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An Archivist

An Archivist

Posts: 17 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Hey everyone, I wanted to see if we could put forward some suggestions to how we do roleplay in our community to make it more enjoyable or a more dynamic experience with the aim of growing the community inactive players. I think it is still possible to revive freelance Roleplay on a small to medium basis if we could make an effort to put it out there.


1. Advertise the community more


- Make reddit posts on r/2007scape or r/runescape of us roleplaying to spread awareness of the community to potential roleplayers.

- Make guides to roleplaying or add screenshot submissions to the community hubs on Steam. They get seen by players and if they're popular enough they get shown on the start screen.

- Ask random people on World 41, 342 and 42 if they're roleplayers - they may just be trying to find the roleplay and don't use the forums and invite them into friend and clan chats to plug them into the community.


2. Further, evolve mechanics in Roleplay


Okay, this may be the more radical of ideas if people haven't already tried it. But what if we do a tabletop-like stat system for people's characters. But instead of being randomized like in most tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons we instead give a point pool to invest in their character for more hard and soft skills. For example, a suave merchant with a knack for adventuring might want to put more of his points into social skills than his fighting abilities.


Using many dice roll systems on discord that some of the communities use we could simulate character actions successes. It may make things like producing roleplayed items more enjoyable and make fights more mechanically interesting - particularly Roleplayer vs roleplayer fights - it would add more chance between roleplayers of different skill levels. Archivist by training, Roleplayer by choice. I go by That Canada in RS3, this is how I roll in old school.

02-Mar-2021 03:05:39

An Archivist

An Archivist

Posts: 17 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
3. Support a freelance thread or two that do the following

- Provide freelance hubs (prominent bars often or market squares) and give updates on roleplaying happening there. For example screenshots of ongoing roleplay or flavour text. Perhaps even an occasional advertising space for an upcoming public quest.

- A Freelance rooster thread. You make 1 or 2 pages of reserves and have a post that gives a character template to fill out and use the reserve post to list characters and where they can be found in-game, what they do and other enticing details that will make characters want to freelance with them. The catch is - whoever moderates this thread has to let whoever applies onto the list regardless of their personal standards or what would be considered a good standard there isn't away to community approve every character and imposing one standard will likely cause drama and frustration.

- Have a weekly or monthly "lets all freelance" thread with a time, place and duration of a freelance roleplay. If more interest grows and new people come it can become more regular or even common and the hubs will establish themselves and we follow suggestion 3.

4. We push for a World 341.

I'm not too sure on this one as I don't know offhand how big the F2P is to the P2P community. If it's very small in comparison, it may not be worthwhile recruiting-wise or to justify Jagex invest in a server. But if the F2P community is big then it may be worthwhile for us to promote it as they will eventually transition into playing on 342.

I also think we should do this in a positive way through the proper channels in-game, forums, twitter, etc.

5. We push for some spotlight from Jagex.

Jagex I believe does give spotlights on different communities with either a shoutout to it or with focused updates. I think if we could get them do either of those things we'll see a larger number of roleplayers. Archivist by training, Roleplayer by choice. I go by That Canada in RS3, this is how I roll in old school.

02-Mar-2021 03:25:50

An Archivist

An Archivist

Posts: 17 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
I should also note that with the suggestion for a mechanic overhaul of Roleplay we could make it an optional thing for GMs to impose on their own with their own standards.

You could impose levelling to increase characters in their character progression and letting them increase their skill incrementally and slowly overtime or rapidly depending on the skill and context over time.

For example:
a slow increase in skill could correspond with a character regularly using their skills and growing over time. Faster skill progression could be shown by someone not having any skill in a craft to some skill in the craft after being taught by a mentor.

It doesn't need to be universal, it can be optional and slightly modifiable in stats or skills.

You could even make a public version available for freelancers to use but without levelling but instead, have a stat progression based on character age levels to invest points and you could make it part of the above-mentioned threads. Simply put the submission age and let it be reflected over time in post history. Archivist by training, Roleplayer by choice. I go by That Canada in RS3, this is how I roll in old school.

02-Mar-2021 03:43:12

Legofansrule
Jun Member 2017

Legofansrule

Posts: 19 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
I love these ideas. I think #2 could really help in some areas - for example (maybe it's because I've gotten older and don't have hours to roleplay creatively for combat and things), I'd greatly enjoy having a skill point system or tabletop-like mechanic where sometimes you just get horribly unlucky, and then you can come up with interesting ways why such unluckiness occurred. (Was there a traitor? Were you cursed? Was there discreet magic at play?)

It was something I've thought about doing for a long time and it also somewhat handles the issue of a GM being accused of bias when it comes to deciding abilities, combat, etc.

Ultimately I deeply appreciate you taking an interest in trying to revive the community. Keep the great ideas and discussion material going, hopefully it will catch on.

02-Mar-2021 03:57:08

CrocoNuts
Jul Member 2010

CrocoNuts

Posts: 2,824 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
An Archivist said :

2. Further, evolve mechanics in Roleplay


Okay, this may be the more radical of ideas if people haven't already tried it. But what if we do a tabletop-like stat system for people's characters. But instead of being randomized like in most tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons we instead give a point pool to invest in their character for more hard and soft skills. For example, a suave merchant with a knack for adventuring might want to put more of his points into social skills than his fighting abilities.

Using many dice roll systems on discord that some of the communities use we could simulate character actions successes. It may make things like producing roleplayed items more enjoyable and make fights more mechanically interesting - particularly Roleplayer vs roleplayer fights - it would add more chance between roleplayers of different skill levels.

This is currently in the works for something of an adventuring roleplay group for Freelancers. I hope to be able to tease/present things soon so that we can get people to playtest and start exploring the basics of the system we're trying to make. Magus and Khaji gave me something they used for their old SWTOR roleplay and through tons of brainstorming and back and forth talking it's taking shape slowly.

To give a small idea of what you'll be dealing with upon character creation:
- Attributes (6 currently to spend points in)
- Skills (Made up by the player)
- Level (Gives you skillpoints and attribute points)
- Equipment (In tiers for comfortable use during dice rolls)
- Perks (Traits to modify your rolls/results)
- Titles (Earnable boon for the character)

It's all babysteps right now but it's most certainly something that's being worked on right now. Right now we're looking at tons more things like racial traits, religion and so much more to make RSRP more than just freeflow typing. Quickly learn how to Roleplay on RuneScape!

I am bad and that's good, I will never be good and that's not bad, there's no one I'd rather be than me.

02-Mar-2021 05:18:43 - Last edited on 02-Mar-2021 05:19:17 by CrocoNuts

CrocoNuts
Jul Member 2010

CrocoNuts

Posts: 2,824 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Lord Pyro I said :
How did none of this land on my thread for RP suggestions?

I thought yours was more specifically aimed at the POK scene. This thread seems to have a bigger focus on population/activity increase by aiming to present RSRP to certain target audiences. The idea is that you appease to a person's necissity (For example; It needs to freelancer friendly, it needs dice for balance, it needs to be F2P accessible) to draw them into RSRP in a more general way rather than drawing them into a specific scene (POK/POC).

I much prefer this layout and train of thought myself, because it shows this person understands a core issue of the current state of RSRP and I hope the OP's threads catch more public attention the coming weeks. I personally think that merely tweaking currently used mechanics and rulesets though nice are still a poor tool of population increase/positive exposure of RSRP. Idea 2 and 3 especially speak to me (and some roleplayers who through the years have left such a good impression on me I would trust blindly) and I hope to make good contribution to them in the near future. Quickly learn how to Roleplay on RuneScape!

I am bad and that's good, I will never be good and that's not bad, there's no one I'd rather be than me.

02-Mar-2021 10:52:49

An Archivist

An Archivist

Posts: 17 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Oh my gosh, Pyro, I'm so sorry. Sincerely, I am. I read your thread and I don't know why it didn't register for me to post there.

I like some of your ideas. But I think there needs to be some teeth in them - like hard mechanics too.

I can't speak to each idea in terms of if they'll be good ideas or just devolve into their old bad habits but:

1. Land claims election - yes. But you need to have fixed real-world time term limits. For example, every 2 months on the second Friday there is an election for a new thread holder and it the person's term officially starts on the 18th at 3PM EST. Their term can be extended once and then they must wait two terms to run again.

Of course, cabals of people can work together to undermine this system. There also would be ideally a way to cast a secret ballot so there aren't lines being drawn in the community or drama.

2. What if we made optional rule sets and a dumbed-down version of the public one? I don't know what specifically you're referring to but I think the spirit of what I said earlier about a stat & dice system for determining outcomes. They feel like they're in the same vein. Each organized RP needs to spell out what rule sets they use, for example, The White Knights prefer the old style of Roleplaying Combat and don't use a stat or dice-based outcome on attacks whereas Misthalin prefers stat-based everything and they have an official list of skills and stats you can draw from. Or maybe OSRS 42 has a worldwide rule that is different from 42/41.

3. I largely agree with you about PoK's. I miss POKs a bit - there's a certain amount of gravitas to being in an RP with a ruler who influences things, nobles who scheme, commoners going about their lives and adventurers getting caught up in between. I feel as though war is getting very disruptive and very much going into all or nothing total war where its life or death.

You could also specify that wars should be more limited in scope Archivist by training, Roleplayer by choice. I go by That Canada in RS3, this is how I roll in old school.

02-Mar-2021 16:51:12

An Archivist

An Archivist

Posts: 17 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
3. cont'd - For example, saying that Misthalin and Asgarnia can engage in an undeclared border war between ambitious commanders trying to wrest control of a contested palisade fort on the river lum.

Or inter-realm conflicts between two dukes of the realm fighting over a valuable but contested piece of land - and do to a quirk of a weaker monarchy on internal matters a King is unable to intervene.

Heck, for larger Kingdoms like Asgarnia or Misthalin you could have small fights over cities and towns like Lumbridge, Sarim or Rimmington so it becomes less of a death struggle and more of a "keeping one another in check" power politics. It would make wars less of a distraction and allow for different kinds of Roleplay without the shadow of war creeping over everyone.

Heck you could even force wars that are going too far to stop and face a common threat like a dark ritual threatening to unleash an evil greater than the two kingdoms put together. Archivist by training, Roleplayer by choice. I go by That Canada in RS3, this is how I roll in old school.

02-Mar-2021 17:00:14

RiDaku
Oct Member 2012

RiDaku

Posts: 6,003 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
An Archivist said :
1. Land claims election - yes.

No. Popularity contests are not the way to handle who gets to try owning land and building a story off of it. I honestly forget how in-detail I went on Pyro's thread, but I'm going to use this opportunity to reveal the "landclaim" system that I've been working on with interested parties in the background.

The system that I've been discussing with players involves a total removal of the "singular public canon" that had been pressed as so important over the decade that I've been roleplaying (and before that too). It's not sustainable, it's not healthy, and it makes things very very messy when two parties disagree on if something is lore-friendly or not (go scrolling through my Asgarnia thread for an example of what that looks like). So what I've been working on and recommending is that there is no landclaims system. Do you want to lead Ardougne? Fantastic, you lead Ardougne now. Are there three other people leading Ardougne? Well, no problem! You're in a different bubble . For the sake of the metaphor, I want you to picture every single RP group as a bubble.

Bubbles are fun. You blow bubbles and they float around all willy-nilly, carried by the air and buffeted around by the wind until they eventually pop. That's all any of these roleplays are, bubbles, containing their own story independent of any other story. Sometimes two bubbles will connect. Let's say Al Kharid has some necronium ore, they don't have the skills to process it. So they want to connect with Asgarnia. Well, right now there's two Asgarnia groups! Which one do you connect with....

..whichever one you personally like the look of more. And then you connect- the bubbles touch- and do that trade. Asgarnia processes the necronium ore in exchange for something, and then the bubbles disconnect. They go their separate ways and return to being independent. (Cont) The Sicarius |
They think they are "the many", and I "the few". They think this gives them the right to walk over me.

Want to Role-Play? Click Here!

02-Mar-2021 18:23:44

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