Deciding to save a more individual, larger-scale concept for further development, I've dug up two other roleplay concepts that would take comparatively less time to post and prepare. Of course the tagging of this thread as "advanced" is intended to imply an absence of laziness; I fully intend to develop the inexact ideas below to fulfill the higher standards expected from a roleplay that in-turn expects higher writing proficiency and a greater willingness to thoroughly explore a character (this, of course, meaning anyone should feel free to express interest whether he or she considers itself "advanced", as I assumed the label characterizes roleplays, not people.)
I have two concepts for you! Which, in your opinion, has the most potential, if any, and would you most look forward to, hypothetically or sincerely?
Idea number one concerns that Steven Universe show with the magic rock women who are sometimes really, really close friends, and as much I can appreciate the palatable irony of these extraterrestrial beings being firmly grounded on the mundane planet of Earth, the science-fiction elements of the show are equally engaging to me. There's a sincere cosmic horror note to the series, evident by the existence of the Diamond Authority alone, that I would also love to make a prevalent theme in a roleplay rooted in the canon of the show. Essentially, it'd be gems in space, likely jumping from planet to planet as required by a plot necessitating their escape from the Diamonds and loyal Homeworld soldiers, or it could all be in the name of pioneering and discovery that would organically lead to conflict between this rogue group of gems and the all-consuming authority they managed to become isolated from. The ultimate goal would be to unite these outliers in an alliance that would mirror the Crystal Gems but would also have the potential to be either a carbon copy, a foil, or something completely different. Character connectivity would be most important here so, as the GM, it would be my duty to shape the RP so that it encouraged interaction whether than personal meandering while also inspiring a sense of freedom and adventure, one not led on a straightforward path of events.
The biggest difficulty a Steven Universe roleplay of any sort presents, of course, is the fact that the series is, as of early March, unfinished; scraps are intentionally drip-fed throughout episodes to mimic Steven's gradual comprehension of what it truly means to be a gem. As a result, the roleplay could swerve spontaneously from the principles of the show if a future bomb episode reveals Steven was in a coma all along and the gems were just hallucinations!! I can try to soften the probable blow by having the roleplay's events ensue before or even during the chaotic Gem War rather than the ever-shifting present, though our understanding of said war is also quite ill-defined at the moment.
If that's a big turn-off for you, consider Idea Number Two: one rooted in the world of Pokemon where the players control Rangers, inspired by the Trainer class in the red-and-black uniforms, within the Kalos region. Kalos in-particular I felt was skimpy in terms of memorable geographical locals so it is of my interest to pack some meat onto the region's bones. The ultimate objective of Pokemon Rangers overall will be to defend Trainers traversing through perilous areas while also educating said Trainers on wildlife, first aid, and general safety. They will be additionally responsible for reporting sketchy individuals within their post and turn them in to proper authorities. Essentially, they're park rangers but everywhere to account for how dangerous Pokemon can be and look out for the less-informed little kids receiving their licenses (though the license-receiving procedures and criteria will be addressed and justified, as well as other aspects of the franchise.) The roleplay may specifically concern Rangers of an elite department partnered with law enforcement or simply a gathering of different varieties with different specialties, and truly, the "Ranger" title may be dropped entirely, for the ultimate purpose of the roleplay is to encourage a cast of characters as colorful of the titular "Pocket Monsters" themselves. The plot may be split into assorted missions, as small as shielding a little girl from a swarm of Golbat or as small as uncovering a mass black market conspiracy beneath the streets of Lumiose. Ultimately, I want to develop the Pokemon world to a greater extent as well as subvert and likely outright satirize the standard Pokemon journey roleplay with teenagers, starter Pokemon, and a far too lofty end objective of "beating all the gyms" set within a world with far too little lore to carry a consistent interpretation of said world without a game master's interference.
The most prominent issue I see regarding the concept above is how unapproachable Pokemon seems, from my perspective, to people who are not already invested in it. I can moderate this by cutting out superfluous mechanics—the level system, for example, would have to go—and being thorough regarding the essential ones; type advantages and disadvantages would not be presumed to be common knowledge. Finally, as much as I think disdainfully of limiting players to "roles"—giving available elements, occupations, etc. as it encourages them to devise their characters solely around whichever "roles" they adapt rather than think more inventively—I do think it would be less overwhelming to someone less-aware of how massive the series has gotten to constrict partner Pokemon to a certain category. I may, in fact, design things so that "Rangers" are accompanied by one to two partner Pokemon; in the case of having but a single companion, it would likely be one of the over 30 capable of mega-evolution.
Of course, all of these are just ideas in-development, so if you feel I should take a different direction with either, do not be afraid to make your opinion known. I would love to hear as much feedback as possible and anticipate some of your constructive thoughts! Ask questions too, in case my babbling turned out on the turbid side.
I have two concepts for you! Which, in your opinion, has the most potential, if any, and would you most look forward to, hypothetically or sincerely?
Idea number one concerns that Steven Universe show with the magic rock women who are sometimes really, really close friends, and as much I can appreciate the palatable irony of these extraterrestrial beings being firmly grounded on the mundane planet of Earth, the science-fiction elements of the show are equally engaging to me. There's a sincere cosmic horror note to the series, evident by the existence of the Diamond Authority alone, that I would also love to make a prevalent theme in a roleplay rooted in the canon of the show. Essentially, it'd be gems in space, likely jumping from planet to planet as required by a plot necessitating their escape from the Diamonds and loyal Homeworld soldiers, or it could all be in the name of pioneering and discovery that would organically lead to conflict between this rogue group of gems and the all-consuming authority they managed to become isolated from. The ultimate goal would be to unite these outliers in an alliance that would mirror the Crystal Gems but would also have the potential to be either a carbon copy, a foil, or something completely different. Character connectivity would be most important here so, as the GM, it would be my duty to shape the RP so that it encouraged interaction whether than personal meandering while also inspiring a sense of freedom and adventure, one not led on a straightforward path of events.
The biggest difficulty a Steven Universe roleplay of any sort presents, of course, is the fact that the series is, as of early March, unfinished; scraps are intentionally drip-fed throughout episodes to mimic Steven's gradual comprehension of what it truly means to be a gem. As a result, the roleplay could swerve spontaneously from the principles of the show if a future bomb episode reveals Steven was in a coma all along and the gems were just hallucinations!! I can try to soften the probable blow by having the roleplay's events ensue before or even during the chaotic Gem War rather than the ever-shifting present, though our understanding of said war is also quite ill-defined at the moment.
If that's a big turn-off for you, consider Idea Number Two: one rooted in the world of Pokemon where the players control Rangers, inspired by the Trainer class in the red-and-black uniforms, within the Kalos region. Kalos in-particular I felt was skimpy in terms of memorable geographical locals so it is of my interest to pack some meat onto the region's bones. The ultimate objective of Pokemon Rangers overall will be to defend Trainers traversing through perilous areas while also educating said Trainers on wildlife, first aid, and general safety. They will be additionally responsible for reporting sketchy individuals within their post and turn them in to proper authorities. Essentially, they're park rangers but everywhere to account for how dangerous Pokemon can be and look out for the less-informed little kids receiving their licenses (though the license-receiving procedures and criteria will be addressed and justified, as well as other aspects of the franchise.) The roleplay may specifically concern Rangers of an elite department partnered with law enforcement or simply a gathering of different varieties with different specialties, and truly, the "Ranger" title may be dropped entirely, for the ultimate purpose of the roleplay is to encourage a cast of characters as colorful of the titular "Pocket Monsters" themselves. The plot may be split into assorted missions, as small as shielding a little girl from a swarm of Golbat or as small as uncovering a mass black market conspiracy beneath the streets of Lumiose. Ultimately, I want to develop the Pokemon world to a greater extent as well as subvert and likely outright satirize the standard Pokemon journey roleplay with teenagers, starter Pokemon, and a far too lofty end objective of "beating all the gyms" set within a world with far too little lore to carry a consistent interpretation of said world without a game master's interference.
The most prominent issue I see regarding the concept above is how unapproachable Pokemon seems, from my perspective, to people who are not already invested in it. I can moderate this by cutting out superfluous mechanics—the level system, for example, would have to go—and being thorough regarding the essential ones; type advantages and disadvantages would not be presumed to be common knowledge. Finally, as much as I think disdainfully of limiting players to "roles"—giving available elements, occupations, etc. as it encourages them to devise their characters solely around whichever "roles" they adapt rather than think more inventively—I do think it would be less overwhelming to someone less-aware of how massive the series has gotten to constrict partner Pokemon to a certain category. I may, in fact, design things so that "Rangers" are accompanied by one to two partner Pokemon; in the case of having but a single companion, it would likely be one of the over 30 capable of mega-evolution.
Of course, all of these are just ideas in-development, so if you feel I should take a different direction with either, do not be afraid to make your opinion known. I would love to hear as much feedback as possible and anticipate some of your constructive thoughts! Ask questions too, in case my babbling turned out on the turbid side.