Story Mode Network

[ApfelSeine]

I'm glad that dice isn't as complicated as it seems  I do remember my dad telling me once that the character creation process for dice roleplays (specifically D&D, which he played) takes a really long time, but after that it's straightforward. I guess that once the character is made, the stats just follow a preexisting system for how effective they are and suchlike. So if the system works, the character just needs to be set up right in the first place Or something (idk I'm half asleep for some reason, so I hope that was a coherent string of sentences)

 

[Mr. Gideon]

Yikes, that's the trap I don't want to get involved in. No offense intended. I brought it up on the forum a long time ago. Fantasy roleplays are a little too complicated. It's a conundrum. I would like to join in a good fantasy RP, but I don't necessarily need to know a lot of the things in the lore. The Lore though, is what makes a good fantasy RP. I checked through your link and saw a comment about whether they had gas-lit streetlamps. =/. I don't mean to knock world-building, but does something like that really matter in the grand scheme of things? The BEST and most comfortable world-building I've seen, didn't actually focus on having a lot of variety. It focused on nuance. Instead of 20 different races to choose from, there'd be three races each with their own particular differences WITHIN that race. I dunno it's just tiring, if you understand me? I would be more shocked and interested in a fantasy RP that only had 1 race. A lot of things are cookie-cutter to me =/.

Well it is not just fantasy, it also has D&D elements and Mechanics (Which make the complexity a semi-necessity. There are only 4 races, set ones atleast, with their own differences in the race. an RP a friend of mine is making as multple races, but they are all still mostly human, and it is heavily Asian/oriental influenced.


I did finish the General history of the Cyberpunk Noir RP i mentioned.

Welcome to Terra
​

Once, this world was not that much different from ours, the same tech was present, even many of the same Historic events. This however all changed in early 2020 when Espers were first discovered. We have all heard of people supposedly having psychic abilities, these were all thought to be hoaxes we were wrong however. On January 1st, new years day 2020, a large group of Hostile militants took over the White House, along with several other places in countries across the world, that symbolized them to an extent. The Militants held the Symbols of the country hostage, along with the people within, they declared they would destroy the Buildings, the people, and themselves if their demands were not met. The situation was definitely looking bleak, but at the last moment things changed, in all the countries this happened people emerged. These people came from all walks of life, they were businessmen, food vendors, lawmen, criminals, But the one thing they all had in common was the had wondrous abilities, akin to those of superheroes.


These people were what would later be known as Espers, people with Psychic abilities. They easily resolved the issues, the Militiants did not stand a chance, but that was not the last of it. After the Heroes emerged, others started to come out of the woodwork as well. Some could control energy with their minds, others had ungodly strength or endurance, their powers were not always functional however, some could merely grow body hair faster, or were able to consume any food and not get food poisoning. For a while crime was down all over the world and many reforms and programs were put into motion for the betterment of the world. This all changed 5 years later with the Esper War in 2025, A certain country that no longer existed had been planning in secret an invaded another country, not with normal soldiers, but with Esper Troops. That was not the worst of it however, the country for the last 5 years had been developing weapons that synergized with certain Esper skills, these were the main problem.


Though it was only a single country its technology and organization was far ahead of most of the other countries who had been focusing on social and economic reforms rather than military things. The Esper War was waged for 5 years, before it finally ended with many people dying, but like any similar periods in history this horrid incident did have its upsides. In the following 5 years, after the War, the world became mostly united, still with individual power centers and the occasional rivalry though. Although the Governments of the world held the most power, they were not the only ones, not anymore. Due to the War, another thing happened, many companies that while being well known weren’t that powerful became so, the War provided ample opportunity. New technologies were developed from Cybernetics to interstellar space travel. With the mostly unified government came new reforms, with them came many laws showing preferential treatment towards Espers, though not to the point that normal humans were treated as many minorities were in the past. From 2040 onwards earth was a good place to live, and had made contact with many races and planets outside our system, however things were not to last, certain Companies got greedy.


Chief among them was Xylon Pharmacuetics and Technology or Xylon PharmTech, they had done much experiments on the criminal espers and had figured out a way to synthesis a serum to create new espers. Though Powerful espers could pass a portion of their powers to a descendant through certain procedures, the problem was that process was very conditional, what Xylon made was not. The serums could grant one certain esper powers, in the beginning the powers while great usually consumed their user within a week, the serum was also somewhat addicting. As time went on Xylon refined the process and made it so there were two types the Alpha serum and the Omega serum. The first granted a certain esper power, and was made to be completed in one sitting, The Omega Serum was very different however. It was made to only be temporary with litte side effects, but it also gave effects similar to street drugs of decades past. The more one used them, the more they became addicted, this version of the Serum was sold on the street, under certain names for each type: Dragonscale for ones that increased durability, Firestarter for fire abilities, and similar names for the others.


As with any drug, things got out of control, it all began when an esper called, Rodger Conrad, got ahold of the recipe for the serums. See, his Esper ability wasn’t anything major, he could only concoct any drug and enhance the effects, as long as he knew the recipe, he also changed it a bit, and made it into an aerosol solution. He released it into the earths atmosphere, this caused a whole host of problems, creating legions of new espers. Many died, especially in the ensuing riots, this incident caused people who once revered and lived alongside Espers, to turn on them. A group rose calling itself the Pure Human Liberation Front, that publically declared war on all Espers, Thus began the advent of the Second Esper War. This lasted for 10 years ending not just with millions of deaths, but also something happened to the earth it became nearly uninhabitable to normal humans. In the year 2052, just 2 years after the end of the Second Esper War, humanity gave up on trying to reform the planet, and finally abandoned it in what became known as the Exodus.


Years later humanity finally recovered, but the PHLF was never fully destroyed, and still lurks somewhere in the Milky Way. Humanity has settled across the stars, with Terra, also called New Earth being the main hub for human activity in the Milky Way. In the 133 years since the Exodus, humanity has formed the Terran Federation, becoming part of the major power in the Milky Way, the Milky Way Systems Coalition, known widely as simply the Coalition. They have also advanced in technology, and Espers now once again hold importance, every race they have discovered has had one form of espers or another. Most Espers hold posts of importance wherever they are, no matter their ability, even an esper who can only grow teeth back at a faster rate can get a good job easily. Most Espers not with a Company or the Federation Military are either Pirates, or Bounty hunters and the like that hunt the former. They have encountered many races, hostile and friendly, and discovered Ruins, that house things beyond the dreams of mere mortals, things from the Races that came before us, they can be anywhere, even earth had one, though we weren’t able to explore it before the Second Esper War.

 

[White Masquerade]

@ApfelSeine


Lol. No Apfel, I don't think your ego needs puncturing xD


@Mr. Gideon

As with any drug, things got out of control, it all began when an esper called, Rodger Conrad, got ahold of the recipe for the serums. See, his Esper ability wasn’t anything major, he could only concoct any drug and enhance the effects, as long as he knew the recipe, he also changed it a bit, and made it into an aerosol solution. He released it into the earths atmosphere, this caused a whole host of problems, creating legions of new espers. Many died, especially in the ensuing riots, this incident caused people who once revered and lived alongside Espers, to turn on them. A group rose calling itself the Pure Human Liberation Front, that publically declared war on all Espers, Thus began the advent of the Second Esper War. This lasted for 10 years ending not just with millions of deaths, but also something happened to the earth it became nearly uninhabitable to normal humans. In the year 2052, just 2 years after the end of the Second Esper War, humanity gave up on trying to reform the planet, and finally abandoned it in what became known as the Exodus.


Years later humanity finally recovered, but the PHLF was never fully destroyed, and still lurks somewhere in the Milky Way. Humanity has settled across the stars, with Terra, also called New Earth being the main hub for human activity in the Milky Way. In the 133 years since the Exodus, humanity has formed the Terran Federation, becoming part of the major power in the Milky Way, the Milky Way Systems Coalition, known widely as simply the Coalition. They have also advanced in technology, and Espers now once again hold importance, every race they have discovered has had one form of espers or another. Most Espers hold posts of importance wherever they are, no matter their ability, even an esper who can only grow teeth back at a faster rate can get a good job easily. Most Espers not with a Company or the Federation Military are either Pirates, or Bounty hunters and the like that hunt the former. They have encountered many races, hostile and friendly, and discovered Ruins, that house things beyond the dreams of mere mortals, things from the Races that came before us, they can be anywhere, even earth had one, though we weren’t able to explore it before the Second Esper War.

I was seriously digging the history of what you had, until it got to that part. Everything just went 180 and became a cluster of...stuff. The PHLF, Terran Federation, Earth being inhabitable because of the guy turning the drug into an aerosol, an Exodus because of a second Esper War. o.O. is all that necessary ?=/. It started off really well.

 

[Mr. Gideon]

Well, I can summarize most of the Latter part, until it gets to the last paragraph. 


I can leave the second esper war as well as the PHLF vague, but i still want it in the rp to show that while many do like the Espers, there are also those that still see them as monstrosities. And it isnt uninhabitable just because of the aerosal serum, weapons used in the war changed it, as the weapons could channel an Espers power, that reacted with the Serum in the atmosphere causing all sorts of problems. i was just giong to have the Earth have been destroyed by a powerful Esper going nuclear, so to speak, but decided to keep it, should i change it?


I only finished typing this up around an hour ago and started typing earlier today, It will need tweaked, what sugestions would you have to improve it?

 

[Grey]

I do remember my dad telling me once that the character creation process for dice roleplays (specifically D&D, which he played) takes a really long time, but after that it's straightforward.

D&D is honestly one of the worst examples. 5th edition is better, but every instance of D&D has long lists of specific feats and spells and skills and items that can really slow things down at creation, even if the core stats are pretty quick to generate. Doubly so when it's so focused on combat that you might not have as much fun if you don't try to optimize your build for maximum effect - but not every DM will run it that way, even if the rules as written basically encourage it. 


Don't get me wrong; D&D is great for playing D&D, but it's still mired in 80s design philosophy and ill-suited to anything else. No matter how much anyone tries to tell you D20 Modern isn't terrible. 

 

[NeoLeaf]

I am cringing... Probably because my Terran faction is more 'realistic' if I am using the term right. My humans escaped a dying earth not through colonization but through sophisticated machinery, frozen embryos, eggs, sperm etc. Eh 21 first century based tech so anything could happen. Anyway, after traversing a century through space they found a solar system that would support human life and they had to start from square one. After 400 years of landing in the system the population is around 5 billion, They don't even own their own solar system and Esper individuals are 1 out of every 100 million.


Your Terran faction however has become a part of a super power in the milky way after only a few centuries? Jesus - how did they manage that? Just because of Espers? ( ° -°) @Mr. Gideon

 

[Grey]

And finally, for @White Masquerade


To explain Cthulu, I need to explain the author and his context a little.


H.P. Lovecraft wrote around the early 20th Century, when scientific development was really taking off and we were learning things about the universe - like its scope - that we hadn't fully appreciated before.  He was also, despite being an American, a hardcore Anglophile who thought the USA was a disgusting, degenerate society.  He was a huge racist who thought cultures should remain pure and undiluted, with an especial horror over biracial people. He was also terrified of the deep sea, fish, and possibly women. 


So he wrote a number of horror stories that tapped into his personal fears, and one of the most notable involves Cthulhu and a broader setting mythology about ancient aliens of near-godlike power. It's a quaint idea these days, but in Lovecraft's time there was real existential dread attached to the idea that we are ignorant, tiny things alone in a godless universe that we barely comprehend. His protagonists frequently went insane at the revelation they were as ticks on the side of some vast, unknowable creature.  Magic was a science beyond the ken of a human mind. 


And Cthulhu, the great dragon-bodied, squid-headed Old One who dwells in the sunken city R'lyeh at the bottom of the ocean, awaiting the time of his revival and subjugation of our world as it had been before the first of our ancestors crawled from the sea, worshiped by half-human savages and misguided fools, was merely the high priest of stranger, more terrible gods.


In time, Cthulhu became geek-chic - hardly anyone has read as much Lovecraft as they claim, but it's been increasingly cool to reference Cthulhu and he's something of a cultural touchstone for 'weird and scary.' 

 

[Mr. Gideon]

I am cringing... Probably because my Terran faction is more 'realistic' if I am using the term right. My humans escaped a dying earth not through colonization but through sophisticated machinery, frozen embryos, eggs, sperm etc. Eh 21 first century based tech so anything could happen. Anyway, after traversing a century through space they found a solar system that would support human life and they had to start from square one. After 400 years of landing in the system the population is around 5 billion, They don't even own their own solar system and Esper individuals are 1 out of every 100 million.


Your Terran faction however has become a part of a super power in the milky way after only a few centuries? Jesus - how did they manage that? Just because of Espers? ( ° -°) @Mr. Gideon

They became a part of the Major Force in the Milky way, they are not a real superpower, it is due to many factors, and just because they are a part of it doesnt mean they are a major part. It wasnt just due to espers, it was also through the good will of other races they had encountered, and had trade with. The Terran Federation will be a mere figurehead anyways, for the most part. Humans have something most of the other races with the Coalition lack, and that is the only reason the terran Federation was allowed in so early especially after the Esper Wars. but as i said i just typed it up today and i have said before i havent done any Future Tech or Futuristic rps before.

 

[ApfelSeine]

D&D is honestly one of the worst examples. 5th edition is better, but every instance of D&D has long lists of specific feats and spells and skills and items that can really slow things down at creation, even if the core stats are pretty quick to generate. Doubly so when it's so focused on combat that you might not have as much fun if you don't try to optimize your build for maximum effect - but not every DM will run it that way, even if the rules as written basically encourage it. 


Don't get me wrong; D&D is great for playing D&D, but it's still mired in 80s design philosophy and ill-suited to anything else. No matter how much anyone tries to tell you D20 Modern isn't terrible. 

My dad played it ages ago (I think the original version?), but I presume they also messed about with the rules to make it more enjoyable, since he and his friends played it all throughout high school. My cousin used to try to explain D&D to me (now he talks more about optimal pairings in Fire Emblem since with that I actually know what he's talking about), but I never really got to play D&D before, so I'll take your word for it that it's structure for constructing stats for a character is very complicated. I've always felt wary to approach the game because talking to either my dad or cousin about it leads to a lengthy description on how the stats work, and without any actual experience with the game I inevitably go into "Oh wow, that's really interesting" mode.


Probably I'm better off starting out with something that doesn't have a very long list of things to learn. Lore is easy for me to absorb, but a comprehensive knowledge of how a system function isn't something I've every gotten the chance to try to understand (outside of lecture form). I want to try to learn what works and what types of systems function, so perhaps I can broaden the range of games I can play. 

 

[Grey]

Well, if it helps I can handle the mechanical end of the sheet for you, and then explain why it's set up like it is to support your character concept, and then you can learn how it fits together simply by playing.  Maybe next time around, armed with that experience, you'd be able to create your own character in the system.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Well, if it helps I can handle the mechanical end of the sheet for you, and then explain why it's set up like it is to support your character concept, and then you can learn how it fits together simply by playing.  Maybe next time around, armed with that experience, you'd be able to create your own character in the system.

I'll keep that in mind, but I think I'd like to try my best at the mechanics and see how it goes  I'll inevitably mess it up, but I think I learn best from being corrected. So I want to try to do it all myself, have you tell me why it's wrong, and then I can fix it. Though it's reassuring to know that you'll help me if I really get stuck and can't figure it out

 

[Grey]

Good attitude! 


Everyone always makes the same mistakes in this system, which leads me to believe even my most in-depth explanations still don't communicate it correctly and I'm at a loss over how to make them more comprehensible. 

 

[White Masquerade]

Well, I can summarize most of the Latter part, until it gets to the last paragraph. 


I can leave the second esper war as well as the PHLF vague, but i still want it in the rp to show that while many do like the Espers, there are also those that still see them as monstrosities. And it isnt uninhabitable just because of the aerosal serum, weapons used in the war changed it, as the weapons could channel an Espers power, that reacted with the Serum in the atmosphere causing all sorts of problems. i was just giong to have the Earth have been destroyed by a powerful Esper going nuclear, so to speak, but decided to keep it, should i change it?


I only finished typing this up around an hour ago and started typing earlier today, It will need tweaked, what sugestions would you have to improve it?

My only one for now would be to tone it down some. Too many things going on at once from what I see. Having it begin during the "Esper Drug" time, would be the perfect starting point IMO. Before the introduction of that other stuff O.o


@Grey


Understood. Thank you for that. So all these games I've been seeing have been horror RPs? At least now I know. The story does sound interesting though. Playing in a game with no chance to win is mind-boggling. Eventually everybody will go crazy in those RPs right? Just a matter of when?

 

[White Masquerade]

Oooh, by the way. I've been world-building so haven't gotten a chance to start up the approval that's been approved. Basically, it's the Help-An-RP one based off @LunarShines idea. Hopefully in the coming days I'll be able to officially set that up. Will post here when it's up.

 

[Mr. Gideon]

I could do that but regardless the Esper Drug will be present.

 

[Lunar]

Oooh, by the way. I've been world-building so haven't gotten a chance to start up the approval that's been approved. Basically, it's the Help-An-RP one based off @LunarShines idea. Hopefully in the coming days I'll be able to officially set that up. Will post here when it's up.

Alright cool! I' looking forward to it.

 

[White Masquerade]

I could do that but regardless the Esper Drug will be present.

Great. I am a fan of less being more, so the extra parts were weird to me. Other people may enjoy it though. It just seems like it'd be a lot of work for you to do.

 

[Grey]

Understood. Thank you for that. So all these games I've been seeing have been horror RPs? At least now I know. The story does sound interesting though. Playing in a game with no chance to win is mind-boggling. Eventually everybody will go crazy in those RPs right? Just a matter of when?

Yes, they're probably horror if they involve the Mythos.  Not everyone goes crazy, necessarily, or dies - the tradition is that as many party members have bad endings as posssible, and one or two survive with their sanity mostly intact to become those characters who warn the protagonists that they should keep away from Innsmouth.  Personally I like to keep things bittersweet; you've bought another day back from the apocalypse, but at what cost?


Of course, CthuluTech is about using anime mechs to fight the Old Ones, Delta Green and The Laundry are about secret government agencies trying to deal with Mythos stuff (and The Laundry is mostly extremely British black comedy in between the eldritch stuff), and I'm sure there are one or two others where you can win. I'm very fond of The God-Machine Chronicles, which have absolutely nothing to do with the Mythos but a genius example of adapting and modernizing a concept.

 

[White Masquerade]

@NeoLeaf


Haha, I saw that interjection, Neo *smirks*. I see you  :x


@Grey


Anime Mechs with big weapons and I'm in. CthuluTech sounds right up my alley. Reminds me of that move Pacific Rim. A nice Mech roleplay sounds awesome. I assume the God-Machine goes along the line of an omnipotent A.I.? You know those old guidelines for conflict in stories? Man v Machine, Man v Man, Man v Nature, etc? I always preferred Man versus Man . There's something about the, "MY worldview versus YOUR worldview," that beats out any other kind of fighting.


@LunarShines


Good. I will be relying on you heavily!

 

[Grey]

I assume the God-Machine goes along the line of an omnipotent A.I.?

Not exactly.  It taps a lot more into our fears about corruption, surveillance, oppression, human greed and pettiness, and the fact we know inhabit a system of our own creation that we do not fully understand. It's part of what inspired me to present corporations in fiction as predatory, alien entities that might be made up of human actors, but are distinctly inhuman. 


And of course, it still heaps on good ol' existential dread and the fear of godlike intelligence that regards us at best as cogs in its own incomprehensible schemes. 

 

[Lunar]

@LunarShines


Good. I will be relying on you heavily!

Ok im here when you need me

 

[White Masquerade]

Not exactly.  It taps a lot more into our fears about corruption, surveillance, oppression, human greed and pettiness, and the fact we know inhabit a system of our own creation that we do not fully understand. It's part of what inspired me to present corporations in fiction as predatory, alien entities that might be made up of human actors, but are distinctly inhuman. 


And of course, it still heaps on good ol' existential dread and the fear of godlike intelligence that regards us at best as cogs in its own incomprehensible schemes. 

Wow...yeah. Corporations are like that. I have to say the description is apt. The reality is hidden well behind cute commercials and positive spin from media, but the idea of a corporation is much different from the experience of the humans that made it. Almost alien. Just today a famous athlete was giving an interview and guess what came at the end of it? A full pitch for those listening to buy their sponsor's product. I counted about 4-5 times throughout the interview where the interviewers inserted the name of the product as well. Saying specifically that the interviewee was doing this on behalf of their sponsor. It's scary how right that description about corporations is.


By the same token, maybe you can say start-ups are "viruses" to the machine? They are either be assimilated/become predatory themselves as they reach the same level of intelligence, or introduce a new wrinkle to the system to change its makeup?


Regardless, scary. Being led blind by an overlord infinitely smarter than you are. Outside the Matrix must have been a dreadful place.

Ok im here when you need me

*salutes*


Thank you very much.

 

[Mr. Gideon]

So i have decided to do a version similar to what you suggested White, but it will take place a few decades after the initial flood of the drugs onto the market, in Terra, A massive city created by Xylon in part for the reparations they were forced to pay when the info that they were responsible became public. The serums were ordered destroyed, and were thought to be so, despite the many fake versions that have cropped up over the years. But rumors and whispers have started to float up from certain areas of Terra, that are making many people think the Serum has returned to the streets.

 

[White Masquerade]

@Mr. Gideon


Okay, now THAT seems like it can be done in an RP. It has some intrigue and potential for adventure + action. There's a central discovery to be made you know? Go for it Gideon! Have you ever maintained an RP before?



Also. Side note. Is anyone here taking coding seriously and doing the HTML? I'll be honest. I would like to use you.  :$

 

[Grey]

So i have decided to do a version similar to what you suggested White, but it will take place a few decades after the initial flood of the drugs onto the market, in Terra, A massive city created by Xylon in part for the reparations they were forced to pay when the info that they were responsible became public. The serums were ordered destroyed, and were thought to be so, despite the many fake versions that have cropped up over the years. But rumors and whispers have started to float up from certain areas of Terra, that are making many people think the Serum has returned to the streets.

I am reminded of The Boys by Garth Ennis.