Should we host a Topaz Text RPG?

[zeroality]

Moved from contributor forum and non-important posts pruned. Discuss and vote.

Some info: the RPG would be on the bottom of the forums. This was a discussion that originated in the admin forum, which was elevated to the contributor forum and is now finally being brought to the members. I had to create a new thread to move this discussion onto since I couldn't edit a poll in.

It is suggested you read through and perhaps even debate a bit before voting but feel free to do so at any time. The poll is going to be public so I can weigh the votes according to activity (I'm not going to skew it excessively).







ImmunityBow and I were discussing my idea of having a text RPG here on the Topaz forums. There would be obvious benefits to this, such as boosted activity in areas other than the RPG and the very likely possibility of attracting people who could contribute quality material to Topaz.

IB expressed some concerns about souring things with Orange Islands but came up with the solution that he would PM Trainer X respectfully and state our idea. He also suggested that OI could keep Caldera/Kirant if they wish and run the RPG on there, their way. We would run ours which would be more involved and give the users a more specific Topaz adventure.

If he rejects that scenario in favor of having us run an exclusive RPG, I would be open to that but IB's idea works too. I've been going through vBulletin stuff, finding things we could use to facilitate the operation of the trpg, but I'm not done looking.

So far I've found a form creator, which would assist in RPG sign ups and other such things. I can also code various calculators for RPG Mods to use, provided someone comes up with the algebraic formula(s).

I'm sure there is a subforum manager that would make the massive number of subforums that are invariably required for a text rpg look nice and organized on the forum index. I believe I saw one in the past that organized them into columns, so that it wasn't just a long line list. I'm also pretty sure that I can set up profile fields for RPG information and facilitate adding their Pokemon to sig/profile information somewhere.

I was hoping that our very own ragingprimeape could head this project, along with help from his brother (assuming they are interested) since RP has the experience needed to lead a trpg. I can take care of all the technical stuff and help with recruits for staffing.

If anybody else is interested in the project, we certainly can have more than one RPG admin. So... let the discussion begin!

[SilentSentinel]

Well, I figured that it might end up coming to this. Anyway, we talked it over for a bit and decided that we'd like to take on the job. Although it will put a little more stress on me, my bro will be able to help me out, and if dragonfire can be admin for turqoise while also being a GMod on OI, I can probably do something similar as well. We need to make a few big decisions before we begin though:

Will we include other regions? Do we want people to experience the depth of our plot or be able to return to old places after reaching a certain point?

Will we implement 4th gen moves and abilities?

Is vbulletin going to work well for a TRPG? I know turq had some problems with this, but I don't know much about board limitations so I'll leave that to you.

Who will staff it? We will need some solid moderators who can spend a good deal of time here to do the bulk of the updating. I know that Pikang and XTS have had experience and do not hold moderating jobs at OI, so we won't be competing for their time as much as we would if we went after someone with a great deal of other commitments, but perhaps some new faces that are here often like NyteFyre would be the way to go.

This is obviously going to take a great deal of discussion here before we even consider going public with it, and I'm probably the biggest risk for leaking to OI, so /zips lips and throws away key.

LIke I said, we'd be glad to run it. Anywhoo, let's get the basic general questions decided before we move on to specifics.

[zeroality]

Will we include other regions? Do we want people to experience the depth of our plot or be able to return to old places after reaching a certain point?

I think it's a better idea to limit it for now rather than try to create all that at once. When people start nearing the end of their Topaz adventure, then perhaps we can add new regions and up the challenges to compensate for their existing leveled up Pokemon.

Will we implement 4th gen moves and abilities?

That's a toughie since the game and the TRPG will be two separate entities but after thinking about it, I think the best idea is to refrain from doing that. The main reason would be to avoid confusion or disappointment when people think there's going to be 4th gen moves/abilities in the game too. Another reason is that this would simply add more work for us. Excluding the ~100 D/P Pokemon and all the changes that comes with that will be a tremendous timesaver in getting this set up.

Is vbulletin going to work well for a TRPG? I know turq had some problems with this, but I don't know much about board limitations so I'll leave that to you.

Chronicler didn't even know how to install vBulletin. I had to help him with it and I don't think he ever fully 'mastered' running a vB board. But to answer your question, yes it is very good for a TRPG due to the ease/speed of usability and the wide recognition by most users of the software. Not to mention that it is very flexible and can do just about anything you want, provided you have the coding skills. After I set up what I have in mind, you guys can suggest other features and I'll see if I can do it.

Planned stuff:
- easily administered forms for rpg registrations and anything else they would be useful for
- profile fields for pokemon (haven't fully fleshed this idea out yet or decided where the information will be displayed)
- custom skin made specifically for the rpg with news/links/etc - whatever we want to put
- organized subforums

Who will staff it? We will need some solid moderators who can spend a good deal of time here to do the bulk of the updating. I know that Pikang and XTS have had experience and do not hold moderating jobs at OI, so we won't be competing for their time as much as we would if we went after someone with a great deal of other commitments, but perhaps some new faces that are here often like NyteFyre would be the way to go.

Yeah, sounds good. Filling up RPG staff jobs is easy but getting good staff is a different thing altogether. In my time at PokeRealm, I believe we ran 3 separate incarnations of the Topaz Text RPG and inactive RPG mods are always an issue. You just have to recruit to fit capacity then weed out the undesirables and rinse n repeat.

This is obviously going to take a great deal of discussion here before we even consider going public with it, and I'm probably the biggest risk for leaking to OI, so /zips lips and throws away key.

You talk, you die.

LIke I said, we'd be glad to run it. Anywhoo, let's get the basic general questions decided before we move on to specifics.

Excellent. You two are hereby anointed co-head TRPG admins! May the power of Arceus be with you.

And ugh about thread titles. That is so not cool. I hope nobody saw before I changed the title.

Edit: Medioc can read this discussion on your acc and put in his two cents when he wants to. When we get this official, I can add a group for RPG admins/whatnot to view this or make a new staff forum for it.

[ImmunityBow]

I mostly agree with zeroality's post there. Just wanting to stress that I absolutely don't want any part of OI to feel shafted. As such, here are some suggestions:

- Part of the RPG staff on OI believes that it's a small problem that I'm the only one creating the actual region right now. So, I'll do what I can to add some events and all the bare-bones stuff, and then we will give OI's staff just about free reign to implement anything they like before the region opens. That way we have another factor helping us keep the games separate and different, they get to keep their continuity without me breathing over their shoulder half the time, and it helps solve a lot of red-tape issues that they were going to have, since they can just fix it however they like.
- Should SR be told soon? I have the feeling that he'd be best for the job of administrating C/K on OI, since he's already involved in the movesets revamp. raging, with the jobs you'd have to do here and being RPGMod on OI, I think it'd be best if you filled an advisory role like mine. You could still help with the revamps and everything, and participate in discussions there, but there'd be less obligation than if you'd be leading the project there.

[SilentSentinel]

Mkay, everything you guys said sounds good. I'd be fine with sitting back over there and letting SR take charge since he's basically been the head of hte revamp project from day 1. I'm just concerned that if we go completley hands off that all interest on their side will die off.

I was also thinking about something else that will be neccesary: finishing all the damn revamps. We'll need the new sets for all the old pokemon, so I say that we should put those on the front burner asap.

EDIT: Just some general decisions as far as rival customization. Will every person's rivals be named Simon, Vincent, and Bradley? Or will those characters be part of an overarching storyline. Will everyone's rivals have the same pokemon?

[ImmunityBow]

Here perhaps everyone's rivals are Simon, Vincent and Bradley.

On OI the rivals are completely custom.

[SilentSentinel]

Alrighty, how about events? Jirachi will obviously be the same for everyone, but will we want to have larger events considering the others, or just do small ones? I had a rough idea for a mini-event in mind concerning an rouge Purior.

EDIT: also, should we have joining a team be required, and should that affect rpg events if we have them?

[ImmunityBow]

Joining a team shouldn't be required IMO, but then you don't get access to the Jirachi event and stuff (though you shouldn't get Jirachi in the TRPG IMO, since everyone running around with Jirachis is a bit... over the top)

[SilentSentinel]

Yeah I know, legends shouldn't be catchable, but people who join the teams should have to fight it.

[SilentSentinel]

Are the elemental towers in softwind going to have a sidequest to enter them early on (like pre-team joining), or can we use them for an early event? Medioc had a pretty cool idea.

[ImmunityBow]

This is what it currently is on OI:

The three Elemental Towers of Softwind were once the perch of the three legendary birds, Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres. They have long since left, but their power still resides within each tower.

In this optional event, trainers may choose one of the three Elemental Towers to climb.

Trainers will face seven Chitang-style updates, the theme of which is climbing and the element of their chosen tower.

Fire Tower:

Prize: TM [Fire Punch]

Ice Tower:

Prize: TM [Ice Punch]

Thunder Tower:

Prize: TM [Thunder Punch]

Trainers may choose only one tower and may not do the event again after they have successfully climbed a tower. Trainers who fail to climb a tower may attempt to do so again.

Probably there'd also later be random rare elemental Pokemon you can catch.

[ImmunityBow]

Sure, why not.

[ImmunityBow]

Sorry, been busy and hadn't really felt like it. Before I send it, how's this for a PM?

Hi TX,
There's been a discussion that has popped up on the admin/mod board of Topaz lately about the Caldera/Kirant TRPG. In short, zeroality feels that we have the resources necessary to build our own text RPG and run it from our forums. That doesn't mean we're ditching OI! Here's a few details about it:
- Caldera/Kirant on OI will be a full go, you can still host it, if you want.
- You and your staff would have near complete control over how OI's version works. I will just be laying down the bare bones, as well as ideas I have but everything I do can be vetoed or added to by any of your staff. This includes any needed Pokemon changes (you may do them without my interference, though I'd still like to know), any storyline changes, and basically anything you like.

So, some proposed ideas:
- I feel that shadow_rukario would be the best person to administer Caldera/Kirant on OI, if needed. I haven't spoken to him but this is a feeling I have. Ragingprimeape would be responsible for the TRPG over here, but he would still assume his full duties on OI as a regular RPG Mod. In the Caldera/Kirant section he'd hold an advisory role similar to mine, but only advisory: if there's a vote to replace Malduval with Emblare or something similar, the majority on OI wins. (In other capacities he'd contribute just as much as your other RPG Mods)
- My work on OI will thus be pretty short, so I'll try to finish it as soon as possible. The storyline I will keep as open-ended as possible, something I believe your staff wanted. We're aiming to keep the TRPG on Topaz and on OI different so that there would be a reason to play either or both, that way we don't really compete and that way OI gets something unique.

Once again, thanks so much for hosting Caldera/Kirant on your site! I'd really like to hear your thoughts, if you feel this is the best course of action and whatnot.

[ImmunityBow]

Reply:


I'm so sorry it took me so long to respond; it's been a busy week.

EDITED:
Basically if we do this C/K won't happen on OI, because it will interfere with OI's uniqueness. TX goes on to explain that it is possibly a bad idea since it's a distraction.

There are some good points, I guess. Considering that administering to a text RPG as well as trying to get everything for the game done could possibly be a waste of time: most of the people joining to play the TRPG will probably not end up helping out with the game, which is our main priority. Add to the fact that it'll probably detract at least ragingprimeape, Mediocrity_Incarnate and me from the game itself then it's possible that it's a bad idea.

[zeroality]

I believe you would not be doing much in terms of the RPG. Once I get it set up, MI and RP should have it covered, along with MLex, so no worries there.

As for MI and RP themselves, they aren't mappers, spriters, artists, sound editors or coders so I believe that their decreased contribution to the game would have a minimal impact on the speed of development. Looking at it from that point of view, I believe that the benefits of this are too great to ignore. It's a pity that OI will shut theirs down but that does help make our RPG unique.

I would like to proceed if you guys are willing.

[ImmunityBow]

While I do believe that a TRPG provides some much needed traffic and a reason for people to keep coming back, we need to look at the benefits gained and how they synchronize with what we want to do:
- How many of these people can we "divert" into doing Topaz stuff?
- This is important since from my perspective the main point of a TRPG is to generate traffic. If people are on the forums, then in the best case scenario they'll look away from their own topics sometimes and contribute some stuff to Topaz.
- Currently a few people have started making an OI game, and they've managed to procure one spriter to help do everything. There are three people working on the project and there's no real interest other than that.
- The Turquoise TRPG ended up being mostly a flop since all focus just shifted there instead of a real game being made. I think Chronicler ended up giving up on the idea of a game in the end.
- What about our other general topics? People who post regularly on other things (the most extreme example I can think of in Topaz history is sifira who has stuck on one topic pretty much the whole time) haven't really often transferred into trying to help out elsewhere.

Also, ragingprimeape and Mediocrity_Incarnate may not contribute in terms of spriting, art, coding, mapping or sound, but there are other important aspects to the game. You know how Encounter Rates were open to all, were easy for anyone to do, were even fun to do (since choosing which Pokemon go where is pretty interesting), but only XTS and I ever did anything on it until RP/MI came out and helped out. Similar case with TehLurker 8 months ago, he had no unique skills to deploy in Topaz aspects but still ended up being one of the few to contribute in terms of Trainer Lineups and other things that anyone COULD do, but no one was WILLING to do. RP and MI have really been helping fill things out, and at least RP has proved himself a decent writer by passing the mod applications on OI - which means that the TRPG could be taking away from us script-writing wise.

Of course, I'm just putting down everything I can think of against the TRPG right now just to have counterarguments, in the end I'm not really convinced either way.

[zeroality]

- How many of these people can we "divert" into doing Topaz stuff?
Notices can be shown for specific forums and I could put one up with something along the lines of "While you wait to be updated, why not check out these [link]" etc. The unread posts modification will also help in getting threads noticed by people who joined to play the RPG.

- What about our other general topics? People who post regularly on other things (the most extreme example I can think of in Topaz history is sifira who has stuck on one topic pretty much the whole time) haven't really often transferred into trying to help out elsewhere.
sifira only posts in now playing and he wasn't/isn't interested much in the Topaz community. He only came back to check out the Triple Triad playtest. People like these won't be sticking around unless there's a reason to - like a demo or whatnot. I would think that the kind of people who come to play a RPG will generally be the kind of people to get active elsewhere, especially taking into consideration the things that I mentioned above.

RP's job will be more of administration than anything else. I don't expect him to be spending a lot of time updating people so he should still have time available for script writing. He can correct me on this if he wants. As for working on filler stuff, I do agree that it will be a loss but I'm still convinced that the benefits outweigh the few negatives. After all, the RPG may be just the thing that attracts an handful of people willing to do that kind of work.

Not sure how the fact that OI is making a game is relevant here but OK. Information I didn't know. :)

As for Chronicler and Turquoise, you're right. He had nothing else to offer users so it died.

[ImmunityBow]

I'm still not entirely sure. I remember seeing people's "Dreamteam" sigs on OI with Topaz pokes.

What if this leads to a Topaz boycott on OI?

[zeroality]

We can invite them to the RPG here. If they refuse then there's nothing we can do about that. If they want to take it public, I can make a statement.

[zeroality]

I'd like to get all of you on board and motivated about the idea because it is a good one and will, most likely, turn out great. It'll be just the boost that Topaz needs to get more activity around here.

A demo is still a while off so we have nothing else to offer other than a TRPG.

[ImmunityBow]

Why don't we move the idea down to Contributor level? It's not top secret anymore since TX knows, and it might be useful to get those opinions (I do think people might complain if we made this big a decision off of 6 people's opinions.)

[zeroality]

Yeah, good idea. So everyone, hopefully you at least skimmed through the thread and can comment on this.

[Reliability]

Okay.

My view on this is to do what will mean the least amount of work for our members. Either way, I'm assuming, there will be a TRPG somewhere. If it will be more work to have it on OI, than move it here. If it would be a hassle to move it and run it here, than we should continue on OI.
I don't know the logistics that it will take to set things up on either site, but I would just point out that any time spent on the TRPG is not being spent on game development which, as TX mentioned, is kind of the main point of Topaz. The less time and effort we can take setting this up and running it, the better.

[neon.Barnacle]

Iirc, last time we had a TRPG it failed because of lack of activity, and this was on the Pokerealm boards, which was way more active than Topaz is now. Sure, we may gain a spurt of increased activity from curious TRPG enthusiasts, but in the long run I don't think it would really amount to anything significant. Also, as TX said, it's a distraction from working on the actual game. Sorry, but I can't say I support this idea, Zero.

[zeroality]

Actually when it was on the PR boards directly, it flourished. Both times when it was moved to its own forum, it died.

And honestly, what development is it going to detract from? There's barely any posts these days. All anybody wants to work on is shinies. I don't see any significant work being done on anything else, it's all a little here and there. The ones doing that kind of work will not likely be the ones working on the TRPG anyway. I plan on filling up the rpg mod positions with fellows such as ----- and perhaps ------.

[ImmunityBow]

Note that if I can finally get into contact with Badara (I've sent a PM) then move animations might be the next big thing, and it's not too difficult for anyone to make these if my concerns are addressed.

[BladeVap]

I support. I've been wanting to do this for quite a while on OI, so this would help satisfy me.

[zeroality]

For: 3 (reli, pikang, zero)
Against: 2 (neon, ib)

Just so I can push Reliability over the fence that he's leaning on, it would be virtually no hassle to start it here since there hasn't been much done on the OI end - which means we'd have to do pretty much the same amount of work either way. I will be handling the harder parts, such as the forum organization/structure and the necessary rpg mod tools such as rpg calculators. I will also be setting up nifty forms that integrate directly with vBulletin (not exactly something you can do on zetaboards) for RPG applications and such, which will make registering a snap. They won't even have to type out a post!

There'll be more stuff implemented to make the RPG very accessible - I was even thinking as far as making an unique skin customized specifically for it.

Once we get this together, I'll get with the most experienced members and discuss the best way to create the necessary threads - and we won't have to do it all at once since everybody will be starting anew so we won't have to create areas so far ahead so quickly.

[STT]

I'm all for this. Even though I never actually go on OI, I'm really into Text RPGs, especially Pokeyking's Delta Force series.

[SilentSentinel]

One concern that I still have is that if we do in fact have the resources to run such an ambitious project. As neon said, the old one died on a far more active place than here. I suppose that one advantage we have is that we are not just starting from nothing, but that we have some members who can advertise right off the bat, but turqoise was like that when they moved to vbullletin, annd they have still not recovered.

[zeroality]

Turquoise didn't have the technical resources that I can provide for this.

The old RPG died because it was moved to its own forum (twice)!

[neon.Barnacle]

Based on my experiences with TRPG, here's what I predict is going to happen:

Topaz TRPG garners interest for a while - a week, a month, half a year if we're lucky - and then interest will wane and activity will drop to a standstill. This will happen because the Topaz TRPG is a separate entity from OI, and since I assume the majority of people who wants to play our TRPG will come from that site... well, I personally would find it more hassling to manage two separate profiles than a single collective one. I imagine people with the same thoughts as me would just stick with OI and not bother with Topaz, limiting our member count. Without a healthy number of people to play our TRPG, it'll quickly bite the dust.

I suggest you make a poll on OI and see how many people are willing to participate, or go around advertising the TRPG on popular sites (which you really should be doing with the actual Topaz project...). Or else, find a way to connect OI and TTRPG profiles, but if we do this, why even take Topaz out of OI in the first place?

[OddCrow]

I am favorable to the idea of a TRPG, however, I do see neon's point about the decline in activity after a certain point. The best way to counter this might be to offer some sort of unique experience. Perhaps a team system where you can travel with a friend/friends...I know for me at least, a big drawback to any TRPG I've ever tried to be active in has come from the fact that it is a very lonely adventure. But, of course, I know very little about how TRPGs actually function. The one thing I do know, is that people like to feel special, so perhaps we could offer custom trainer sprites to people who get far enough.
/ramble
/hopethiswasevenmoderatleyusefultoyouguys

edited out stuff that would detract from the discussion of the topic, that stuff should be posted elsewhere but good find

[neon.Barnacle]

Of course you're welcome to try, Zero. I'm simply expressing my pessimism of the success of this TRPG. There are few negative effects in starting it, and even if it fails nothing would be lost except for wasted time and effort. If you're willing to take that bet then all I can say is good luck. Who knows, perhaps my skepticism would be proven unfounded.

[ImmunityBow]

OI being too slow is almost entirely my fault. I'm the one who should be doing all the region posts and such but it's never been a super high priority compared to some other things.

[SilentSentinel]

Well that would certainly be one benefit of having it here. It would likely be a much higher priority if it was right here and you werent alone in working on it.

[SilentSentinel]

Needs more discussion/approval/disapproval.

[zeroality]

It does indeed. If there isn't any then perhaps we should take it to the member level.

[ImmunityBow]

I wouldn't mind that. It does seem that a lot of our active member base is less based in contributors than it once was.

[zeroality]

I suggest you make a poll on OI and see how many people are willing to participate, or go around advertising the TRPG on popular sites (which you really should be doing with the actual Topaz project...). Or else, find a way to connect OI and TTRPG profiles, but if we do this, why even take Topaz out of OI in the first place?
As IB said, the progress on OI has been slow and I think it'd be better to just move it here. There is no need to poll them, our members will decide. I don't think OI wants to do any intra-RPG stuff, so profiles aren't an issue here.

[NyteFyre]

i'd be happy to help in any way i can! i've had a little experience with moderating, and would really like to see this happen! Besides, i didn't really like all the changes that would have to be made to make it work on OI, so i like this idea a lot better!

Also, for the coding the calc, couldn't Badara help in that area, and others?

[Cyndadile]

I belive I would be better equipped to respond to this poll if someone where to briefly explain what, exactly, a tRPG is. I have heard of them but never actually understood the concept.

[STT]

A tRPG is a Text-based web role playing game, often set in a specific time-period or location, where users of a website sign up to participate as characters. Either way, my vote is yes.

[NyteFyre]

you basically type out what you do. In reference to our TRPG, you create a character, and go thru C/K like you would in the game, only thing are not near as constrained, like you can elaborate your posts, you aren't limited to 4 moves, but the calculations, and encounter rates, and catch, and such are the same as in the game. It's basically like playing thru the game like they do in the animated series

[SilentSentinel]

I think NyteFyre summed it up pretty well there. You can really get into your character and devlop them as much or as little as you want, and you can huild stronger relationships with your pokemon team than just having them fight. It moves a lot more slowly than an actual electronic game, but in my mind that makes it more satisfying when you work hard to get a strong team.

[Quinn]

I have never actually played one before, so I dont know...

[Mediocrity_Incarnate]

Contributors know my reasons but ill say em again. We can get more people to come here. We can make it thway we want to if we do it here.

[NyteFyre]

I looked back over the earlier posts that i missed while reading what's been said so far, and noticed something about teams. I like the idea, but maybe it should be a consensual thing, like you can form a team if you like, with someone(s) at say the first town, and have separate threads for each member per route/town, maybe have like a team name, and use that in the thread title so you know who's on who's team, but make all important things, like side missions, events, etc in one person's thread. like if you all have a battle in say route 25, just an example, not referring to the real route 25, and after each person is done with their battle, they can all decide to do the side mission for a reward together in one person's thread, or even make a separate thread for the mini event...idk if that could work, just throwing out an idea...

[zeroality]

have separate threads for each member per route/town, maybe have like a team name, and use that in the thread title so you know who's on who's team
I can add prefixes for threads to signify which team the player is in, it will show up in front of the thread title as text wrapped in [], so like [Team Rocket]. I can also add profile fields to show RPG information in forum profiles and maybe a small part in their post info, under Location or something.

Cyndadile, do you understand it now? Just checked the results and it's closer than I thought. I expected a landslide one way or the other and was giving it 50-50 to go either way.

Hopefully we can get more votes in.

[NyteFyre]

Just checked the results and it's closer than I thought. I expected a landslide one way or the other and was giving it 50-50 to go either way.

what are you talking about, Zero? it's 7-3 right now...

[zeroality]

That's hardly a landslide but it still could be.

[Trainer X]

Just to clarify something that's been brought up here (IB already posted my opinion, I think), the Topaz Text RPG was barely alive when PokeRealm went down. For two months or so before it went down, Wanderer Shawn and I were almost the only ones updating, with other mods chipping in now and again. I think that there may have been moderator applications before the forum went down, but the mods from the new batch weren't really providing much of a boost.

But yeah, IB basically summed up my thoughts. Personally, I feel that a Text RPG would very much distract from the main focus of this board – to make the Topaz game. If you recall, before PokeRealm went down, Topaz was one of the most inactive forums on the board. Additionally, as an RPG moderator, I always felt as though the TRPG was sort of a separate community. The members of the TRPG, for the large part, didn't have much interaction with the regular members, and the RPG always seemed to get the shaft when it came to adding new features and whatnot.

And finally, one of our big things with OI is 'you're playing this thing here, and there's nowhere else that anybody can play the same thing'. Including Caldera/Kirant when there's already a Topaz RPG is sort of like us including some of those Fakemon that every single TRPG on the web uses. I don't mean it as an insult to you guys or anything; if you want to put your RPG on OI, we'll be glad to have you. But if you want it here, then it'll have to be only here.

I don't really come here all that often, so perhaps my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt. But yeah. That's my two cents. Make of it what you will.

[zeroality]

Late PokeRealm, which is where I believe you moderated at, was definitely not the place to run a TRPG. Most of the trolls ran off the decent users. It was so widespread that I couldn't really do anything about it other than banning half the active memberbase. The first time was really successful though and didn't start to decline until it was moved to its own board.

[Cyndadile]

This sounds like something interesting... I'd like to give it a try, especially if it will increase activity.

[ImmunityBow]

So, in sum, I gather:

PROS:
- we don't need to compromise to host it
- hopefully it provides us with new members
- it keeps people coming back to the site
- we stay a bit more independent
- we somewhat "test" how things can be in the game on the TRPG
- the "product" is closer to "home", meaning that there's more motivation for it to finish, less tape to go through when changing stuff etc.

CONS:
- it's a distraction for several active members from the actual game
- new members for the TRPG may not translate into people who help work on the game, resulting in a shift of focus
- it may end up a large waste of time, which is somewhat important considering that we want Topaz out as soon as possible
- keeping it active could drain a lot of energy and morale if it has trouble taking off
- we lose possible members that would have been advertised from OI
- possible enmity from OI

[zeroality]

I think I already covered a couple of those but let's go...

CONS:
- I concede on this but I'm hoping the impact will be minimal. If rp is needed later for heavy writing tasks then MI can take over for him. How's that?
- True, they 'may not' but I don't think the chances are as dismal as you think.
- If that happens then you can say I told you so.
- I'd like to address this here, once and for all. A TRPG is only as successful as what you put into it. If you are putting minimal effort then the chances of it taking off are slim. But if everybody is working hard in keeping it going then takes a little time to go around and advertise a bit (sigs in other forums, posting in relevant threads, etc) then the chances of being successful are better.
- See below.
- I hope that won't happen but if it does, it won't be our fault.

[zeroality]

I guess that's all the votes this is going to get. I spoke to Quinn and he voted no because he didn't understand what it was. After I talked to him on PM and explained what it was, he changed his mind and said he would probably play. So that leaves this at a convincing 11-3, which is enough for me.

We will start on this ASAP and will announce when it's ready to open. Thanks for the input and votes.

[ImmunityBow]

Yes, the decision is clear.