Roleplaying games in Second Life

Howdy folks.

For some time I've been wanting to try running/playing tabletop or LARP-style roleplaying games in SL. While groups dedicated to such things exist (and, in fact, I'm a member of the Roleplaying group if only for the title) there doesn't seem to be much actually /going on/.

I find this odd, since I'm in several groups that play weekly games over IRC... and know of others that use other forms of chat, whatever the common denominator for their group is.

In SL, you can aim for a curious hybrid of style - you can easily dress your avatar, add props, perhaps even script special effects - while allowing for much of the freedom of imagination a tabletop or chatroom game can have.

So, in short, this is a call for them that might find this an interesting avenue of exploration. Even if you aren't/haven't been much of a roleplayer but might be interested, I'd like to hear you out. Depending on what times can be arranged, I might be able to host/GM an event or two to try it out.

I think it's a great idea, but I haven't been able to interest any of the people I normally play with. They all mumble silly things about bandwidth, typing skills, and the lack of true interpersonal interaction. Luddites!

I don't have time to get involved in another RPG right now, but I might make time later this summer, for the right game. I'm not much of a D&D type player, though. I usually play ICE, Hero System, or Big Eyes, Small Mouths (an anime system by Guardians of Order).

neko

My only experience with Role Play games in SL was a couple weeks ago when someone Triple neg rated me, then told me I LOST when I IMd her asking what the heck it was for.

She said she knew I would be upset by it so I LOST her lil game and she won. She said it was all role play and what did it matter it was a game.

That's all

I would think *real* role play games could work though. I recall someone was doing something like those party type role play mysteries you try and solve.

I was in an RPG group a while ago, but nothing ever came of it. If anyone ever decides to start up a game (D&D 3.5, Rifts, GURPS, Wheel of Time and V:TM are the ones i'm familiar with) i'd be willing to join.

I think SL would be a fantastic place for roleplaying. However...

Roleplaying takes a certain amount of willpower to maintain immersion... and in SL, without a common theme, it takes a certain amount of effort to create a world where immersion can be nurtured. Most people really don't want to spend that much work, but will feed off of core and thematic players when found.

One really doesn't need those rules frameworks for most play... consensuality is the key. I personally prefer freeform rather than LARPoid rules, tabletop or GMed, myself. Regardless, look me up (I am in the PST timezone).. maybe we can work something out.

--v

*shrug*

I see worth in both rules-light and "crunchy" approaches; I'm not usually playing RPGs to participate in amateur improv theatre (which is, essentally, the totally freeform option) though I do not think poorly of those that prefer that in the least. Just not my thing.

Rules-light has just enough structure to add uncertainty and "honesty" to the mix, which I enjoy when I DO get in a creative theatrical mood. Whereas a sufficently fun set of "crunchy" rules played in a narrative fashion gives a wonderful chocolate-and-peanut-butter mix where you have the "game" of the rules, but also the "roleplaying" of the narrative. Hence... "roleplaying game".

That said, if I did run an RPG I would be running it... well, pretty much like one would a LARP in the real world. Find a good place where you won't bug other people overmuch, get into character, have fun. I'm considering buying one of Jessica Qin's "VR rooms"... and in fact, just might since there's a bit of interest... sticking it on the land I rent in Jai-By-The-Sea, and using that as a basic "gaming room". The system of choice would probably be Unknown Armies, which has the virtue of (a) free downloadable rules chapter from www.unknown-armies.com, (b) being dirt simple (roll a number between 1-100; get as high as possible without exceeding your skill) and has a freeform skill system much like the Over The Edge RPG.

The fact that I have a number of one-session "intro" scenarios for it for just this purpose helps, too.

i would be interested in table top games in SL. not so much LARPs but that's just cause most people are to terrible at that.

I was hoping for something of a blend, tho it would probably shade into tabletop style as I'm more used to it.

Once I get things set up, I think I'll make an event for it.

I come from a family of 'Gamers' though while my older brothers are into tabletop stuff like Diplomacy or varying PBM games, myself and the new generation of my family have migrated to the MMO and other computer formats primarily.

I still participate in a RoleMaster campagin (please don't shoot me ), but also involved in the Avatar LARP which is mostly involved here in NJ. I do have some experience with the older DND and V:TM (as well as some CoC), but have only played those in passing.

I'm still debating if I'd participate in something like an RPG here in SL, since besides Uru, this is the only other Online Environment I've participated in.

Actually, I played a MERP campaign back in college. We later immigrated to a hybrid of MERP with bits bolted on from Rolemaster we liked, and finally a full-fledged Spacemaster game.

Rolemaster is ok (though we do jokingly refer to it as "Chartmaster" in our house sometimes). That's what I meant by "ICE" above.

For SL games, the "diceless" style of the Chronicles of Amber system might work well. I myself like to have a few things written down about each character, whether I'm playing or GM'ing, just to clarify character concepts and balance the group, and I use dice with discretion so people feel there's an element of chance to the game, especially when they want to try something their character shouldn't always be able to do. But a lot of times when I'm GM'ing I'm more interested in keeping the story moving, so if a player has a good convincing reason why their character ought to be able to do something (or fail to do something) at the moment, I'm likely to go along with it.

I've never really gotten into LARPs, and I don't know as I'd bother in SL, either, though I'd likely create an avatar for my character if I were playing a tabletop-style RPG in SL, possibly complete with special effects. Especially if someone wants to play a shoujo anime themed game! (愛の戦士わセーラー服美少女戦士！セーラームン！月にくわっておしよきよ！ )

neko

isn't SimCast an RPG SIM? that and I think bedford it is called. there they have rules built in, you must use SimCast equipment but otherwise it sounds rather interesting.

Though I confess I have not REALLY tried it myself.


And for lighter Medieval style Role playing you can always go into ElvenGlen or Darkwood.

SimCast is a must try

Do or do not; there is no try.

The new realms are superb. I'm hoping to get a shop up in ElvenGlen. Things just keep getting better and better. :>

I'm more into the freeform RP because most "stiff rp" won't let in big birds. Sigh. Speciesism at its finest...

Hmph. Large birds are always welcome in any game *I'm* moderating!

Would you prefer to be a large bird playing a large bird character, or a large bird playing some other kind of being (for variety)?

neko

Just finished running my Unknown Armies RPG in SL tonight! A good time was had by all, though we massively over-ran thanks to many factors including a BROWNOUT on my end. (Budgeted 2 hours, wound up taking 4!)

Players were:

CountD Wishbringer as Henry Watts, the animal control officer;
Marissa Ramona and Gleeb Gupte as Minerva and Louis Brownstone, paranormal investigators;
and Davidangelo Edge as Buck D. Dover, skeptical magazine publisher.

The scenario was "Bill in Three Persons", the introductory scenario from the Unknown Armies book itself. In it, the player characters encountered a strange car crash at a deserted crossroads involving three identical men, and were thrown into a series of flashbacks where they had to prevent those men from arriving at that crossroads. Except for the aforementioned power outage, everything ran smoothly and well. Amazingly, more people showed up than I had characters ready to hand out! Sadly, I was unable to get a bunch of screen shots and my log is incomplete, only showing the latter portion of the game. Still, I'll post it if there's any interest.

I've learned a lot of little things about how to run a traditional-style RPG in SL, and I hope to do it again... I may run a more freeform, LARP-style game in the future as well. Other than that, the VR cube worked great, everybody had a more or less decent costume, and everyone displayed signs of enjoyment.

I'm sorry I missed that, Ms Stonebender. Please consider me for the next opportunity.
It sounds like great fun!

WW

*dramatic pause*

... My head a splode.

The former, methinks. Though I am flexible, I can play merely a big bird, or I can be extravagant and play a HUGE bird. But I won't play tiny birds. I only play critters high up on the food chain. Which are predatory-style birds. ^_^

Variety is good, but... when I can concentrate on one character, I am usually better off.

I always thought that tabletop style games in secondlife would be extremely fun, especially if they were played in a human chess kind of way... it would be interesting, and a cool new turn on things...

I think the most interesting aspect on RPing in SL would be the ability to recreate an specific world, and live in there playing one's character which some people deploying plost or events (game master?).
So far, the closest thing I found is the recreation of the Gorean world. Those guys have done a great job but sadly they have only focused on one aspect of that world.

I would like to build such a thing but I don't have the resources to do so. I would like to see recreated the world depicted in the saga The Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin.

Rhaegys
Blood of the Dragon

We tried about a year ago to get something going. We built an 80 x 80 meter grid that would rez different models and the toons were the miniatures. I think I have a graveyard, medieval town, dungeon, castle, and forest that all rez and die in the same 80 x 80 area. I'll set it up in Venice (bonaficio) if anyone wants to see it. I also scripted in a dice program. I think you type roll (x)d6 and it will generate a number for you.

I would still be interested in attempting to try this since I have been playing rpg's every weekend for the past 25 years. I have a huge amount of props as well. I still have a yahoo group called secondliferpg if you want to use it as well. We used it to post links to materials to download such as books.

Xavier

- I know this is a shameless plug, but I figured it was not unreasonably out of place in this thread:

I turned my SL home into a chess club, for anyone interested -- look up 'Chess' in Find. It has Xylor's awesome chess table, and links to bios and games of the world champions and other useful chess resources. There are also chess problems on display for you to solve.

very cool, stephane. To bad i don't play chess.
But i have often wonderd that there wasn't some sort of chess club.

I hope that you find some likeminded people.

I like to role play myself, but outside of the Gorean sim, which is interesting.. I haven't seen much for it. Nice to know that people out there have an interest in it.

I like your idea, Rhaegys, and that series is quite good..

Chess..sadly I suck at chess. LOL.

After a second discussion, I'm going to be starting a modern day "paranormal investigator" type roleplay; I shall post a detailed message here when I get some of the details hammered out.