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[lawastooshort]

I second this very sensible post. I don't even go up to six now.

[Tarran]

I think what he's getting at is putting players in a setting and letting them run free

Don't 90% of RTDs, especially the open world ones, already let them run free?

Mmm, is there really a good balance between Player Cap and Lehtality?

Don't kill players left and right if you have character development. That's kind of important. Have a real possibility of death for players, but don't go overboard.

This. If the value of a player's character is worth a damn, don't throw it away as easily as a character made on the go. Especially if the character sheet is large.

As for the player cap, it depends on how much time you have to write turns and whether the amount of players already in is a burden or might be a burden in the future. Also consider that more players=more people that you have to wait on.

[Tsuchigumo550]

I want to join, even if I must be waitlisted.

[Doomblade187]

Luckily, I seem to have a system that works for me as for turn updates, so I can handle 7-8, especially if I start putting it together with only 4 posts, and waiting for the rest, and having a handy reference sheet, but I fully understand how long it can take to do a turn. I would be struggling with 9+ probably. Though it helps that the players are expedient.

That brings us to another point- how much you actually have to write per turn. More serious RTDs will take longer due to the simple fact that there's (usually) more to write.

[Mr.Zero]

5 or 6 players is the ideal number for any RTD. 4 if you;re lazy, but 5 or 6 if you want to practice a bit and still offer enough interaction between the players.

[Tsuchigumo550]

Depending on the game I can run 8, but in my current I'm running only 4 (6, later) mainly due to the fact that I rarely do updates in a timely manner. Days go by with nothing, then a burst of four turns in a day, then silence again. It's all on me, really, the delays, and I try not to abandon it.

By the way, it IS still going. I've actually found this one enjoyable to run.

[Tarran]

That brings us to another point- how much you actually have to write per turn. More serious RTDs will take longer due to the simple fact that there's (usually) more to write.

You also have to consider that some actions deserve more than others. Inspecting a generic door does not really deserve as much effort as, say, inspecting a room in an undead-infested tomb.

[Urist McBeanie]

Here's a link to my "Random RTD" I talked about a little while ago: here

[monk12]

I have decided to shelf the Mansion RTD for now since now that I'm not-sick I'm not in the mood for horror. However, among my circle of friends February is Gurren Lagann month, and even now I find myself being drawn to all things involving giant robots and explosions. February, just 15 days away. If only I had an RTD idea for that ready to go.

Oh wait.

Roll to Pierce the Heavens!

Players are pilots of Ganmen, Humongous Mecha powered by the Fighting Spirit of the pilot. Each Ganmen has special abilities that consume Fighting Spirit- Fighting Spirit is restored in small amounts every time a player rolls a 6, or in larger amounts when they hear a successful Friendship Speech. Pilot Classes include Brawler, a durable close range specialist with regenerative abilities, Boomstick, a ranged class that specializes in high damage and Macross Missile Massacres, and Hero, a class that gives more potent Friendship Speeches and can demoralize the Fighting Spirit of his foes.

Sidenote, who else has done a Humongous Mecha RTD? I'd like to see the rules they used and how it worked out for them.

So yeah, this has been percolating through my brain for... wow, almost 6 months now? Huh. Anyway- Stream of Consciousness Game Design with Monk IV: And Now For Something Completely Different!

-snip-

Spoiler: Setting (click to show/hide)

The setting is TTGL verse, but not Earth, and the antagonists are not LordGenome's Beastmen- no knowledge of TTGL is necessary to participate. The flow of play would be pretty close to Season One, with the whole "fight the four Generals, get to enemy Base, beat Big Bad" setup. Nothing original, but then, it's TTGL- not exactly the most original work in the first place. I've got more thoughts on it than that, but I'll save it for when/if I start a thread, especially since further elaboration would be spoileriffic.

Spoiler: Players and Combat (click to show/hide)

Stats
HP- HP represents the ability of a pilot to roll with the punches, dodge attacks, and generally avoid serious damage. Serious damage is a risk when it gets low, and when it dips into negatives death becomes increasingly likely. Player Ganmen have minor regenerative abilities, and regain 1 HP every turn they don't take damage.
FS- Fighting Spirit, the eagerness of the pilot, the source of the Ganmen's power! Fighting Spirit essentially acts as Mana, and is used to fuel abilities. Players gain 1 FS for every natural 6 they roll, as well as from some abilities and events. Management of FS is one of the principle gameplay mechanics.
Defense- How easy you are to hit in combat.
Status- When you take serious damage, it gets recorded here. This is also where any other buffs and debuffs gets recorded.
Armament- This specifies what weapons a Ganmen has ready, as well as what body part certain weapons/abilities are tied to. Normally, Armament is only altered between missions.
Abilities- Abilities are the special awesome things players can do, most of which consume FS. Players start with one Ability of their choice, one unique Limit Break ability that is expensive but potent, and a self-heal ability. More on all that in the next tab.

Combat

Players can perform one action that requires a roll per turn. Thus, in a turn a player might attack, use certain abilities, or something else entirely. Some abilities do not require a roll, and so can be activated while doing something else (e.g using Disrupting Shot.) Players may attempt to do more than one thing per turn, but they'll suffer penalties to both rolls for trying to hurry. Players with more than one weapon may only attack with one weapon at a time.

When a player attacks, they roll 2d6 + modifiers and compare to the target's Defense. On a hit, the attacker then rolls damage which is applied to the defender's HP. If one of the attack dice rolled is a 6, immediately add -1 to the Critical Damage roll. With every hit, there is a chance for Critical Damage, and a roll is made against the following table. Critical Damage rolls are 2d6 modified by Defense and current HP. If the specified body part already has damage >= roll, increase damage to one category greater than currently suffered.

0 and Lower Critical Core hit. I break out the pretty explosion gif
1-2 Serious Core hit. Lose 5 FS, -4 Future Critical Damage Rolls, 1/6 chance of death
3-4 Serious Body hit. Lose 5 FS, -3 Future Critical Damage Rolls, any Armaments attached disabled.
5-6 Serious Leg hit. Lose 2 FS, -2 Defense, if both legs disabled then attached Armaments are disabled
7-8 Serious Arm hit. Lose 2 FS, -2 Attack, if both arms disabled then attached Armaments are disabled
9-10 Moderate Body hit. Lose 3 FS, -2 Future Critical Damage Rolls, 2/6 chance any Armaments attached disabled.
11-12 Moderate Leg hit. Lose 1 FS, -1 Defense, if both legs disabled then attached Armaments are disabled
13-14 Moderate Arm hit. Lose 1 FS, -1 Attack, if both arms disabled then attached Armaments are disabled
15-16 Light Body hit. Lose 2 FS, -1 Future Critical Damage Rolls, 1/6 chance any Armaments attached disabled.
17-18 Light Leg hit. -1 Defense, if both legs disabled then attached Armaments are disabled
19-20 Light Arm hit. -1 Attack, if both arms disabled then attached Armaments are disabled
21 and up No damage

Spoiler: Abilities and Armament (click to show/hide)

As described under the Players tab, Abilities are cool things you can do, and Armaments are cool equipment you have. Players start with one weapon of their choice (Melee, Ranged or Artillery) as well as two other A&As from the following list. Armaments require a free body slot to be equipped in, and may be temporarily disabled if that body slot is seriously damaged.

Armaments

Melee: You have a melee weapon of your choice- giant swords (laser or otherwise,) drill gauntlets, razor claws, whatever you like. Melee weapons require you to be up close and personal to use, but provide a +1 bonus to attack and deal 1d6+2 damage. Melee weapons need a free arm or leg slot to be equipped.

Ranged: You have a ranged weapon of your choice- rifles, railguns, energy longbows, whatever. Ranged weapons are quite versatile as they can be used at any distance, providing a +2 bonus to attack and dealing 1d6 damage. Ranged weapons can be equipped on any free body slot.

Artillery: You have a piece of heavy artillery at your disposal- missile launchers, giant cannons, electro-catapults, whatever. Artillery weapons aren't the most accurate things on the planet, but they hit like a truck, dealing 1d6+4 damage. Artillery weapons require a free arm or body slot.

Burst Weapon: You are the center of a storm of damage- a swell of electricity, a swarm of missiles, a blaze of fire, whatever. You launch an attack against all nearby Ganmen and deal 1d6 damage on a hit, ideal for taking care of swarms of smaller enemies. Beware- this attack does not distinguish friend from foe! Burst weapons require a free body or leg slot.

Chameleon Cloak: By expending 1 FS, you can become nearly invisible, providing a +3 bonus to your Defense until the end of next turn. CC can be equipped on any free body slot.

Flight Augmentation: You can fly! Whee! Besides the mobility benefit, you can also spend 1 FS to use your afterburner to speed up your next attack, providing a +2 bonus.


Abilities

Melee Attack: You launch a powerful attack with your melee weapons. By spending 2 FS, you attack with a +3 bonus and deal 2d6+4 damage. You must have a melee weapon, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

Melee Drain: Your melee attack drains an opponent of FS. Spend 2 FS and make an attack roll- on a hit, your target loses 1d6 FS in addition to normal damage. You must be in melee range to use this ability, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

Melee Pin: You temporarily prevent an opponent from dodging. Spend 1 FS and make an attack roll with a +4 bonus- on a hit, instead of dealing damage you lower the target's defense by 3 for the rest of the turn. You must be in melee range, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

Ranged Attack: You launch a powerful attack with your ranged weapons. By spending 2 FS, you attack with a +5 bonus and deal 1d6+7 damage. You must have a ranged weapon, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

Crippling Shot: You shoot precisely to exploit a weakness in the enemy's armor. Spend 2 FS and make an attack roll- on a hit, you receive a +4 damage bonus against that target until the end of next turn. You must have a ranged weapon, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

Disrupting Shot: You use your accuracy to divert the aim of your enemy's weapons. As part of your normal action, declare you are willing to use this ability. The next time an enemy would hit you or any ally, you spend 1 FS and make an attack with a +4 bonus. If your attack hits, instead of dealing damage the enemy must reroll their attack with a -4 penalty. You must have a ranged weapon, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

Artillery Attack: You launch a powerful attack with your ranged weapons. By spending 2 FS, you attack with a +2 bonus and deal 3d6+2 damage. You must have an artillery weapon, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

Artillery Barrage: You launch a series of attacks against your foe. By spending 2 FS, you make 3 attacks with no penalty. You must have an artillery weapon, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

EMP Blast: Your attack has been specially modified to disable enemy systems. Spend 1 FS and make an attack with a +1 bonus. If you hit, instead of dealing damage you disable a random armament (and by extension and abilities that require that armament) until the end of next turn. You may forgo the attack bonus in order to target a specific armament. You must have an artillery weapon, and you must provide a name for this special technique.

Spot Repair: You can channel FS to improve your healing abilities and help your allies. For every point of FS spent, you can reduce the severity of a wound by 1 grade and restore 10 HP.

Inspiring Aura: Your presence raises the morale of your allies, powering their Ganmen! Every time you roll a 6, every ally who can see you has a 1/2 chance to gain 1 FS as well.

So yeah, this is happening. Right now. Give a holler if you see anything horribly imbalanced- we won't be at the giant robot fun times right away since I'll be weeding through applicants in the Gatleos fashion.

[IronyOwl]

So, I am once again contemplating an RTD, and once again struggling with certain parts of it.

Spoiler: The Dungeon (click to show/hide)

The main focus of the game will be on the Dungeon, which is a mapless multilayered masterpiece of malice and mooks.

Sorry.

Anyway, you go down into the dungeon to seek your fortune, finding random unidentified potions, scrolls, and more permanent magic items lying around, and more frequently getting them or the materials to make them by slaying foes. When you retreat or perish, somebody else gets their turn to delve. In the event that you return to the surface rather than being eaten alive by gnolls, you can go back onto the waitlist as that very same character, once he's had a chance to rest and enjoy the fruits of his victory.

There will be food, but I'm uncertain if it will be necessary for hunger, thereby adding another limiter on how long you can stay down there, or just restore health, relaxing the obvious limiter of being worn down by the locals.

Spoiler: The Town (click to show/hide)

So... where do you return to if you decide to leave the dungeon rather than dying a savage death? The Town, of course! Unfortunately the town is entirely player-created, possibly with some dickish caravan merchants fulfilling basic needs at extortionate prices early on. Otherwise, if you want an inn or blacksmith or extravagant mansion to call your own, you're going to have to build and staff it yourself.

Waitlisted or retired adventurers can deal with the staffing requirements, while materials will come from either trading dungeon loot for wood, get pulled out of the dungeon directly, or possibly being harvested in tree farms or what have you on the surface (these options are also where food comes from). Of course, if you somehow manage to acquire enough goblin skulls, theoretically you could just build the inn out of those.

I don't have the specifics yet, but ideally having better accommodations will grant you concrete bonuses, so the player living it up in a solid gold mansion surrounded by exotic pets will be much better off than someone living in a mud hovel or under any carts that happen to hold still long enough.

Spoiler: Stats and Combat (click to show/hide)

There are two stats- Strength and HP. When two combatants fight, there's a value called the Wager, which is the lower of the two's Strength scores.

Whoever wins the fight deals damage equal to the Wager to the enemy's Strength score. This means that being hit always instagibs the weaker combatant.

However, that's where HP comes in. When your Str drops to 0, you lose a HP and your Str returns to its normal value. Unless you only had the one HP left, of course, in which case you die.

5 Str, 2 HP Player vs 3 Str, 1 HP Goblin

Round 1:
[2] vs [4], Player misses
[4] vs [3], Goblin hits

Since the wager is 3, the Player is now at 2 Str, 2 HP.
Since the lowest Str value is now 2, the Wager is now 2.

[4] vs [3] Player hits!
[3] vs [2] Goblin also hits

The Player takes 2 damage, loses a HP, and returns to 5 Str, now being 5 Str, 1 HP.
The Goblin takes 2 damage, and is now at 1 Str, 1 HP.

The wager is now 1. Unless the goblin manages to hit the player 5 times in a row while the player misses the same, looks like the player has this one, albeit at a cost.

Running away will require a roll and may have a decaying penalty associated with it (ie you take a -1 penalty to your first attempt, get +0 on the second, +1 on the third, so while it's possible to get lucky or unlucky, usually fleeing will require a certain number of rounds).

Spoiler: Leveling Up (click to show/hide)

!!ERROR!! I'm not sure how you'll level. I tend to like giving xp based on your rolls, but I also like giving xp based on your enemies' strengths. They don't seem to mesh particularly well in this case, so it might turn into gaining xp equal to the damage dealt or received.

Also undecided on whether experience will be general or stat-specific, ie if someone who never gets hit can spend their exp on HP or if they're stuck leveling Str until they find something that hits back.

What I do know is that experience costs will follow the least intuitive method ever- they'll be based on the value of your other stat. So as a simplified example, if you have 13 Str, 2 HP, it'll cost 2 exp to raise your Str and 13 exp to raise your HP. No, I didn't get that backwards- the more of something you have, the harder it is to get anything else.

Fortunately, the reasoning is highly intuitive- each stat scales off the other. Gaining another HP is basically gaining another multiple of your Str score, so it makes sense that that's how you'd calculate the cost.

TL;DR Roguelike RTD: Minecraft Edition.


Now, as for the things I need help with:

1. Leveling. I still don't know exactly how it should work, both in terms of what conditions grant experience and how experience is spent/applied.
2. Food benefits. Should it be a separate limiter for how long you can be in the dungeon/how much of your town labor needs to be devoted to farming? Or just a way to counter some of the wear and tear you experience in the dungeon?
3. Morale benefits. Why do you want a cozy room at the inn instead of a pleasant hole in the pigpen? I don't know; presumably either stat bonuses or experience gain bonuses. Could also possibly unlock higher tiers of abilities or similar, which brings me to the big one:


4. Classes.

As you might have noticed, there's only 2 stats. What's more, they both more or less equal the same basic thing- more power/toughness. This makes it difficult for players to be distinguished from one another in a meaningful fashion.

Fortunately, there's special abilities. Or at least, I think there are- I've been having trouble coming up with exactly what they should do or how they should work. This is complicated somewhat by the fact that I was hoping you could change and level classes, just in case you want to become a Necromancer-Priest or Warrior-Rogue. Alternatively, it might make more sense to have abilities item-based, either permanently or until you level them enough to not need the item anymore.

This is really the only aspect I'm completely scattered on. Everything else I know at least the basics on, but Abilities could go any which way at the moment.

[Dermonster]

I'd play it.

I've been introduced to a new race/class combo I want to play. Can we choose our race/class?



Other than that, I'd like some abilities to be intristic to the class as a level system, abilities requiring certain item requirements,  and maybe unique powers bestowed by *Generic recurring one use macguffins*.

I'm not sure if that actually helps at all.

[Persus13]

So, I am once again contemplating an RTD, and once again struggling with certain parts of it.

Spoiler: The Dungeon (click to show/hide)

The main focus of the game will be on the Dungeon, which is a mapless multilayered masterpiece of malice and mooks.

Sorry.

Anyway, you go down into the dungeon to seek your fortune, finding random unidentified potions, scrolls, and more permanent magic items lying around, and more frequently getting them or the materials to make them by slaying foes. When you retreat or perish, somebody else gets their turn to delve. In the event that you return to the surface rather than being eaten alive by gnolls, you can go back onto the waitlist as that very same character, once he's had a chance to rest and enjoy the fruits of his victory.

There will be food, but I'm uncertain if it will be necessary for hunger, thereby adding another limiter on how long you can stay down there, or just restore health, relaxing the obvious limiter of being worn down by the locals.

Spoiler: The Town (click to show/hide)

So... where do you return to if you decide to leave the dungeon rather than dying a savage death? The Town, of course! Unfortunately the town is entirely player-created, possibly with some dickish caravan merchants fulfilling basic needs at extortionate prices early on. Otherwise, if you want an inn or blacksmith or extravagant mansion to call your own, you're going to have to build and staff it yourself.

Waitlisted or retired adventurers can deal with the staffing requirements, while materials will come from either trading dungeon loot for wood, get pulled out of the dungeon directly, or possibly being harvested in tree farms or what have you on the surface (these options are also where food comes from). Of course, if you somehow manage to acquire enough goblin skulls, theoretically you could just build the inn out of those.

I don't have the specifics yet, but ideally having better accommodations will grant you concrete bonuses, so the player living it up in a solid gold mansion surrounded by exotic pets will be much better off than someone living in a mud hovel or under any carts that happen to hold still long enough.

Spoiler: Stats and Combat (click to show/hide)

There are two stats- Strength and HP. When two combatants fight, there's a value called the Wager, which is the lower of the two's Strength scores.

Whoever wins the fight deals damage equal to the Wager to the enemy's Strength score. This means that being hit always instagibs the weaker combatant.

However, that's where HP comes in. When your Str drops to 0, you lose a HP and your Str returns to its normal value. Unless you only had the one HP left, of course, in which case you die.

5 Str, 2 HP Player vs 3 Str, 1 HP Goblin

Round 1:
[2] vs [4], Player misses
[4] vs [3], Goblin hits

Since the wager is 3, the Player is now at 2 Str, 2 HP.
Since the lowest Str value is now 2, the Wager is now 2.

[4] vs [3] Player hits!
[3] vs [2] Goblin also hits

The Player takes 2 damage, loses a HP, and returns to 5 Str, now being 5 Str, 1 HP.
The Goblin takes 2 damage, and is now at 1 Str, 1 HP.

The wager is now 1. Unless the goblin manages to hit the player 5 times in a row while the player misses the same, looks like the player has this one, albeit at a cost.

Running away will require a roll and may have a decaying penalty associated with it (ie you take a -1 penalty to your first attempt, get +0 on the second, +1 on the third, so while it's possible to get lucky or unlucky, usually fleeing will require a certain number of rounds).

Spoiler: Leveling Up (click to show/hide)

!!ERROR!! I'm not sure how you'll level. I tend to like giving xp based on your rolls, but I also like giving xp based on your enemies' strengths. They don't seem to mesh particularly well in this case, so it might turn into gaining xp equal to the damage dealt or received.

Also undecided on whether experience will be general or stat-specific, ie if someone who never gets hit can spend their exp on HP or if they're stuck leveling Str until they find something that hits back.

What I do know is that experience costs will follow the least intuitive method ever- they'll be based on the value of your other stat. So as a simplified example, if you have 13 Str, 2 HP, it'll cost 2 exp to raise your Str and 13 exp to raise your HP. No, I didn't get that backwards- the more of something you have, the harder it is to get anything else.

Fortunately, the reasoning is highly intuitive- each stat scales off the other. Gaining another HP is basically gaining another multiple of your Str score, so it makes sense that that's how you'd calculate the cost.

TL;DR Roguelike RTD: Minecraft Edition.


Now, as for the things I need help with:

1. Leveling. I still don't know exactly how it should work, both in terms of what conditions grant experience and how experience is spent/applied.
2. Food benefits. Should it be a separate limiter for how long you can be in the dungeon/how much of your town labor needs to be devoted to farming? Or just a way to counter some of the wear and tear you experience in the dungeon?
3. Morale benefits. Why do you want a cozy room at the inn instead of a pleasant hole in the pigpen? I don't know; presumably either stat bonuses or experience gain bonuses. Could also possibly unlock higher tiers of abilities or similar, which brings me to the big one:


4. Classes.

As you might have noticed, there's only 2 stats. What's more, they both more or less equal the same basic thing- more power/toughness. This makes it difficult for players to be distinguished from one another in a meaningful fashion.

Fortunately, there's special abilities. Or at least, I think there are- I've been having trouble coming up with exactly what they should do or how they should work. This is complicated somewhat by the fact that I was hoping you could change and level classes, just in case you want to become a Necromancer-Priest or Warrior-Rogue. Alternatively, it might make more sense to have abilities item-based, either permanently or until you level them enough to not need the item anymore.

This is really the only aspect I'm completely scattered on. Everything else I know at least the basics on, but Abilities could go any which way at the moment.

Already? What happened to the Golden Dragon one?

[Dermonster]

*Sudden recollection.*


God dammit Irony, FOCUS!

[Xantalos]

*Sudden recollection.*


God dammit Irony, FOCUS!

I remember so many promising RTDs, dead by the third page.
It's your choice of course, it's just regrettable that they didn't continue; they weren't bad.

[IronyOwl]

I'd play it.

I've been introduced to a new race/class combo I want to play. Can we choose our race/class?

Yes, and trying to hash out custom classes with players is certainly something I'd be interested in, but I figure I need to work out how basic classes work to have a framework and starting point for the new ones.

Race was not intended to have any overt effects, but it might come up. There were also [REDACTED] so I guess the notion of races being concretely different from each other has some precedent.

Finally this combo better not be your current avatar, because Jesus Christ.

Other than that, I'd like some abilities to be intristic to the class as a level system, abilities requiring certain item requirements,  and maybe unique powers bestowed by *Generic recurring one use macguffins*.

I'm not sure if that actually helps at all.

"Instrinsic to the class as a level system" is kind of hard to parse. You mean all Level 7 Warriors gain Bash, or similar?

By item requirements, do you mean heavy armor is needed for Defend or you can only Giga Slash with a sword? Amusingly, this also touches on another issue I had- if an item gives raw stats (+2 Str, +1 HP), it's better for the opposite class you'd expect. +2 HP Platemail would be AWESOME for someone with 13 Str and 2 HP, for instance, while kinda meh for someone with 4 Str and 6 HP. So either armor and shields all need to give Str while dual katars grant HP, or more likely items will be scaling (+1/2 HP as Str) or have bizarre stat limiters to function (+2 HP, <6 Str).

Not sure I like the idea of Tomes of Fireball or similar, due to loot distribution issues. And, well, general loot power issues in general. You've touched on the [REDACTED] I mentioned earlier though.

Already? What happened to the Golden Dragon one?

Hah, that's still alive, it's just been clubbed by RO2 for the moment. I'll get on that soon...

*Sudden recollection.*


God dammit Irony, FOCUS!

Nooooooooooooooo!