Discussion Page RP

The year is 3030 and life goes on as always. Technology has advanced to the point where a network known as The Zero Network exists. Anyone with cybernetic enhancements to their brain can log in and access any information they need. This network can be used for education, solving crimes, nearly anything they desire.

But no society is perfect and in Echo City, the centre of the Zero Network, things are going to fall apart.

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Yeah I'm finally returning to make a new RP and change things up a bit. I've always been a big fan of Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, those sorts of things. I could probably describe this RP as a mix of Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass, Blade Runner etc. (Although I've barely watched any of these works so things may turn out differently)

Regardless this thread is for sign ups or just an interest check. I'm always interested to hear any new suggesstions you guys may have for me.

You are free to sign up as 2 or more characters as long as you guarantee you are able to write for them.

Sign Up Sheet:

Name:

Age:

Appearance/Personality:

Background:

Skills:

Cybernetic Enhancements: (If your character has none than just put N/A and explain why they don't.)

My Character:

Name: Butch Advent

Age: 25

Appearance: Dark brown hair and eyes. Wears cyberntic glasses that while helping him to see can double as a phone among other uses. Frequently wears a longcoat and jeans with a long sleeved shirt. His personality is welcoming to most, though he can be gruff to those he does not like. His lack of socialising has made many think of him as a Sociopath, when in reality he has Aspergers and simply does not care to socialise unless he thinks it is neccessary.

Background: Butch grew up a reasonably smart guy with an eye for detail and deduction. As he got older he took upon the job of private investigator, hoping to make a bit of money and solve a few crimes. Beyond that he doesn't have much to care for, beyond his family and few friends. He also has quite a fasination for the Zero Network, enchanted by its sheer size and power as a whole but is curious at what is behind its creation.

Skills: He is a reasonably trained fighter, offering powerful punches and kicks to those who fight him. Though he can think on the spot regarding hitting an oppoenents weak points if the opponent is stronger than him.

He also owns a knife and a handgun. The knife◊ used for a quick and easy slashes while the gun◊ is a specially made weapon created by a friend of Butch's. Powered by electricity, it can fire a different range of bullets and can only be shot by Butch thanks to DNA coding.

Cybernetic Enhancements: Butch had his brain cybernetically enhanced at the age of 10, wanting to become connected to the Zero Network out of fascination for it. Outside of that his arms and legs have also been enhanced, allowing to take and deliver strong blows and run fast.

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Also as a rule there will be no hateful criticism against me or your fellow players, if you dislike it that some players are weaker writers than you, keep it to yourself. Trust me on this rule, my first big RP fell apart because of this. It was a horrible experience I have no intention to relive.

So yeah, share your thoughts, interests and sign up sheets with me whenever you please.

Character Roster:

• JRPictures: Butch Advent
• Ominae: Police Senior Inspector Mark Chen
• Lt.BGob: June Byrne
• Nick The Swing: Xander Vandeine
  • Misha Hendrick
• Troy and Hawk: James “Winter” Winters/ Aiden Grady

edited 10th Jul '14 3:48:43 AM by JRPictures

Potential interest, though I'll need more information about the setting and the kind of RP this is before I can make a conclusive judgment.

There just isn't enough information about the setting. More elaboration about the Zero Network, more elaboration about Echo City, just more elaboration in general. Can the Zero Network create augmented reality, virtual reality, within the user's mind? What is the political, economic, social environment of Echo City and why is it going to "fall apart"? What are the cultures, subcultures, laws? Is Echo City in a specific country? Etc, etc.

Will it be free form - players going off on their own and having their own individual plots they pursue? Or will it be plot directed - everyone working towards the same sort of goal? Will it be some hybrid of both? What will be the structure of what players do?

Ditto, though I will probably make a character once I know more about the setting-to-be.

“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”

Also, aliens. Space travel. Interplanetary colonization. Do these things exist, or did we decide to stick on Earth? Lots of sci-fi stuff to consider. Splicing, bio modifications, etc...

EDIT: Also, what characters are acceptable? Can we play villains or villain archetypes?

edited 25th Jun '14 1:39:47 AM by Starbound2

Alright let's see what I can answer here. I just want to keep a few plot details down for the sake of the plot because I got some big things planned if this RP happens.

I'd say along the lines of virtual reality moreso than augmented. Though augmented reality is a possibility if the network updates.

Here's where things go a little ambiguous. Echo City's true nature is something I can't really disclose right now. Since it is the centre of the network, it is one of the most technologically advanced places. With that in mind it is still a high-tech/low-life situation and the government is still quite corrupt.

As for why it will fall apart, well let's just say a lot of secrets are about to exposed.

Cultures and subcultures are still reasonably the same as these days with religion and everything. There are rebellion groups attempting to overthrow the government and people who wish to remain pure and 'human' by not having cybernetic enhancements.

I'm keeping that secret for now. SPOILERS

For the most part the RP is mostly characters having their own plots. There is still some build-up to the main conspiracies/plot at work and there will be a point where some plots may crossover and work towards a single goal. So it's mostly a hybrid, but there is no rush to focus on the main plot at the start now.

Oh don't worry I've considered those things too. Splicing and biomodifcations also exist but they tend to be very risky depending on the operation. As for aliens, space travel, interplanetary colonisation, Well like I said i don't want to spoil anything yet.

Any character you see fit should be acceptable, that includes villains or villain archetypes. Just no one extremely overpowered, for obvious reasons.

edited 25th Jun '14 1:42:43 AM by JRPictures

I do understand the GM desire to keep some aspects of the plot undisclosed. But that being said, what can you tell us about Echo City? I'm still gonna need a bit more to go on. If you can't tell us the true situation, what can you tell us about the apparent situation?

Ah, sounds like a semi-Orwellian city: Little information about life outside the city or it's true workings/state. I like it, very much.

“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”

The apparent situation in Echo City tends to be mixed. With the constant rebellion groups at work trying to overthrow the government, things aren't quite peaceful from the terrorist attacks on buildings to frequents crimes. Some are just trying to make a living like Butch.

It's not a great life but compared to rumours of what happens outside of the city, some consider it a far better option. The government's iron fist makes it that no one is able to leave the city but that people are welcome to come in. They usually spread claims of horrible situations in neighbouring cities/countries claiming facts of slavery, massacres etc. Essentially Echo City is being forced to become a closed circle by the government's hand. Maybe because they intend to keep the keep the centre of the Zero Network safe or for far more sinister reasons.

Why thank you. It is quite an effort to keep what really happens outside the city such a secret.

edited 25th Jun '14 1:52:26 AM by JRPictures

Ok, I think I'll get to work on a sheet... Incidentally, nice to see another Australian in this neck of the internets - Whereabouts, if you don't mind my asking?

“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”

I'm in Sydney. And yeah it's always nice to see another Aussie here. I've ran into a few on the forums (even met one in real life).

So yeah this RP should be fun. It's pretty much my first big RP after one large first one and a second that died early on. Hopefully this one doesn't share the same fate.

Also while I'm at it, I'm gonna make it a rule that there will be no hateful criticism against me or your fellow players, if you dislike it that some players are weaker writers than you, keep it to yourself. Trust me on this rule, my first big RP fell apart because of this. It was a horrible experience I have no intention to relive.

edited 25th Jun '14 2:14:11 AM by JRPictures

No criticism...? You know that could cause problems the other way around, right?

What exactly do you mean?

If players aren't criticized, they'll continue to make the same mistakes. If one character seems overpowered to other players, but you rule that they can't be criticized, then the players can't bring that problem to you. Likewise, the players can't call into question rulings you make that they disagree with. It's kind of a formula for disaster.

You're human, as are other players, as am I. We make mistakes. Sometimes we make repeated mistakes. Criticism is necessary so we don't get complacent in these mistakes.

edited 25th Jun '14 2:14:51 AM by Starbound2

Ok I see your point there. I'm just wanting to avoid what happened last time because things got really messy. I'll fix it up a bit.

If you really wanna know, just look up the Humongous Mecha RP.

Nah, I can see how it can get messy; I've GMed a few times and I'm insanely critical, so I know how inflammatory criticism can make things fall apart. That being said, I've also seen GMs who were too lenient let players run amok and ruin RPs for other people. Gotta find the right balancing act.

The thing is in that RP I was too lenient and one player messed up the lore I had planned so much that it ruined what plans I had for the plot. Mixed in with the fact that that same player had a hatred for anything i wrote and took any opportunity to criticise it. Things went bad.

Also I am not the criticising type. The only time I would ever go against someone's writing is if they made a mistake (such as continuity) or went against the rules.

Honestly as long as you guys act nice, don't be hateful or try to take over the RP from me we'll be fine.

And if you hate it that a player has weaker writing than you, keep it to yourself. That kind of elitism/idiocy is not allowed.

How about constructive, positive criticism? You tell a person how they might improve in important things (i.e. coherency, continuity, whatever) but in a way that doesn't bruise their self esteem too much. Throwing in a compliment helps too, as does not being nit picking or nagging.

I teach martial arts and tutor a little biology/chemistry - focusing on positive outcomes is better all round.

“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”

But what if their weaker writing is to the detriment of other players' experiences? Obviously, the player you described was at a detriment to your own experience.

Well yeah that works fine. I'm just vehemently against hateful criticism. That's not helpful nor useful at all to me at least.

I don't want to hear another player tell me that my writing sucks, is not good enough or that they hate it with a passion. Any criticism that is uncalled for is not needed.

Give me an example of why someone's weaker writing is at a detriment to another player's experience. Cause I can tell you that the man who so vehemently criticised my writing was an man who I'd like to call a lot of bad words with a lack of empathy for anything. And I can quote him as saying this to me: Sure he has apologised since but it doesn't change how relentless he was in criticizing any move I made.

edited 25th Jun '14 3:49:13 AM by JRPictures

First, Echo City is very fitting name-wise for being the centre of Zero Network partially because social media and weird computer crap. Second, I'm putting my bet on Echo City being in Australia or an artifical landmass (that or a giant VR dream). Third, what about artifical lifeforms (from robots to artificial organic life and everything between)? Fourth, how medically advanced are they and do they make use of artifical means to grow children? Fifth, do they have nanomachines of any kind? Sixth, what is the general mastery of technology they have for things already mentioned and not?

If it'll be fine, I would like to ask questions in the least. I cannot excuse my actions during HM, and while its very self-important of me to assume, I could understand if you would rather I didn't bother Zero Network. Anything else I could say would just be attempts to explain myself.

"The Omniverse is the collection of all possibilities, and all possibilities must eventually come to pass."

Kkutwar. There are some things I can't quite forigve from that time period. Your actions in particular are something I'm not ready to forgive. (By the way don't think I don't know about the R Ps you're running. Come on man I made up the name SERVE why the hell are you using it in your own R Ps?)

I'll at least give you the courtesy of answering your questions

Nice guess but wrong.

Yeah artificial lifeforms exist, especially a large array of robots.

Reasonably medically advanced. Artificial means to grow children exist but it can be quite risky and the end product can often turn out deformed or faulty.

Nanomachines exist yes. The mastery of technology is reasonably high.

Interest following more info. I feel like playing someone in LEO Public Security.

Yeah you can play as such a character. There is no limit on who you can play in this world, as long as it at least fits the setting.

Are there limits to how many characters we can play? I have two potential ideas at the moment.

Not at the very moment. I'd say the limit is as many characters as you feel like you can handle. So you should be fine if you want to do 2 characters.