A world which is to be brought into being by the great minds of many, Patchwork is a RP project wherein a group sets out to make a world. However, rather than craft a world and place it into the fold, the intent is instead to allow a space for this creation whilst also experiencing this fledgling verse as it manifests. As such certain guidelines must be established, lest it be chaos which results from collaboration, rather than a harmonic world, though surely not one bereft of conflict in its myriad forms.
This is to be a roleplay wherein a world is brought to bear by the inhabitants who dwell within it, whomever they may be. Its genres will be listed below, as well as some core themes as they are considered and finalized.
Central to this RP's mechanics will be a series of systems namely the Lore, Tier, Time, and Accountability systems--The LATs System, for short.
Join, feel free to express interest here in the OOC, though you will have to go through the Accountability system before joining in on the fun.
Regardless, welcome! Let your stay be a long one.
Thematics
Science Fiction Modern Fantasy High Fantasy Dark Fantasy
The above genres are likely to be central to Patchwork, though it is hard to say what other sorts of things will find their place in this fledgling world as it grows from its infancy as an idea to adulthood as a fully realized verse. Who knows what might happen.
LATS
As mentioned earlier, LATS is a series of systems which will be utilized as guidelines for various elements of the RP. Specifically LATS will be utilized to organize (L)ore, player (A)ccountability, power (T)ier, and (S)etting. These will be addressed in order, starting with the Lore. Onwards!
Lore
In short the Lore system will be a system to organize the submission of lore so as not to simply throw elements into the world that would not properly fit into whatever established framework it will come to possess. The first step is the concept stage, wherein an individual will approach one of the loremasters(GMs) with their ideas for the world, regardless of its nature. A conversation will be had and questions will be asked to further clarify said ideas. After this, the player will be directed to utilize a Lore Sheet in the interest of documenting their ideas in an organized fashion. This sheet is first sent to the GM for review. Once given the okay, it is posted in the OOC where any other parties may view it.
While players may comment and make known their opinion on the lore entry, and such will be considered before final review (followed by integration, revision, or dismissal of the entry in question) ultimately the decision is left to the Loremasters--though constructive criticism, questions, and general discourse are appreciated and encouraged.
To review, the steps are as follows:
1.) Lore idea is presented to the Loremasters(GMs), discussed, then given the go ahead (or not). 2.) Lore Sheet is reviewed by the Loremasters(GMs). Entry is approved, denied, or revised. 3.) Lore Sheet is presented in the OOC for player reactions and feedback. 4.) Entry is reviewed once more by the Loremasters(GMs). 5.) Entry is finalized, then integrated into Patchwork's Lore Thread if applicable.
Once you been cleared to fill out a sheet, contact the Loremasters. Conversely, we will give you a sheet upon approving a concept.
The categories are as follows:
Locations Flora and Fauna Sentient Races Realms Organizations Magics History Deities and Primordial Forces Religions and Cults Technology
Lore Post Denotation
In the spirit of organization, below are detailed a series of tags which should be utilized when denoting lore while in character that one wishes such to be defined. The idea is to allow for small and subtle pieces of lore to be created or alluded to by Exploration-type players whilst in character, thus giving prompts to those who would world build to flesh out and give further depth to a given situation and the world at large.
The tags are as follows:
[GM] GameMaster. Tags used to denote that the GM team should define something. [A1] Anyone. A tag to denote that any player can define the lore in question. [COM] Community. A tag to denote that the player would like to collaborate with others. [IP] Personal: A tag denoting that the player will define the lore.
At the end of an in character post in which a player mentions lore that has yet to be defined a hider must be created. Within this hider any undefined terms and potential lore should be mentioned and labeled with their appropriate tags.
As Denaria crept through what the stranger had called Calethane's Respite, she noted the strange glow that emanated from a series of holes in the cavern's ceiling. Perhaps they were some sort of exotic plant that lived in the cave. Deeper within Calethane's Respite, Denaria found herself staring down into a chasm whose bottom she could not see. Yet, while she knew not its depth, she did know that whatever one might find at the bottom of the chasm was a beast of terrible vastness for twas from the chasm that a deep hum resounded, interrupted only by the shuddering breaths of something. Yet, she found herself far more disturbed by the shifting of the walls that surrounded her, which appeared as if covered by some sort of writhing mass. Whether it was an energy or a living thing she did not know and frankly had no wish to discover.
With this thought in mind she turned her back to the scene and began her trek back. Hopefully it would be as uneventful as her way in had been.
A relatively simple system so as to keep account of characters as well as the quality of lore, the Accountability system is twofold. Its first important duty is related to those who wish to join. In essence, one must simply present interest in the OOC, at which point they will be contacted by the GMs and requested to fill out the a Player Profile, found below.
[hider=INSERT USERNAME HERE'S Profile][u][b]Nicknames:[/b][/u] (Optional, but enjoyable :P) [u][b]RP Timeline:[/b][/u] (How long have you been RPing) [u][b]Preferred Pronouns:[/b][/u] (Optional) [u][b]Preferred Genres:[/b][/u] (What sorts of RPs and literature do you prefer to read, create, and write in?) [u][b]Participation Type:[/b][/u] Essentially, there are four types of participation. These include the following: [i][u][b]Lore Creation(1):[/b][/u][/i] A type describing an individual who wishes to assist in the creation of lore to flesh out the world. [i][u][b]World Exploration(2):[/b][/u][/i] A type categorizing an individual who wants to write characters experiencing the world. [i][u][b]Organization(3):[/b][/u][/i] A type categorizing an individual who is willing to assist in the organization of lore and, perhaps, plot. This category is off limits at the beginning, but may open up, or be a reward for continued participation. [i][u][b]Unbound:[/b][/u][/i] A category including two or more of the above categories. If one falls into this category, list the relevant numbers next to it in parentheses.
[u][b]Roleplay Sample:[/b][/u] (At least two paragraphs. Mind grammar, punctuation and spelling. Typos are alright, as long as they are not glaring and/or consistent)[/hider]
Once the Player Profile is filled out, reviewed and acceptance is given, the player may move to the second portion of the Accountability system. Unlike the first portion of the system, the second is not strictly necessary unless one wishes to participate in World Explanation, as described in the Player Profile. However, if one does and thus wishes to enter a character to explore the verse, they must contact the Loremasters via PM so as to submit a character concept.
Essentially a Character Concept is a paragraph or more description of a character, outlining their history, equipment, and abilities (as well as any particularly noteworthy personality traits). This is to prevent Mary sues/Gary Stus, maintain player accountability, and most importantly to stimulate interactions between characters. How, one might ask, well this is due to the fact that once the CC is accepted it is posted in the character thread by the player in question. This allows other players to see the sheet and decide if they would be interested in interacting.
It should be noted that while we do not strictly require any sort of full character sheet, they are nonetheless appreciated as additional effort put into a Character Concept allows us to ascertain more of the character's nature and thus perhaps facilitate plot where wanted or necessary.
Additionally, it should be noted that should one submit a fully fledged character sheet, it will be graded as such.
Tiers
While this system is still a work in progress and will be expanded on, one really must only take away a few things in regards to understanding it. Namely that the Tier system is to properly categorize a given character's strengths and weaknesses from a combat perspective. While currently we have simply devised the base form of what we have termed the "General Tier System," it should be noted that later on categories will be created to further assist in the accurate gauging of a given character's abilities.
No character, at current time, may start out stronger than T5 in regards to combat capability.
When the system is updated, it will be an announcement in the OOC.
Setting
Our final stop, Setting is less a system and more a method with which to keep track of characters and interactions ICly. This "system's" core purpose is to allow players to have their characters be in essentially any given location and within any given time period--though the time period is somewhat limited, thus bringing me to our next point.
While I will endorse using linear time, I am going to allow what I call Semi-liquid time, wherein a given timeframe is open, allowing players to post anywhere within that time frame so long as the general time stamp is in their post as according to the rules of the setting system.
While within the same city as other player characters, all posts may be made within a 3 day period ICly. This means that one could post anywhere between Monday and Tuesday on a general calendar. One must date their posts so that characters who are not working within the same timeline do not interact across time in a paradoxical fashion. When beyond a distance of several hundred miles, say on another continent, in another realm, or in several days travel (via horseback, not car) distance from another character, your may be within a week's period, rather than just 3 days of a given realm's beginning timeframe. Flashbacks are a unique instance in this regard, as past a week backwards in time, any event may be played out.
Time Denotation
Now, perhaps just as important as understanding the timeframes wherein one may post, is how one denotes their time and location in a post.
Additionally make sure that it is noted if a post is a flashback, by titling it with "Flashback," above the character name. You may add additional things such as alias and you may even denote that your character is moving from one location to another. If someone is moving from the ghettos of a city, to the upper class district, feel free to specify this, it is helpful for other players to find you. Movement from one location to another is denoted by an arrow [-->] with the starting location on the left side and the destination on the right.
I agree on the whole power thing really. I mean, I've made some really powerful characters in the past, two of which are my favorite characters not because "Oh, I can defeat all the people and cause all the destruction," but because of how and why they use that power and what kind of people that power has made them become.
One of them is my all time favorite and longest running character: Zume Tatasuko (sometimes called Arkaeis Zraimat). He has super high intellect (like...beyond human high)+very strong sensory capabilities and usually some kind of "void," magic, which is really quite complex. Depending on the verse he's in I either have to put limiters on him to balance him out or he is naturally balanced already. However, while his power is certainly interesting, it's more his motivations and how he interacts with a world that makes him fun.
In all honesty if I wasn't playing him so well, he'd be an archetypal or perhaps even gary stu character. Instead everyone who has ever written or read him enjoys interacting with him because he's just...interesting.
Plus, despite Zume having a lot of strengths, he has his weaknesses. The people he cares about happen to be one of them. In one verse that he's in, his weaknesses are a bit more evident as he is more among peers rather than being stronger than a good portion of individuals as he tends to be in another verse.
Zume's hard to explain as he's a ridiculously complex individual both in abilities and in personality so I'm probably not doing him justice right now. He's one of those characters you have to really see in action rather than understand in theory, if that makes any sense. The other really powerful character I have is Szayeis, who was a shapeshifting demonic lord, to put things lightly. He had status, his own kingdom, immense power, and was feared by many. However, he had a good many flaws. He has a certain arrogance to him, or at least pride of a sort. Not to mention he was deeply scarred by events in his past, which were largely responsible.
Again Szayeis is an archetype in that he is the Archetypal "evil". However, I don't really play him being "evil," as straight as some might as he does have his good sides, though rare. He isn't entirely beyond repair, even though he is pretty much morally reprehensible in every way ^^;
He especially managed to be interesting when something which threatened his continued existence (and the existence of the universe in which he lived) was threatened and it directly related to his individuality and soul. He was thus forced to work with people who he would otherwise only be fighting, which showed some more depth to his usually cruel, manipulative, and highly amused/high and mighty personality.
His power certainly lent him a lot of influence over others (be it through fear or sheer authority), but he wasn't interesting or fun to me because he was powerful, as I mentioned. He was interesting because he had an intriguing, nuanced, and deep personality.
So yeah, I'm...pretty good at using power in characters more for the purpose of it being a part of them which they have earned through many trials and tribulations. For such characters I tend not to reveal exactly how they rose to power, but instead prefer to allude to it, use flashbacks, and gradually reveal all the nuance and history written in their being--if you will.
Anywho, I'm rambling now.
Is it one character per player? As far as I know, one character is the limit. If, however, it is not the explicit rule, then it is definitely what has become common or convention per precedent. You will also notice that we are offered free reign in controlling NPCs and that the only stipulation is that we be trustworthy enough to not abuse such a power—as is frequently the case in this roleplay. Much of the creative liberty, which Transience has awarded us, is granted to us in good faith.
In regards to NPCs, how many is acceptable, how fleshed out can they be, what happens if one becomes commonplace and shows up quite often, actually becoming important in some way, can an NPC become--or be played similarly to--a character? NPCs are infinite in number. They are created and exist by necessity. NPCs which do not exist with respect to the established lore and rules are all which are off limits. For example, you cannot create an NPC that is the current president of Ansus because Ansus does not have a presidency; rather, it has a monarchy. There is no limit to how developed an NPC can become either, and they can ascend to a pseudo-character status minus the player exclusivity.
Well, since NPCs are largely open in that manner I figure I won't have to worry much even if there is a strict one character rule. It's just that I tend to get lots of ideas for things that really inspire and amuse me...and this seems like something that will do so quite a bit. So yeah, there's that. I'd obviously keep from making NPCs that didn't fit into the world as that'd be unreasonable and silly :P
What worldbuilding and lore creation has already occurred which cannot be found in the OP? That is a good, albeit tough, question. I would like to scour through the whole OOC and the IC to take note of the lore and world so far, but the difficulty arises in the sheer pile of posts which I would have to sift through to find the answer. I might actually try and do so, but there are so many posts (roughly 820) in the OOC already, many of them just #banter and not actual substance.
Hmm, I see. Well I suppose that's alright then. I mean it is 20 posts to a page I believe. So 820/20=41 pages give or take a few. Might be easier if you have several people do it and assign each person a certain amount of pages like:
X you search through pages 1-10, Y you search through pages 11-20, etc etc. Having made a world with exorbitant amounts of lore (all either talked about or written out by various people) I know the importance of having that lore available in one place. Especially for new people joining in :P
I know I'd certainly be interested to see what people have come up with in those 820+ posts.
Concerning magic... Well, the first part here is clear: magic is definitely a thing. There is most certainly powerful, spell-flinging magic, and it is certainly capable of leveling mountains and slaughtering demonic hordes with holy fire. One thing that I have noticed is that magic usage is limited to the legends themselves and the gods and that the common man is not capable of magic. Enemies created by myself and Transience might be capable of it, but outside those that I named, I am unsure whether anyone else has any kind of magical power. Still, I am fairly confident there will not be further limitations to magic and its capabilities aside from those placed by the players themselves. Again, magic is one of those "good faith" issues. Hopefully, we can trust you to be fair and reasonable about it.
Hmm, I see. So magic has no rules at the moment. I mean, that's more or less fine, plus it allows for specific forms of magic to perhaps have rules and everyone get what they want I suppose (within reasonable limits of course).
Are we limited to human or humanoid races? Transience said this already; we are limited to humans as it is an anthropocentric roleplay. But if you can design a well thought shapeshifter, go ahead and take your shot!
Hmm, shapeshifters eh? I presume by shapeshifter you mean something more akin to Changelings...if anyone knows what those are lol. Basically, they can only turn into humanoid appearances (not forming any new limbs/appendages), but they can alter their facial and body structure to look like pretty much anyone they want to. The changes take a few minutes depending on how used to it they are at that point. They also tend to be amazing actors.
Where's the story so far? I... am not entirely sure. I myself have to update my understanding of where everyone is at, but I will say that you are not explicitly required to know everything that is happening. Introducing new people to the roleplay has been so far fairly easy, since most of that work only requires exposing the setting and plot to them bit by bit as they join and immerse themselves. From there, it's simple enough to put them into the action with all the other characters.
Alright well it'd take awhile for me to get through all of that due to how busy work is keeping me at the moment. Still, since the pace seems moderate-slow I should be able to keep up once I have a character and whatnot. I might read the posts during free moments at work, it'd certainly be something to do.
Is there a loremaster? Nope! Nope-ity, nope, nope! There is no such title nor has there ever been in the roleplay. Everyone contributes to the lore aside from things that occurred before Ansur guided his people into Ansus. It is no person's sole duty to dictate how anything works in the roleplay, and the GM, as with most roleplays, has the final say on it. The bestiary and the lore sections in the OP need updating. When I summarize the roleplay so far after clearing some school stuff off my plate, I'll have a more definitive answer to stuff that's happened so far. I guess, concerning your question though, Transience is technically loremaster.
Being a loremaster doesn't necessarily mean you submit or control all the lore (or even that you finalize it). It only requires you have an exceptional understanding of most/all existing and presented lore. Noted though.
Are there any other realms? Are we open to there being others as long as they make sense and don't over complicate things too much? I will keep silent on this question for a little bit and perhaps leave it for Transience to answer.
Kk, I await Transience's response.
How do we feel about complexity, the ambiguous, the vague, the mysterious, the obscure, and the convoluted? There is already quite a bit of that in the lore thus far, and it would be pretty accurate to say that this roleplay is open to all of those things. Is complexity allowed? Definitely. Is complexity, to the point where nobody can make sense of it, allowed? Probably not, but again, all in good faith. This is after all the Advanced section, and we trust most players to use good judgment. That policy has worked, and I like to think it will continue to do us well.
Well that's a relief, thanks.
I also think, like @Vigfast, that the roleplay lends itself more as a story than it does as a game, and the goal is not to make powerful characters, but to create interesting, developed characters who do their duty as plot drivers. In the future, I plan on revealing Altim's flaws and showing that these legends are not all that they are presented as. That too seems to be the major theme; these are great figures, but the plot gives strong reminders that they are not as good as history makes them sound. Do not make a character that is strong or flawless, make a character that is unique, defective, and rife with lessons to be learned.
Often I make a character and then I realize how strong/effective they are after I have fought with them once or thoroughly thought of all the ways I could use their ability or abilities/equipment together. I only asked so I didn't step on any toes if I did decide to make someone particularly powerful. My goal is never just to have power for the sake of power. I use it more as a story device than anything else.
I just need @yoshua171 to reply so I can damn we'll have Jamie free
Provided my boss doesn't try to call me into work tomorrow, I can post then. I DID mention that Valak and Ferrin should've had some response to Dornae, which still hasn't happened.
I admit to having a propensity for exceptionally powerful characters. However, I never make them powerful for the sake of power alone. It's usually a side effect of creativity and really interesting characterization haha. My other issue is my characters tend to evolve and consistently surprise me in such a way that I'll think they do one or two things and then later find out that they do three our ten, if that makes any sense.
I also have the tendency of giving only tidbits of their history as the character sort of...reveals it to me later, which has the tendency of enriching both my and everyone else's experience of that character as they discover exactly how they ended up the way they did.
With this, since the history is basically "myth/legend," I can liberally describe the character the way history remembers them...and not necessarily how shizz really went down *grins, rubbing his hands together*
Oops...is my evil showing again? I even went so far as to change my title to Loremaster rather than overlord too *swears under his breath*
@Vigfast you really are a ninja, just slipped a post right between mine and made me have to edit out the mention of it being a double post horrendous monstrosity. Also yeah, there seems to ve a fair amount of wiggle room, which is quite amusing for someone like me who is good at understanding systems and rules...and then exploiting loopholes for profit and intriguing ideas.
Mind you, always with the GM's permission as anything else would be unreasonable.
Hmmm, I notice the existence of a God of the Void. Funny how my favorite concept to play with just so happens to be the Void. I suppose the question is Do I want to use that concept again or should I come up with something totally new....
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