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Recruiting for massive multi-team 5th ed PbP (Need 1 Gm(maybe) and 4 runners)

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Poindexter

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« on: <07-28-14/1343:47> »
Given the slow pace most PbP games move at as well as how often people drop out of them without a word, i was thinking of ways to use that as an advantage, and i came up with this.

Say 4 or 5 GMs get together and come up with a big ass intertwined plot involving 4 or 5 teams of runners. They each get their little section of the story ready and they each run a PbP game of 3-5 PCs on a series of missions that effect the events in the other games.

Advantages:
- Lots of people get a chance to play
- Cool feeling of knowing your actions ACTUALLY have an affect on things
- when players inevitably disappear, they can be killed quickly and groups can be merged, without TOO MUCH explanation of whats going on for the new team members.
- Good chance to tell a really detailed story.
- The stew created by many creative minds working together is often better than the beef broth one of them wanted to make.

Disadvantages:
-Logistical NIGHTMARE


To potential players: What are your thoughts/advice/worries/suggestions about an idea like this?

Same question for potential GMs, but from a more GM type standpoint.

GM list
1- Me
2- number 2
3- horsemen
4- rookie01
5- MAYBE martinchaen after the ban is over

players
1- triskavanski
2- blazrath
3- scawire
4- novocrane
5- marcus
6- eximius
7- lusis
8- reyjinn
9- koshnek
10- imveros
11- the wyrm ouroboros
12- rednblack
13- ishadel
14- yun
15- avpbot
16- ravensoracle
17-
18-
19-
20-
« Last Edit: <08-08-14/1919:35> by Poindexter »
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Crimsondude

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« Reply #1 on: <07-28-14/1433:45> »
One GM can do it if you focus on one or 2-4 PCs per thread.

It still remains a logistical nightmare, but it's not that bad and unsurprisingly does tend to discourage combat (though also because of the smaller groups).

Blazrath

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« Reply #2 on: <07-28-14/1436:22> »
Would this massive game include PvP? I understand its kind of a bad idea with most games, but the way you describe it with multiple teams its seems like inevitable 2 teams could go for the same thing or one is trying to steal documents while the other is there to protect it. It just seems likely to happen. Then I do hope you are thinking about putting each team in their own thread as doing less will become a headache.

The flip side of this, would the Sts try to think of missions that use one or more teams together as partners?

Logistically, its not as bad as you think. Set up a skype group for the sts and once a week have a discussion whats going on on in their neck of the woods. Like give the other Sts date and time of something happening cause it could effect their game if they are around that timeline and a description of what they do. Lone Star may be called to Group B's Bank Heist giving Group E the much needed lax in security to extract someone from a coffee shop. The key thing here is have communication, otherwise it will crash and burn.
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Poindexter

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« Reply #3 on: <07-28-14/1449:28> »
Anyone interested in doing this as a GM or player?
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Triskavanski

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« Reply #4 on: <07-28-14/1530:56> »
I'd be intrested as a player.
Concepts are great, but implementation sucks. Why not improve it?

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Blazrath

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« Reply #5 on: <07-28-14/1547:24> »
I don't know the system well enough to be a GM, so I'll stick to player for now.
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Number 2

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« Reply #6 on: <07-28-14/2105:05> »
So I'm not the only person whos thought of this, cool! I would be a GM if you needed one
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Poindexter

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« Reply #7 on: <07-28-14/2121:53> »
So I'm not the only person whos thought of this, cool! I would be a GM if you needed one

noted.
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martinchaen

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« Reply #8 on: <07-28-14/2246:47> »
I'll volunteer as a GM as well.

Poindexter

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« Reply #9 on: <07-29-14/0005:10> »
I would be a GM if you needed one

I'll volunteer as a GM as well.

Plus me equals three. can we get one or two more?
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reyjinn

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« Reply #10 on: <07-29-14/0456:01> »
This is all sorts of interesting, don't know if I'd have the time to do this right but I'll definitely be watching to see how this goes.
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Horsemen

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« Reply #11 on: <07-30-14/0918:38> »
I am currently running a game on another site that has three individual team arcs where actions in one arc could potentially impact another.  It definitely has its challenges particularly given the scope of what I have going.

One of the issues if you want to have crossover is the date/time placement of each team as they often progress at differing rates based upon choices and how they focus.

The GMs will also want to make sure they are maintaining a "universal" standard for how the rules, gear and anything else is going to be run if there is going to be crossover as a player will get used to how certain things work and expect it to stay that way.  It can really throw a player if they go in expecting it to work a certain way and base their tactics on it, only to suddenly be told right in the middle of the "event" that this GM does not run it that way. 

Any house rules need to be laid out right at the beginning as well and be universal as per the above.

That said, I might be interested in throwing my hat into the ring though I would be interested to know what the tentative expected posting rates would be as that too would be wise to have a ballpark for each arc to maintain timelines for influencing and any team jumping.

Also, would be a local (one city for the most part) or globe-trotting? If local, preferences for city at least in the back of your mind?
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martinchaen

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« Reply #12 on: <07-30-14/0953:34> »
I second the need for universal house rules; good call, Horsemen.

As for city, I'd propose somewhere well known so we all have the source material to work off of. Seattle is a tried and tested mainstay, as is Denver and Manhattan. Either of these would work as far as I'm concerned.

I'd be loathe to have teams go up against each other, to be honest, but I'd like for teams to see the effects of the actions of other teams. So, while two teams might go to the same building, maybe they're not there at the same time or if they are, maybe they are at different floors. Or, maybe one team is sent in to clean up after another team that just blew up a room, or something like that.

Scawire

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« Reply #13 on: <07-30-14/1833:34> »
If you guys do get this started I will be up for joining one of the groups as a runner.

I think if you do want regular posts once a day or once every other day ?Shouldn't? be too hard for most runners to commit to.
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Novocrane

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« Reply #14 on: <07-30-14/1853:04> »
On the off-chance of getting to play in Neo-Tokyo (think Sleeping Dogs, but exaggerate the hitech/lowlife aspects, guns are even harder to come across, and every wageslave's hip carries a blade) ... I'll put my name in as a runner.
« Last Edit: <07-30-14/1855:04> by Novocrane »