RPG in ConceptArt forums!!

[Cold]

Hi peeps.

Before I Start explaining what I had in mind, I was wondering if anyone were familiar with the term RPG in forums? For those who aren’t, it’s basically where you write about your character that you invented in beforehand (Looks, History, Special Abilities, Flaws, etc). You then interact, with other writer’s characters, pulling them through endless stories or have them fight against each other. Ether way, you cannot write about the other character or the conclusion he endures after an incident. For a quick example, you may write about your characters actions in the story, lets say he swings a mighty blow to Jeffrey’s left kidney; the writer of Jeffery has now the chance to react upon it accordingly (within reason (also meaning realistically)).

Now what I had in mind is to do exactly that, but we as artists will draw instead of writing. It’s the same schematics, and the end results should present a form of comic story drawn by 2-4 artists, pending on how many character’s are getting involved in a quest, venturing to the heart of (quick think of a stupid name) “Darth Drag-mar’s Hole”.

Anyway, I would really appreciate any feedback and crazy wild ideas that you super creative skilled peeps have to enhance the scheme. Personally I think rules are important, they help to give everyone equal chances, without leaving someone over or underpowered.

My aim is too make one’s drawing skill second rank. The display quality isn’t as important as displaying what goes on in the story. How good can you capture someone’s fantasy? I think this involves everyone; everyone has a good ability to tell a story through images then actually focusing on a random image alone. I write in RPG forums, and when I do write I can see exactly the scenario that I’m describing, and brown squared framed images fall out of my head into my hands (see you did it then) for me to draw.

Again, any suggestions or thoughts, any at all, just post them here or PM me.

Thanks a Punch

[kovah]

I enjoy doing RPG and am involved in several at the moment. I do enjoy visualizing my story but often lack the skill to draw it for one reason or another.
I think it would be difficult to draw the WHOLE thing and produce a conclusive story at the same time without it lasting for months on end. However drawing particularly interesting/important scenes within it and thus effectively getting a partly illustrated story would be good.

However it might be interesting to get an RP going and illustrate some scenes perhaps everyone has a go at drawing the characters after reading a written description of them, drawing the land in which it is set etc. and everyone votes for their favorite incarnation of each which and we end up with a set of pictures to go with this RP.

[Keng]

I really like this idea. I RP a lot myself and I always get a ton of ideas for things to draw. I've usually started drawing my character out before it's over. I'm not sure if I'd have the disipline for what you're suggesting though. I have done illustratred RPs before in which the written description of whats occuring aswell as a few thumbnails on the side. Just keep in mind a lot of RPs are short lived and intrest is lost before the conclusion can be reached.

[paac]

Very interesting. I think it should be fun. I'm quite busy right now though.. But that doesn't matter! I saw a similar thing on this one guy's website, but it wasn't an RPG thing, it was like, he and his friends took turns in drawing a page (5-6 frames) in a comic. So they both "owned" the characters and would do whatever they wanted with it. Each page would introduce a new twist in the plot and the other would then continue with it. It would be like... an improv comic. I don't know if that's what you had in mind, but it's one option, then you won't be as restricted... Just a thought...

[Ben_Olson]

Thanks for the heads-up but I'm kinda busy these days. I definately want to see what the results come out like if you get it going. Good luck!

[Cold]

Seems like the idea is intriguing enough, just the technicalities are putting people off. Though, I know it is a lot of fun for people to create their fantasy characters, so why not push it one step further and bring him to live!

I’m now thinking of the idea, bringing writing and drawn scenes together. If a person doesn’t feel like he’s able to draw a certain part of the scene he wishes to describe, he may simply write it, and I think this should be applied vice versa. This might form a written story with a lot of illustrations or reverse.

To be exact, it doesn’t really matter whether the invented character is mainly written or drawn, as long as the story or fighting is easy to follow and makes a lot of sense.

Another example I had in mind:

Person 1: The only thing he decides to draw, is a picture of his character (a knight) emerging out of some cave into the sunlight. Then starts to write the rest. Maybe, how his character notices a strange figure in the distance and decides to let him (if the character is made to be curious and fearless by nature) walk up to it to get a better look.

Person 2: He decides to draw everything, frame by frame. First frame, how his character (an evil-vengeful hunter) sees the knight approaching. Second frame is drawn of his face, how he recognizes the knight’s emblem. Third frame again but his face turns into disgust. Fourth frame how he pulls his sabre and launches an attack at the knight. Fifth frame is pretty much a decoration shot, with the hunter beaming down at the knight (taking note that he not drew the impact or the result of his attack).

Person 1: He still prefers to write about the narrow escape of the hunter's attack by using his character's mighty shield as a deflection. He then decides to draw a full glorified pose of his knight, being all well and good, then continues to write about how he questions the evil hunter's attack and tells him that he is under his league if the fight were to continue.

And so on…

I hope you get the idea of that bad placed scenario of mine, but I would imagine writing and drawing with other minds-at-work would be more satisfying. It really doesn’t matter what method one uses to bring the their part across, as long as it is exciting and fun.

[look]

That sounds really interesting. I think it would be easier to combine the art with writing, so we can either just paint one scene, or make a comic-like illustration, and combine that with word descriptions.
I'd love to participate if you get this started, sounds like lot of fun and a good practice.
Maybe have someone kill off others character if the artist stopped participating for a round or so, or limit a thread count for each round?

[Keng]

Maybe have someone kill off others character if the artist stopped participating for a round or so, or limit a thread count for each round?

Ahh, that's always a problem in RPs, what to do about characters who suddenly disapeer? Most RPs I've been in just continue on as if the character had never existed, which I don't like. I sometimes just say "and then character x suddenly realised that she/he had to do activity y and said goodbye and left.", It will be situational. I think something like If you have not posted in x weeks your character is passed on to the other players to do with as they will, be that kill your character or or send it off.

As for battles, which I'm pretty sure an RP here will include, there is always the issue of the invincible characters and stalemate battles. There needs to be a limit to how long you can dodge the bullet, though I hope everyone here will be mature enough not to inexplicably avoid all damadge for no good reason. My solution to this is usually to create disposable punching bag characters, who are created and put in for the purpose of dieing in the end and possibly also providing some interesting opposition for the the other characters. My record for most characters controlled at once was... well, way to many. It was a LOTR RP, I had two orc main characters, a hyena pet, two or three wolf rider side characters, about half a dozen orcs from a patrol, one human character and his company of about a score. In the end most of the humans died along with two wolf riders, and one wolf.

Characters like these are important in storylines, especially when it's an RP and people get so stuck with just trying to interact among 4 characters, and nothing exciting happens.

[look]

Since I never RP in forum before, I thought it'd be more of a story going thing than stats. Feel free to fill me in though. Like do the characters level up and gain new abilities after complete a quest?

[Matsign]

I've been involved with a forum rpg for a few years, admin'd if for most that time. This rpg evolved out of a fan club group from deviantart.com. The great thing about it was that it was very art-driven, and most users would post drawings out of their favorite scenes that had happened. I like the idea you have here and it sounds similar to what I've done.

I'd love to help. I think it should be story driven, Look. And, this being a concept art forum, should focus strongly on improving skills. Starting off with visual 'character sheets' should begin the process. Once we have players we can start with a basic scenario/mission. It can focus on developing character design, leaving things like landscape as a minor focus. When character design is established we can move on to a castle for example. The focus there would be to really bring the castle to life and work on perspective and creative architecture.

[Hookswords]

Sounds interesting. I'd be up for giving it a whirl.

[Keng]

Yea, it should deffinately be story driven. The whole level up thing makes things more complicated than necessary. When you come across super powerful ennemy #1, it's either they're better than you and kick your ass, or you get lucky. Or it could be average and a stalemate battle. Or you kick the ennemy's ass. None of this, if you're level 7, and your ennemy is level 16, but your in a group of 5 similarily levled characters and managed to beat it then you get such and such number of experience points and after you've gotten some such and such number of experience points then you level up. No, because then improving your character's skill becomes about finding as many monsters to beat up as possible, and it's just to much to be thinking about when the purpose of this is to be drawing.

[Matsign]

Should a grouped be formed to start collecting characters?

[look]

Should a grouped be formed to start collecting characters?

You can start that.
Any queteria for the character art? (background required? full body? etc)

[Hookswords]

How do we decide genre and all that fine detail stuff?

[Matsign]

How do we decide genre and all that fine detail stuff?

It should be decided by the initial character designs. I wish we could get some real pro insight on this but don't worry so much about what it'll be in the end. Put down whatever you have in mind. Personally, I'm going medieval, almost historical. If someone comes in and posts a futuristic elf, I'm sure we can compromise. Genre will be tba Maybe we can vote on what kind of 'style' or time period we like best from what we have posted. It can be a little competitive.

As for the art, lets say full body without background. This can be a sketch, digital, traditional, whatever, as look as has some sense of character. Fill in the regular info like race and class through your character design.

EDIT:

The CARPGCP

http://community.conceptart.org/groups/?id=114

[kovah]

Could be a multi-realm type thing. Where characters from all different worlds/times etc get thrown together randomly. Thereby we aren't puttingany restrictions on creativity

[look]

Multi-realm sounds fun.
Where and when do we post the character design?

[Matsign]

Post them in the group if you can.

[MurderClaus]

This sounds like an exciting idea. I hope this takes off as I think CA is the ideal forum to create an original and interesting rp which I see few of in proportion to the thousands of uninspired fanfic or WoD ones. Id like to see where this goes and am joining the group. Best wishes.

Jason

[Cold]

Excellent feedback from everyone and I like to say a few words before heading into some detail. This idea should have the least rules any RP-in-forums ever had. Giving it the power to democracy (to us basically). We are the judges through showing interest and giving feedback. Anyone who does design a character or/and an environment can do so freely, but may have to convince the mainstream (us). Everyone who cares can contribute their thoughts on someone else’s design, whether he is in agreement or not. So quirky and different is good, and something that isn’t entirely one suited, so please invent as far beyond as you want.

I agree with all the comments made, especially Keng and Matsign’s, I think it should be entirely story based. The character will only come to alive through the skill of the teller and majority will automatically be interested in a good story, regardless of a lame character or not. It’s down to telling something through either writing or drawing. Anything absurd can be made believable as long as it’s told well, so keep that in mind.

To picture a story based RG, I see… 3 RG’ers and their characters write and draw a beautiful piece together how they enter a mystical ruin and slay a NPC Daemon (some character who is meant to die), controlled by a volunteer. Now they all get a beautiful treasure that the volunteer gets to design in beforehand or secretive until his character’s death. And the victory over the daemon gives the 3 RG’ers something for the next story or adventure that they can show off.

For example: A white shadow blade has been dropped by the daemon and it’s light-blue illuminating flames that gloat from the black golden handle to the end of the blade had it’s present well made in the dark hole they were in. The warrior’s eyes fell upon it; almost too magnetic, he approached it slowly to make it his own.

He now has a mighty-fine weapon for the next adventure. Love it.

Anyway, personally I think the simpler a character design is, the better you can evolve him through endless adventure. As for, when you design a fully-fledged hero, people start to wonder about his past. How did get all his gear/power?And the character's designer ends up explaining a lot of history, which can become stale, indirect and less exciting, if he had a character who would mold into a hero with the reader/view as the story prolongs.

That’s only my view.

And if anyone wants to start with anything, please just post it here. We will go by the first examples made and work from that, together.

Don’t be shy

[Keng]

Hmmm... the more I look at this, the more I want to join, though I'm still worried about my own commitment. The idea of pulling out an old satyrr character to mold afresh through an illustrated RP is tempting... or maybe that common guard character... hmmm..

And among all this action, we can't forget about simple character interaction. What would nearly all those movies we've seen, or books we've read, be if the characters never developed any realtionship to eachother? These simple scene could very well be no less challenging in many ways than some action scenes could be. There'd be a lot more concentration on facial expressions, subtle body gestures, etc. It's in these scenes that you get to know the characters more than anywhere else.

And in case no ones gathered this yet, normal typed RPs take near forever to get through, one with drawings could, and probably, will easily be a project that will stretch on for many months.

Regarding what Cold said about character development, I agree with him. When someone comes in wearing full mithril and dragonscale armour, it takes some time to get some back story going for him/her, and in my opinion, it's harder to develop their personality.

Well, I guess that's what intro posts are for. Try not to make them to long

And uhh.. I feel like I'm getting maybe just a little to hung up on the medieval/fantasy thing.

[look]

I think it'd be a better idea for us to set a time limit. Say each round go for a month or two. And we choose a winner from each round, and they will be able to pick the start setting for the next round's theme, or maybe allowed to design the NPC for next round. Basically, some kind of special previledge/reward for the one who works the hardest on bringing the character and story to live with their image.

edit: since it takes each artist awhile to paint a finished piece, maybe we can have the participants post the story first, so the others can follow the story without having to wait a week on the image. And of course those who post a story have to put in the illustrator before deadline.

[MurderClaus]

Im liking everything i hear. I think this particular rp should be as freeform as possible and not just because i think they all should. There shouldnt be too much distracting us from producing good work as a result of this. I also like the idea of posting story content before images. The medieval fantasy setting gets old for me and i like the idea of combining genres. If more people become interested maybe multiple storylines can be made in different genres. No matter what, though, it sounds like this little project is in good hands.

[Cold]

Right then. I'll design my character tonight and post it here. If i have time I will sketch up an optional adventure in a optional realm.

Laters.

[Cold]

Set in the medieval times, where the world of Magic and Might has been turned into utter chaos, and this isn't to be thanked by the evil Lord of Destruction. No. It's beyond good or evil. It's an alien race from a different spectrum, which have invaded the planet for its resources. War between good and evil seemed insignificant now, as they both struggled to maintain their place of birth against the alien creatures and their technology.

This is the beginning of wars not only fought by the wise or the demented for a bit of land and power, it’s fought by everyone who wants to live! This is the era of real chaos for everything and everyone...

Anyway, that's a drifty vision, not final. This idea should give some freedom designing adventures between light sabres, magic, daemons and other attributes one finds interesting. To be honest I don't like it that much.
Please do add your thoughts.

AN EXAMPLE:

Name:
Elis Alexia

Age:
21

Occupation:
War Merchant

Hobby:
Scouting the aftermath of a battlefield for useful scraps

Special abilities:
None

Flaws:
Sensitive Eyes

History:
Born in an underground city named XXXX, there it was where Elis grew up with her parents, who taught her the profitable way to trade goods. Later on, when her parents died in the on going onslaught that the wars brought with them, she shifted her line of trade from "house-hold essentials" to "war-equipment". Today, at the age of 21, she runs a buisness single-handed, merchandising all sorts of weapons, starting from a simple "relic of agility" or "sword'n'shield" to a converted alien weapon.

Elis' aim:
She wants to contribute as much as possible for the people in the on going wars against the alien creatures.

Looks:

[MurderClaus]

If youre not crazy about the setting i wouldnt want to commit to it. If its not done to everyones liking best to just forget the whole cross-genre thing. I wouldnt force it.

[Cold]

That's fine MurderClaus. Since you mentioned you see the whole medieval era as over used and old, I am quite excited what you might come up with. For me medieval is too overpowering in my brain, it's what I am use to for so long, but I really don't mind seeing the fantasy world from a different angle for once.

Also, looking back with open eyes, I can see how important a World is, to be able to design a decent fitting character in it, so I might redo Elis anyway

And, if come to an agreement over the settings in which we hold our adventures, should we open a new thread for the final product, as sticky maybe? For the finalized character designs, should there be a new thread as well?

Wow, in fact, what I think we should all do, whoever is interested (this addresses everyone), should just throw some random settings across this thread, until we have plenty. Then we open a new thread posting all our interesting ideas. Why? Because with an appropriate title and a clean link presented on all participants’ signature, should attract many people, making it a sort of vote. Hopefully, this way you should have the most popular fantasy world chosen by the mainstream, making it attractive for many artists, and many is good… no one likes empty forums.

Would be cool if everyone who had an idea, would throw in a description of the world he is designing, not just the “one or two word” ideas, thoroughness will win people. The “one or two word” ideas could be used as a title at least or in the voting poll, if it is doable.

[kovah]

My idea for the world:

The cities, vast matropolis's full of blooming technology, sky scrapers line the roads reaching into the heavens, piercing the clouds as the song of monks and nuns rings though the air. They prey to a god to clense the souls of the worthy as robots watch, waiting for the song to end so they may use the same space to worship their own God. The people of the city, go about their daily lives, partly fearing what is on the other side of the wall that marks the perimieter of their great city home. For they do not understand the ways of the people that live in the wilderness, for there is a place of magic, where small communities live in harmony with nature and adept in the casting of spells.

Neither community can win the power struggle, for when a new technology gives the cities an upper hand, nature seems to deal the wilderness with magic to couteract it.

The end

Its sort of abit of everything, hopefully managing to being a sci-fi Rp to mix with a fantasy Rp without going so much into either genre that it puts people off. If people dont want to be all medevil they dont have too. But if thats what you want to do then you place your character from a community so far from a city that it has no notion of technology or visa versa. Hopefully it can also incorporate the maximum amount of character species. everything from talking animals (either cursed people ot cursed animals) too robots.

[look]

kovah: I like that setting. Sounds really interesting!