HOMICIDE! (A smut-free murder mystery open to all)

Started by Chrystal, May 15, 2016, 10:47:24 AM

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Chrystal

HOMICIDE


There is a murderer loose in the city, and it is your job to catch him or her.

Hi and welcome to my second attempt to run this game. First, before I say anything else, I would like to make one thing absolutely clear: There will be NO smut in this game whatsoever. If you want a game with smut, please look elsewhere or start your own. If you think you can persuade me to allow some smut, then think again. IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

Okay, with that out of the way, allow me to introduce the concept:

This game is based on every single TV cop show ever, from Z-Cars and Dixon Of Dock Green, Dragnet, The Sweeny, Ironside, Streets of San Francisco, Cannon, Kojak, Starsky & Hutch, Hawaii Five-Oh, Columbo, Hill Street Blues, The Bill, through to NCIS, Law & Order, CSI, Rookie Blue, Major Crimes, Cold Case, New Tricks...

Oh and I suppose we can throw in Quincy, but if anyone mentions Diagnosis Chim Chim Cheroo, they will not be playing...! *winks*

Here is the general idea. You, the players, play the detectives on the homicide team of the small fictional Mid-West city of Ubiquitous. Now, this city is somewhat unique in that it is small enough only to have one police station, but big enough to have it's own crime lab and forensics department. This may be a bit unrealistic, but it is to simplify things.

I, on the other hand, as GM, will play the murderer, the murder suspects, the witnesses, the uniform cops, the chief of police, the innocent by-standers, the lawyers. Owing to mistakes made and learned from last time, I will also play the coroner, and possibly the forensics specialist unless someone desperately wants that role.

The idea of the game is to solve the murder and catch the killer. If you are interested in doing so, then please read on!




Player Requirements:

I need a minimum of four players, a maximum of ten. Players MUST be into crime drama, solving mysteries, possibly even catching crooks etc... If you are a real cop and want to play, please remember that I am not and nor are any of the other players, and remember that this is fiction. While advice is welcome, I would rather you didn't constantly point out to me that such and such is impossible, that they do things differently in your city, or whatever. Like I said, I'm basing this on cop shows, not on reality!

Players MUST be willing and able to post at least once per week. If you love the idea of this game but don't think you will have the time, then please don't join. I see far too many games fizzle out because a key player goes back to school or starts a new job, or gets married or gets sick... *shrug* And those are the unexpected things. If you KNOW you are going to be too busy, that's just inconsiderate!

Players must want to solve the murder and catch the killer. If you don't want to do that, then this game is not for you.

Character Requirements:

As I said, all characters will be detectives in the Homicide squad of the Ubiquitous Police Department (UPD). I am going to be quite strict with character sheets this time around. There will be no rookies, no "Axel Foley"s, no SWAT specialists, no external consultants.

The following roles are available.

  • The tough but fair leader of the team. Taken
  • The grizzled oldster looking for one last big bust
  • The by-the-book bastard/bitch
  • The rule-bender who gets results
  • The "collar at any price" slightly bent cop Taken
  • The bitter cop who just lost his/her partner Taken
  • The tired/drunk cop who is barely able to cope
  • The overweight doughnut and coffee addict
  • The youngster, following the family tradition Taken
  • The quiet one who just works away in the background
  • The Geeky, techy, forensics specialist Taken
  • Anything else you can think of that fits

    NOTES:

    The three roles highlighted in red have special requirements.

    The team leader is a KEY ROLE. Last time I ran this game, the player playing the team leader dropped out, and then his replacement dropped out. This is unacceptable, as it kills the game. If you want the team leader role, then you MUST be committed to keeping the game going. Note that this is not a role I can take myself, because I know who the murderer is and it would be impossible not to meta-game.

    The slightly bent cop is NOT one who takes bribes or feeds information to the mob. What I mean is, he/she is the sort of cop who will slip a packet of cocaine into the suspect's pocket rather than let the suspect get off on a technicality.

    The Forensics Expert is a role that is open to play, but will have bursts of activity in between periods of not doing anything.




    The Game Play

    The game is going to be freeform, GM controlled. If you want to think of it in these terms, you could say it's the ultimate Macguffin hunt. The way it will work is, I will describe a scene, and it is up to the detectives to examine the scene, search it for clues and evidence. I will play the witnesses, and and will give witness statements when asked by the detectives.

    Q&A sessions will be handled by you posting a list of questions and me posting the answers. If you prefer, you can PM me the questions. If you are examining an item I will either PM you with what you find, or post what you find.

    There will be a thread which will be the Case File, in which players may post reports, but mostly it will be where I will post witness statements, autopsy reports and forensics reports (unless the forensics specialist is a player in which case that player will post the forensics reports), etc...

    WHY NO SMUT?

    Yeah, this is the biggie isn't it? If I put "SMUT FILLED GAME" in the title I would get loads of players. But they would be the wrong players. I will say this as many times as I need to to get the point across: The idea of the game is to solve the murder and catch the killer. That is it.

    If you are not interested in finding out who did it, then please don't ask to play. Last time, when the game died, I was about to ask if anyone wanted to know what the solution was, but I held back, because I figured if anyone cared enough, they would ask....

    So, no smut, because it just distracts from the story. How many cop shows have actual smut in them? Well, there are a few that hint at it, this is true. If you want to have your character in a romantic relationship with another character, then chances are that the chief will get involved and will call both characters into his office and ask them which one wants to resign... Of course if you can keep the relationship out of sight of your colleagues then that's fine. But you might want to remember that this also means keeping it out of the game!!!

    So what now?

    Well, if you are interested, please fill in the character sheet in the next post and PM it to me for approval. If you have any questions, please post them here - unless you would rather I answered privately, in which case feel free to PM me. I reserve the right to answer public questions privately and vice versa if I think it would be appropriate, but in the latter case, i will not reveal who asked the question.
THREADS:

Recruitment Thread - This Thread
OOC Thread - For OOC discussion of the game, and anything else
Player Character Thread - UPD Homicide Personnel files
Case File Thread - Records evidence from the case so far
IC Thread - The Streets of Ubiquitous, where the action takes place

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Chrystal

#1
Character Sheets

Rules for character Submission:


  • All characters submitted become the property of the game. In the event of the player dropping out, the character will be taken over by the GM and may be disposed of in any manner the GM sees fit, including but not limited to offering it to another player, controling it as an NPC, killing the character off, or otherwise removing it from play.
  • Characters must be submitted to the GM for aproval.
  • Characters must be submitted on the character sheet below, which must not be modified other than to fill in the required information.
  • Characters must be original. While they may be based loosely off canon characters from TV cop shows or movies, they should be significantly different. This is not only to avoid copyright issues, but also to show that the player can in fact be original.
  • Character photos should be of public figures, actors and actresses, sports people, politicians, etc.
  • Character pictures must be photographs, not art work.
  • Character pictures must be appropriate. Modern day clothing, no nude images, no bathing suits, no silly costumes, no uniforms. Backgrounds should be nondescript. If a weapon is visible in the image it MUST be one appropriate to the game.
  • The GM reserves the right to reject a character for any reason, or for no reason. However, I will usually attempt to give one, and to suggest ways in which the character can be made acceptable if possible.
  • Submitting a character implies acceptance of these rules and the Rules Of Play (below).

Possible reasons for rejecting a character include (but are not limited to):

  • Incomplete or incorrectly filled out character sheet
  • Modified character sheets
  • Inappropriate characters
  • Characters that are clearly intended to disrupt
  • Mary-Sue or Marty-Stu characters
  • Characters that have the same or similar name as the player
  • Characters that are too closely based on a canon character.

    RANKS

    There are such a diverse range of ranks within the police forces of the USA that I feel quite justified in creating my own.

    The Team leader will be a Detective Lieutenant.

    Everyone else (with the exception of the forensics person) may choose from the following:

    Detective Sergeant
    Senior Detective
    Detective

    The sheet


    [float=right][img height=300 padding=5]image URL goes here[/img][/float][b]Character Name:[/b] The name of your character

    [b]Player ID:[/b] Your login id

    [b]Rank:[/b] See above

    [b]Age:[/b] 24 minimum.

    [b]Role:[/b] Pick one of the available stereotypes listed in the OP, or make one up.

    [b]Appearance:[/b] A written description of the character, detailing anything not obvious from the image. Minimum 100 words

    [b]Personality:[/b] What are they like as a person? What pushes their buttons? What do they enjoy doing? What do they hate doing? Minimum 100 words.

    [b]History:[/b] How did they come to be a detective in the UPD? Have they always been in the town? Did they move here? Why did they become a cop? How long have they been a cop? (Minimum age is 20 for the state academy and it takes 4 years to become a detective). Please type at least two paragraphs and at least 300 words

    [b]Other:[/b] Anything else you think might be relevant. I'm only human after all.

    [hr]

    [b]What cop shows do [u]you[/u] watch regularly:[/b] Note that this is not part of your character, but if you say "none" there is no way you will be playing!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Chrystal

#2
RULES OF PLAY

These are my standard OOC rules of play for group games. I put them in every group game I run, usually with minor variations to suit the specific setting. I like to think there is nothing draconian or unacceptable here, and I ask all players to read them. Submitting a character sheet to me implies that you have read and are in agreement with these rules.

IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH SOMETHING HERE, PLEASE TELL ME!

All rules except two are negotiable!

Detective Direction

This is a GM directed roleplay. What that means is that I as GM provide you the players with a mystery to solve. I will provide you with the clues you need to solve it, but I will also provide red herrings. It is up to you to decide which are which. You may choose which leads to follow up and which to ignore, and your ultimate goal is to track down and arrest the murderer.

RULES:


  • The GM's word is law. This does not mean I'm not open to discussion, but if it comes to an impasse, if a decision needs to be made, or a discussion is getting out of bounds, I will render a decision that I expect to be abided by. I will do this based upon context.
  • Respect other players ons and more importantly, their offs! This is NOT negotiable. Ons and offs are there for a reason. If you feel someone has broken this rule, please PM them first to talk about it. If they will not change their post, then contact me via PM and I will deal with it. Please note that persistently ignoring another players O/Os is grounds for reporting to staff! NOTE: Smut is not permitted in this game.
  • Try to post at least once a week. If you know you will be unable to post for a while please let us know in advance in the OOC. it is a good idea to create an Apologies/Absences (A/A) thread so everyone you are RPing with knows where you've gone. Players who fail to post for a considerable length of time will have their characters teken over by the GM and removed from play
  • If you know you are going to be away for a considerable time (more than a week) please bring any story-arcs you are involved in to a conclusion, or extract your character from them. If you inform me you will be away, I will not kill off your character!
  • If you find your character is sitting around doing nothing, post something to the OOC, or PM me. If you wait for someone to interact with you, you will wait a long time. Let me know and I will create an event for you.
  • If you have any questions about anything in the game, ASK! The only stupid questions are "how many beans make five" and ones that aren't asked!
  • The OOC-Chat thread will be for people to chat. I have no problems with you guys discussing the latest football results if you wish, (although I'd rather you didn't as I don't like football), because it means you are getting on as a group. Use that thread as you see fit, but please give priority to game related discussion.
  • Please tag all IC posts using the code that will be supplied, editing the details as appropriate. This will enable other players and myself to track where everyone is.
  • There is no rule 9.
  • Players who drop out of the game will have their character taken over by the GM and disposed of as I see fit. If this is unacceptable to you, don't drop out of the game.
  • Please try to post a minimum of 300 words per post. If you post short once in a while, that isn't going to be a problem, but doing so consistently will draw my attention and I will ask you to expand your posts. If the player you are responding to has not given you enough material to write a decent length post from, PM them and ask them to expand their post.
  • God-Moding is a big no-no, but a certain amount of "moving the story on" needs to be expected. If you feel you have been god-moded, talk it over by PM, and if you cannot reach a satisfactory solution, bring it to me.
  • Actions have consequences! If your post has been replied to, it has become canon. Please do not edit it without permission.
  • HAVE FUN! This too is non-negotiable. If you aren't having fun, I would like to know why, so I can change whatever it is that is stopping you having fun!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Vonandi

Interested as the quiet one or the rule-bender.

Chrystal

Quote from: Ithnuul on May 15, 2016, 11:49:00 AM
Interested as the quiet one or the rule-bender.

Hi Ithnuul.

That was quick! *grin*

Please go up and read the character submission rules and rules of play, and if you are still interested, please PM me a completed character sheet.

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

mia h

Sounds interesting but mentioning Rookie Blue and Hawaii Five-Oh means I have to come up with a cross between Andy McNally and Kono Kalakaua  :P
Although I have no idea where that would fit into your role list.
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Chrystal

I have no idea who the latter one is - I was meaning the original series of H5O with Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett, and the last episode of Rookie Blue I saw, McNally was still in uniform.

But I'm more than willing to consider a character that doesn't fit into any of the moulds I have offered. If you want to work out what her character would be like, I can certainly fit her in somewhere.

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

mia h

Kono from the original show

and from the current version


I know it's hard to tell them apart.
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Chrystal

Well damn, they could almost be twins... *giggle*

Yeah I know which one I prefer... But then again, I don't know how big Gilbert Kauhi's boobs are... *winks*

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Nymphadora

I know what I said but I'm seriously considering it even still...

I love me some organised filing and meticulousness and all that shit that comes with the forensics role.

Blarg!! Count me in!!

*hugs Chrystal*
A&As UPDATED Oct 26/23

Rate:Weekly give or take
Status: Enjoying myself
Availability:
Unavailable for new plottings, sorry.
O&Os Please review
♪As flawed as you may think you are, you're perfect to me!♪

Chrystal

Quote from: Nymphadora on May 15, 2016, 04:46:02 PM
I know what I said but I'm seriously considering it even still...

I love me some organised filing and meticulousness and all that shit that comes with the forensics role.

Blarg!! Count me in!!

*hugs Chrystal*

One...?

*giggles and hugs back*

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

mia h

Character Name: Melissa Jane Hobbes

Player ID: mia h

Rank: Detective

Age: 26

Role: Youngster following in the family tradition

Appearance: Despite giving up on a career as a professional athlete close to a decade ago, Melissa couldn't get out of the habit of being fit. There is pretty much no sport that she hasn't tried at one time or other, and she has the bruises and scars to prove it, look closely enough and the evidence of her athletic misadventures can be seen.

Personality: When Melissa is focused and wants to or enjoys doing something there is very little that can stop her from doing it. But when she is less confident she can withdraw and seem indecisive. Melissa is also prone to making tiny mistakes, something she is working on in her professional life as she now carries round a notebook with 'To Do' lists, although the notebook is becoming more of a comfort blanket that a necessity.
She does find the job stressful and needs ways to blow off steam, usually this involves alcohol or adrenaline and sometimes both. The things that get to her the most are the witnesses who didn't see anything or couldn't be bothered, both of which have been known to end with her turning the air blue in the squad car.

History: The Hobbes have been a cop family for a long time, with Melissa being the 4th generation to enter the profession. The tradition goes back to Melissa's Great-Grandfather Joseph Hobbes, the youngest child of an Irish immigrant family, who despite his lack of education rose from being a lowly beat cop to being a Police Captain, setting the standard for his ancestors.

Melissa's older brother Richard couldn't wait to join the UPD have been indoctrinated from birth that policing is just what a Hobbes did by both the family and the dozen's of uniformed Uncle's. Melissa had different ideas about her future, she was a gifted athlete and gymnast and from an early age was picked up as someone who had the potential to make it at the highest levels of the sport. The practice was endless but Melissa enjoyed it so her parents didn't mind the early morning training sessions and the long trips to competitions. But Melissa's dreams came to end during her sophomore year at High School, when during a competition she slipped off the asymmetric bars landed badly and blew her knee. After several surgeries it became clear that the knee would never heal enough for her to compete professionally.
This caused Melissa to rethink what she wanted to do with her life, eventually she left for college to study psychology but really she was getting away from her life to find out who she was and what she wanted to do. At the same time Melissa was leaving for college Richard was graduating from the State Police Academy, where he was carrying the weight of expectations to match the achievements of rest of the Hobbes family in their UPD careers. This made Richard both incredibly driven and slightly reckless at times. It was this recklessness that lead Richard into making a bad call, he chased a robbery suspect into an abandoned house without waiting for backup. The criminal was able to outflank Richard, shooting and killing him before fleeing the scene, no one has been arrested for his murder.

As a result of Richard's death, Melissa dropped out of college and enrolled in the State Academy, joining the UPD was now something she needed to do. While her father wasn't thrilled at the prospect of what might happen to his daughter, he did his best to support her by pulling strings to make sure that she was in the best instructors classes and when she graduated she was assigned to the best Training Officer in the UPD. By the time Melissa had fully completed her training her father had decided to take early retirement, leaving Melissa as the only Hobbes on the force. If forced to admit it, Melissa would say she wasn't the best Cop that she knew but she knew how the UPD looked after it's extended family which is why she was given opportunities and assignments that would normally go to more experienced Officers. But she was surprised that when an opening for a Detective came up she was strongly encourage to apply for the position even though she'd would be competing against Officers that had at least a decade's experience on the force, more than double her time on the force. Melissa was even more surprised when she got the promotion, with one of the reasons for her success being cited as her breadth of experience. Melissa has been a Detective for a little over 6 months and still getting fully to grips with the job.

Other: The only people who use Melissa's full name are her family, to everyone else it's Mel or MJ




What cop shows do you watch regularly:
Brooklyn 99, Angie Tribeca, NCIS, Lucifer, Person of Interest, Hawaii Five-0, Sherlock, Limitless

Mysteries of Laura, Castle, The Mentalist, Rookie Blue, Golden Boy, The Bridge, Cracked
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Vonandi

Though I am familiar with the basic tropes of crime mystery, I don't watch TV at all so I guess I'm out. For the best I suppose since I was more attracted to it being a smut-free storey rather than the any of the crime solving aspects.

Chrystal

Quote from: Ithnuul on May 17, 2016, 01:11:42 PM
Though I am familiar with the basic tropes of crime mystery, I don't watch TV at all so I guess I'm out. For the best I suppose since I was more attracted to it being a smut-free storey rather than the any of the crime solving aspects.

Yeah, sorry about that, but if you don't have an interest in solving the mystery, sooner or later you are probably going to get bored and drop out!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Sparky01

Hi Chrystal. 
After a hiatus, I have returned.  My job takes much more of my time than my old one did.  I have learned not to jump into 12 roles at the same time.

I really enjoyed playing this last time and still regret leaving it as I did.

Anyway, I can certainly commit to 1x or 2x a week.  Happy to play a role if you will have me.  Not sure on the lead guy if I am too slow at that rate.

You run first rate, quality, well moderared games.  I would be delighted to play again in a group.

Chrystal

Hey buddy. I've missed you.

1 or 2 posts per week is all I'm after. If you want the lead then sure, but you might be better taking a lesser role if you aren't confident you can commit to it.

Technically I don't need the lead role, it can just be a couple of teams of detectives investigating the murder and following up the leads as they see fit.

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Sparky01

Thanks, Chrystal.

I will work on a charrie sheet for a non-lead role.
One or two a week will be a-ok.  And I have missed you as well.

Sparky01

I know this will be a great chance to actively play out a game being led by one great story teller. 
Waves to the fellow UPD department.

Thank you Chrystal for your help in developing Chip. 

mia h

"MJ & Chip" sounds like a really bad 80's detective buddy movie  ;D
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Sparky01

#19
Especially if one of them has a pet monkey or large dog that helps them investigate crime!

Hi partner. Happy so see you.

Chrystal

Okay, technically, I could run this with just the two of you plus Nymph as the techie.

But the problem really is that you might end up being rushed off your feet. It's really down to the two of you. Nymphadora's role will actually be easier with fewer players, because there will be less evidence being gathered all at once.

So, do you want to just be a two-person team, partnered up to investigate a murder case?

Quote from: mia h on May 25, 2016, 10:14:13 AM
"MJ & Chip" sounds like a really bad 80's detective buddy movie  ;D

It does doesn't it...!

Anyway, my one major concern here, especially given the trope that EJ selected for Chip, is that with only two of you, you might miss vital clues...

We could wait and see if anyone else comes along, or if either of you can think of anyone who might be interested, you could point them this way... Or we could make a start and see what happens...

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Sparky01

I can think of a few flex options.

Chip can be edited into a more suitable character.  I am not particularly partial to slightly bent cop.
I can create a new one.  I can fold in any preferences either of you might have. 

A group of two might be a good thing or less-than-ideal.  I can surely commit to the game, but  my post rate might be a slow go to you.

I can wait for others players, too.

mia h

Quote from: Chrystal on May 26, 2016, 03:58:29 AM
Anyway, my one major concern here, especially given the trope that EJ selected for Chip, is that with only two of you, you might miss vital clues...
...and thought it would be the less experienced member of the teaming missing the obvious clues.

Quote from: Chrystal on May 26, 2016, 03:58:29 AM
We could wait and see if anyone else comes along, or if either of you can think of anyone who might be interested, you could point them this way... Or we could make a start and see what happens...
If EJ wants to tweak Chip a little bit then we should wait until that's been sorted out but after that we could make a start.

Or if the lack of smut is lowering interest, then maybe have the Police station set on the other side of the street from a strip bar. That way characters can go look at imaginary naked people during their lunch breaks  ;D
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Black Howling

My interest has been more then piqued by this. I've been working on a concept, but it's slow going thus far.

Just so you know there are more eyes on the game.

Sparky01

Quote from: mia h on May 26, 2016, 08:31:04 AM

If EJ wants to tweak Chip a little bit then we should wait until that's been sorted out but after that we could make a start.


My offering to tweak was if with just two of us, that makes it difficult to run.  I can, if it helps.   Or he can be as he is.


So, question...is my character a better fit with a different kind of trope.  (I have never used that word before.  Writing with Chrystal is good for my vocabulary)

Also, welcome Black Howling.
Care to share what you might be mulling?