then use this to try to instigate wars and rivalries.
-A Dsar of Ojaveda- If players really want to elect or nominate something to be an "authority" try doing it with a Dsar and see how it goes. So long as it's consensual only, there is little harm.
-Scientific Revelation- A Xacha scientist reveals some ground breaking information and is chastised by the masses (see Copernicus, Galileo) this person challenges information or theories expressed in books and tries to get people to believe his new truth whilst forces of orthodoxy challenge his assertions. Does it become violent? How can we convince these idiots the truth? Is it worth fighting?
-Poison the well- something in the atmosphere in a place is causing people to go mad and see things, the people begin to believe there is some conspiracy or magic behind it and insist people be put to death for wielding undo influence over the common people (see Salem Witch Trials).
-Trade Unions or Guilds call for a boycott of Harnquist, Trasok, and other npc crafters because they are robbing people or causing perceived economic woes, players begin prostest those trading with npcs and set up their own trading networks.
-Have a group of players begin protesting alcohol usage, they can form protests, and hold forums to discuss the evils of alcohol and clash with drunkards.
*Having already stated there is no such thing I will attempt some contextually new ideas. . .
-
Here's an idea, not so well formed yet, but...
What if there is a shortage of food, somehow? The Weather goddess gets annoyed that the folks of Yliakum don't even notice when it rains, snows, or turns to a thick fog. She bans the release of water on the third level. (set up) (GMs or the wonderful weather folks could just make these things happen as they will and when they have time.)
Now, Kada Els and Brado are out of food.(GMs could 'stop' the ability of folks to buy food from NPCs for a time?) Folks are hungry. Folks could join together to plant a community garden, or gardens. Cooks and bakers could make goods until their raw supplies run out. Some guilds will open their gardens, and have weekly or monthly or spontaneous gatherings where all bring what they have, and all share the food and festivities. Some guilds will plant, and guard their plots with their lives and swords. Some robbers will sneak into the food stores and steal, and sell foods at exhorbinent (sp?) prices. (lots of on going small or larger RP opportunities)
Caravans are gathered to go to the far reaches of the land, harvest what they can, and return to sell in the towns. The ulbers and clackers are starving too, so they might attack caravans of merchants with their meager harvests. >o) (for those who like to slash and kill)
Now folks may start dying from starvation. Perhaps the healers and mages start clinics to care for the young, the elderly, the sick. Herbalists make potions to reinvigorate people's systems. (Perhaps some of the existing magics could be used?). Some folks are altruistic and help anyone in need. Some use the crisis as a way to gouge folks of their tria. (more RP opportunities)
Perhaps an oasis is found, far far from an existing town, with a spring of fresh water like Xiosia's garden. Perhaps the waters have healing powers, like Lourdes? Will it be opened to all?
Perhaps the priests of Lanaxx will claim it as their own, and conduct rituals for only the faithful to be refreshed and revived? Perhaps the followers of Talad will war with the followers of Lanaxx? Perhaps the Daughters of Xiosia will try to mediate all? Perhaps the royal house of Purty will take it upon themselves to protect the spot, and allow all in need to enter?
How will we all deal with this crisis? How will folks feed their loved ones? How will the guards and the guilds react to an overwhelming, environmental crisis? Will the gods intervene? Will the Ochtarchy ration goods? Will the robbers and thieves try to kill off the law abiding citizens? Will yulbers be at risk of being stolen and eaten? Will children wither? Will those weakened from not eating not be able to mine platinum anymore? will all the world wide money tria supply dry up? Will there be nothing to buy? ::|
Just an idea for extended rps in which everyone might do what their character would do in such a crisis...
:thumbup: :thumbdown:
{Roled is Still trying to get back into the game. Bought a new computer with Ubuntu. A great friend came, set up Linex so it would read PS, and unpacked PS for me, but the graphics card is insufficient to run the game. Have to buy another graphics card. Have to work to get enough $$ to buy another graphics card. May have to dowload updated drivers. {{Thanks Pizik for last time...}}Many thanks to all those who continue to try to help me. Roled Rolak continues to wander alone in the desert. It's been almost 40 days.... Roled misses his home!}
Yers,
RR
-
In game, I think raising the prices of food is enough to reflect a food shortage. It is already established in Yliakum history and lore that there have been concerns over shortages of food. In the early portions of the current epoch, the Ylians began to claim ownership over large portions of the first level as their land exclusively. Given that the first two levels is where most of the food for all of Yliakum come from, that made people rightfully upset.
Another food shortage crisis fits in well with the setting in my opinion.
-
As a n00b I chose BF. I now pretend to be a Talad follower... :devil:
So that would make infiltrating the Warriors... done!
So we then only need to infiltrate DW, PoC, a few others...
Ugh. Guild Wars. They become a mess so fast! Everyone throws RP aside for their player-emotions!
I like the scientist/religious reformist idea...
I might make up a god, (fake of course, even in RP) and make a Priest [alt], and stand outside Laanx Temple slandering the gods of Yliakum in the name of *insert the god here* and incite a small revolution against Laanx and Talad followers (massacre in the temple to kick it off, anyone keen?). Perhaps a bit of brainwashing to get some followers. The fight could go into the ruins below, and then the cult's survivors flee Hydlaa, which (as the city of Laanx) is declared a peace zone, and the sides square off, one holding position over Gugrontid, the other over Ojaveda/Akkaio.....
What do you guys think?
-
-Scientific Revelation- A Xacha scientist reveals some ground breaking information and is chastised by the masses (see Copernicus, Galileo) this person challenges information or theories expressed in books and tries to get people to believe his new truth whilst forces of orthodoxy challenge his assertions. Does it become violent? How can we convince these idiots the truth? Is it worth fighting?
(possible idea)
A Xacha comes to the town plaza and shouts for attention: Hear yea, all you citizens of Ylkium! The gods are lying to you! They are no more then mere mortals with powers hidden from us. The magic we receive from glyphs has nothing to do with the magic you see! Nay! Magic comes from us mortals! All the gods' magic is available to us without glyphs! I shall demonstrate this now! (The Xacha performs a healing spell then quickly hands his life glyph to an accomplice.) I show you a magic performed without glyphs! These glyphs are merely shackles to our own magic! No longer be limited by lack of Glyphs! Be gods of our own and no longer serve those who have kept this hidden from us!
Obviously this will outrage Talad followers for claiming that Talad did not give us magic through glyphs. It will also outrage Laanx followers for claiming that Laanx is not a superior. This would get messy if it is widely believed...