Pokemon RPG -- preliminary questions

[Dominic Vittore]

OK, so it sounded like some folks might be interested in doing a Pokemon RPG. I love this kind of stuff.

I have some questions for folks who would be interested in playing. Please mull them over and answer, if you would. 3nodding

1) How structured do you like your RP? Would you prefer just to create a character and give them some Pokemon, or do you want stats for your Pokemon to have a more tangible method of resolving battles and contests? Do you want to have limits on what you can start with when you join the RP, or can anyone start with whatever they want?

2) Would you prefer your RP to be GMed, or do you prefer troupe play? Do you want to have an overarching plot that a person who is not a player character in the RP has created? Or would you rather just make it up as you go along?

3) Have you thought about letting other players play your Pokemon, and you play theirs? I do this when I run tabletop Pokemon RPGs, and it works extremely well.

4) What sort of time commitment do you expect in your RP? Do you expect a post a day, several posts a day, or a post every two to three days?

*looks thoughtful* I think that's enough for a starter ...  

[SilvernKnight]

I created a pokemon rp sometime ago. I thought it has a nice plot... But well, it was too un cute which is unlike what pokemon should be.

1) Well, of course what pokemon they are about to get is in their own free will... Battles and contests, someone just have to lose. Start with whatever they want. Their fight should not contain stuff like Venusaur use cut! And it does cut. It must be something new, more like real life fighting. When there is all kind of plots like Pikachu thunder the floor and fly into the air. Still, what an Rp really need is a very good plot and history.

2)No... troupe play... And, make it up as go along. Nothing is better than everyone of us using our creativity juice to think out of a better plot, than a fixed one...

3)Do not really get it. Play others huh? Depending on what you meant.

4) Well... Depending on how much the others post. Because I generally does not like double posting. If someone post I post, if it is empty than I post nothing. Say, about several post a day.  

[Dominic Vittore]

J@sonWind

1) Well, of course what pokemon they are about to get is in their own free will... Battles and contests, someone just have to lose. Start with whatever they want.

Not necessarily. This is why I asked the questions. You can create a more structured game where people cannot start with legendaries, fossils, and other extremely rare Pokémon. For example, a lot of people want to start with a differently-colored Pokémon, but in the world of Pokémon, such Pokémon are very rare. Why would all these people have "shinies", and should they have them just because they want them? Should a rare or shiny Pokémon be something you have to work for in-character, or can you just choose to have it?

I'm only posing the question, I'm not answering it myself. I'm curious to know what others want in their RP.

As for battles and contests, if you have a more structured game where Pokémon have stats (for example, add 1 to one of your Pokémon's stats for every day you're active in the RP), you can cut down on god-mode because you can concretely compare your Pokémon to another. However, it does make the RP a bit clunkier. This seems to be a pretty mature group of players here, so it's probably not necessary, but it is an option I wanted to point out.

J@sonWind

2)No... troupe play... And, make it up as go along. Nothing is better than everyone of us using our creativity juice to think out of a better plot, than a fixed one...

Perhaps you misunderstood what I was going after. Having a GM just means that there is an overall plot going somewhere that people can participate in if they want to. It doesn't mean that everyone else can't create their own plots too.

J@sonWind

3)Do not really get it. Play others huh? Depending on what you meant.

OK. Let's say that you, Aoi (hi, Aoi!), and myself are playing in a game. You have a Geodude and a Krabby, Aoi has an Abra and a Charmander, and I have a Gastly and a Wooper. You would play yourself, Aoi would play your Geodude, and I would play your Krabby. Aoi would play herself, and you and I would play her Abra and her Charmander. I would play myself, and you and Aoi would play my Pokémon.

So if you ask your Krabby to go look underwater, I would play your Krabby. "Krabby pokes its eyes and claws into the tidepool and looks around, then scuttles into the cold water. It finds a clam and brings it back up to the surface to J@sonWind, dropping it at his feet and looking very pleased with itself."

If Aoi was with you, you would play her Abra as well as yourself in that scene.

Just an example, of course. I find this works very well for tabletop games because each Pokémon develops its own unique personality, rather than being just an extension of its owner. They become active Player Characters, rather than just player-controlled NPCs.  

[vauny-vaun]

Domenic

OK. Let's say that you, Aoi (hi, Aoi!), and myself are playing in a game. You have a Geodude and a Krabby, Aoi has an Abra and a Charmander, and I have a Gastly and a Wooper. You would play yourself, Aoi would play your Geodude, and I would play your Krabby. Aoi would play herself, and you and I would play her Abra and her Charmander. I would play myself, and you and Aoi would play my Pokémon.

So if you ask your Krabby to go look underwater, I would play your Krabby. "Krabby pokes its eyes and claws into the tidepool and looks around, then scuttles into the cold water. It finds a clam and brings it back up to the surface to J@sonWind, dropping it at his feet and looking very pleased with itself."

If Aoi was with you, you would play her Abra as well as yourself in that scene.

Just an example, of course. I find this works very well for tabletop games because each Pokémon develops its own unique personality, rather than being just an extension of its owner. They become active Player Characters, rather than just player-controlled NPCs.

I think this option should be left to the players. I mean some may want others to play their pokemon others maybe won't  

[SilvernKnight]

1) Ahh... True and not true. Of course the game you can't start with extremely rare Pokemon. Then if they really one, they can have one of them, like childhood friends. I don't thinks it matters... Sometime people can have a legenary Pokemon since young, and this will only make a larger variety of game play rather than the usual 3 starter pokemon... Or so...

But what we all one is a rp to get rid of our stress. Not a competition to get stronger and stronger only to defeat others. I know that it beats the way Pokemon really is. After all, pokemon is all about training and battling. Yet, I think much otherwise.

Problem of god moding. It appears that everyone want to god-mod, but adding stats does not help much. Do you know that a Lvl5 Squirtle may well kill a Lvl 15 Chamander using tatics? Of course the gameboy would not allow that... It shall be more strategical then stats-based. All stats-based game usually restrict people even more. I could like one base on writing skills and creative mind.

2)Um... Let see what you mean by overall plot. If you means stuff like, this is 500 years before Ash Ketchum be a Pokemon Master(Which probably means when he started as a trainer since he took a hell long time to become a Master. xp jk.). Then you tell them about each gym. What are they having now? War? Or any new created pokemon. Maps and stuff. It won't hurt.

However... If it is like, the hero will ultimately, no matter what happen, be the Pokemon Master, but whatever in between think yourself. Then that is... Well... N.O.

3)... IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF POKEMON IN REAL LIFE. Then why not in RP?  

[Aoi Hikari]

Mmmm, the rps I'm used to are mostly dialogue driven, done in script form, with the stars * representing actions. Though, I can change pretty easily.... and I think it would be best if we have a basic plot in place, but let everyone work with it as they see fit.

In an rp, I'd probably use myself and my Brock avie, so it might be a good idea to have it in the current pokemon timeline, or figure out how Brock could be incopreated...and with my luck I'd probably post once or so a day.

as for pokemon being "free agents" so to speak...mmm, it's kinda up in the air. I'd give either way a shot. as for the stat thing, it wouldn't mean much to me, I suck at math >>;  

[Sui Kune]

Aoi Hikari

Mmmm, the rps I'm used to are mostly dialogue driven, done in script form, with the stars * representing actions. Though, I can change pretty easily.... and I think it would be best if we have a basic plot in place, but let everyone work with it as they see fit.

In an rp, I'd probably use myself and my Brock avie, so it might be a good idea to have it in the current pokemon timeline, or figure out how Brock could be incopreated...and with my luck I'd probably post once or so a day.

as for pokemon being "free agents" so to speak...mmm, it's kinda up in the air. I'd give either way a shot. as for the stat thing, it wouldn't mean much to me, I suck at math >>;

I'm with Aoi on this one....I too use the script-form for rping, since I'm too lazy to read/write written-out posts. I would most likely use myself, and maybe my Eric avvy if I feel like bugging him. XP But rp-battling......no, I cannot do that at all. I can't battle unless it's on the Gameboy, and plus I can't write action at all. A casual rp would be my kind of rp.  

[SilvernKnight]

Current time Rp is pretty boring. I did rather have some ancient history, Rp belonging 5000 years in the past or so. When Pokemon is use for wars and stuff. gonk  

[Sui Kune]

J@sonWind

Current time Rp is pretty boring. I did rather have some ancient history, Rp belonging 5000 years in the past or so. When Pokemon is use for wars and stuff. gonk

I actually find stuff like that boring.....rather cliche-y, in my opinion. sweatdrop  

[SilvernKnight]

Sui Kune

J@sonWind

Current time Rp is pretty boring. I did rather have some ancient history, Rp belonging 5000 years in the past or so. When Pokemon is use for wars and stuff. gonk

I actually find stuff like that boring.....rather cliche-y, in my opinion. sweatdrop

Well, different people have different opinions. That what make you and I and everyone special. wink  

[[Philosophy In A Teacup]]

gonk

Don't tell me someone's gonna take me and Dorkuu's idea of making a Pokémon RPG site!

And I prefer modern-time RPs... only... without ANYONE from the anime.. Except for Lance and the Gym Leaders.. They're ok. And RPs like that aren't boring if you mix the closed-minded, afraid-of-anything-not-like-them humans, and the old school (half human, half Pokémon), tired-as-hell-of-being-treated-like-dirt Pokémorphs... (Which will be the backdrop and main theme in Dorkuu and I's RPGS..) twisted

Now, for the questions...

1.) I like my RPs to have structure. They HAVE to have atleast SOME sort of plot or I can't do it. And when I create my characters, I usually do just make a name and face and then give them a few Pokémon. But as I RP with them, the more I develope them.

2.) "GMed"? "Troupe Play"? ? __? I, personally, prefer one-on-ones. But them and open RPs (more than two people) are easier and better in their own ways. And mainly, my RPs are/were always made up as we went, with the occasional plot to spice things up.

3.) No. No one EVER gets to play my Pokémon, because I give them personalities as well. And it would be utter sacrilige to have anyone but me play any of my characters, too.

4.) Until we either finish the RP, kill off our characters, decide not to be friends anymore, or one of us suddenly dies, I expect full-blown, marriage-like commitment. Several posts a day would be a dream, but I know that life can get in the way, so atleast one or two a day works fine. I will not tolerate one reply every few days enless we're very good friends.  

[Dominic Vittore]

[ Message temporarily off-line ]  

[SilvernKnight]

No like you rp about you flushing the toilet does it?

Well, at least we have more swords and stuff... But nevermind... I love Pokemon no matter what is it... heart  

[Dominic Vittore]

J@sonWind

No like you rp about you flushing the toilet does it?

Well, at least we have more swords and stuff... But nevermind... I love Pokemon no matter what is it... heart

I exaggerate for the sake of emphasis. I prefer modern technology over ancient, by and large. (Legend of the Five Rings -- the game threatening to eat my brain -- excepted.)  

[[Philosophy In A Teacup]]

Because that reply is uber-duber long, I won't quote it.

But that's good that you're not planning on opening your own RPGS, not meaning to sound rude or anything. o __o Just me and Dorkuu are putting lots o' time into this project and it would be a b***h to have a rival site..

And yes, I've seen a lot of RPs die like that as well. A big shame, too. An RP has to have something.. Something special that attracts people and then keeps them transfixed.

Sure, flashy lights and pretty pictures can make for a good RP, but nothing beats good, ol', LITERATE posting. Just as you said. In fact, I don't think I'd have my RPs any other way.

And as for everything else.... I'd reply with my opinions to it but... My mind seems to've turned into mush now. x __x