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Earthwalker
2016-08-03, 06:27 AM
I am thinking of building a campaign world for a new campaign. I am most likely going to be using Fate (which might not be the best choice)
The basic concept is going to be a world built of movies with the PCs being movie characters. As well as he normal aspects pertaining to the characters we will also have aspects based on the movies the characters are from.
I am going to throw around random ideas in my head. What I am looking for is more ideas and ways to tie things together. Not all of the ideas below will make it into the game I am just trying to come up with ideas and hopefully start the creative process.

The Ciniplex – A central area that allows people to move into different movies. This could be the staging area for adventures (think Tales of the Floating Vagabond)

Movie Town – A different idea for the central hub a town where all the movies ever made are playing out constantly. Walk down the wrong alley way and you end up in some camp musical.

Villians Inc – This would be a problem for the world. The bad guys from different movies have grouped together and started to invade movies spoiling the endings. The PCs are heroes from their own movies trying to set things right.

We need a rewrite – The PCs are not only heroes but are just any character from movies and are focused on changing as many movies as they can to fit their world view.

I am planning on running the whole thing a little like Torg where you have two realities for your character, your home movie and the movie you are currently in. I like the idea and movies seem to have plenty of ideas for games I am just having trouble linking it together and worry the PCs will not be able to find a drive to push things forward.
Any ideas are welcome.

JeenLeen
2016-08-03, 09:09 AM
How aware of the movie characters (protagonists (PCs), villains, and extras) that they are in a movie and/or traveling between movies?

What is the consequence of a movie being derailed by a villain?

If movies constantly play out (Movie Town), is there any real consequence to killing someone? Do they just reset when the movie starts over?
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I think knowing the above would help answer the questions.
I think, regardless, some realm all the characters dwell in when the movies aren't actively playing (whatever that means) should exist, so they can interact and move between movies. This reminds me a bit of a Toon Town from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and... some cartoon that played while I was a kid (90s) about 'people' in a computer who, amongst other things, had to play in random video games the owner played. I think it was called Reboot but I'm not certain.

Earthwalker
2016-08-03, 10:19 AM
Ok let answer these questions and should help shape some things. Thanks for the help.


How aware of the movie characters (protagonists (PCs), villains, and extras) that they are in a movie and/or traveling between movies?

The PC and some NPCs will be aware of traveling into other movies. They will understand they are movie characters.
The Villain’s are doing it to claim the new movie for their organization (one or multiple different villain’s organizations)


What is the consequence of a movie being derailed by a villain?

The movie becomes the villians and can’t be played again in its original form. The Villians win and the Heros lose.


If movies constantly play out (Movie Town), is there any real consequence to killing someone? Do they just reset when the movie starts over?

With this question I am abandoning the idea of movie town until I can either form it better or I come up with a better central hub.


---
I think knowing the above would help answer the questions.
I think, regardless, some realm all the characters dwell in when the movies aren't actively playing (whatever that means) should exist, so they can interact and move between movies. This reminds me a bit of a Toon Town from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and... some cartoon that played while I was a kid (90s) about 'people' in a computer who, amongst other things, had to play in random video games the owner played. I think it was called Reboot but I'm not certain.
I am imagining a who framed Rodger rabbit style in the central hub. You can see just about anything, a lot of the central hub ideas can deconstruct tropes as well.
Maybe in the central hub things work out like the real world (maybe its part of our world). The PCs and other people have built a life there all characters suffer a flaw that if they are added back into they own genre of movie they revert to type.

JeenLeen
2016-08-04, 08:33 AM
I can see a setting coming into shape now.

Every time a movie is made (or at least it gains enough prestige/ratings/whatever, if you want to limit how often), the characters manifest in Movie Town. They are aware they are movie characters, and their personality and beliefs are the same as the movie, but they generally live their own lives. They can jump into their movies and relive them as often as they like. But they are also aware that dying in the movie means dying in Movie Town, so many avoid doing this.

Villains tend to have a raw deal. They are allowed to live normal lives in Movie Town, but generally their tendencies for villainy lead them to commit crimes and get arrested and/or executed. And they are usually treated like scum even if they try to just live and let live.

Lately, some villains have banded together to change their movies so that they win, the heroes lose, and (they hope) they get more power and freedom in Movie Town. The PCs are among their targets.

And almost everyone stays out of the part of town that serious horror movies manifest in. The fantasy heroes (and villains) have magical wards sealing it off, and the sci-fi guys use super-tech, lest those monsters get free and attack everyone else.

Metaphysics and Interacting with the Real World
How Movie Town exists is not described, it's just a given of the setting. The rules in Movie Town (and/or for characters, per DM choice) follow given tropes and physics is slightly different; for example, most characters can shake off being shot in the shoulder or falling from a second-story building. Folk accept it and the setting just handwaves the metaphysics, like Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Dying in Movie Town does not impact the already-made movies.
And, yes, it is strange when a real actor meets his character. It happens rarely. Also sometimes a character gets a role as an actor playing himself in a sequel, which causes some union issues. OR (a la Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, based on discrimination/legal issues, characters have limited legal rights and thus generally live in Movie Town, although they are welcome to live in the real world (just harder to get certain jobs, like acting.)

Or have it be some parallel universe made by humans. Characters don't really know why they come into being, except that Directors create them, but they know they want to keep their movies with a happy ending.

Storm_Of_Snow
2016-08-04, 10:19 AM
Got to admit, when I read the original post I was thinking Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, plus The Lego Movie (including aspects of the Dimensions game) and Last Action Hero - which maybe gives you another way of limiting access to the Horror genre (amongst others you may not want the PCs getting access to :smallwink: ), you need some way of getting in and out of the movies (LAH's golden ticket) which only a small group control (call them Casting Agents for want of a better term, give them whatever powers you think are suitable, and call the entry mechanisms Contracts - maybe people can automatically move between their own movie(s) and Movie Town, but need Contracts to get in and out of any other movie) and which certain people are trying to either get access to or break through for their own ends.


They can jump into their movies and relive them as often as they like. But they are also aware that dying in the movie means dying in Movie Town, so many avoid doing this.

What about characters that die in their movies? Maybe that's allowed (as that's their Contract, and if you don't have a Sean Bean-expy as a recurring set of characters who kep dying, there's something wrong :smallamused: ), but if they jump into another movie and die, they die for real.

What about recasting? Could you potentially have a Wayne Manor on the edge of Movie Town owned by Adam West-Bruce Wayne, Michael Keaton-Bruce Wayne, Val Kilmer-Bruce Wayne, George Clooney-Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale-Bruce Wayne and Ben Afflek-Bruce Wayne, for example? Or would there be 6 Wayne Manor's next to each other, or just one, but owned by a Bruce Wayne who randomly switches between all the people that have played him?

Jay R
2016-08-04, 12:03 PM
I strongly urge you to read the rules for TOON, and the novel Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett.

JeenLeen
2016-08-04, 12:05 PM
I definitely like the idea of there being a mechanism to limit who can enter what movies. Something like a Contract needed to enter other movies sounds good. The plot starts because a villain stole or somehow modified a contract that lets him enter any movie.

Good point on dying as part of a movie. I can see such being living characters in Movie Town, but they are only immune to death if they die at the right time in their movie.
I don't think characters should be immune to death in their own movie, because otherwise the villain can't truly defeat them in their own movie. Either that, or there needs to be some limiting condition to alter how you can edit a movie. Otherwise, if a PC fails and the movie ends in tragedy, they can just jump back in and try for a different ending.

I can recasting handled in any of those ways.
I imagine this game would have a lot of humor in it, and, really, all of those options are rather humorous.

Storm_Of_Snow
2016-08-05, 04:41 AM
Good point on dying as part of a movie. I can see such being living characters in Movie Town, but they are only immune to death if they die at the right time in their movie.
I don't think characters should be immune to death in their own movie, because otherwise the villain can't truly defeat them in their own movie. Either that, or there needs to be some limiting condition to alter how you can edit a movie. Otherwise, if a PC fails and the movie ends in tragedy, they can just jump back in and try for a different ending.

I'd say make it the right time, right location and right cause, otherwise it's off script and thus fatal. And which might mean the PCs have to cause a death at the right time in order to save that character.

Earthwalker
2016-08-15, 07:39 AM
Thank you everyone for your help here. Asking questions and giving suggestions. I really do like these forums for this kind of stuff.

What I have in my mind as a more solid idea.

Movie Town – Is now a small town in upper state New York or maybe Maine. (I am English and so will look at google maps later), lets call it New Featherton. The central point of the town off the town square is an old movie theatre. All player characters (and every other special character) are born in this movie theatre. They are trapped in New Featherton and can’t leave.
(I am using Fate so death rules for PCs isn’t that important but) special characters can only die for real in their own movie. All other deaths leads them back to the movie theatre in town. Usually with some memory loss.
Around the world are other versions of New Featherton. In England it’s just Featherton and back in the 50s it was a vibrant energetic town… that was till the collapse of the British Movie industry now it appears as some grim northern town in a Ken Roach movie. France has a town filled with European art house movie stars… and so on. There should be someway to travel between the towns (maybe accidents when leaving a movie)
I may as well steal from “The Last Boy Scout” the way into movies is to turn up the the movie theatre with a golden ticket. One ticket per use. No one knows where the tickets come from but players can use skills like resources / contact etc to get more. Also their will be an exchange between fate points and golden tickets.
The town contains three types of people. Leads - Movie starts that have escaped their movies, like the PCs.
Extras – People that are from earth and know about the Leads and the theatre.
Audience – People that live in the town but have no idea anything weird is going on.

I am thinking of having a character in the theatre called The Projectionist. He hangs around and answers some questions but his past and life is a mystery. As is the name of the owner of the theatre.

The majority of the game is going to be spent inside movies. Trying to put right what once went wrong… (That line seems familiar) as well as investigating what is happening to movies. Why has everything got so real and gritty… instead of the films of yesteryear.


Major plot points (depending on player approval)

Why is no one else appearing in the theatre ?
How come movies and the town is getting grittier ?


(Sorry not been on forums so late reply. Again thanks for the help. More suggestions welcome)

JeenLeen
2016-08-15, 11:26 AM
I am thinking of having a character in the theatre called The Projectionist. He hangs around and answers some questions but his past and life is a mystery. As is the name of the owner of the theatre.


I don't know if you played any of the Persona games, but hearing this reminded me of Igor and the Velvet Room. (In short, creepy guy who is nonetheless an ally (if perhaps limited in how he can help) and assisting the PCs. Not exactly clear what he is, but looks like he could be a normal human.)

Sounds like a cool setting. Just think of some justifiable way the PCs get enough but not too many tickets. (If the Projectionist provides some, have a reason why he can't provide an unlimited supply.)

DontEatRawHagis
2016-08-15, 11:52 AM
The Kiddie movies should be head of a group to get rid of the other movies. Killing off the R rated characters and replacing them with Winnie the Pooh and Toy Story.

I'd make sure that the different Genre's don't mix. So Fantasy and Scifi should not be going on in Movie Town.

Storm_Of_Snow
2016-08-15, 12:13 PM
Around the world are other versions of New Featherton. In England it’s just Featherton and back in the 50s it was a vibrant energetic town… that was till the collapse of the British Movie industry now it appears as some grim northern town in a Ken Roach movie.

Personally, I'd move the 50s version of Featherton into the 60s and play up the swinging sixties London cliches for it's history, especially as the UK film industry of that era was essentially based to the west of London - Ealing (comedies), Pinewood (home of Bond, which started in the early 60s), Elstree, Shepperton (although these two were more around TV production, especially Elstree) and Bray (Hammer horror and Gerry Anderson) in particular, with the stars hanging out around central London, Soho, and the east end if they had connections to people like the Krays.

And there's some bits of the UK Film Industry that are flourishing these days - aside from Bond and the US movies that film over here for the tax breaks. So maybe you have three phases in it - the old 50s/60s classics, the 70s-90s deriliction (which itself could give you movies from Get Carter to The Full Monty), and a current "glass and chrome resurgence" styling.



I may as well steal from “The Last Boy Scout” the way into movies is to turn up the the movie theatre with a golden ticket.

The Last Action Hero is the Arnie one with the golden tickets - The Last Boy Scout was Bruce Willis. :smallwink:

Earthwalker
2016-08-16, 05:25 AM
I don't know if you played any of the Persona games, but hearing this reminded me of Igor and the Velvet Room. (In short, creepy guy who is nonetheless an ally (if perhaps limited in how he can help) and assisting the PCs. Not exactly clear what he is, but looks like he could be a normal human.)
Sounds like a cool setting. Just think of some justifiable way the PCs get enough but not too many tickets. (If the Projectionist provides some, have a reason why he can't provide an unlimited supply.)

I have not played the games but that is just the vibe I am going for. The plan is he will answer to The Owner of the theatre and as such will only give out tickets if he is allowed. Also can use him to point out if things are going wrong in a film and ask the players for help, if they need some prompting that is.


The Kiddie movies should be head of a group to get rid of the other movies. Killing off the R rated characters and replacing them with Winnie the Pooh and Toy Story.

That’s dark and twisted, I like it. Certainly going to be using this in one adventure.


I'd make sure that the different Genre's don't mix. So Fantasy and Scifi should not be going on in Movie Town.

I do want to mess with Genres (sort of). It’s sort of like Torg if anyone remembers the game. The PCs will take their own movie aspects with them. As well as having the aspects of any movie they are in.
An example plot – A period merchant and Ivory movie (erm Sense and Prejudice) has been attacked by villain Anorax (from some bad fantasy movie). Anorax has summoned a demon and its running amok messing with the original movies characters. Changing their motivations and causing them not to be repressed and emotionless (eh gad)

Enter the heroes.

Tracer Bullet (I love Calvin and Hobbs) – Cyber PI
Jenny Dynamite – Superhero
Skip Henderson – Adventurer (think Indiana jones)

The whole movie might have aspects like.
“One should never show emotion”
“One should honour ones family”
“Women the fairer sex”

The adventure would then be the heroes trying to find what’s breaking the movie, while at the same time trying to not over use there aspects breaking it more. (For example you could expect issues with Jenny being told to leave this to the men and not worry her pretty little head about it). They will also need to fix things, so make sure that Sense and Prejudice female lead chooses the right swain (YAY I so rarely get to use the word swain) which could be nicly complicated if she falls in love with Skip Henderson.


Personally, I'd move the 50s version of Featherton into the 60s and play up the swinging sixties London cliches for it's history, especially as the UK film industry of that era was essentially based to the west of London - Ealing (comedies), Pinewood (home of Bond, which started in the early 60s), Elstree, Shepperton (although these two were more around TV production, especially Elstree) and Bray (Hammer horror and Gerry Anderson) in particular, with the stars hanging out around central London, Soho, and the east end if they had connections to people like the Krays.
And there's some bits of the UK Film Industry that are flourishing these days - aside from Bond and the US movies that film over here for the tax breaks. So maybe you have three phases in it - the old 50s/60s classics, the 70s-90s deriliction (which itself could give you movies from Get Carter to The Full Monty), and a current "glass and chrome resurgence" styling.

That write up has me wanting to have some adventure in Featherton but involving time travel so the my players can see the town in the different eras of the British film industry. It can also be done by having movie characters from yesteryear turn up in New Fetherton as well I guess. Its certainly something very cool to think on, thanks.


The Last Action Hero is the Arnie one with the golden tickets - The Last Boy Scout was Bruce Willis. :smallwink:

I knew it was wrong while I was typing it but I didn’t know why. Least you got which movie I was talking about, oh and she is way to hot to work in a video store !!