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Forums » RP Discussion » mmorpg? Could it work? Chess based rp?

Or maybe without the first 'm'
Anyway... I've been rebuilding an idea that I've had for quite some time, going on and off for the past 5 years or so. So I'm thinking of asking some questions and ideas, possibilities and such
And I may not really be all that great at explaining anything at all, but I'll try. Feel free to ask anything that comes in your mind

Would there be any way or possibility of 'mmorpg' type RP? Not sure if it's written like that or such, but like.... A multiplayer RP that would run like those internet games like Runescape or WoW like things? With players being regular players and then some 'higher entity' being the NPC characters and the ones that note people if there are any sorts of events or such?

I have been thinking that this could be a way to go with what I've been planning

In (very) short, I've been building something Medieval/Victorian/Steampunk-ish world that has its bases on the game of chess. There are two main kingdoms (and several smaller ones, but the 2 are the most important (because the biggest armies)). The army is a big part of each kingdom and every soldier starts from the very base from where they'll have to rise up and gain experience or such to promote into a higher class. There are a few new classes

Each kingdom has their own respective main color. And you probably already guessed that the main ones are Black and White (not named so though) of which the white one is more carefree but also more corrupted, people don't respect eachother all too much - at least those that they don't personally know. Meanehile the black kingdom is ruled with an iron fist, there are little to no rebellions though because everyone knows their Place and if negativity is seen to be rising it'll be dealt with rather quickly. These are pretty much the norms, but of course there are all sorts of other types of people than just the 'most common' ones


This is very brief but I don't want to flood this whole thing instantly with a ton of text
But yes... Ideas? Interested? How could I improve it?
Reima Topic Starter

Reserved for further information~?
Kim Site Admin

Yes! :D You just described D&D, Traveler, GURPs, and hundreds of other games with strict rules for character creation and dice rolls used to determine success (with a bias toward things the players are skilled at, of course.) Many MMORPGs use a D&D-like dice system under the hood!

Traditionally, these games are run by one person called the Dungeon Master (DM) or the Game Master (GM), although some systems use alternate names such as the Storyteller (ST).

Players play their one character, and then the GM controls the world and all the NPCs in it, weaving a story for them.

These types of games can be incredible because they tend to result in a super-cohesive, internally consistent world, allow the players to immerse themselves and react as they would in real world situations (where they have no control over the actions or outcomes of other people and situations they encounter), and allow for a planned plot to unfold and be affected by the players without them already knowing about it or sharing in its secrets before they earn them. Because of their point and dice based mechanics, they also tend to smooth over most issues of power gaming, or complexes where players insist that their character is good at everything/succeeds all the time -- you have to relax and get used to the idea that, just like in real life, even very skilled people sometimes don't have all the facts, make a mistake, or fail in some other way.

We have a primer on basic dice concepts here: http://www.rprepository.com/help/dice-primer

It is much simplified from full-on systems like D&D, but it should help you understand how these types of RPs work, and from there move on to either creating your own, or researching the hundreds of already existing options. :)
Reima Topic Starter

I'm a bit 'new' to the consept as I never really paly these kinds of things myself xD I've only been watching when others play (a 'part' cousin created me a Runescape character 10 years ago, I couldn't play as the character though because the game had food and I was worried that the character would starve (yes, it wasn't possible but I still feared it) same with the desert area and the fact you Needed water with you when you went there)
So I might need to get some experince myself too~

I'll need to read on the subject a bit, but I'm planning that some sort of group could also work with this - as in I create a group for everyone joining in and such
And learn to manage it


Also, I've been planning on becoming a part of the game/-ing industry, so..... I want to try this out~ Maybe when I have a team of my own I/we can try to make a game out of this one~
We did try making a comic together with a friend, but we never had the time or such
Kim Site Admin

Reima wrote:
I'll need to read on the subject a bit, but I'm planning that some sort of group could also work with this - as in I create a group for everyone joining in and such
And learn to manage it

Yup, groups are very commonly used here to run a game with its own specific ruleset. :) That should work out great!
DragonShard

If you're interested in a game using a system, I prefer Pathfinder myself, which is the spirit sequel to D&D 3.5. You can see most the game info for free if you Google 'Pathfinder PRD' since Paizo (the publishing company) is all about community. It's simple at its core; you devise traits and then have skills to help you know how good you are at any given thing. If you were into making your own game setting there's a system called FATE which from what I understand is also a free, generic system anyone can adapt. I don't know as much about it myself however. Naturally, you can always make your own, but having tried myself I can tell you it's a lot of work!
Reima Topic Starter

I've been thinking of these things while reading the guide on making and maintaining a group. I've gotten a few ideas too
But while trying to explain a lot of things to the possible people that might want to join, you really have to try think on how it's simple and easy to understand but almost make it so it has little to no 'sink holes' in the explanation (not sure how you say it in English, but I mean it like 'holes in the plot' or as in, some part of the explanation is missing)

I've also been thinking, that since it's a chess based thing, I'll be most likely playing some chess myself and informing about it to the participants, they'll 'lend me' their pawns and suggestions on how they want to move (like negotiating with the king/ruler of the board who ultimately makes the moves), marking in how the game went and after that givin out something like 'experience points' or such according to those who participated
In the RP at least

In the real game thing the chess matches would pretty much just be optional minigames that you'd be able to challenge whenever you felt like it, but I'll be implying them here as some sort of 'bonus events' with a chance to gain something


Sounds like a plan?

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