A New Kind of Roleplaying Game [HELP WANTED]

[thedarkstone]

Alright. *cracks knuckles*

So here's the thing. A project lead for a homebrew project needs to have some idea of what the project is. Not just conceptually, as there are a number of varied ways to make any "style" or RPG, and we'd each go about making such a system in a different way.

As evidenced by this thread, we can get into endless discussions about any specific point in the process, so a project lead needs to have some conceptualization of the core mechanics, or enough knowledge of RPG design to be able to patch something together from suggestions, even if just as a starting point. Hence why most systems are either based on existing ones, or designed as one-man projects and then have others come aboard once the core is in place, however shaky it might be.

Further, your concept is lacking conceptually, since you don't tell us what sort of system you want. If you want a tight, detailed system you gain a lot of mechanical depth, but lose out on some character customization (if there's an ability to do X, Y, and Z and I want to do X, Y, and Z but don't have the points/level/etc, I feel annoyed, especially if Z is something like throwing my shield, which I should logically be able to do...i.e. having a specific ability for something makes it seem like people WITHOUT that ability CAN'T do the action. This is a problem with 4e). In contrast, a more ambiguous system obviously isn't as mechanically robust, but can give players a lot more freedom with their actions and characters. It sounds like you want the former, but you haven't told us.

In short, there are many incredibly skilled homebrewers and system designers on these forums, but we don't work well together in a vacuum. You have to offer us enough to sink our teeth into, and then we can work together to find the flaws of the system, the successes of the system, and how to make it better. Without ideas, however, we'll just butt heads all day long, since each of us would approach system design differently, and to different ends.

Take the guys who designed Legend, and put them next to myself, for example. I love what I've seen of Legend, and it's a beautiful bit of system revision/design (it sort of blurs the line between 3.5 and a new system). However, if you put it next to my assorted ideas of a 3.5 revision, you end up with two entirely different things. If I had tried to work with them, we would have had some serious issues without someone coming in and saying "Alright. This is what we've got to work with...what can you do?"

Well said. All right, I am looking for something more like system B (freedom!), but, as you said, I sound more like the first; mostly because that is what I know best. I know D&D best, as a tight, detailed system is easiest to think of ways to make things for to me. But I would, most definitely, want to work to build a more free system, with the abilities enhancing what you can do and giving you options the normal person wouldn't have. Shield-throwing may not be common place, but even a common man can throw one. It takes dedication to learn it as a 'talent', though.

For mechanics...I'd like to just say it'll be based on d20, and start delving into statistics and what have you, but I don't want to lose out on creative talent. The reason I haven't put my foot down is because the more specific it gets, the less people it will appeal to. What if by the time I lay down all I want, there's no one left who wants to help? Then where am I left? Unlikely scenario, but possible nonetheless.

Feh, I'm going off topic. Regardless, I had the idea and wanted to see it through to completion; even if the project wasn't actually mine. So, if I can't pull the project through, I'm fine with stepping aside, partially or completely; I just would really like to see the system made. To use it to create characters in, to DM/GM in. But if I can, I'd like to do what I can, where I can, to build this system. So, if I wanted to go about making this free system, rather than a tight, detailed one, where should I start? What should I do first? Tell me this, and I'll do it. I may need to ask questions on certain points, but I can do it. I just need to know what I need to do.

For what you want, I'd say the best approach is not to pick a category at first level, but rather to assign a category (or more than one, if it can be used by more than one) to each ability, with no mechanical significance. Then you still get your newbie aid, but no restrictions on freedom.

I think that's a better idea than my own. Enough said.

I have a question. Is the game going to have lots of levels and tiers, with a big focus on the character that you start with, who will grow and become more powerful who the player gets attached to, with death being, in general, a rare thing that is counteracted by rituals and spells? Or are we looking at something more like gamma world or rouge trader, with max levels being low, combat being short and brutal, and death being a commonplace thing that is completely final? Dnd tends to lean towards the former, with the completion of a campaigne being an epic thing that took a year or two of playing. Other systems make the end of things more simple, with perhaps a climactic final mission but nothing ridiculously grand. Are players to become epic jerks and gods at the end, who are worshiped and inscribed into the anneals of history, for the next campaign players to hear about, like in dnd? Or is it, again, more like gamma world, with the players being just run-of-the-mill explorers and mercenaries, with little real effect on the outcome of nations and worlds. I guess what I'm asking is, will this game be a casual, rainy day activity, with short and brutal combat where each individual character is generally unimportant, or a large-scale project of a game, with constant meets and adventures of epic proportions, with characters being powerful and difficult to kill?

Less gamma world, more epic and powerful heroes; they still may be lesser heroes, and death may even be common, depending on the DM/GM, but in the average world, heroes will triumph, eventually. Or some of them will, at least. I'm thinking of lots of levels, tiers, abilities; you progress and become progressively better at what you do, whatever that is.