Hey there.  I'm interested in playing a well-crafted team survival game.  I can think of a number of settings, so here are a few examples:

  Fantasy: A shipwreck leaves a small group to fend for themselves, united only by a common drive to survive.  In-group politics and backstabbing could prove their undoing, but perhaps some characters have reason to see the others dead?
  This idea could easily be adopted for a sci-fi crash landing on a hostile planet.

  Modern-ish: The end has come.  No one knows if it was a bioweapon, aliens, or some supernatural curse, and it really doesn't matter.  The dead walk among what few living are left.  Society has largely collapsed, and with it the social contract.  Mercy is a liability in a world full of the desparate, but some characters cling to their morals.  Will it tear the group apart?

  Really, the specifics are malleable.  Below are what I see as crucial to a fun survival game that can endure.

  1.  Goals.  Specifically, multi-step goals that encourage players to take action.  Perhaps we need to salvage the components for a communications device, then find out how to put it together, then we can broadcast or receive communications.  But there should always be something tangible for the players to pursue other than just surviving.

  2.  Growth.  So we start off with the shirts on our back, but what comes after?  I think a key to enjoying survival is the idea that you're moving forward.  So perhaps we start with a small building that we can start to fortify, and build up stocks of food and water, and maybe eventually scout better locations as we become more able to defend them.  We're gonna be in this situation for a while, we may as well make it enjoyable as possible.

  3.  Isolation.  This is really the biggest problem from a fantasy (and particularly D&D) perspective.  If our caster can eventually just teleport us out of there, what's the problem?  Our situation should be dire enough and restrictive enough that there's no easy way out.

  4.  Limelight.  Despite the fact that every game like this has players who want to apply as ex-Marines or park rangers, there should be room for everyone to shine.  Maybe the criminal types are much more capable of sneaking or hotwiring a vehicle.  Perhaps the housewife is better able to raise morale through a better quality of food and shelter.  There should be room for all chars to excel, and not just the Mary Sues.

  The last bit isn't necessarily what makes a survival game endure, but I really don't like free-form games.  GURPS is ideal, but just about any system that fitting the isolation requirements will do.

  Anyway, thanks for reading this super long request.  If this sounds like the sort of game you want to run (or play!) lemme know.

In reply to Jarilye (msg # 1):

Hugely, hugely, HUGELY interested in playing in a game like this in the Modern-ish/post-apoc aspect. Not really so much for the fantasy, though sci-fi could also work.

This sounds really interesting to me as well, in pretty much any setting.

If you are still interested, give me an rMail shout-out.  I have notes for a game that falls into this genre.

  Hey, I'm back in the running looking for a game like this.  It seems like there's a fair bit of interest (and I have a friend on rpol who would probably be interested), so just rMail me if you have any questions.

  Potential players: feel free to post here so GMs can adequately gauge interest.

I might be interested in playing. I have a game idea almost ready to run, but it is more fantasy then you are asking for it seems. Plus I still have not sat down and chose a rule system for it.

This looks like it could be a lot of fun. I cut my teeth on Deadlands: Hell on Earth, so I've always had a soft spot for post apocalypse settings. But I've been wanting something with more of the survival angle.

While modern survival is such a relatable staple, I'm a little interested in what a fantasy survivalist game might look like. I do agree that high magic could be a concern, but it's simply a matter of not going there.

Many years ago, a friend of mine ran a D20 Modern Survival game.  It was a Romero-zombie game and focused on a small group trying to survive.

It was fun, but he was pretty brutal with the rules and character death was fairly common.  I got to try some builds out, but never really stuck with 1 character for too long.

I would be interested in playing and possibly running a game like that.  I have never really run a game on here, though, so I will probably not be that good.

I'm always interested in some post-apoc, if it's done well and doesn't turn into Left 4 Dead.

Adding fantasy to the mix leaves me scratching my head. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I just draw a creative blank with it. What would you do besides flee to the castle and hope it goes away before you starve to death?

If you are going to run something modern, give some thought to originality. Maybe a shot to the head doesn't kill the shambler. Maybe it's not zombies at all. I would like to see a GM open it up to discussion before starting the game.

In reply to lordblackk (msg # 8):

  I appreciate the offer, but I'll probably keep this request open.  Rpol games have a very high mortality rate, and part of it is knowing how to adjust to the medium.  I'd prefer to wait for someone who has a bit more experience with this setup.  But thanks.  :D

  @Wiggle: I can easily see fantasy settings using survival horror.  Survival horror is not necessarily zombies; the threat to the players can be just about anything, and fantasy/sci-fi opens up new doors for how that threat can interact with characters, as well as how characters can fight back.

  In reality, the mechanics behind running a low fantasy-based game would be very comparable to other genres.  I can see plenty of neat low-tech fantasy settings with even cooler cost/benefit mechanics.  For instance, the threat may be limited to its normal senses when trying to destroy the characters, but can sense the location of magic use within x number of miles.  Perhaps it even feeds on magic, so that when you use magic, you temporarily strengthen it somehow.  So if you're going to use a supernatural ability, you need to do so and then book it immediately.  Alternatively, perhaps the characters aren't accustomed to using magic, so even though it can have powerful effects, it leaves the caster debilitated for a certain period of time.

  This may sound somewhat nebulous in terms of execution, but if anyone has questions about it, I'd be happy to discuss in rMail.  I have ideas from games that I've run before that might help you get a new outlook on how it can be maintained.
This message was last edited by the user at 16:23, Sat 26 July 2014.

I have a couple ideas for games I've been thinking about running that might fit what you're looking for.

Fantasy
Characters are prisoners of the great crusade; a cleansing of the followers of the so-called false gods, sinners, and corruption that plagued the world.  They were given a choice in their manner of repentance; by the blade, by a life of servitude of hard labor, or by taking up arms against the evils of the world.  These evils remain only in the bowels of underworld.  Seeking hope, no matter how small, the characters are lowered into the underdark, seeking a new chance at life.

Post Apocalypse
I have many ideas that fall into this category.  Most involve characters emerging from an ark or vault and finding the world drastically changed by the catastrophe (similar to Fallout or Rage video games).  Another, more modern, is surviving an alien invasion that has turned everyday people into survivalists (a sci-fi twist on the zombie apocalypse).

Zombie Apocalypse
Rather than do the standard run of the mill zombies, it would involve various types of zombie creaturs (like Resident Evil).  Again, characters would be everyday heroes looking to survive in a world gone mad.

I can expand on a particular idea if any interest folks.
D