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[Kadzar]

Originally I wrote this up in the "Games you wish existed" thread in Other Games, but I realized these ideas would probably work pretty well as (an) RTD(s). I original wrote them up as single-player, but they could just as easily be multi-player games.

Alright, what if you had some sort of top-down RPG where you're a wizard or whatever, and, to cast spells, you need to collect spell components. And different spells would use some of the same components in different quantities, so you'd have to ration out your usage of certain spells. You'd collect components out in the world, or, if need be, you can just buy most of what you need in a shop. And there would be combat spells and utility spells, so you could decide if you want to fireball some enemies or just turn invisible and sneak past them.

Alternatively, or just as a different game, instead of collecting spell components, it could be a game about using ambient mana. So there would be mana of various types in whatever area you're in; the world would be made up of zones of various kinds of mana at different levels that can be tapped while you're standing in them. Very rarely will you be in a place without some sort of mana. So you don't need to ration, like with spell components, but you are limited to casting spells that use whatever sort of mana is present in the area you're currently in, and the ambient mana levels of the necessary types need to be high enough to match the requirements of a spell.

One final alternative: Spellguns. The player would have a magic gun capable of firing spell cartridges, which are basically just ready-made spells, which they can buy or just find around the world. And these, like the others, would come in battle and utility forms. And you might be able to find or buy different spellguns that either enhance certain spells (some very specialized guns may only be able to fire certain spells or types of spells) or apply modifiers to all spells fired from them, in addition to variants capable of firing multiple spell cartridges before needing to be reloaded. And you might eventually be able to learn to make your own spell cartridges from basic components, which would take time but allow you to have more customized loadouts and allow you to make things like bullets that instantly kill their target (though they need to be made with something taken from the target to work, and might even have a limited-time use).

[Whisperling]

Alternatively, or just as a different game, instead of collecting spell components, it could be a game about using ambient mana. So there would be mana of various types in whatever area you're in; the world would be made up of zones of various kinds of mana at different levels that can be tapped while you're standing in them. Very rarely will you be in a place without some sort of mana. So you don't need to ration, like with spell components, but you are limited to casting spells that use whatever sort of mana is present in the area you're currently in, and the ambient mana levels of the necessary types need to be high enough to match the requirements of a spell.

This actually sounds quite similar to part of a game I wrote up, but never actually got around to starting (shows you how much of a procrastinator I am). Usually, people could cast spells with "normal" mana, which is gradually generated by the souls of anyone who can use magic. However, if they could locate a source of "alternate" mana, they could absorb limited amounts of that and use it to cast spells.

The difference here is that, instead of giving people access to different kinds of spells, using a different kind of mana would put a new spin on existing spells. For example, using "curse" mana would turn any spell you used into some type of curse. (So, a "heal" spell might heal its target's enemies, and a "transform" spell might give someone a Midas touch.)

The source of !FUN! here is that people would only get vague hints about what their shiny new mana source actually does. So, to use curse mana as an example, you might figure out that it expends itself slowly (has a prolonged effect), but nobody is about to tell you it is evil and destructive in nature.

It isn't the basic premise of the game, but it was fun to mess around with the limited part of it I had ready the last time I playtested.

[The Ensorceler]

I had a series of sleep deprived ideas, but they pretty much boiled down into a Soul Eater/Mad Max universe. It would treat the Soul Eater anime as canon, up until the finale, which is replaced by mysterious secrets. Long story short, every one of the main cast dies, a magnetic storm engulfs the planet, and tech, magic, and soul resonance are forced to adapt to the new conditions. 20 years later, the game starts. I think I'll use 2d6, I've got stats ready, so interest check time. First time running a game, and there are probably going to be problems, but I like the idea enough to give it a go. Character creation will be pretty freeform, I think, so a player can rationalize being just about anything, especially with temporal shenanigans, within some semblance of reason. I'll post some actual mechanics later today when the thing goes up.

[Fniff]

I had an idea for an RtD.

The players are citizens of a dystopia who are crazy, stupid, or unlucky enough to end up on the hit reality television show 'The Will to Survive' (Tagline: Have You Got It?), which resembles Survivor crossed with 'The Quiz Broadcast' from That Mitchell and Webb look. The stakes are high: if you lose you're dead, but if you win you get a DNA-locked Golden Ration Card ensuring that you and your family will eat like kings forever.

Each player starts with a positive and negative mutation (Taken from the Metamorphica) along with a piece of equipment (Rolled up from my generators).

Play is divided into Challenges. The Challenges all have the same objective for each player: be one of the last three survivors. However, each Challenge has it's own Gimmick. This can be anything from 'Dance for your Din-Dins' (Receive bonuses for dancing during the Challenge) to 'Trial by Television' (Receive bonuses for killing a special NPC).

At the end, three judges (Who will be actual forum members roleplaying as judges - if anyone has a fun idea for a judge and wants in, let me know) will publicly vote on which one of the three survivors is executed, which one receives a new mutation/piece of equipment, and which one simply survives. The judges can take this from how well they succeeded at the Challenge and the Gimmick, how well the survivors do their bootlicking, or just be completely arbitrary.

The rules will most likely have a basic combat system that should adher to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). They will be some use for bonuses, like getting new mutations/equipment or summoning dissident suppressor drones to kill your enemies.

What do you guys think? Can anyone recommend any material for me to watch to get that right feel of an awful and cruel reality show?

[kilakan]

You should probably watch the old movie Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the premise of that was a game show where you either die or go free, did pretty well with themed areas, fights, ect.

[ATHATH]

@fniff: I'd be interested, either as a judge or as a player.

[IronyOwl]

I thought PW's Dead Man Running managed to capture the demented showmanship of that idea very, very well. If you want something with a little more flair than DMR or... I don't know, The Hunger Games, I guess? Then that'd be the place.

I can't recommend you actually watch it, but The Maze Runner also had some marginally cool things with a shifting maze and horrible things known only as "Grievers." It might be worth sifting through to find and watch some of the more relevant bits if you're desperate for inspiration.


Other than that, my main advice is to keep projected player casualties/lifecycles in mind. Half the players dying each round is going to make it hard to advance meaningfully but keep everyone expecting to die, for instance, while 10% fatalities will probably allow for some reasonable advancement but maybe make people more attached to their characters than is advisable.

Remember also that, from a gameplay perspective, winning and getting your ration card is reasonably close to dying; you get the Yay I Won thing, but also lose all of your mutations and equipment just like if you'd kicked it.

[ATHATH]

Hm... Perhaps the winners could become judges?

[Harry Baldman]

Hm... Perhaps the winners could become judges?

A winner gets to beat a judge of their choice to death with an extremely painful implement, then take their place if they wish, complete with outrageous reality TV salary.

[Twinwolf]

This is sounding amazing.

[Fniff]

Hm... Perhaps the winners could become judges?

A winner gets to beat a judge of their choice to death with an extremely painful implement, then take their place if they wish, complete with outrageous reality TV salary.

That's some cool ideas. It would be neat to have actual consequences for winning the game. Perhaps a choice of three options: Become a Judge (Self-Explanatory), Become a Producer (You get to influence the Challenges themselves somewhat, not sure how - perhaps you can send in ideas for Challenges and Gimmicks?), and Golden Ration Card (Basically you stop playing).

Of course, I'm not sure how that figures into it. I mean, you do lose your mutations and equipment but you gain a lot of power. I suppose it's... religious, in an odd way: you have ascended your earthly bonds (Of murdering your fellow man for a chance at food) to something greater (Being a producer/judge on the television show broadcasting these things).

Thanks for the link, Irony, I'll take a look at that posthaste.

[IronyOwl]

That's some cool ideas. It would be neat to have actual consequences for winning the game. Perhaps a choice of three options: Become a Judge (Self-Explanatory), Become a Producer (You get to influence the Challenges themselves somewhat, not sure how - perhaps you can send in ideas for Challenges and Gimmicks?), and Golden Ration Card (Basically you stop playing).

Of course, I'm not sure how that figures into it. I mean, you do lose your mutations and equipment but you gain a lot of power. I suppose it's... religious, in an odd way: you have ascended your earthly bonds (Of murdering your fellow man for a chance at food) to something greater (Being a producer/judge on the television show broadcasting these things).

Thanks for the link, Irony, I'll take a look at that posthaste.

Hm. Maybe winning lets you become a "noble" of some sort, living a life of luxury and influence? Henceforth your signups are friends/family/cronies who can use your influence to get an additional (still random) mutation or piece of equipment, AND you get a vote of some sort in who becomes a judge, what the challenges are like, etc?

The only problem, of course, is that then winning the game makes it easier to win the game. Which is... really quite realistic! But perhaps not necessarily the most fun for all the starving peasants out there, as the existence of this game shows.

[Persus13]

That's some cool ideas. It would be neat to have actual consequences for winning the game. Perhaps a choice of three options: Become a Judge (Self-Explanatory), Become a Producer (You get to influence the Challenges themselves somewhat, not sure how - perhaps you can send in ideas for Challenges and Gimmicks?), and Golden Ration Card (Basically you stop playing).

Of course, I'm not sure how that figures into it. I mean, you do lose your mutations and equipment but you gain a lot of power. I suppose it's... religious, in an odd way: you have ascended your earthly bonds (Of murdering your fellow man for a chance at food) to something greater (Being a producer/judge on the television show broadcasting these things).

Thanks for the link, Irony, I'll take a look at that posthaste.

Hm. Maybe winning lets you become a "noble" of some sort, living a life of luxury and influence? Henceforth your signups are friends/family/cronies who can use your influence to get an additional (still random) mutation or piece of equipment, AND you get a vote of some sort in who becomes a judge, what the challenges are like, etc?

The only problem, of course, is that then winning the game makes it easier to win the game. Which is... really quite realistic! But perhaps not necessarily the most fun for all the starving peasants out there, as the existence of this game shows.

Sounds a bit like how the winners of the Hunger Games become the managers for their district's contestants. Also sounds a bit like sponsors of the Hunger Games.

[FallacyofUrist]

The spinning !!idea!! has striken FallacyofUrist in the head!

Roll to Fight in a Minimalist Arena Using Data Strings. Like that game IcyTea31 was going to run in the main Forum Games subforum...

6 players each submit a variety of "data strings". Once the game starts, the players fight each other in a minimalist manner in an arena, but they each start with 3 of the suggested "data strings", which can be played by the players, once per turn, to modify the game rules and change things up.

[Salsacookies]

Could someone link me to the FGRP thread of game ideas?