Getting into the hands of creating a game is fun and allows you to attract people who are interested. Whether it can be from Sci Fi, Fantasy, or Post Apocalyptic. Creating worlds you invest in can be a fun process but sometimes you just don't know where to start. Always remember that no idea is impossible so long that it's interesting to a group of people. Even games like Fast Food can attract people. Once you're ready, head below.
Coming up with an idea[]
All potential RPs start with an interesting idea, something that can pull people in just by the basis of it. There are several questions you should ask yourself.
- What genre should the RP be?
- Has it ever been done before? And if so how can I make it different than the other?
- Will people, including myself have fun doing this?
- How can I promote this idea?
Once you have answered these questions you can probably come up with a decent plan for your RP. Usually I would make sure you write a rough draft in notes or on the computer. You will be surprised how flawed your memory is. Once that's done you've created an idea.
Creating Your World[]
You know what genre you want to do, now what else can you do for people to get invested? Creating a universe is usually the first step. Let's get right to that.
Creating a world should probably stick to what genre you want. Not to mention what role will the players play in? Are they average? Badass fighters? Is the world set in a fictional version of our world today? Where will the RPs set in the grand scale of things? Once you managed to come up with these things now it's time to get to the details. The juicy stuff.
World building is an important thing and you should always strive to make players feel like they're in the game itself. Remember you should try to show, don't tell as much as possible. It doesn't have to be as detailed as Tolkien's middle earth. Otherwise you're probably cramming in too much where it doesn't matter, especially at the beginning. Start with baby steps, and expand later when people are enjoying it. A simple concept can attract people as much as a complicated one. Unique elements like a new type of magic you've made in your head or a world where 1914's technology was steampunk can characterize your universe to something pretty cool. NPCs can also add favor to the world, this can probably come from you and the players.
There can be rules regarding your universe. The suspension of disbelief is at play here. Unless stated or shown otherwise the acceptable rule is that our reality applies to fiction. An example would be that Earth's gravity applies to other worlds in a Sci Fi universe despite that being inaccurate, but that's a standard players are willing to accept. If you do make rules to the universe be sure to ALWAYS abide them. Consistency is key.
Lastly, in games like these players are usually the center of things. You should try to strike a balance between humility and empowerment. You don't want to make them too weak in the midst of the world but you don't want to make them too powerful. Balancing these things out makes sure the story can have tension, risk while also have players enjoy how their characters can impact the world around them.
Combat[]
Usually there's some sort of combat system. The general rule of thumb that there should be a 1d10 roll for each combat action from a character, including the NPCs. A 1 result is a critical failure while a 10 is a critical success. Anything between those two can vary. A 5 usually has no impact on the player side and the enemy side.
Complex Combat Systems[]
Regarding more detailed systems. One of the popular systems is a combat sheet with the Level a character attains. The standard attributes consist of:
- HP, Health Points
- ATK, Attack Points
- DEF, Defense Points
- CH, Chance
- Special Feats, A feat will support either attribute listed above.
Depending on you, players can level up for doing a mission or a quest, which you can reward them with a point.That way their character background actually makes an impact in the game.
Trade-Offs[]
Of course, the combat systems have their benefits and draw backs. A simple combat system results in fast results and less hassle you have to deal with in the long run. However, the player characters might feel samey despite their skill differences in their background. In addition, there's no way you can tell what condition the character is in from the player's POV.
There's also the complex system which has a specific set of rules and status you and the player can see. This allows characters skills to make a difference in combat and differentiates between others. Not to mention there's options for a different builds a player can make. However, you're going to have to catch up with character sheets and make sure that when it comes to a skirmish you need to calculate based on the character's combat sheet. This process can take long and will build up as the game goes on.
Overall[]
There's no right or wrong answer to a combat system. What you prefer depends on you. If you want to make the game simple then go ahead with simple combat. If you want to give a more impacting experience then go with the complex one. As a beginner there's nothing wrong with taking a simpler approach until you're ready to move on with a detailed system. No one's going to judge you on deciding what's best for the game and you as a whole.
Getting Attention[]
Now that you have a pretty good idea what the RP will be you can start promoting the idea through your friends and other people who are into Rping. It's always good to hear other's opinions about it. With that, you can start selling the details. If they're interested then that's awesome! Be glad that someone is at least interested in the concept you have written. Be sure to make announcements on when will the RP open.
Posting Your Game[]
You're finally here, you made it up to this moment and you're still searching for errors endlessly before you hit that post button. Make one final announcement and post the game. Add a little media on top for flavor if you want. Once that's done, the only thing you can do is wait patiently. Just wait for people to join. Once there's enough people, start the game.
Closing of the Page[]
Let's be honest, experiences people will make of this will vary. Chances are players are joining your game as of this writing. Chances are there's nobody posting in your RP and you're still waiting for people to join. At the end of the day you've managed to write a universe with love and care. You've managed to put effort in the game knowing that it could either succeed or fail. That itself takes courage and risk and you should be glad knowing that you trying is more important than anything written here. Games like Starpath and Fast Food took risks in the process knowing it could fail but in the end, came out great. Don't let failure discourage you. Make it a lesson you can make something mundane into something amazing. No one started off being a good GM. If anything, they took the time and effort to learn what went wrong and treat that as a lesson.
Thank you for deciding to read this, and maybe one day post an idea of your own that will interest people.
Good luck and remember to have fun!