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[SeriousConcentrate]

1. Not much at all.

2. Only once that I've seen; Monk12 took Harry Baldman's 'Winter on the Mountains' idea. That RTD's dead though so take it as you will.

[Radio Controlled]

1. Not much at all.

2. Only once that I've seen; Monk12 took Harry Baldman's 'Winter on the Mountains' idea. That RTD's dead though so take it as you will.

So basically, not a whole lot of incentive to type it all out then? I know I'll never have the time to run one myself, but I know that a lot of people probably have a million great ideas themselves already, and the only thing stopping them is time and energy to commit.

[IronyOwl]

1. Not much at all.

2. Only once that I've seen; Monk12 took Harry Baldman's 'Winter on the Mountains' idea. That RTD's dead though so take it as you will.

So basically, not a whole lot of incentive to type it all out then? I know I'll never have the time to run one myself, but I know that a lot of people probably have a million great ideas themselves already, and the only thing stopping them is time and energy to commit.

Sadly, no. Depending on what it is, others may be interested or inspired by it, but throwing out nifty mechanics or interesting concepts is paradoxically probably more useful to more people than presenting a full game you're unable to run yourself.

[Radio Controlled]

1. Not much at all.

2. Only once that I've seen; Monk12 took Harry Baldman's 'Winter on the Mountains' idea. That RTD's dead though so take it as you will.

So basically, not a whole lot of incentive to type it all out then? I know I'll never have the time to run one myself, but I know that a lot of people probably have a million great ideas themselves already, and the only thing stopping them is time and energy to commit.

Sadly, no. Depending on what it is, others may be interested or inspired by it, but throwing out nifty mechanics or interesting concepts is paradoxically probably more useful to more people than presenting a full game you're unable to run yourself.

Kay then, I'll stay broad. Thanks for the responses guys.

[Radio Controlled]

Warlords
A game of war profiteering

Basically, this is a game where players play as pmc's (private military contractors). They're goal is to maximize profits by fulfilling objectives given by their employers.

Now, there are several ways to go in terms of backstory. My suggestion would be this:
 
in the semi-far future, mankind is expanding and encountering all kinds of aliens, most of them hostile. And since they are also usually inhabiting prime real estate or sitting on important resources, well you know what happens then: it ain't nice and involves lot's of (and rhymes with) gore.

However, in this future the government doesn't like expending their own military, cause the public (already unhappy with the constant fighting) reacts very badly towards putting boots on the ground or seeing their government gassing aliens, so the military has resorted to outsourcing a lot of their work to private companies. Cause hey, who cares about a bunch of mercenaries, right? After that they come in, finish securing the area and pay the pmc's for a job well done.


Anyways, I can see two ways the mechanics could go: players represent these companies themselves, and manage things from a top-down view, or they play the mercenaries who do the dirty work.

In the first version, players need to make strategic decisions, such as what kinds of technology to research (specializing in biological warfare, producing robotic drones, heavily trained and equipped infantry, bio engineered creatures (think aliens) or whatever) to what equipment to give (lots of redshirts, or a few exosuit-toting badasses, or a more mechanized army), as well as good ol' skullduggery and company espionage. A company could be one player, or a few players who each have a certain function.

The second version would be more GM-directed, though the pmc angle could still come into play (such as different starting equipment). They fulfill missions (which can very wildly) and upgrade stats and equipment by completing objectives.

Or, and this would have my preference (though also hardest to gm): a mix, where some players represent the company brass making decisions, and others play grunts doing the dirty legwork. Cool thing would be it encourages player-driven mission generation. Say the CEO wants to develop a new nerve gas cause his intelligence division tells him the next target is well dug in. But for this they need a live specimen to study, so the grunt players get a mission to covertly acquire a specimen without being alerted by the authorities (who keep an eye shut to these practices, although if the media finds out they need to shut it down. Public image 'n all that).

The companies would earn cash by completing objectives given to them by the military, but because money is limited the companies are encouraged to compete (and maybe sabotage each other a bit, heh heh). But if they want, they could trade technologies or organize joint operations. Or just send a team (player or npc) to steal their stuff, cause why not eh?


So yeah, that's the very rough outline. Thoughts?

((Oh, and I also have an idea for a game called 'Plague Doctor: a game of Genocidal Bioengineering' if people are interested, though this needs some more polish and thought)).

[Tiruin]

Secondly, do ideas/concepts posted here actually get picked up sometimes?

Yes, they do. We just tend to forget much. 

[Harry Baldman]

Quick question: how in-depth does an idea need to be worked-out before pitching?

Secondly, do ideas/concepts posted here actually get picked up sometimes?

Basically the main reason you'd want to post ideas here is to do the creative version of venting (preferably done immediately after you've had an idea that excites you) or to perform an interest check for a game you yourself want to run, but want confirmation that it's actually a good idea before you compromise your free time for it. Two of the better game ideas I posted here, I ran, and Monk took another good one, but it didn't seem to work out in that case.

Also, your game idea sounds like it would become wildly unmanageable if one went for the mixed option, and the first and second sound pretty basic in terms of mechanics (as in, very dependent on the GM).

[Radio Controlled]

Quick question: how in-depth does an idea need to be worked-out before pitching?

Secondly, do ideas/concepts posted here actually get picked up sometimes?

Basically the main reason you'd want to post ideas here is to do the creative version of venting (preferably done immediately after you've had an idea that excites you) or to perform an interest check for a game you yourself want to run, but want confirmation that it's actually a good idea before you compromise your free time for it. Two of the better game ideas I posted here, I ran, and Monk took another good one, but it didn't seem to work out in that case.

Also, your game idea sounds like it would become wildly unmanageable if one went for the mixed option, and the first and second sound pretty basic in terms of mechanics (as in, very dependent on the GM).

Well, as I said I only gave a rough outline so if there's any interest at all, people could come up with the in-depth mechanics themselves.
 And yes, the mixed option would really require a dedicated GM to even stand a chance.

[Harry Baldman]

Okay, so it's time to provide an idea again while I'm still enthusiastic about it.

Canned Freedom: An RTD of Psionics and Immobility

Only twenty or so years ago, the entire scientific world was thrown into disarray by the shocking discovery that humans did, in fact, have psychic powers, or psionics, as people who didn't believe that 'psychic powers' sounded good enough called them. The scientific world rebounded very nicely, however, when it soon turned out that they were pretty much useless, and largely impossible to train. And you had better believe that they tried very hard to prove the opposite true over the following decade. Instead, psionics was basically just either a little bit of accidental luck coming your way, or, in especially powerful cases, kind of like a weaker version of NLP if it actually sort of worked. Though it was certainly a great day for pseudoscience, the enthusiasm for psionics soon died down in any serious scientific circles after a whole lot of completely fruitless research and wasted research money that people began to insist, as they often do, to be appropriated for something like curing cancer forever.

Fortunately, it is not these serious scientific circles we are talking about today. Who we are talking about instead are a cadre of North Korean researchers that nobody calls by any particular name aside from maybe 'Those People', mostly due to the fact that most forgot they existed about ten or so years ago, including the government. Using the very finest in kidnapped subjects, the most stolen Japanese technology and the most amazing in North Korean intellects, Those People have engaged in dutiful experimentation for quite a while, and, just when nobody in the world could have possibly suspected such a thing, they came to a spectacular breakthrough - the thing holding most people back from fulfilling their true potential was the fact that they had bodies, needed food and were constantly distracted by things that were not useful. Having had this epiphany, they acted upon it immediately, and got to work upon their newest crop of subjects.

You are, of course, these subjects. Or, rather, you were these subjects. Right now, you are the brains of these subjects. In jars. Fed by the very finest in North Korean nutrients and hormones. Fortunately for you, Those People knew what they were doing! With the right mix of drugs and sensory deprivation, a power hardly ever seen before has been awakened! The power of the mind, in all its glory and limitless potential, in the hands of people who most certainly can be trusted with that kind of thing. And also Those People. Play your cards right, and you could be a god. Play your cards wrong, and your nutrient and oxygen intake gets cut. They literally have a button for that. As well as other things. So, under the wise guidance of Mission Control, who is now very much like you (the only KPA officer Those People had on hand, actually - they couldn't get any others), you must put your abilities to work in what will assuredly be a safe and responsible manner.

Spoiler: Mechanics (click to show/hide)

First things first - you are brains in jars, and your only means of movement and communication are your psychic powers. A glorious existence, truly.

...

Right, the psychic powers. Here are the main ones.

Projection: this is what you use to project your avatars (which can be of any sort, obviously) as well as other things. Focus in this power results in you being able to project solids, liquids and gases more efficiently and reliably, while lack of such a focus will mostly relegate your avatar to intangible observer status, as well as severely limit your object projection powers.
Sensation: though you can sense things through your main avatar if you project one, focusing in this branch will grant you greater perception of things outside of conventional range. Possibly even some premonition skills! Ooh! If you don't choose this branch, you'll basically have to deal with whatever limited senses your avatar might possess.
Mentalism: normally, you shouldn't be able to invade minds and bend them to your will, or divulge information from them, or wipe them clean and do something else of that sort. But if you're a master of Mentalism, you can do lots of things that normal people only wish they could.
Manipulation: focus in this, and you can move objects without an avatar, set things on fire, reverse gravity in a room if you're especially good, basically all that stuff you'd totally do if you were one of those cool ghosts that you see in movies. Don't focus in this, and you can't do any such thing. Well, at least not quite as awesomely, you know.

In the very beginning, you get to allocate two pluses to these four categories - these are your basic talents. One plus means decent ability, two pluses are better, going up to four pluses meaning total mastery. With each successful mission, you get another (or maybe two if the mission's really long and important to the DPRK or to Those People) plus, and possibly a medal as well. They are likely to pin it on the tin can you find yourself inside of.

As for the rolls themselves, well... probably a d6, with an additional d6 rolled to determine severity in case of a 6 or a 1, same as Prophets of the New God, pretty much.

Also, mastery of a particular type of psionics bestows bonuses! Once you add another plus, not only do you gain a host of new abilities (say, two or three for each level from 0 to 4), you also gain a +1 to using abilities of the previous level. So, at level 4 you'd get +4 to level 0 abilities, +3 to level 1 abilities, +2 to level 2 abilities, +1 to level 3 abilities and no bonus to level 4 abilities, because those are really complicated.

In addition, unless they piss off Those People or get seriously out of line to the point where Mission Control has to step in, players can't really die. Instead, their avatars can be disrupted (if solid, lots of things work, if not, mostly , which just requires the players to project them again. Mission Control mostly acts as an aide, being very well-versed in Mentalism and Sensation, and helps the subjects find their required locations and project there to operate in the name of the DPRK.

Of course, it doesn't necessarily have to be the DPRK they're working for. It's just more amusing that way, and paves the way for less serious missions alongside more professional ones.

Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: you can be of any nationality - the DPRK is not very selective in its kidnapping policies.
What You Were Doing At The Time Of Your Kidnapping: for fun and to give you a space to do some preliminary fleshing out of your characters.
Talents: add two pluses to whichever of the four categories you wish however you please, two pluses in one category being entirely acceptable.
The Color Of Your Mind: for color coding.
Your Power Animal: mostly irrelevant. Mostly.

So, thoughts? Suggestions? I can't run this right now, of course, but I do wish I could. What I left out were the specific powers people would get at each level of mastery - obviously, there should be a list of those, and I might even make one if I'm struck in the face by a brick of inspiration wrapped in a generous slice of free time.

Also, I wonder how easy to guess the inspiration for this is.

[Darvi]

D'ya play any Metal Gear games lately?

[Harry Baldman]

D'ya play any Metal Gear games lately?

No, never have. Do they have this sort of thing?

[Darvi]

Not that particular mix, no.

[flabort]

All I could think of while reading it is "Asian Hitler's Brain-in-a-jar". So no, I don't know what it's inspired by.
Obviously I would play it.
Name Roger II
What I was doing at kidnapping Daring people to punch his chest, then laughing when they shattered their arms. At a american-style country bar in the middle of a city.
Perks +2 mentalism
The color of your Mind: Chocolate
Your Power Animal The might oak tree
He hops between minds, rather then projecting an avatar. His forte is communication through other people, usually altering the voice of the possessed perp to indicate that he is speaking, not the body. Often he leaves a great deal of free will in order to fool whoever he is following into not suspecting a thing, until they speak in an otherworldly deep voice.

[darkpaladin109]

No idea what it could be inspired by.
I'l post another one of my ideas here later today.

[Fniff]

So, I was playing around with the concept of a mission based RTD. Usually the basic premise makes you the pawn of some person or organization that tells you to do things, but I was wondering how you would do that otherwise (As being a pawn in an RTD rarely lasts long). I thought about Winter on the Mountain, and I came up with a method for having a mission based RTD while still giving the players a sense of agency, if not agency itself. The players all have a single open-ended objectives where there is a lot of right answers and a lot of wrong answers that provides in and of itself it's own reward. For instance, getting a gun or getting laid. Completing the objective (Defined as at least one player doing it) gets every player a point: players that complete it personally get extra. What are points? Probably XP, haven't worked it out.

For my next RTD (For now titled "Lowlife" which is going to be urban fantasy as seen through the lens of Condemned Criminal Origins) I have about thirteen objectives so far, which means thirteen missions which seems a reasonable length for an RTD. In case it doesn't work out, here is a question: how do you tell your players that you are no longer interested in the RTD, and what is the best method of keeping interest in an RTD sparked for you the GM?