Topic: IRC Roleplaying

URU live isn't out yet, even if it ends up being the game we want it to be. Other games are proving unsatisfactory for one reason or another. And the NWN2 persistent setting people are discussing won't be appearing overnight either.

With this in mind, has anyone given thought to roleplying on IRC or some other form of chat whilst we wait for a decent game to come around?

I have a LOT of experience running pen-and-paper RPGs, and I have a few in my collection that are sufficiently rules-light and RP-oriented that they would be very good material for chat games. If enough people are interested, I'd be willing to set up such a game. Settings that I've always wanted to run but never had enough RPers to do so are Nobilis, the Dying Earth, and Blue Planet. These would be my preferred ones, but I've whole bookcases full of RPG stuff- name a setting, and I probably have something along those lines.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

oh i always wanted to play Nobilis but never had the chance!

Anyway...its a good idea but I think i will have to pass. I am not sure I would find that kind of roleplaying interresting enough :\

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I've had great experiences with PnP over IRC, and I warmly recommend it. Right now, I'd be too spread thin to focus on it though, so I'll have to take a raincheck. smile

http://ahnion.centralen.net/temp/signature-Seed-community-2.gif

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I'm not sure how my time permits but in theory I'm interested. I've played two scenarios of an IRC campaign and it worked nicely. The lack of face to face contact is, in my opinion, both a pro and a con.

Oh, and I was thinking of a game where you don't only use IRC but play play people talking over IRC. It would take some thinking to make it interesting, but I think it might work. (Obviously it wouldn't have to be "IRC" IC, it could be some other kind of a communication network, in a scifi world for example.)

Last edited by Kryigerof (2006-11-13 21:22:05)

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I'm not really interested in RPing over a chat.

-Norah/Liath-
"Do not follow! The milk is not ready, and you are not ready for the milk!"
-Psychonauts: Milkman Conspiracy area

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I have RP'ed over IRC previously. I've also played Nobilis as PBEM. Nobilis is very unique and metaphysical, it will take dedication and time to run properly.

I like the idea, but I will personally have enough to do with SoR and URU I think (and later NWN2).

If I was to play a IRC campaign, it would have to be something I could get into imediately and not think too much about when not playing right now.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

Looks like the results so far are divided between "not interested in chat RP" and "interested but now time". Another idea bites the dust.

I can always run sessions with lots of RP and very little in-depth plot if time is short- the Dying Earth is very good for that.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

Tantavalist wrote:

Looks like the results so far are divided between "not interested in chat RP" and "interested but now time". Another idea bites the dust.

I wouldn't say it's dead. You may just have to put it off for a better time. I'm certainly interested in taking it up, somewhere down the line and I'm sure others are, as well. smile

http://ahnion.centralen.net/temp/signature-Seed-community-2.gif

Re: IRC Roleplaying

What Ahnion said.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

Well, since we won't immediately be playing any chat-based RPs, I suppose we could discuss a few things in the event that we ever do so. For instance, what game systems/settings do people like that would be suitable for chat-based games?

I've listed the ones that I have which I feel would be most suitable. What do people feel about them? For that matter, am I listing obscure games that nobody has heard of? I'd have suspected this to be the case, but Nobilis, the most obscure of them all IMO, has already had two mentions from people.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I know Dying Earth a tiiiny bit too. I'd like to have the rules set of whatver we (if I get time to play) play myself, but that's no problem.

Anyway, I've played on the IRC both as a GM and player. It works well enough, especially for RP situations without rules naturally. However, there's no problem in letting the players throw a few dice and announce their result (or have the GM do it, if he doesn't trust them wink) either. Also, there's infact some utilities and programs available made for chat-RP, complete with dice-systems, etc. I haven't checked those, but I remember someone mentioned them? Anyway, all settings and systems can be used without much of a bother really. So it's mostly a question of first what the GM is inspired to do, and secondly what the players have/know. With the first being most important.

If we RP as we do usually, IC, brackets for OOC, ** for emotes, then most can be handled. Actions can be told in private to the GM, who then decides on the outcome, with/without dice rolls where applicable. Private conversations/whispering is easy too - new channel for GM and the involved parties, etc. Only thing is, the GM need to do a lot of multitasking, and be good at descriptive writing. Speed in writing is a plus too wink

Anyway, I'm in when I think I have the time, and I do think it's a great idea.

Last edited by Darkhawk (2006-11-15 06:33:17)

Re: IRC Roleplaying

The Dying Earth RPG is published by Pelgrane Press, and more closely follows the later books by Jack Vance. These, whilst still having most of the elements from the original stories, are lighter in tone with a sense of ironic humour running through them. Dying Earth game sessionstend to be improvisational and witty, with the GM simply describing a situation, then the players running with it. By default, the PCs play penniless rogues who must cheat and swindle their way through the world. They may have some skill at arms, but tend to avoid using it- fighting is dangerous. They may dabble in magic, but it's likely to backfire on them at a critical moment. Their only reliably effective weapons are their wits and their tongues.

The rules use the roll of a single six-sided dice. A result of one to three is a failure, four to six is success. If the roll fails, players can spend from their skill pools to re-roll. Thus, someone with a Quick Fingers skill of 4 can re-roll the dice when attempting to pick a pocket four times. 1 is a critical failure and costs 5 to re-roll, 6 is a critical success and restores 2 points. The spent points for re-rolls refresh whenever the characters rest in comfortable surroundings. Modifiers to difficulty usually consisty of altering how expensive re-rolls are. It's an unusual system, but once you graps it, a very good one. Online, it would simply need a bot that can roll 1D6 whenever someone types a command.

Another unique part of the rules is the experience system. Players are handed three taglines at the start of play. They must work these into a conversation at some point in the session, and are awarded XP for doing so. Using a tagline gets one point, using it in an appropriate situation gets two, and using it in a way that provokes hilarity from the rest of the group gets three. Examples of taglines are:-

"I have a superstitious nature. My appeal for Divine Aid was a reflexive utterance, not a spell."

"Please excuse my companion, who was dropped at birth."

"Come, let us drink wine and consider the matter dispassionately."

A player in my own gaming group got three points for using this last tagline as he was being dragged off to a dungeon by burly thugs.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I'll resurrect this thread with a suggestion of an IRC roleplaying campaign with heavy Seed influences. We could:

1) Continue from where Seed left off (ignoring Darkhawk's ending). I don't think this is such a good idea, though, as there were so many plotlines going on it would be impossible to track them all in a single GM game.

2) Play in the same world but a different group of people, such as people from the Lower Cluster or one of the other Seed ships.

3) Use an original setting with heavy Seed influences, especially when story and themes are concerned.

We would have to play some weekday evening, after 20:30 GMT.

Anyone interested please reply here.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I'd be interested in this, certainly, as player or GM. I'm a great fan of hard-SF settings, and whilst I don't think an exact re-creation of the Seed setting in IRC roleplay would be the same, something along those lines could be great fun.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I'd be happy to let you GM it if you like, Tantavalist. My original thought was, actually, that it would be great to play in such a campaign.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

If anyone else posts saying they'd be interested, then I'll start a discussion on what exactly to run. We will need a few players- four or more players and a GM works best in my experience with games where politics between players is going to be a factor- and I'd originally abandoned the idea due to lack of interest. If others speak up, I'll certainly start making plans.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I did say on IRC that I'd be interested. I'm not sure that you counted me or not.
In any case I think Kryigerof's idea about a Seed-tower with thousands of colonists would be great, no need to specify them all, just to try the feeling how it would be to have the tower crowded.

Cheers,

Dustie

Re: IRC Roleplaying

Darkhawk, Kendrus and Mir also mentioned interest on IRC if I recall correctly, so I guess we're talking.

As for what to run, I'd personally prefer a "Seed spinoff", that is, the Seed setting but not the same characters and places as in the MMO. Perhaps also change some of the most obvious MMORPG conventions like ring channels, auto-learning etc.

And I agree 4 is a minimum if people are going to be of different rings. IRC roleplaying has the benefit that it's allows easy party splits (as long as the GM types fast enough), so we wouldn't necessarily have to be of the same "party". Two PCs per ring might be a bit too few, though, although well specified NPCs would fix some of it.

Last edited by Kryigerof (2007-01-07 18:34:56)

Re: IRC Roleplaying

So, we had a conversation about IRC RP, Seed-like, and so on. And this is it. I don't want to, nor can I at the moment (tired), recap it all and make some sort of sensible point out of it. So here it is and you can all see for yourselves!

[06:41] [Norah] so is that IRC thing going to be a sequel where Seed left off?
[06:41] [Norah] it was an IRC thing, right?
[06:42] [Darkhawk] yes and.. yes
[06:42] [Darkhawk] I think so
[06:42] [Darkhawk] not where it left off as such though
[06:42] [Darkhawk] because Kryigerof doesn't like the real ending wink
[06:43] [Darkhawk] which is fair enough, he doesn't think he or so many others would blibdly have gone to the floatbeds
[06:43] [Norah] because then I'll be pissed at missing actual Seed RP
[06:43] [Darkhawk] That's.. nice
[06:43] [Norah] now I have to be torn between either missing out on Seed story, or having to play a text MMO, which I think sucks
[06:44] *** Norah is not happy
[06:44] [Darkhawk] uh.. oh?
[06:45] [Norah] missing Seed, having to play text. bad choices all around
[06:45] [Darkhawk] It's not the real Seed? Or.. Text is not that bad, really.. Having good fun with a barroom brawl here
[06:45] [Norah] well, if it's going to continue with the real story and all the old chars, it's the real seed, because the chars made the seed tongue
[06:46] [Darkhawk] I think it'll be new chars
[06:46] [Norah] oh ok
[06:46] [Norah] in that case I might be able to stand missing out on it
[06:46] [Darkhawk] Maybe moved to another period of time.
[06:46] [Darkhawk] Yeah, I wouldn't want to play Arash without the trio around if possible
[06:46] [Norah] although the idea of picking it up again is really tempting
[06:46] *** Norah imagines Norah waking up from the 'beds
[06:46] [Norah] err, that looks werid
[06:47] [Norah] weird too
[06:47] [Norah] If it -were- all the old chars, even in a different time period, I doubt I could not play it[06:48] [Darkhawk] hrm, it's not decided yet really
[06:48] [Darkhawk] will depend on players too
[06:48] [Norah] ugh. stop wasting energy would mean no more internet and MMO gaming. My life would be over. Yet I'm environmentally concerned.
[06:48] *** Norah is torn inside
[06:49] [Norah] now there's a big bleeding gap of anguish either way
[06:49] [Norah] either direction I mean
[06:49] [Norah] but either way is right as well
[06:50] [Norah] I'll live until it's over. and game until it's over too tongue. If I have kids they can deal with the mess. But then again that's the whole mentality that got us in the mess in the first place
[06:51] [Norah] then again it may be better if I never have children anyway. I can pass on too much hayfever. and general... non-NTerness
[06:52] [Norah] ok, on to the next part of the logs!
[06:53] [Norah] So, let me know if that Seed thing is going to be with the original chars. Because I already know I wouldn't be able to not play then, anyway[06:53] [Darkhawk] woah, can't keep up with you wink
[06:54] [Norah] so what's new? tongue
[06:54] [Norah] wheee, I made a comment at the right time and not minutes late!
[06:54] [Darkhawk] harh, witty today eh.. Too much caffeine
[06:54] [Norah] applejuice
[06:55] [Norah] OMG Captain Planet! I forgot that used to even exist
[06:56] [Norah] But I think I liked Ring Raiders better. At least i still remember that without someone having to mention it, so I guess it made more of an impression
[06:57] [Darkhawk] If enough of us want it with the original chars, it could be interesting. But I don't know if that's acceptable[06:57] [Norah] SS is a kind of weird abbreviation for a game to use, by the way.
[06:57] [Darkhawk] oh yes wink
[06:58] [Norah] Well, I'm not saying I want that. because that would mean I need to do text RP. But I do want it, in theory, and if the text RP was with the original chars, I would have to play, no way would I miss out on that
[06:58] [Norah] so it probably -would- be a sure-fire way to gain more players

[06:58] [Darkhawk] yes, that's what I'm thinking[06:58] [Darkhawk] it won't be the same anyway. Only a few hours a week
[06:59] [Norah] what!?
[06:59] [Darkhawk] wink
[06:59] *** Norah 's mind is slowly going for meltdown
[06:59] [Darkhawk] that's how you play RP sessions normally
[06:59] [Norah] first a chance, but no certainty, of the original chars, and then.... if it happens, only a few hours a week? How would I live with that!?
[06:59] [Norah] jeez
[07:00] [Norah] that sucks, if I can be rude, blunt, and unsubtle
[07:00] [Norah] not that I wouldn't be anyway
[07:01] [Darkhawk] Yes, I think you got it across wink
[07:01] [Darkhawk] How about you put in your opinions in that IRC thread? Instead of me being the messenger?
[07:02] [Norah] copy/paste?

-Norah/Liath-
"Do not follow! The milk is not ready, and you are not ready for the milk!"
-Psychonauts: Milkman Conspiracy area

Re: IRC Roleplaying

Sounds as if there would be a guaranteed high level of attendence if we just tried to re-create Seed in IRC roleplay. Unfortunately, that's one thing I don't think I'd attempt to do as a GM, since I don't feel I have the instinctive "grasp" of the Seed setting that would be required to get the tone right. I was at the periphery of the big events, there are elements (especially technological) that I simply suspended my disbelief for, and I have a tendency to add to a world with spur-of-the-moment improvisation if I think the story needs it.

Seed has a clear vision shared amongst the former players, and whilst I have no doubt that I'd be able to create a fun game for everyone, I don't think it would end up feeling like Seed. If anyone else wants to try and GM it, I'd be willing to help though.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

you shouldnt be afraid of not being able to re-create the seed mood...becuase i doubt anyone here would be able to do it. Which is also why I am saying no thanks for this.
if/when doing this i think it would be better that you simply got inspired by the whole seed-setting instead of trying to re-create a specific experince

"its dead jim" tongue

Re: IRC Roleplaying

To make it perfectly clear, I would not try to GM a faithful conversion from Seed into an IRC RPG, and definitely not try to continue any of the old storylines (or as quick references at best if it's a Lower Cluster game or something) or use any of the old characters. It would be more like playing one of those licenced RPGs like Buffy or Star Wars - the story's new, the GM (and players) make the feel in the end, but the overall setting, themes and style are mimicked to some level.

And to make it perfectly clear again, it would not be an MMORPG by IRC, it would be a roleplaying campaign. That means specified gaming sessions when everyone is on (if able of course).

And if I were to GM I wouldn't try to be another Zorg or Bifrost or something, it would be my game, and even though I'd try to keep the essential parts of the Seed feel (what's the point otherwise) there would be differences. Also I'd vote for changing some parts of the gameplay that really only make sense in a computer game (such as special "hatches" behind which reside all machinery that ever gets damaged or trivially curable major injuries). EDIT: Also, the level of detail would have to be ge tuned down - no point trying to model all the different tools or tradeoff abilities or anything like that. It's the story I'm interested in, not the gameplay elements.

My vote still goes on a Seed spinoff, but I'd be just as happy with an "original" setting too. Tantavalist: would, for example, a game set on another of the Seed ships be too close to the original for you?

EDIT: And one more thing: My intent is not to recreate Seed to satisfy our nostalgia. It's simply to take use of the great things in Seed setting and themes to create something similar yet new.

Last edited by Kryigerof (2007-01-08 16:45:14)

Re: IRC Roleplaying

I'd be happy with any Hard-SF setting that had elements of politics, colonisation and exploration in it. A Seed-style setting where everyone was part of setting up a new society would fulfill this, but even setting one aboard another Seed-ship would be too much like Seed for me. There's also the fact that, unless the game is to become rather boring, then there would have to be another disaster which cripples the projest just short of making it hopeless- which really stretches suspension of disbelief for me. After all, would any of us really find it challenging to play in a fully-functional Tower where everything worked?

My own preference would be for a different setting with a different set of challenges. The colonist/pioneer feel could be kept, but I'd be happy for any game with the level of political RP that Seed had.

I've had an idea that I've been playing around with for some years now, in one form or another, of a game where the Solar System has been colonised and Earth is dominant, but failing slowly. The players would be the various major factions other than Earth, and play would span several decades of game-time as they play out the forming of the new order. That's one setting I'd love to try with at least four Seed players... Perhaps the ones who've shown interest in Alpha Centauri, since I envisage something similar.

Of course, I am more than willing to tailor the details of whatever game I run to suit the players, so if there are people interested in IRC gaming with somehting other than a Seed re-creation, then say what sort of thing you'd be into and I'll try and put that together.

Re: IRC Roleplaying

Tantavalist wrote:

I'd be happy with any Hard-SF setting that had elements of politics, colonisation and exploration in it. A Seed-style setting where everyone was part of setting up a new society would fulfill this, but even setting one aboard another Seed-ship would be too much like Seed for me. There's also the fact that, unless the game is to become rather boring, then there would have to be another disaster which cripples the projest just short of making it hopeless- which really stretches suspension of disbelief for me. After all, would any of us really find it challenging to play in a fully-functional Tower where everything worked?

This is true, though it'd be hardly the first time when the story of a spinoff resembles that of the original in way too many ways to be logical (Stargate Atlantis anyone?).

EDIT: So yes, there should indeed be some severe difficulties hampering the project, though they wouldn't have to be all similar to those in Seed. (A cliche one that I'd not use would be the interference of natives, for instance.)

Tantavalist wrote:

My own preference would be for a different setting with a different set of challenges. The colonist/pioneer feel could be kept, but I'd be happy for any game with the level of political RP that Seed had.

I've had an idea that I've been playing around with for some years now, in one form or another, of a game where the Solar System has been colonised and Earth is dominant, but failing slowly. The players would be the various major factions other than Earth, and play would span several decades of game-time as they play out the forming of the new order. That's one setting I'd love to try with at least four Seed players... Perhaps the ones who've shown interest in Alpha Centauri, since I envisage something similar.

I like the concept of long time-span, so I'd try this one out. But the colonist aspect of the Seed-like game interests me more, especially the themes such as terraforming vs adapting etc. But anyway, I'd rather play than GM (already have one RL campaign), so I won't get too demanding.

Last edited by Kryigerof (2007-01-08 18:43:11)

Re: IRC Roleplaying

Ok, here's my view on this.

In many ways, it is very tempting to wish for a continuation of Seed, with the same chars as Norah says. That could potentially, ideally be very great. However, I don't believe it is feasible.   It would take too much knowledge to get right. And I only think the GM's and certain TM members have an overview of that knowledge (and yeah, I'm not volunteering for GM duty here, that's the kind of guy I am wink). That would be too much, and perhaps the GM would also think it too limiting. So here's my suggestion:

Alternate Seed universe. Same background story, same NPC's (TSR and so, plus of course whatever the GM's come up with), same everything, apart from the chars we played. Like our chars waking up for the first time, that 4th May last year. Ah, without the bugs ofcourse wink

Everything but the chars would be there. And of course things might and would develop in completely different ways from there. You could say only a few colonists were out (we woke up after that huge storm took out much of the tower, wate r gushed into the reactor, and 40000 or so died), or that thousands of new colonists were. You could do what you wanted of course. I think this is the best way to do it. Obviously, there's interest for it to be quite Seedish, and without that aspect, we won't have enough players. Ideally, I'd say at least 5 players, more would be fine, it's easier to handle on IRC, and with a potential helping GM.

Now some practicalities for the GM's. You should speak to Ahnion and or Sandling. They wrote down the complete datasets. These are invaluable for background lore. And you should speak to me and, of course, especially Esme, with specific questions about rings, lore, happenings, such things. My memory is bad, but at least I was in the middle of everything. Esme would have the advantage of actually having had access to all the secret knowledge though (at least I think she did wink).

Also, I have a very nifty tool for tracking trained skills. It's up to the GM(s), but why not keep the general idea of the skill system? TAU speedlearning things into you all the time. What skills these are could be modified to fit in with what the GM wants, and you could easily think of a TAU hacker getting TAU to teach him combat skills, etc. Whatever you want. Anyway, this tool can be set up with any kind of skill you'd care to include, and can keep track of all players for the GM. Nifty.

There are probably other things too, but.. Anyway, I'll leave all of that to the GM(s).

I'd say the GM's gather knowledge, prepare story, then make backgrounds with interested players? And that we get as many on board as possible. A RP session once a week or even more is not as problematic as playing a MMOG each day, so.. Should be possible.

And Norah, you should really join in you know. Why? Because it's Seed, you're bored, and you crave RP.. There wink