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Author Topic: Forum RP Suggestion  (Read 5635 times)

Chuckles_McChuck

Forum RP Suggestion
« on: October 04, 2016, 07:41:57 pm »
I wanted to suggest something I saw another server do which in my opinion was well received.It's basically a player introduced forum RP that DM's and other players of that individual's permission can take part in, that will create a result in game.  The result can be mechanical, reputation, etc.To clarify, I will explain how it was used on the other server.  The other server was set up where a new land was discovered by human beings and through it discovered other races and magic.  The forum specified for my request was an established research forum, allowing upcoming wizards who wanted to learn this new arcane power to be the creators of spells that would then be added to the server, humans explored new lands that could eventually be added as areas in game.  For other RP perspectives, a new metal could be discovered and a person starts a research thread to find a way to forge it properly into a weapon; characters could try and create relations with the other races.While Layonara would obviously not have the same reasons for such threads, there are still opportunities for things like joining and rising in the ranks of an NPC organization, developing political influence, buying land, attempting to attain a PrC, etc.  This basically allows a player to gain progress through GM and player interaction without having to coordinate online times between all parties or having to make a quest for every little detail.  Also if the DM responding feels as such, they can make a ruling that the final assessment for the player to achieve their goal within the thread has to be done via CDQ in game.Also, so there is no burnout, the other server set up a limit on how many research threads were allowed, which can be done here as well.  If I recall they said 2 per player, 1 per character under that player, and a player can cancel a research thread at any time to make a new one.
 

Acacea

While mainly addressing the
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2016, 08:04:02 pm »

While mainly addressing the way the plague is being handled, this thread also mentions testing a system that will serve as the basis for forum-based quests and such. This is not identical to what you propose, and they have not yet released details, but it could potentially serve as another avenue for CDQs and such as you suggest. 

Director's Cut: Additionally, even without whatever system  Dorg alludes to, the forums have become crucial in the last few years to progressing events. I would argue that the day a time limit was put on the EC/WLDQs was the start of falling back to the forums as a means to work out conversations and distribute information without the IG clock running. By the time later epics were running, if you weren't exchanging PMs, posting in your forum, meeting IG without a DM, etc, you were not making full use of your time.

Long-running quest series also get their own forum for people to RP in and wrap up events, or for campaign-specific rumors and info to be posted... Player-run establishments like the Silver Buckle and the Leringard Arms have their own forums as well, that we use to RP between characters now and again. Lastly, each deity has their own forum that can be joined as well, which, depending on the deity have been used to hold meetings with fellow worshipers. Sometimes DMs will use any one of these to start an RP thread going that will later translate to IG events. One example is Ravemore, a DM that would typically start a thread with his events, take RP and dice rolls for a given time, and then conclude with a single session IG. He and other DMs have also posted bounties for special enemies they've placed... you get the idea.

My point was just that I'm not sure what is being tested right now, but they are definitely there for people who want to take the initiative and don't mind the sometimes weirdness of being in one place on a forum thread and somewhere else IG :P

 

Chuckles_McChuck

I do like the direction of
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2016, 09:56:44 pm »

I do like the direction of the Black Plaque quest line that you pointed me to and it looks like that could lead to what I'm suggesting (or at least have the same general idea).

My suggestion is more in the lines of CDQ's where the player him/herself leades the discussion with a goal in mind for their character and the DM's and other players get involved as seen fit (In the other server other players didn't get involved unless invited by that player, much like how a CDQ works here).  This could basically replace the CDQ with a more forum approach toward it, allowing the player to broaden his horizons that can sometimes be limited in game.  Also as mentioned it means the character can progress the same way they would want to in a CDQ, without working out the time constraints with other players and DM's, but instead reply appropriately as the thread expands (Basically a better use of everyones time).  This can all then become an in game CDQ to finalize the players desire for said character, or simply finish in forum.

 

Dorganath

Something along these lines
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2016, 11:18:52 pm »

Something along these lines is already in the works. What is happening with the Black Plague right now is, as we've stated, is the first part of this and firmly a work-in-progress. Details on this first pass will be posted very shortly, but this first pass is intented to test only certain aspects. There will be more to come as we test, refine and progress.

As Acacea noted, this sort of thing has been already used pretty extensively. What we're looking at, however, is more of a formalization of using these forums as an alternative to in-game RP with some structural elements to keep events moving forward while providing for some methods appropriate to the medium.

Whether it ultimately takes the form the OP described above or not, there will be something that comes out of this effort.