Possible Future RPs?

[JustSnilloc]

Dec 26, 2014 0:04:54 GMT -5 @fro619 said:

Gender Benders, Bender Benders, and Fender Benders. All wonderful options.

No, but srsly - JS, what sorts of ideas did you have in mind for the RP? Mostly, I'm curious about the setting and time period. Is it like a traditional UBS where we're in the background or in other locations while Aang & co are doing their thing? Is it some time in the past or the future? Alternate universe altogether?

Originally, as you'll see in the poll, I wanted to do it in the far future, but after mulling it over some, I've had something else in mind. "Alternate Timeline", It'd be built on a simple "What if?".

"What if Roku killed Fire Lord Sozin instead of sparing him?" - That's the idea this story is built upon. What sort of consequences does that one simple choice have? The entire Fire Nation war might have been averted, if Aang was still an avatar later on, he certainly wouldn't have ended up as the boy in the iceberg. Would we have had an era of peace? So many things change because of that one choice.

I was thinking that the avatar would be initially unknown in this story, but turn out to be our antagonist. He/she would be hiding from the world, doing what he/she perceived as his/her avatar duties. In light of a "missing avatar", many would claim to be the avatar and a select few may even cause some political turmoil.

I don't have a lot in terms of story planned out, but I really want to keep it true to the avatar series. I want to take what makes the Avatar series special and implement that into this RP. So let me know what you think makes it special, and everyone else do the same. My natural inclination is to make it an action RP, but I don't want to go overboard with that mindset.

Dec 26, 2014 0:17:13 GMT -5 jacklamont said:

I kinda like the idea of another time period, during the time of another avatar, something to explore more of. Like during Roku or Kyoshi. We wouldn't be fully involved with the Avatar, but can still be having whatever impact we have.

We'll do it in the time of another Avatar, we'll have all the avatar world as our sandbox! ^_^

...


Some of the stuff I already have for it...

The original map that I edited for the RP...
Link: tinyurl.com/AAA-Avatar-Map

Downloadable "Poster Quality" Maps...
+Labels: tinyurl.com/HD-Avatar-Map1
-Labels: tinyurl.com/HD-Avatar-Map2

Viewable Lower Quality Maps...
+Labels: i.imgur.com/7NWgPSu.jpg
-Labels: i.imgur.com/FJ2eD42.jpg

I was also thinking about doing a "Reward & Stat" system. Basically rewarding active writers with points to upgrade their characters. My reason being a way of keeping the characters at reasonable levels, without things getting silly and far beyond what they should. I'm kind of on the wall about it, but here's what I have so far with that too...

[Reward System]

Who doesn't enjoy being rewarded for the work they do? It's a fundamental part of the human psyche and it's a part of this Roleplay as well. In addition to the humble thrill of weaving a story, you'll also be rewarded for participation and quality.

Growth is vital to the characters of any story. The reward system featured in this Roleplay will not only help your characters grow stronger, but it will also help you grow into a better writer too! How does it work you may ask? Two ways...

1.) After submitting your post, all those involved in the RP will rate it and give some feedback (contructive criticism).

2.) Depending on how the sum of your reviews went, your character will recieve a certain amount of development points at the end of each arc.

The growth system is meant to be a fun and useful tool for not only improving our own writing, but also as an interesting way of allowing our characters to grow stronger.

[GROWTH & STAT SYSTEM]

Reminiscent of the stat systems found in many RPGs, the characters of this RP will have their various abilites graded. This is far from the "be all, end all" for what a character is capable of, instead it's meant to give a general idea of what the character is capable of.

At the end of each arc, your character will recieve growth points which he/she may use to increase his/her personal statistics. In this way, your character may grow stronger as we progress through the story. It is of course the responsibility of each writer to ensure that their characters grow in other ways (character development).

The stats are divided by "Attributes" and "Skills". Attributes are the qualities unique to everyone, while skills are things that must be learned. As a rule of thumb, if the average person does it, it doesn't need to be counted as a skill for this RP.

Below is a chart explaining how the stats are graded and how much they cost.

i.imgur.com/VvZnb1e.jpg

As a final note, "Bronze", "Silver", and "Gold" are degrees of skill quality. For example, while Iroh was certainly a firebending master, he never had the blue flames that Azula did. This is a difference in quality and not mastery, and thus the purpose for applying "bronze/silver/gold" ranks to the skills. Attributes do not share this however, and are considered "Gold" for the purpose of point costs.

[BENDING ARTS]

Designated as "Skills" within this RP, here's a quick breakdown of the bending arts and what to expect. Also, since in this timeline the airbenders were never genocide victims, airbending is perfectly available. Sub bending becomes available as soon as one becomes an adept in it's parent art.

As with the other skills, the "Bronze/Silver/Gold" ranks apply here, with the parent art and the sub art being separate. In other words, you could have Gold Healing and Bronze Water Bending or vice versa.

avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Bending_arts

~ Water Bending ~

The element of change. Water is the most versitile element, consisting of liquid, solid, and vapor forms. A water bender must be perceptive if they are to know how to apply their bending in the best possible way.

Sub Elements...
- Healing: With the aid of water, wounds may be healed.
- Plant Bending: By manipulating the water within plants, they may be bent.
- Blood Bending: By manipulating the water within living creatures, they may be manipulated.

~ Earth Bending ~

The element of substance. Unlike the other bending arts, earth bending's strength equally lies in both offense and defense. Renown for their impressive fortitude and strength, earth benders are very formidable.

Sub Elements...
- Sand Bending: An alternate earth bending style that focuses on fine sand.
- Metal Bending: Thanks to the earthen impurities found in metal, it can be bent.
- Lava Bending: Similar to what water benders do with ice, earth benders may change the phase of the earth they're bending.

~ Fire Bending ~

The element of power. It is the most aggressive bending art, and argueably the most dangerous. Fire benders value strength and possess a strong inner will.

Sub Elements...
- Combustion Bending: Requiring good chi flow and concentration, this bending art is quite explosive.
- Lightning Generation: Allows one to produce and guide a bolt of lightning from their fingertips.
- Lightning Redirection: A specialized technique that allows one to absorb the raw power of lightning and then redirect it.

~ Air Bending ~

The element of freedom. It is the most dynamic of the four elements

[CHARACTER APPLICATION]

tinyurl.com/oxuwshn (Go here for a reference)

[jacklamont]

I would like to point out that if we are placing it before the era of Aang and all, then Metal Bending wouldn't be around yet since Toph had yet to discover it. In the same light, the lightning redirection could possibly not be created, since Iroh created it. If he's around, I could see him teaching people it though.

Also, I don't really see the redirection as a sub move of Fire Bending. Maybe something that any bender or even a person that could focus Chi could use. I might be wrong though with that.

[Deleted]

Also something to think about - if the plot is dependent on there being false claimants to the Avatar title, these people trying to capitalize on the vacancy had better have some very convincing "bending" for the elements they don't actually have. Since it's very easy to confirm or deny an Avatar based on what they can actually bend.

[JustSnilloc]

Dec 28, 2014 21:26:41 GMT -5 jacklamont said:

I would like to point out that if we are placing it before the era of Aang and all, then Metal Bending wouldn't be around yet since Toph had yet to discover it. In the same light, the lightning redirection could possibly not be created, since Iroh created it. If he's around, I could see him teaching people it though.

Also, I don't really see the redirection as a sub move of Fire Bending. Maybe something that any bender or even a person that could focus Chi could use. I might be wrong though with that.

I was thinking about setting it after Aang died, that way the new avatar could be anyone. I was even considering doing one more avatar after that, but it might get a little too confusing. Thus, chronologically speaking we'd be starting around the time that the first Avatar series picks up. ~BUT~ since Aang was never in the iceberg, he would have already lived a long full life and died.

Along with the myriad of possible changes that come from this sort of choice includes an era of peace. An era of peace that could bring some possible technological advances (essentially allowing us to set whatever technological level we wanted), and even advances in bending (such as a greater prominence of sub bending arts).

Thus, we have all sorts of possibilities.

Dec 28, 2014 21:30:45 GMT -5 @fro619 said:

Also something to think about - if the plot is dependent on there being false claimants to the Avatar title, these people trying to capitalize on the vacancy had better have some very convincing "bending" for the elements they don't actually have. Since it's very easy to confirm or deny an Avatar based on what they can actually bend.

Right. I haven't planned out all the details yet, but there will be those who's claim is easily revealed as false, while there would be others who are extremely convincing.

...

As per the stat system and such, I'm on the fence about it for a couple reasons...

- On the one hand, it does allow for a more controlled adventure, keeping powers in check, all while being able to reward active participants.
- On the other hand, it seems a bit tedious with a lot of micromanaging.

... if I could come to some sort of middle ground, being able to do all of the first point while avoiding the second, that'd be awesome too. I want to create something accessible, something anyone could come to and easily come up with something they'd want to use.

Perhaps a less rigid form of what I already have? Dunno...

[jacklamont]

Okay, so Aang dies, we don't even reach the point that would have been 100 AG. Still means Toph wouldn't have created Metal Bending yet (since it's doubtful she's been born yet), and if Roku did kill Sozin, it could be possible that Azulon hadn't been born yet, or something, which means no Iroh (as depressing as that is).

....and it sorta struck me that Lavabending could have come from the possibility of having a parent with the firebending gene and a parent with the earth bending gene (if you want to get into the genetic). Mainly, a Fire Nation parent and an Earth Nation parent....

[Prae]

[Reward System]

To be honest, I already have a strong gut feeling that this one is simply not going to work. Also, I don't think I've ever seen a stats based RP with much success.

[JustSnilloc]

Dec 29, 2014 17:24:36 GMT -5 jacklamont said:

Okay, so Aang dies, we don't even reach the point that would have been 100 AG. Still means Toph wouldn't have created Metal Bending yet (since it's doubtful she's been born yet), and if Roku did kill Sozin, it could be possible that Azulon hadn't been born yet, or something, which means no Iroh (as depressing as that is).

Well, Aang DID live for 166 years >.> Kyoshi lived for 230 years... So let's pretend he lived long enough to bring us at least to the time when TLA started (or a bit before so the avatar isn't a baby). If we do that, we can even use some of the cast~ (dibs on Toph >.> ... jk)

Of course, they might be a good bit different than they were in the show (or remarkably similar). Not that I would allow anyone to actively play as a character from the show anyway, but interaction is pretty much whatever you want.

Perhaps someone else during the time of peace stumbled upon Metal bending? Perhaps we start it when Toph should be a young adult, when her metal bending academy has received a bunch of students? There are plenty of ways to handle it.

As per Iroh, no he wouldn't be born but that doesn't mean another couldn't have learned to redirect lightning. Heck, in a time of peace, waterbenders and firebenders might actually get along and another wise firebender might pick up on the trick. Like I've already said though, there are plenty of ways to handle these things

....and it sorta struck me that Lavabending could have come from the possibility of having a parent with the firebending gene and a parent with the earth bending gene (if you want to get into the genetic). Mainly, a Fire Nation parent and an Earth Nation parent....

I've noticed the same thing and had the same thought, not sure how to work that out in an RP though, lol. Maybe I just screen character applications?

Dec 29, 2014 19:38:07 GMT -5 Prae said:

[Reward System]

To be honest, I already have a strong gut feeling that this one is simply not going to work. Also, I don't think I've ever seen a stats based RP with much success.

Yeah... Any ideas on how to guide potential RP followers without a stat system? (bio screening?) Any sort of "rewards" you think I could hand out as GM? Essentially for the same reasons I already listed, just to encourage activity and stuff.

[Deleted]

I think that it should be one of two ways: either 1) this is an entirely different world that has spawned from the divergence in events after Roku killed Sozin, and therefore we throw events and people from the actual series out the window to be replaced with our own, or 2) we try to stick to the show and attempt to portray it through the "window" of these changed events.

If 1, then we can decide what has and hasn't been invented in the realm of Bending without relying upon what a main character from the show has done. We would also be free to improvise with the Avatar situation a bit more.

If 2, then we need to be really exact with where in the timeline we break into things. Because fans of the show (who would be most likely to join an RP ABOUT the show) will easily be able to pick apart perceived continuity errors.

It should be one or the other, but not both. We shouldn't try to merge "original take on the world" with "keeping lots of stuff from the series". It wouldn't end well, I don't think.


Additionally, I would like to throw in with Prae in regards to the stats. Stat-based RPs are always tedious at best and disastrous at worst. Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to do something really awesome and cool in a story, only to run into "Oh... I can't do this yet... I don't have enough EXP..." or some sort of equivalent. Indeed, part of the point of RPs and RPGs is the sense of growth and development of the characters. But unlike a game, RPing is much more free form and is sort of its own reward when you are able to bring a great idea/scene together. Putting stats into an RP is sort of like trying to teach Calculus in a Classical Literature course.

HOWEVER. I do like the notion of a Rewards system. I'm toying with a similar idea for Bladesongs, actually. But it's more of a story-centric variant, where the writers themselves decide who should be rewarded. It's sort of like, you vote for your favorite writer from the most recent story arc whose writing you'd like to see more of. The winner gets to design a fun little mini-arc to give us just that: more of their writing/characters/backstory/world building/whatever.

*shrug* It's still a work in progress.

[Deleted]

*walks in with the usual Mech RP response*

*sees the comprehensive discussion behind an Avatar RP*

Uhm... ._.

[Prae]

*walks in with the usual Mech RP response*

Ahahahahahahahahahahaa...



*Wipes a tear from the corner of my eye*

Anyway... Back to our scheduled programming.

Yeah... Any ideas on how to guide potential RP followers without a stat system? (bio screening?) Any sort of "rewards" you think I could hand out as GM? Essentially for the same reasons I already listed, just to encourage activity and stuff.

Well, we could try doing it how we've been doing it for the past seven years, that seems to have worked out rather well. Whether you have stats or not, you're going to need to have something the players can read to figure out your setting, what's going on now, what kind of characters there are and what kind of characters they can possibly have. Right here we're lucky in that regard, since we just need a quick run down probably, and if anyone has any tricky questions, there's always the Avatar wikia we can use to look things up and then extrapolate if needed.

And ultimately, extensive stats in a text based RP are a pretty contrived way of achieving what decent communication among players does already: preventing characters from doing things they're not supposed to, people cheezing it up to ludicrous levels and so on.

As for the reward system you were proposing, it's gonna fall apart very early, very fast if you're going to do it with every single post. Imagine you have fifty posts in the RP thread. Fifty posts to go through and grade, ain't nobody got time for that. So either people are going to stop reviewing because it's simply too much work for too little, or the reviews are going to become cookie cutter and useless.

We also tried an approach similar to this during the Roc Archipelago arc, and I would say it didn't work out too well, to be honest.