Just an initial feeler I’m putting out, but which of these RPs would people be most interested in? I’ve worked more on the first one but wanted to see where the interest was before I continued or developed something else. 

1.

[hider=The Enemies of Rome]
This RP would be set around the times of the Roman Empire’s dominance of the western world – after the days of the republic and when the Empire was around its strongest, before the decline and split of the empire. 

There will also be a slight magical and divine elements involved – for example the God’s really do have some influence and things such as curses and blessings have power ect, though no players will have any direct control over such powers (at least not without prior permission from myself). 

Events up until now follow the historical path, however from the start of the RP it is a free for all – in terms of whatever happens happens. The next Emperor doesn’t have to be Pertinax – or any of the other four (as the year after Commodus died was the year of 5 emperors). 

And indeed depending on how long term this ends up Rome doesn’t have to decline (as about 40 years after the death of Commodus is when things really started going badly for Rome). 

The RP will be strongly player driven – with the story revolving directly around their actions with a completely open-ended plot. 

Though you can literally be anyone from anywhere – I would recommend that you focus your characters around one of the three main enemies of Rome (or at least something which can tie into those things) as that’s where I have done the most pre-planned work. Or be a part of Rome itself of course. 

The current Emperor of Rome is:

Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius (18th Emperor)

The current main enemies of Rome:

Dacia - Open War (Balkans, north of Macedonia – Greek/Barbarian influences)
Caledonians – Open War (North Britannia – Pure Barbarian) 
Army deserters/Rebels (Widespread/mainly Gaul – Roman & Barbarian). 

Powerful/Factions of note.

Senate – The Roman senate, though greatly reduced in power since the days of the republic is still a force to be feared. It retained its legal position as under the Republic, (in practice) however the actual authority of the Imperial Senate is negligible, as the Emperor holds the true power in the state. As such, membership in the Senate has become sought after by individuals seeking prestige and social standing, rather than actual authority. It is a vehicle through which the Emperor exercises his autocratic powers. Despite this the individuals all hold some level of power, and can make life very difficult for those they choose to. They also have some say in the next emperor – in the fact that their support ensures legitimacy of the candidate. 

The year is 181AD and the glorious Roman Empire continues to spread its boarders in all directions of the known world, and indeed far too few dare to stand in its way. After the death of the Emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius the Philosopher, his 18 year old son Commodus has become the new ruler. This for some has marked a turning point, the new Emperor’s rule being vastly different from that of his fathers. Rumours quickly spread through the Empire of his often foolhardy and reckless nature, a man who loves himself more than Rome itself. Rumour or not it is clear that the Empire stands atop a precipice balancing finely on its edge, ready to tip one way or another. 

At the northernmost tip of the empire one of the last free Celtic peoples stand against the strength of Rome, the Caledonians. Their ranks have swelled with an influx of the last resisting Britannic tribesmen who dare to stand against their Roman subjugators, and together they may be able to resist and even fight back against them. 

To the eastern most boarders of the Empire the warlike and strong barbarian people of Dacia are one of the few who again dare to resist the might of Rome’s legions. These people are strong and fierce, dismissed by the Romans as yet another simple Barbarian tribe who will offer little trouble. These people have strong Hellenic influences and are more organised than any of the barbarians that Rome has already conquered, this may be key to them resisting their advances and striking back against those that would see them dead. 

Within the Empires boarders’ trouble is also brewing as some begin to question the Emperor, his policy of indirect administration showing his lack of interest in the politics and general running of the Empire – things that have previously made it great. He instead opts to let his immediate underlings deal with such matters, and diverts his own attention to mass entertainment and other trivial matters. To complicate matters he has already made several enemies amongst the senate, taxing them heavily to fund his extravagant public affairs.

As always piracy is rife in the Mediterranean as trade flourishes between the countless Roman colonies, the distant lands of the Empire bringing the wealth of the world to Rome. 

Countless other minor issues exist, any one of them having the potential to bubble over and become a direct problem for Rome at only a few moments notice.
[/hider]

2. The Boshin War
This RP would be set at the onset of the Boshin war – a civil war in Japan which ran from 1868 to 1869, between the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court.

The war found its origins in dissatisfaction among many nobles and young samurai with the shogunate's handling of foreigners following the opening of Japan during the prior decade (end of Sakoku). An alliance of western samurai and court officials secured control of the imperial court and influenced the young Emperor Meiji. Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the sitting shogun, realizing the futility of his situation, abdicated political power to the emperor. Yoshinobu had hoped that by doing this, the Tokugawa house could be preserved and participate in the future government. However, military movements by imperial forces, partisan violence in Edo, and an imperial decree promoted by two strong western clans abolishing the house of Tokugawa led Yoshinobu to launch a military campaign to seize the emperor's court at Kyoto. 

It would pit the more modernised Imperial forces against the more traditional samurai of the shogunate, and again would be completely open ended as the previous RP.

3. Early Roman Republic
Maybe something set at the early republic stage of Roman history – so more about the Punic wars with Carthage to begin with and the conquest of Gaul and south Iberia, followed by Greece and so on. 

4. An assassin’s creed esq Roman era RP! (Nothing to do with any of the above – assassin’s creed is just awesome and I reckon I could throw together a good Roman one.
5. Something else altogether – feel free to suggest.