Mount and Blade: Roleplay

[Elven Lord]

So I had this really random idea while I was playing Mount and Blade: Warband (Floris modpack) the other day, a Mount and Blade Roleplay. This is totally out of the blue by the way, and no one has heard this idea yet. Typically role-plays (with low management) become riddled with god-modding (guilty), but I want to try an experimental new way of doing role-play. It's a lot more like co-authoring a story, and it is considerably more intentional in its set up and entire progression.

The gist of it is this:

1) 10 players will engage in each story line (different threads for each one)

2) Each storyline (thread) will have 1 game master. The game master may participate, but if the players feel he/she is giving themselves unfair advantages then a vote can be held in this thread to have the game masters character removed or suspended. The GM is responsible for setting quests, guiding the storyline, and mixing things up.

3) Each game day (3 real days) the players are grouped together (typically 2 to a group), based on the "geographic" location of their characters and given a quest by the GM (generically one of the kingdoms/major cities or geographic areas for more specific quests). The GM should also specify what kinds of dangers should be included in the story, as well as the rewards (weapons/armor/luxury supplies/cash/experience) for compiling a tale that is compelling.

The players then go to private chatrooms (gmail/facebook/IM services etc) and work out a story transcript which they collaborate on, and then post in their storyline's thread.

4) The game is based on the Taleworld's game Mount and Blade: Warband, and if folks would like to participate but want a week or so to read up/get a little experience in it that is perfectly amiable with me. It is probably the best game I have ever played, but don't be discouraged by the start (those that try it), it's a little hard to get going at first, and that is probably a good experience to have going in to this game.
As such, each player gets one hero, and also commands a Warband which he or she can recruit from towns(expensive mercenaries) and the surrounding villages (cheap highly upgradable recruits).

5) The game is very much based upon trust. It's all about telling a cool story and having some fun. For the most part the GM will rely on the players to keep accurate accounts of their wealth, equipment, and the size and types of soldiers in their armies. If someone cheats, it messes things up for everyone else.

6) Experience is used to upgrade soldiers in the army. Call it 5xp and 50 gold per upgrade (listings of the troop types can be found on taleworlds.com). Other than that, casualties are determined by the players constructing the story. There are no upgrades for characters, but we do expect to see a gradual increase in capabilities like better accuracy with bows, better reaction times to enemy strikes etc, at the player's discretion (but remember the GM evaluates rewards based on how well and believably the story is written, not how well your hero does )

I'm open to discussion, tips to fine tune, and of course volunteers to play and moderate. I think for starters I'll go for one thread which I will GM, though if I could get someone legendary (and more consistently active) like TGRF to help me GM that's chill too.

...ok, I'm going to play some! Check back later this evening lol.

[TGRF]

I'll have to step out of this for several reasons:

1. I know nothing of the game you are speaking of, and have neither the time nor the interest to get into it.
2. I need to spend my free time writing or inventing ways to generate a more stable income (yes, I invent them ).
3. Any writing project that I join I would like to be an actual writing project, where I can practice developing and writing novels. A co-written venture, while doubtless fun, doesn't give me the freedom I'd want, and making it a roleplay means I can't develop it the way I would like. This is just me however.

Glad to see you back, EL. Sorry about not being able to help you out on this one.

~TGRF.

[TheAverageFan]

I'd be willing to give it a fling, especially with Christmas Break coming up. Good luck getting 10 players though

~TAF

(on a side note @The Grim Reaper's Friend I got to use your Arkmer quote in a presentation on business today and my superiors were very impressed. You should definitely get that copyrighted )

[TGRF]

Originally Posted by TheAverageFan

(on a side note @The Grim Reaper's Friend I got to use your Arkmer quote in a presentation on business today and my superiors were very impressed. You should definitely get that copyrighted )

Seriously? Strange, my intellectual brother wasn't impressed. I wonder how I go about copyrighting a quote?

~TGRF.

[Elven Lord]

Eh, if I can't get 10 players I'll write the darn thing myself...well, I'll start it anyway

[Tornado]

Sounds cool but time consuming.
I will have some free time next month.

[Zetsubo]

This seems like a cool idea. I'd be willing to join in if you have enough players.

[Elven Lord]

Awesome, and we don't actually absolutely need 10. Three or four would actually be more manageable. Especially since its really more of an experiment than anything. If folks really get into it then we can think about expanding it.

December is crazy but I can take an hour every few days to do this. So far we have

EL
Zetsubo
Tornado
The Average Fan

Let's give it another week, and see who comes in. In the meantime, can those who are interested take a few minutes to check out Taleworlds.com, and read up on Warband?

[Tornado]

Not seeing a ton of useful info at Taleworlds.

[Elven Lord]

Yeah, nor am I reliable...at all. I may write a fan fic about it one day, but honestly I'm too busy right now focusing on keeping my job so...yeah. I have to do a certain amount of business in the next three months which amounts to five times the amount of business I've done in the last three months, or they let me go.