Hello one and all!
I request the attention, input, and advice of my many fellow RPoL comrades!
I had a thought of running a game. So, give me your thoughts, good or ill. ^_^
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Title: "Rulers Rise"
System: Window 2nd ed
Genre: Sci-Fi, Apocalyptic, & Drama
Concept: "A world consumed in chaos craves rulership. Will you rule or be ruled?"
Rating: Mature
Description
In a future and world beyond our reckoning, our world has changed in massive ways. The nations we know have long been lost; each divided into numerous city-states. Many technologies we have yet to discover, have arisen; while some we've taken for granted, have been lost. Indeed, it is a future chaotic, disjointed, and unenlightened by their past. It is a future gripped by seeming eternal war and conflict.
Know you are one whom could raise a unifying banner. A banner that unites every people and every nation to promise one thing, a future of peace.
Each player begins in their own city-state. Starting as just one of its citizens, you will alone be faced with the challenge of taking control of your city. This first stage of a player character's story will, in essence, be a solo story with the Player and the Storyteller. Crafting the Player's Ruler's rise to power of their city. Depending on the choices made in the first stage: the Player will be granted a "city character" as well as a "ruler character". Where a ruler would have "Strength, Agility, Health, Knowledge, Perception." the city will have "Military, Commerce, Morale, Fortune, Intelligence." To clarify further, the player will create their ruler, the player and storyteller will craft the player's city. That done, the player ascends to stage two.
In stage two, the player's ruler and city will interact with other players' rulers and cities. Where, in stage one, the rulers faced the challenge of seizing control of their cities; stage two, the rulers are faced with two challenges. One: the challenge to unify the city-states in peace. Second: the challenge to satisfy or pacify the will of the people.
The first challenge may be determined between players in many means; by conquest, diplomacy, or intrigue; by ways on a persona or even a city level. This first challenge is one presented by players who began from the start or future players to come. By conflict or agreement, rulers will decide what cities will unite together and which will be destroyed. In the midst of those conflicts and agreements, rulers may instead become ruled; or, perhaps, they will share rulership with other rulers in conclave.
The second challenge arises from the Storyteller's observance of the weakest city aspects. If their is a global low in military: bandits and rebellious forces will rise up. Low commerce, thievery and corruption will rise. Rulers will have to either work together to solve these crises or cleverly use other aspects of their cities to solve their problems.
The third and final stage arises when most (at least 2/3) city-states have united, by conflict or agreement; when any lingering crises have been quashed or any chance of a crisis has been eliminated. (That is to say, if the lowest city trait is above average or higher.) The third stage will be thus: who will be the ruler(s) of the global empire and what form will it have taken? If an agreement is made, then the story shall end with the reigning stabilized empire. However, it is at this stage that certain rulers or former rulers may try to shatter the new empire into the chaos of war once more. If it takes too long to find an agreement, new crises or indeed new players will form cities to revert the story into the second stage once again.
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In the end, through the above, I invite you all to weave a tale of cities turn empire and the challenges an empire faces when newly born. The stages above merely give a structure to build our story upon. In true Window fashion, the ultimate goal is to tell a good story.
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Notes on Posting Frequency: If you post, you act; if you don't post, you don't act.
In the first stage, this is fairly harmless. Posting frequently leads to becoming a ruler of a city state sooner. Posting infrequently, the rise just takes a little longer; if the city-state has no ruler, it has yet to become a factor in stage two.
In the second stage, posting frequency becomes more important, but not critical. Your city acts when you say it acts. Rulers speak to other rulers if you say they do. Take too long to respond to another player's actions, the storyteller may roll what makes the most sense on your behalf; too long to respond to a Ruler seeking to speak with your ruler, and the storyteller will simply inform the seeker that what they seek is not available or has been called away on vital business.
In the third stage, things are much the same as the second. Though too much infrequency from the Empire's Ruler(s) can result in the empire descending back into the second stage if no prior arrangements had been made. Though this may also be fuel for intrigue and personal conflicts. So high or low posting frequency can be good in this stage.
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If I have interest from at least three people, I will form the game and call for RTJs. Otherwise I am open to questions, comments, and concerns all.
