Oswald_C_Cobblepot
Owner of The Iceberg Lounge
So, folks, to mimic the great Porky Pig, this is going to be the main OOC thread for the Batman: Year Zero RPG and, possibly, for the further installments of the RP itself. Upon deliberating on the name, I've decided to go with volumes (and not episodes or parts) to respect the comic book origins and to illustrate the ambition of turning this into a serialized RPG with heavy character and plot development. This is also going to serve as the main discussion thread and will be the place to read all the important information, pose questions, give suggestions, discuss plots and story arcs, but will also serve as an archive of all the relevant information.
I shall, also, keep all the necessary links here, in the first post, so that everyone can boom (pun intended ^^) to all the important places quickly. So, folks, welcome to Gotham City!
1) Idea and Ambition
Inspired by the amazing world of DC Comics, this RPG starts off in the world of its most famous and most popular character - Batman. Entitled Year Zero, both as a reference to Frank Miller's excellent origin story Batman: Year One and the Snyder/Capullo Zero Year story arc from the New 52 imprint, this RPG will follow a course characteristic for origin stories, starting off from ground zero, so to say (thus the title), and continuing with its development as far into the future as possible. My initial idea was neither to create a specific, episodic RP that would satisfy itself and then run out of steam nor a rather chaotic, open environment without a specific idea as to the direction is it headed. An ambitious plan, I know, but if I hadn't thought it being possible to realize, I wouldn't have started the idea. The main inspiration for this were, of course, the comics, but also the TV show Gotham, which uses the "arc model" in its narrative. Seeing how those work, I wanted to create a similar RP, starting from scratch and allowing players to develop both their characters and the story in accordance with their own ambitions and ideas. Each volume is a separate story arc, centered, specifically, around a plot or character, but connected to both past and future events, meaning that each volume is a lead into the next one and not just a standalone story. This model was mostly inspired by the comic book franchise.
This being said, everyone interested should know that this is an open model RPG, meaning that there is no final goal set and that the story/stories will develop freely in accordance with the players' ideas. The initial story arc is written by me, but everyone who has an idea in mind for a story arc may become the writer here. Creative and original ideas are not just welcome, but stimulated.
As far as the general idea goes, although it's pretty obvious by know, development is the key - both character- and plotwise. Since we're not bound by any predetermined plot or setting, original approaches to familiar characters and stories are more than welcome. Also, since this is starting off as an origin story for most of our characters, there is much liberty as to how you will approach those stories and that development in order for your characters to reach a certain point you want them to reach. The only boundary is your imagination.
Having said all of this, I must also add that the main ambition of this RPG is to continue ''publishing'' volumes with different story arcs and expand to include the whole DC Universe and not just the world of Batman and Gotham City. As it is with the comics, the TV shows and the DCEU, I do not see why we should limit ourselves to one arc and stop when we could have so much more fun with expanding the arcs, locations, characters and even universes! I am hopeful, if everything works out, that this could become a hosted project here on RPN, which would allow for even more liberty, better character development and simultaneous stories being played within the same RP, but more on that later on.
So, to sum up, this is a rather ambitious project and I am hopeful of finding a bunch of interested people that like this universe, that like RP-ing and that like sagas and franchises, so that we can develop our own. I've given a large amount of liberty to everyone, stressing character development as a key component, and hoping that the creative team behind this project will expand from just myself to all the other players.
2) Plot and Story Arcs
As stated above, the general plot is rather ambiguous as I am allowing the plot to shape itself around the characters and their players. There is no predetermined goal, just the idea of character development, starting from the beginning and exploring the origins of the characters we all know and love in a way we want them to develop. As the development progresses, the goal is to include as many new characters and locations and to expand the RP from Gotham City to the complete DC Universe (so yes, people, I'm planning on bringing Brainiac, Darkseid, the Lanterns, Gorilla Grodd, Anti-Monitor and the others in aswell). So, we're starting of from ''Year Zero'' and we'll just see where it goes from there.
Having said that, the RP has to have story arcs, or volumes, similar to the comics. Each arc will be centered around a specific plot or character with a specific goal as the ending. When that ending is reached, the arc is finished and the plot will progress onto a new one via the same principle. The goal of the characters is to develop themselves within specific arcs, finding a niche for themselves to explore both the city and their own minds and to find a role to play in the action that arises. That being said, different characters' roles will be smaller or larger, depending on the general arc and the flexibility of the characters themselves to adapt to the specific stories.
All of the arcs will have a general idea and a goal that has to be reached. The duration of each specific arc as well as all the details involving specific characters are not predetermined, meaning that even within the given frames, there is as much liberty as possible. The initial arc is going to be written by me, but I am hoping (yes, this is an open call to all) that more writers will join the creative process and that some of the future arcs will not be written (just) by me. All of the arcs will be, briefly, presented here as for everyone to see:
As far as this part goes, the more people - the merrier? Joke aside, it would be good to have as many different players as possible because of character and idea diversity. Each one of us is going to bring a piece of themselves into this project and with different ideas arising, the project can only benefit. As far as the characters go, it will be explained in a separate thread (link below).
Although there is no specific requirement for players to join this project, I will describe, in short, a profile of people that the project is aiming to attract. As this is a rather ambitious and, hopefully, large-scale project, people with creative minds and ideas, prone to sagas and franchises and good at character development are especially welcome. Each one's creative input will be beneficial for the RP and other players. Also, as this is a moderate to detailed RP, certain writing criteria will have to be met in order to actively post; you will not have to write novels or chapters from said novels, but one-liners or brief paragraphs will not be tolerated (give your imagination free reign and see where it leads your writing). A good knowledge of the English language, grammar and syntax will be required and a specific level of literacy, but English doesn't, of course, have to be your mother tongue as long as you speak and write it well (it's certainly not mine, so who am I to judge?
). And not, if you were wondering, a profound knowledge of the DC Universe is not necessary for you to be a part of the project, but if you think you don't have sufficient knowledge about a specific topic, be free to PM me or ask here, in OOC, and you will, I am sure, get an answer.
Rules and Guidelines
Important Links:
I shall, also, keep all the necessary links here, in the first post, so that everyone can boom (pun intended ^^) to all the important places quickly. So, folks, welcome to Gotham City!
General Information
1) Idea and Ambition
Inspired by the amazing world of DC Comics, this RPG starts off in the world of its most famous and most popular character - Batman. Entitled Year Zero, both as a reference to Frank Miller's excellent origin story Batman: Year One and the Snyder/Capullo Zero Year story arc from the New 52 imprint, this RPG will follow a course characteristic for origin stories, starting off from ground zero, so to say (thus the title), and continuing with its development as far into the future as possible. My initial idea was neither to create a specific, episodic RP that would satisfy itself and then run out of steam nor a rather chaotic, open environment without a specific idea as to the direction is it headed. An ambitious plan, I know, but if I hadn't thought it being possible to realize, I wouldn't have started the idea. The main inspiration for this were, of course, the comics, but also the TV show Gotham, which uses the "arc model" in its narrative. Seeing how those work, I wanted to create a similar RP, starting from scratch and allowing players to develop both their characters and the story in accordance with their own ambitions and ideas. Each volume is a separate story arc, centered, specifically, around a plot or character, but connected to both past and future events, meaning that each volume is a lead into the next one and not just a standalone story. This model was mostly inspired by the comic book franchise.
This being said, everyone interested should know that this is an open model RPG, meaning that there is no final goal set and that the story/stories will develop freely in accordance with the players' ideas. The initial story arc is written by me, but everyone who has an idea in mind for a story arc may become the writer here. Creative and original ideas are not just welcome, but stimulated.
As far as the general idea goes, although it's pretty obvious by know, development is the key - both character- and plotwise. Since we're not bound by any predetermined plot or setting, original approaches to familiar characters and stories are more than welcome. Also, since this is starting off as an origin story for most of our characters, there is much liberty as to how you will approach those stories and that development in order for your characters to reach a certain point you want them to reach. The only boundary is your imagination.
Having said all of this, I must also add that the main ambition of this RPG is to continue ''publishing'' volumes with different story arcs and expand to include the whole DC Universe and not just the world of Batman and Gotham City. As it is with the comics, the TV shows and the DCEU, I do not see why we should limit ourselves to one arc and stop when we could have so much more fun with expanding the arcs, locations, characters and even universes! I am hopeful, if everything works out, that this could become a hosted project here on RPN, which would allow for even more liberty, better character development and simultaneous stories being played within the same RP, but more on that later on.
So, to sum up, this is a rather ambitious project and I am hopeful of finding a bunch of interested people that like this universe, that like RP-ing and that like sagas and franchises, so that we can develop our own. I've given a large amount of liberty to everyone, stressing character development as a key component, and hoping that the creative team behind this project will expand from just myself to all the other players.
2) Plot and Story Arcs
As stated above, the general plot is rather ambiguous as I am allowing the plot to shape itself around the characters and their players. There is no predetermined goal, just the idea of character development, starting from the beginning and exploring the origins of the characters we all know and love in a way we want them to develop. As the development progresses, the goal is to include as many new characters and locations and to expand the RP from Gotham City to the complete DC Universe (so yes, people, I'm planning on bringing Brainiac, Darkseid, the Lanterns, Gorilla Grodd, Anti-Monitor and the others in aswell). So, we're starting of from ''Year Zero'' and we'll just see where it goes from there.
Having said that, the RP has to have story arcs, or volumes, similar to the comics. Each arc will be centered around a specific plot or character with a specific goal as the ending. When that ending is reached, the arc is finished and the plot will progress onto a new one via the same principle. The goal of the characters is to develop themselves within specific arcs, finding a niche for themselves to explore both the city and their own minds and to find a role to play in the action that arises. That being said, different characters' roles will be smaller or larger, depending on the general arc and the flexibility of the characters themselves to adapt to the specific stories.
All of the arcs will have a general idea and a goal that has to be reached. The duration of each specific arc as well as all the details involving specific characters are not predetermined, meaning that even within the given frames, there is as much liberty as possible. The initial arc is going to be written by me, but I am hoping (yes, this is an open call to all) that more writers will join the creative process and that some of the future arcs will not be written (just) by me. All of the arcs will be, briefly, presented here as for everyone to see:
- Year Zero
Just before New Year's Eve, the Mayor's Office and GCPD have published a report, confirming that the crime rate in Gotham City is at its historical peak. The city has plunged into darkness and despair, fear has conquered the streets and there is a good chance one is going to get mugged, raped or killed while going to grab a carton of milk. Lead by James Gordon, the GCPD is doing its best to counter the rising crime wave, all in the midst of eliminating corruption within their own premises. But, is that enough? Along with that, a mysterious underground organisation, known only as the Penguin Organisation, is gaining power within the criminal society, but the organisation is as mysterious and enigmatic as the silhouette that represents it. Also, wealthy entrepreneur and benefactor, Oswald C. Cobblepot, is developing a plan of his own to help rid Gotham City of crime. Is Cobblepot, one of the most popular Gothamites, connected to the Penguin Organisation, is he working for his own benefit, or is his plan truly an altruistic attempt to save Gotham from the abyss She has fallen into?
As far as this part goes, the more people - the merrier? Joke aside, it would be good to have as many different players as possible because of character and idea diversity. Each one of us is going to bring a piece of themselves into this project and with different ideas arising, the project can only benefit. As far as the characters go, it will be explained in a separate thread (link below).
Although there is no specific requirement for players to join this project, I will describe, in short, a profile of people that the project is aiming to attract. As this is a rather ambitious and, hopefully, large-scale project, people with creative minds and ideas, prone to sagas and franchises and good at character development are especially welcome. Each one's creative input will be beneficial for the RP and other players. Also, as this is a moderate to detailed RP, certain writing criteria will have to be met in order to actively post; you will not have to write novels or chapters from said novels, but one-liners or brief paragraphs will not be tolerated (give your imagination free reign and see where it leads your writing). A good knowledge of the English language, grammar and syntax will be required and a specific level of literacy, but English doesn't, of course, have to be your mother tongue as long as you speak and write it well (it's certainly not mine, so who am I to judge?
). And not, if you were wondering, a profound knowledge of the DC Universe is not necessary for you to be a part of the project, but if you think you don't have sufficient knowledge about a specific topic, be free to PM me or ask here, in OOC, and you will, I am sure, get an answer.Rules and Guidelines
- All of the general RPN rules apply to this RP, without exception so please inform yourself before participating.
- Ask and you shall be answered! In case you need help, answers, suggestions or anything else you'd like to say or suggest (an idea, plot art, development, pairing, ...), be free to ask either here or via PM. Your inquiry will be replied to.
- Respect other players, their ideas and their characters.
- Respect the general plot arc.
- Feel free to suggest ideas, plans or anything else; all ideas and suggestions are welcome.
- If you have a problem, there is someone within the project who can solve it.
- Respect the darker atmosphere of the RPG and adapt your ideas and posts in accordance with that.
- You do not have to have profound knowledge of the DC Universe to participate!
- A two or three paragraph (depending on the longevity) post is a minimum.
- Medium to detailed posts and replies.
- Proficient knowledge of the English language, vocabulary, grammar and syntax.
- Feel free to participate in the development and creation of this project in the future. I am the initiator, but I am not a divine being and your input will be highly valued.
- The BBCode is your friend. Pictures, links and videos are allowed in posts.
- If you're planning on leaving the RP, taking a break from it or just being offline for a certain period, please inform me either through here or via PM.
- Ignore the order of these points, I've written them as they came to me.
- Be creative, be free and, foremost, have fun!
Important Links:
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