Actually, I'd probably play.  I tend to be more of a character heavy writer.  :)

(Not that it's first come first serve; I just want at least 3 submitted characters, and will take up to 5.)

I've got 2 statements of interest, here and in PMs. Can I get a third?

One of the games I play in just went under, so I'd be up to join another. This one sounds fun.

So, I wrote up a massive fictional history of the world for a game, incorporating movie, video game, literature, and comic book timelines, most of it intended as backstory for a modern-day game in which most of our fiction was true.

I decided to use the material (basically a big offline wiki) to run a historical game. My first impulse was a game with immortals running from the fall of Atlantis to the modern day, ~20,000 years of time. I figured I could run an adventure every couple hundred years or so, skip over the time in between with a vague vignette about what the players were up to in between.

The problem is that while a lot of cool stuff happens in the fictional (and realistic) pre-industrial past, for a very long time - I'm talking 15,000 years of our 20 - maybe one or two things happen a century IF you have the power to travel all over the world.

That's a long time either skipped completely or full of "random paelolithic adventures." An entire campaign's worth of paleolithic adventures. Either that or skipping over hundreds to thousands of years and expecting players to adapt - and in a very realistic way, given the nature of RPoL, we'd probably never even hit the bronze age even if the game lasted years of real time.

I'm sure there are ways around this, but I'm thinking I might want to do a time travel game instead, just to get more work out of all the backstory research I did. I've tried doing a GURPS Time Travel game a few times, but none of them have lasted very long.

Proposed Structure:
* Players are largely solo. I've been running solo games lately, to avoid player attrition from throwing an entire game off. Each player will have their own thread, in their own historical era.

I'd like some means for the players to interact and communicate. Maybe some kind of chronophones they can use to contact each other across the temporal void. Maybe they can watch each other's adventures somehow, and offer "helpful" advice.

* Players are hopping from era to era without much control. Maybe they can control when they jump (after the chrono capacitors have charged), but they can't choose when to hop to next.

Options/Questions:

Is this sandboxy or is there a mission structure? Do the players just want to lay low and blend in, or are they trying to accomplish or prevent something in each era? Do I present them with a situation, or a goal?

Is this a physical means of time travel, or a mental one? Do they "jump" into the body of someone with an established place in the era, able to speak the language, etc, or do they appear (possibly with a time machine) looking the way they look, talking the way they talk, needing to learn to integrate. Is that a challenge players want to bother engaging with, or do we quantum leap it away?

Possible Setups:

1. The players are obviously chrononauts of some kind, but they don't remember why they're travelling through time. They've got some advanced tech to help them assimilate - translation program, for example - and can observe each other/communicate from their time machines. The metaplot is all about trying to figure out why they're traveling and learning to control the machines.

2. The players were helping crazy old Doc Brown/HG Wells/Local Basement Mad Scientist build a time machine when something WENT HORRIBLY WRONG sending them spinning through time and space. The goal is, explicitly, to get home again by getting a handle on the mechanics of time travel.

3. Literally Quantum Leap, minus the restrictions about only traveling within your own lifetime.

Feel free to suggest other options.

Unfortunately, I probably shouldn’t commit to another game, but your proposal sounds somewhat like a game I’ve long wanted to play in, a GURPS Highlander game. A game like that wouldn’t be as fun played chronologically (for me, anyway), but it would be great to alternate between the present day and past historical settings. I especially liked the Highlander TV series with Duncan Macleod that was set in the modern day but with segments in historical periods.

The problem is that in order to be based mainly in the present, the PC(s) should be able to survive any historical adventures (unless the game was run chronologically). GURPS combat can be deadly, and the whole point of Immortal combat is to take the loser’s head, after all, but perhaps failure instead could have consequences such as gaining disadvantages like Enemies or Secrets that would have consequences for the modern-day adventures.

So you could possibly adopt a structure like that, modern day adventures interspersed with flashbacks.

Still, time travel sounds like fun, and the threat of dying would actually be real.

I'd be interested

This is a cool idea but yeah, running the past as flashbacks is a little too deterministic. The players larger scale choices are irrelevant; they know where they're going to end up.

In reply to Tortuga (msg # 96):

What they wouldn't  know is which enemies survived; if they went by a title, it could be picked up by someone they ignored, and who has a different agenda. Likewise encounters with futer enemies who are maimed would lead to flashbacks like in Hot Tub Time Machine, where everyone was trying to guess how this one dude lost his arm. If they knew some dude they previoy fought was still around, and geared up to fight him again, only to discover he was now a CEO of a robotics company building artificial limbs to veterans (and also a customer) who was described as a threat to someone's livelihood (and therefore an enemy) because he buys out little companies like miccrosoft does.

Great, a potential game was proposed as (Cyberpunk/SciFi) and it's turned out more SciFi.

I'm in the mood for a 150cp, TL:9, cyberpunk game. Something that while the characters are better than your agerage thug they are not world beating yet.

I've started a game similar to Tortuga's "gamer thrown into their games", but focused on video games instead of tabletop RPGs. Player starts as 25 pts characters, but will get powered up to 'starting level' adventurer before the fighting really starts.

Right now, the players are dragged to Helgen to be executed. If you want to try roleplaying the mayhem coming soon, jump in the party! The World is Open for you!

link to another game

In reply to gorchek (msg # 99):

Sounded rather interesting, except I don't play any video games ... they few I have tried soon bore me.

Posted about this in the main Proposals/Advice thread, but I'm thinking about running a high-powered supers game. Unlimited, power, actually - players have no point budget. You could make a 10k point demigod, or a 250 point kung fu master.

There are, however, soft limits, in terms of which characters I pick for the game out of the applications received. I'm more interested in specialists than generalists, for example - characters with a clearly defined niche. It's a team game, so you don't have to be able to do everything.

In practice, I'll probably not pick characters who are so powerful and versatile that they can do everything without the need for the rest of the team. I'll probably avoid characters that are immune to most things because that would require me to keep throwing enemies armed with whatever you're *not* immune to at you which would be obnoxious.

Basically if your character makes things harder or less fun for the rest of the group I'll probably pick a different player instead. So players would be best served building characters designed to function as part of a team, rather than comprehensive solo masters who can handle absolutely everything. Your blind spots and incompetences are what make you fit in with the rest of the party.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:55, Sun 05 May 2019.

I like Supers games.  Whether or not I would have the time for it...  Not sure in the moment.

Well the game is up, and I'll be recruiting over the weekend.

link to another game

Ahh cool, I have been haunting RPOL looking for similar thinkers. Here is a ROUGH overview where I am headed or want to head.

This comes from a message I just sent someone in another game, who seemed to be thinking on same lines as me.

I welcome input good bad and ugly. Because talking about this helps me to clarify where I thing project should go.

I think we should discuss the rules of the world, how it would work how it functions,

After we get a clear foundation, both adventure in it tag team GMing. Each would have a chance to play, shine, invent and plan.

Once we world-build and test invite others. Everyone is player, npc and gm.

I have the bare bones of and idea.

A school located somewhere in the cycle of reincarnation, where both new souls and and the souls of people waiting to be born attend.

At this school, in the beginning we will get the players to flesh out there character,
filling out a description, backstory, etc.

The most satisfying character that I have ever played, was this guy me and the gm went back and forth designing.

Also in the beginning the player should have full free-forming rights. And as there character gets fleshed out and through instruction learning the gurps system.

We hold have them free-form less and less until they are following the GURPS ruleset.

I also want a dungeon in the center of the school. A place where the players can adventure and use the skills they learned in class.

Eventually I want to expand past the campus and design a world beyond the school.

Character death should happen and not matter, seeing as how the character will be returned to the school to train more and be re-educated.

During this process, player can earn cp or ccp (basically character creation points) , cp will be used as the currency of this world.

Used to evolve the players character and to buy things.

Player may also earn cp by playing NPC's, working jobs at the school, exploring the dungeons, expanding school, expanding the world outside the school, by designing and running missions.

I plan on using gurps as the foundation system. But I can see already that we will have create our own system.

I know I said alot, and sorry for the confusion, if I jumped around with ideals, but this is something I was interested in and you seemed to have similar interest as me.



Dude I knew you was perfect.
I have been reading a lot of Manga and watching a lot of anime.

Is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon is one of my favorite anime.

I have been gravitating toward,
Isekai
Harem

Read (ing)<ALL great reads)
Against the Gods
Martial God Asura
Warlock of the Magus World
MMORPG: Rebirth of the Legendary Guardian


Watch (ed -- ing)<all great anime>
Overlord
Is it wrong to pick up a girl in a dungeon
How not to summon a Demon Lord
Demon Lord Retry
Gantz
Demon King Daimao
Death March




LIMITS HAHA no limits...Let them become GODS...Hate limits.





Love the limits, and with GURPS you can buy Extra lives. We'd have to increase the costs a bit, since we will be handing out cp like candy.

So if it cost like 10 or 100 times gurps cost, extra life would become valuable.

I think true death that you mentioned should be a permanent amnesia. Though I agree true death should have meaning. Ok true death it is, new character. But as a twist they will be born as a baby, in the background they created with no memory of the school or the cycle of reincarnation. (that's beautiful)


Lets us MMO death penalty striking out but not losing permanently, abilities and stats.
It will be a debt they would have to payoff before they could grow their character any more.

Say they loose points equal to half.
So if Jill had like
ST: 100 and a Wallet with 1000 cp and 1 extra life.
She would return to life with ST: 50 Wallet 500 cp 0 extra lives.

2nd Death since no extra life
TRUE DEATH...she is reborn into the world of the living (to her background--with no memory of the school)

Ahh or we can make them take on roles of player and gm NPCs too.

I like the idea of making them a spirit mentor to some pc also.
And we shall reward them 1/10 cp as a chance to return back to the school.

So TRUE DEATH OUTCOMES (Player Choice)
Rebirth to the world of their Background.
Service to game as NPC's.
Service to players as Spirit Guides.
Service to the Dungeon (Loving that one)




I have been haunting RPOL looking for similar thinkers. Here is a ROUGH overview where I am headed or want to head.

This comes from a message I just sent someone in another game, who seemed to be thinking on same lines as me.

I welcome input good bad and ugly. Because talking about this helps me to clarify where I thing project should go.

I think we should discuss the rules of the world, how it would work how it functions,

After we get a clear foundation, both adventure in it tag team GMing. Each would have a chance to play, shine, invent and plan.

Once we world-build and test invite others. Everyone is player, npc and gm.

I have the bare bones of and idea.

A school located somewhere in the cycle of reincarnation, where both new souls and and the souls of people waiting to be born attend.

At this school, in the beginning we will get the players to flesh out there character,
filling out a description, backstory, etc.

The most satisfying character that I have ever played, was this guy me and the gm went back and forth designing.

Also in the beginning the player should have full free-forming rights. And as there character gets fleshed out and through instruction learning the gurps system.

We hold have them free-form less and less until they are following the GURPS ruleset.

I also want a dungeon in the center of the school. A place where the players can adventure and use the skills they learned in class.

Eventually I want to expand past the campus and design a world beyond the school.

Character death should happen and not matter, seeing as how the character will be returned to the school to train more and be re-educated.

During this process, player can earn cp or ccp (basically character creation points) , cp will be used as the currency of this world.

Used to evolve the players character and to buy things.

Player may also earn cp by playing NPC's, working jobs at the school, exploring the dungeons, expanding school, expanding the world outside the school, by designing and running missions.

I plan on using gurps as the foundation system. But I can see already that we will have create our own system.

I know I said alot, and sorry for the confusion, if I jumped around with ideals, but this is something I was interested in and you seemed to have similar interest as me.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:30, Mon 19 Aug 2019.

Im thinking about a WWII game.  Probably on the gritty side; and involving a lot of trust/freeform in that I like the idea of pilots.  Im considering two key notions - the 588th night bomber squadron - an all female russian unit circa 1942, or some misguided misfits from the RAF 223rd (?)  UK in Egypt circa 1940.  Those are key units because I feel like the _real_ role play is in the downtime, and that’s actually where I’d like to concentrate.

I don’t need more than 3 pc’s to start, but could have - given that people could create their own sideline stories - no more 15 pcs.

Just remember that a 45% casualty rate is a real thing.

Thoughts?

PS - bomber pilots.  More teamwork.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:08, Thu 22 Aug 2019.

I think a WWII Bomber Crew would be a really interesting concept for campaign.

There could be a lot of potential.

I would lean towards an RAF or USAF theme myself, but lots of options there.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:30, Thu 22 Aug 2019.

I was think USAF for a bit, but they got involved so late in the war.  If I wanted a very ‘adult’ game, the maybe usaf 1944 london, but having a squadon of medium bombers based in cairo gives so many sidebars, and opens it to so many different characters, I like that better.

Being based out of Cairo would subvert a lot of the tropes. I like it.

And the Bomber crews are a good bit smaller as well.

The Russian 588th flew night attack in two seaters, wings of three.  The Blenheim is a multirole 3 seater, and as far as I can tell, also sortied in flights of three. Im hoping for at least 2 pcs per player; A flying pc and a base pc - bartender, mechanic, local spiv, etc. for the Cairo Gang; and/or on the 588th side, a flying pc (All pilots - a Navigator is just a pilot who isn't piloting) and a base pc of mechanic, mess, medical, supplies or even NKVD.

Yup... and you have a choice of Blenheim !s or Blenheim IVs.
The Martin Maryland is also there, although it suffers from the NOT INVENTED HERE syndrome.
I don't believe the Wellingtons have made it yet.

So why not Fighters? Mostly Gladiators with Hurricanes dribbling in. P-40Cs will follow soon enough. Early Spitfires  (Mk IIs) a bit later.

I like the team aspect of the bomber, for one - you have three in the plane, so if someone is injured, they could possibly make it back...

I like the range of missions that they have - could be CAS, recon, day or night bombing, acting as a LR or Night fighter, anti-shipping, clandestine cargo, SAS insertion or removal, supply delivery.

I like that they *aren't* the golden flyboys, and are more of the workaday, bob's your Uncle types.

Do you think the interest levels are low because it's bombers?

Not at all sure about the interest level, certainly some of it is due to it being a very unusual setting.

As for having injured crew replaced ... Look at some of the stuff on the BLENHEIM... it's very cramped and only the Navigator has a prayer of replacing the pilot , and it will not be easy at all.  Great chance of crashing before such a swap could be made. The Martin Maryland is worse as you can't move between positions except outside the aircraft, which you will not be doing in the air.
These things are CRAMPED! I have been in the B-17 and the B-24, both big bombers ... and how they moved around in there I can't imagine. Especially wearing all the gear they had on. Most of these smaller bombers were entered from outside with little or no chance to move between stations. Even in the Mk I Blenheim, the Navigator/Bombadier sits next to the pilot for much o the flight, but couldn't easily take over the controls.

Most flights were long and boring, combat, if seen, was a few minutes of terror you hopefully survived. I think Fighters might be easier to game, but they certainly wouldn't be easy to GM or Play given the amount of information you'd need to supply for every 5-8 second turn in combat.  The closest example might be Blue Dwarfs Space game, and even there, it's hard to keep aware of where all the space craft are.