The purpose of this thread is simple and straightforward! Since I came back to the CBG last year I've been interested in running a freeform forum game, something like the forum game I once ran on this board once upon a time but New and Improved.™
For those of you that remember, I ran a play-by-post game a few years ago in which people played rising civilizations in a fictional ancient world. We had a lot of fun (well, I'd like to think we did!) but it suffered from the scope simply being too broad, creating too much work for me to maintain the game over the long term. My idea this time is to make something that's a proper role-playing game, in that players portray actual individuals, who - and here's the heart of the matter - jointly run a city/nation/other entity as those characters. Call it a "senatorial" approach to the nation-building forum game genre. It's actually an idea that's been stewing for a long time, but I didn't want to propose a game at a time I wasn't capable of running it for the foreseeable future.
So, then, this thread is to gauge interest in a potential forum game along these lines, and - if said interest exists - what kind of game people would find most desirable. I'm open to the fantasy genre, but it would probably require me to rig up a new setting for it (which is not necessarily a problem, but certainly a consideration). Right now I'm leaning towards a historical game - as in, Earth's history - because that is a setting we all have at least a basic knowledge of, and I have a really swell idea for what part of history I'd like to do. In any case, I can't see any means of making a poll, so I suppose you'll have to make your opinions known through the medium of posting!
Well I for one would be interested in this sort of thing. A few questions:
Is it turn based? i.e. one week in real time = set amount of time in game world?
What era of history were you thinking of setting the game in?
Would there be fantastical elements to this alternate history earth?
Would it be rules heavy or more abstract?
Do we get to roll up our own characters or do we choose from a list you provide?
MAPS?
Also, I've played something similar to this before on a much larger board and I have to say it got confusing very quickly mostly because of the amount of players. (I think there were about 20+ PCS) I think the CBG would be the right type of small-nit community that would make a game like this flourish (maybe even provide a whole setting history!)
QuoteIs it turn based?
It's turn based, with one season per turn (thus, one year in game is covered in 4 turns). How long the turns are in real time depends on the players. With a small group, we can easily make the "time limit" for a turn whatever is needed - I think a week is good, but if someone says "hey I need a few more days" I wouldn't have any objection to stretching it out. The idea is to keep the game moving, while at the same time providing some leeway for players (or the GM!) when it's needed.
QuoteWhat era of history were you thinking of setting the game in?
Would there be fantastical elements to this alternate history earth?
Well, the specific idea I've been floating around in my head is a certain city in Europe in the 12th century. It would be alternate history in that I'd shift some events slightly, but otherwise historical, meaning no fantastical elements. However, as I stated, that's just one idea and if people would prefer a more unconventional setting we can consider that as well. The reason I proposed something historical is that it lets everyone start with a similar level of knowledge about the setting; if I used a fantasy setting, it might require more background reading so that players understood the setting, which I'm not sure is the best idea to attract players.
On the other hand, a fairly light-fantasy setting with only a few departures from "normal" physics could work - that's basically what we did in the World at Dawn, the previous forum game, which was mainly "realistic" but had a few minor fantasy elements (like island-sized turtles and ride-able hippopotami). That would take longer for me to set up because I'd have to throw a setting together, but it's something I'm willing to do if people aren't as interested in the historical idea.
QuoteWould it be rules heavy or more abstract?
Do we get to roll up our own characters or do we choose from a list you provide?
Very abstract. With the 12th century idea in mind, each character just has four "stats" that vary between 1 and 10, not representing the characters themselves so much a their reputations (Influence, Popularity, Wealth, Orthodoxy). That might change a bit if we move to a fantasy world, but it won't get any more complicated. Players would be free to make up their own characters, give them whatever backstory they wanted (so long as it meets a minimum level of appropriateness for the setting), and play them how they wished. Orders would be split between IC words (speeches, letters, prose) and OOC actions (I do this, I do that).
QuoteMAPS?
There will definitely be maps! If we do the historical game, it will be a historical map, of course. There are good maps online for the area I want to do but I will probably draw up my own version if that's the direction we go.
QuoteI think the CBG would be the right type of small-knit community that would make a game like this flourish (maybe even provide a whole setting history!)
This is basically what was intended for the World at Dawn. The problem was that since everyone played their own civilization, starting from scratch, it was incredibly time-consuming for me to develop their cultures and histories and interactions simultaneously over 25-year turns. Creating an update eventually became an all-day endeavor for me, and it wasn't maintainable. When it ended I proposed the idea of the "senatorial" game in which players controlled specific characters and acted cooperatively to build one nation instead of each player having their own, but for a variety of schedule and interest reasons it didn't get off the ground at that time.
I've played a number of these games here and on other sites, and my experience is that what kills games are a) not enough players, and b) rules that are too complex for players or too difficult to update for the GM. Assuming there's enough interest to assuage a), I think the new framework I have will address b) quite handily.
Sounds interesting. While I can see the appeal of a historic setting, I do find myself liking a bit of fantastical extras generally, even if they are very "light". I wouldn't want to impose a ton of work on Polycarp just to make things a tiny bit different though.
How about era? Do you heavily favor the 12th-century?
I've been brainstorming two options, one historical, the other [low] fantasy. The historical game is essentially ready to go; the fantasy one would require me to do some more work before I could start, but it's not an undue burden if people would prefer it. As for "imposing," Llum, please rest assured that if I thought it would be a ton of work, I wouldn't propose it - for my own sanity, as much as anything else!
I wrote up a quick blurb for the historical one:
[ic=The Republic Reborn]
It is the 12th century - in Europe, a time of great change and conflict. The Second Crusade has just ended in failure; in Germany, Frederick Barbarossa has come to power after the death of Emperor Conrad III. But this story isn't about Germany, or the Holy Land - it's about Rome.
In Rome, the wealthy merchants and middle class artisans were getting frustrated with their rulership. The Pope and his Prefect controlled all power in their city; while Republics formed in the prosperous cities of northern Italy, Rome languished under ecclesiastical rule, beset with constant crisis caused by the Pope's mismanagement. In 1144, they decided they had stood quite enough - they kicked the Pope out of his own city, abolished the office of Prefect, and set up a Republic modeled after the ancient institution. This really happened - it was known as the Commune of Rome, and lasted for nearly half a century before it was finally dissolved.
In this game, the players play characters who are members of the senatores consiliarii, the elite of the Roman Senate, and try to keep their city and its famously unruly people independent against their jealous neighbors and the noose of Papal power that surrounds them. And that's not the end of it - a charismatic and notorious heretic is gathering a sizable following among the citizenry, and Barbarossa is coming over the Alps to show the Italians just who their rightful ruler is. He intends to end his grand procession with an Imperial coronation in Rome, and won't let anyone get in his way. Can the ancient city restore ancient glory by fair words and force of arms, or will it be crushed by its power-hungry oppressors?[/ic]
I don't have such a blurb for the fantasy yet; my current idea is a culture of mountain herdsmen who have descended into the "civilized" valleys below to escape a great cold that has settled upon the world and turned their mountainside pastures into wastelands. This would be more iron age/classical, as compared to medieval, and would have such fantasy elements as an ogre-like people that once ruled the land but linger now only as scattered shepherds and mercenaries, certain monstrous creatures that don't exist on earth, and possibly some kind of magic based on ancient liths and holy sites that I haven't quite ironed out yet. The mechanics of the game would be similar in that the players would make up a ruling council of these people, but initially this would be control of a group of nomads looking for a home rather than control of a city. Presumably, settling would follow, and what kind of city or nation comes therefrom would be up to the players.
That looks really good to me. I don't know anything about the Commune of Rome but I can do some reading up. Most of my knowledge about that time in history is about the crusades. Barbarossa, Godfrey, Guy and Alaric were some of my favorites.
Well, here's a teaser...
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee254/MithridatesNES/Rome70.png)