[Interest Check] Virtual Reality Fantasy MMO

Started by Yorubi, May 15, 2011, 04:11:37 AM

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Yorubi


I was thinking of a roleplay that took place in both the real world and a game world. If you ever played/watched and .hack//, you can somewhat get the idea of what I mean. Its focus is on players logging on and playing together in an online environment on a certain game. It would be a 'virtual reality' type of game which players put on a headset and can see and to a degree act upon their thoughts. Some things occur and people who die in the game suddenly fall into a coma. It would focus around the aspect of trying to find out what is the cause to try and fix it, whether they have a friend who fell into a coma or perhaps the person themselves has been inflicted and can't log out of the game and aren't able to die, otherwise they would die in real life.

I figure setting wise it can take place in the game as a center focus, while also allowing for interaction in real life. Being the forums they are, sexual contact can occur in either setting, though its likely in game sexual acts would need to be somewhere more 'private'. :) This roleplay could be either free form or we could try a system based idea for the "in-game" action. I'm only really experienced with Pathfinder though and I haven't DMed but I'm willing to learn and get it down if there are people interested in doing the roleplay that style.

If you are interested, post here. Feel free to bounce off any ideas or things you would like in this RP. I know its a bit of a 'surreal' idea, so I just want to get a taste if people like it and what they might like involved with it.

Classes (Under Construction) Keep in mind these are not final:
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Fighter: Strong melee class. A fighter often wears heavy armor and uses a variety of different weapons. They posses no magic ability at all.
+Knight: An advancement of the Fighter class that focuses on heavy armor. Knights are able to use one handed weapons and shields and can dual weild or used two handed weapons. They have the ability to switch to be offense or defensive on the go by changing their weapons and fight to keep others safe with honor.
+Beserker: Damage focused individuals. They sacrifice heavy armor for medium in order to be more flexible. They have the ability to enrage themselves causing their defenses to lower while boosting their ability to do damage. They usually use large two handed weapons.
+Paladin: A holy combatant. A paladin seeks spiritual guidance and uses it to unleash divine power on the enemy. They use primarily swords and shields for combat. They have a natural holy aura that strengthens allies slightly. They can use special divine magic known as Favors  to heal allies, increase their strength, or smite evil foes. Favors are much more limited then magic and can only be used once every few minutes.

Mage: A magic user which excels at spells. They wear only cloth armor and can be rather fragile. They have limited ability with weapons.
+Elementalist: Magic user who focuses upon using the elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.
+Warlock: An individual who studied the dark arts. Warlocks are able to use darkness to inflict damage and curses upon their enemies.
+Magi-Knight: A magic user who has trained in the use of melee weapons. They are able to enhance their weapons with magic power and use some magic spells to their advantage. Their greatest strength lies in the arcane magic they use to bolster their power and allowing them to use one handed weapons effectively.

Rogue: Adaptable melee or ranged class. A rogue wears light armor and various small one handed weapons, such as short swords or daggers. They use little to no magic. They have various feats which gives them an advantage in combat. Rogues are able to use small ranged throwing weapons and switch to them as an alternate form of attack.
+Assassin: A melee fighter. They canuse stealth and other tactics to sneak up and take out a foe. Their ability to react quickly and escape from danger makes up for their lack of defense while getting up close.
+Ranger: A ranged weapon user. A ranger has the ability to fight from afar and react quickly to danger. Ranges are able to use weak magic, providing a small bit of extra support.
+Beast Master: The tamer of creatures. A beast master is able to take a creature type of their choice and become attuned with them. A beast master can enhance the creatures abilities and works together in synergy with their pet to fight. They can be skilled at either ranged weapons or melee.

Cleric: A support melee or caster class. They often wear medium armor and can use a few different types of weapons. They use divine magic as their means for strenght or aiding others.
+Priest: A caster type focusing on divine magic. Priests are able to heal and support allies from a distance. Their magic allows them to repel away evil and do some damage to enemies. They are particularly strong against unholy creatures. Priests can only wear cloth armor.
+Enchanter: A buff focused user. Enchanters are able to provide supportive buffs to allies while getting up close to an enemy and attacking with a weapon. They have weaker healing abilities then priests and lack casting magic. Enchanters use medium armor and use blunt weapons such as maces or a staff.\
+Monk: A master of the martial arts and understanding the body. The Monk focuses on using their body as a weapon. They use only cloth armor. Their attunement to their body and spirit allows them to use special enhanced abilities, making their strikes hit as strong as if they were to use a physical weapon with the aid of an energy known as Ki.

Races (Just ask if you want something added and I'll say if its alright. ^^)
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
Humans: The most popular race in the world. Humans are most noted for their strength and cunning. Human beings were the race that had done the most for the development of the world, taking the old ruins and methods of magic and changing them into much more advanced structures and devices.

Elves: A race often found locked away from the rest of the world. Elves are said to be directly related to the people from the old civilization in which magic was rediscovered from. Elves tend to keep themselves more hidden away and live in smaller civilizations then human beings, often built in unison with nature. Elves were believed to be immortal at one time until the blessing of eternal life mysteriously vanished. Their lifespans are similiar to humans, though most elves tend to live slightly longer. They are known for their long pointy ears and often are shorter then humans

Half-Elves: A race that is relatively new due to the movement of elves into the general society. Half elves aren't always technically half of both races, rather acting as a general name for those who have both elven and human blood. Due to the fact the mix can vary, half elves often times seem to look as a mix between the two races. Their ears are the biggest sign of their heritage.

Settings:

Real World:
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
The world itself in the RP will take place ~20 years in the future. Much of what we have around today will still be available, though many components are improved upon. Most transportation is powered by solar power and electricity. Most modern day appliances have undergone upgrades to be easier and more efficient. Medical treatments have gone through numerous updates and cures have been found for diseases that were once though incurable. Cell phones that don't use the internet or provide any extra little goodies are considered ancient and outdated technology. Bill boards have moved to a more digital front and often play video. Graphics have come to the point it can be difficult to tell CGI from a real person. Voice command was replaced by the use of a mental link in many devices to not only access and pick what you want, but also to keep your things from being accessed by someone else. Video games have begun to dip into virtual reality using the new mind linking technology and have begun to take off.

Game World
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
The game world takes place in a fantasy world where swords and magic are the keys to survival. Magic has acted as the largest advancement in the world's technology as many creations have used it. Floating islands have been propelled by the use of magic. Bridges and various transportation uses it to move long distances. Teleportation is possible due to special focused crystals that are attached to special portal structures that allow the user to enter through one and walk out from its opposing side, no matter where it might be. Most people live in large cities or towns that are walled off from the wilderness. Outside of refuge, various monsters or bandits wander. Those brave enough to explore can find so many things all scattered and hidden through the world. Various dungeons and locations that have been long lost can be found. Players can explore and discover the mystery behind the origins of magic and the remains of long lost civilizations in which it was discovered from.

While that setting might be what most players see, the game world itself has many places that are further hidden beyond the logic of the game world. Small cracks can be found by those observant or the right tools that can be opened and enter, leading to areas that don't seem to belong to the game, full of glitches and half done items. Creatures lurk in these areas that have undergone a strange sort of 'corruption'. Those who die to these creatures are said to fall into a coma that they can not awaken from. Few of those players manage to find consciousness once again in the game where their minds are linked directly and the act of dieing once again will cause permanent death... both in game and in real life. Strange variations of these creatures have slipped off and begun moving through the real world. These odd beings seem to have a strong AI behind them, as they seem to go beyond the parameters of what a normal monster might do. These creatures have been wandering and attacking players and leaving odd traces of their existence behind. There are those out there who are particularly interested in finding the cause of this odd 'virus' whether it be out of boredom, to save a friend, or perhaps save themselves. The danger for these individuals is no game... it is quite real. One slip up can find the person locked into a coma, or potentially loose them their lives.

Zones:
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Spero (Starter City): Starting area of the game and location where most people can be found. It has all the goodies a player might require. There are shops for items, auction houses for players to sell their extra loot, an underground PvP arena to settle differences, a guild hall for guild related activities, and a teleporter to take the user to any location they might like to go.

Spero Plains (Level 1-10): Located by the northern and eastern sections of the city. The plains are a rather vast area with various lakes and rivers. Trees lightly dot the plains though there are some sections where they are more common sight. A few cave systems lay partly exposed for those wanting to venture down into them, though many dangers lurk within those caverns.

Spero Forest (Level 11-20): Directly West and South of the main starting city. The forest is a relatively hilly location with plenty of trees. The further one ventures in, the thicker the trees become. The deepest reaches of the woods are dimly lit due to the thick canopy the old trees provide. Ghost tales are often told about those dark regions where a few remains exist of an old city that had long since been abandoned and left in ruin.

The Whispering Mountains (21-30):A rather varied area further west from the Spero forest. The whispering mountains are rather tree covered on the lower sections of the mountain mostly populating the valley between the mountain. Steep cliffs make it difficult to navigate at times, as various paths exist leading to many different places. Arid stretches of land rest nestled between the southern peeks that are void of water. Various cave systems act as makeshift paths leading further into the mountains or into the domain of the beasts that inhabit them. The northern most cliffs tend to be higher up and are often capped by snow, making the weather rather unpredictable as you go up, the tempature quickly shifting between being comfortable and frigid cold. A few parts of the lost civilization have been found within and built on top of the mountains.

Forbidden Wetlands (31-40): Existing West of the Spero plains. The wetland is a rather foreboding place. A thick march exists separating itself from the plains and acting as a natural hindrance. The marsh's difficult terrain is only further added to in trouble by the population of creatures that exist and will attack anyone venturing into their territory. A large source of runes exists past the marches that remain partly intact. Old technology is said to be awaiting those who venture deep into the wetlands to discover it.

Frozen Flame Ridge (41-50): Located North West of Spero. The Frozen Flame Ridge is a relatively mountainous location keeping in high elevation. Many slightly flat stretches of land exist between the peeks that are covered with snow and ice all year long. Frozen lakes exist that seem to devoid the land below of the water that should flow freely down. Further in the ridge exists several volcanoes. Lava pits are visible on the surface and run as rivers in the frigid cold acting as natural sources of heat that seem to be unable to provide a nice comfort between the two extremes. At times, the flames from the large volcano Centios rain down from the sky in the northern most reaches, making a rather beautiful if not dangerous sight. A large ancient city rests along the inner workings of the volcano, partly submerged in lava.

Character Sheet

I will try not to change this much. Real Name is your characters name in the real world, not your actual name. ^^;; Use this as a guideline for now if you want to work on your character ahead of time.  Character background will be focused upon anything pertaining to what your character has gone through in the game. You don't need to have much here, just a little run down of how they might of spent their time in game, if much at all.

[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Class:[/b]
[b]Weapon:[/b] (Keep it relating your chosen class. Most will only have one, though knights can use 2 different sets of weapons and assassins can have throwing weapons as a sub weapon.)
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Character Background:[/b]


[b]Real Name:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Occupation:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Background:[/b]


Keep in mind that, as per the rules, you can NOT do anything sexual regarding a character that appears underage, even if your real life character is older. Figured I would put this to save my butt since I thought of that while making the character sheet.

Polymorph

Sounds very interesting. I had some vague thoughts of a RP along similar lines myself. What sort of genre were you thinking of as a setting?

Yorubi

Well I figure in terms of the setting it would probably go more along the lines of fantasy. Likely involving swords and magic and the likes. Which setting were you meaning?

If you mean the real world, I figure it would be pretty much present day, maybe 10-20 years in the future possibly to have technology developed out that games might be played in virtual reality. I see this probably being kept close to how the world is today, just to make it simple since its not suppose to be the major spot which the roleplay will take place.

In terms of the game world, I think something along the lines of sword and magic. It fits in easily with the theme with a traditional MMO setting and would be good to make it different from the real world. It could involve some odd technology like steampunk or magic powered creations as well for the aspect of intrigue. I'm not quite sure exactly of the setting of the game itself right now. It can go many ways really, though I figure that the world itself would be more vast and open to the point that people might not explore all of the world. It could leave a sense of mystery behind things and really allow for the idea of people getting 'trapped' within the game possible without it being on such a large scale that it can't be hidden away by the company. Not to mention, a fantasy setting can be a rather creepy place to see things like static or disruptions in the game that don't seem to fit at all. :)

Its all still a rather loose idea right now, so feel free if you have anything in mind that you like to suggest or bring it up.

TheHangedOne

#3
I'm rather interested in the concept, and wouldn't mind tossing out some ideas and seeing what you think of them. Just might take me a wee bit; my thoughts are like drip coffee, I need to percolate a bit.  :-)

Ideas:
Make it a rules light system, as in, players in the game will be limited to what they can do based on character class, a common feature in video games and especially MMO's? I'll even fluff up some classes/races for you.

I could (try) to make a map (for the MMO world),
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

DigitLninja

I am interested in this, but I don't think you should have the story so close to that of .hack// perhaps we change things up, say all players become trapped in the game due to a virus of some kind.
Quotes to Live by:
"The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, expand your world. You gotta push your horizons out as far as they'll go" Sanae Hanekoma,The World Ends With You. for Nintendo DS

"A post should be like a mini skirt. Long enough to cover the important parts, but short enough to keep interest." -Someone

oh's and oh's / Double A's Update 1/10 / Short Story:Memoirs of Renamon/ Hey [you], you should check out my 1 on 1's

NINJA VANISH! *disappears in a puff of smoke*

Yorubi

#5
Well it won't be based so closely on .hack// its simply the closest thing I could think of for inspiration. I can't say I'm really the biggest expert of the .hack// series anyways. I've only seen parts of the anime and seen parts of the game myself. I just know the basic backdrop to it and find it really interesting. The idea of a player being stuck in a coma and trapped in a world is interesting, specially with the idea that if they die in game they can die in RL. Still, I did want the potential for players to interact a bit in RL as well and to make it a bit more dynamic. Some characters might be stuck in game while others could simply be trying to save their friends who might of gotten 'lost' somehow.

In terms of a light rules system, it probably would have something like that. I would say a basic class system would be key in limiting people to do only certain things. In terms of a map, you could if you want, though you don't have to. I really want to make the world large as it is. Still I do see ways to make 'secret areas' not suppose to be accessed, kind of like glitches where they might be able to discover more about the happenings.

Plot wise, I think that the main events causing strange happenings and making people become 'trapped' would be a virus of sorts that is weaved in deep with the system. Perhaps going along the idea that the game world was actually redesigned at some point, leaving traces of the old world around which the 'virus' can thrive. It would make more sense why some unaccessable areas might actually be graphically created to exist. Who created the virus (if anyone) and why things might be that way, I'll leave for the story. :) Granted this idea isn't placed in stone, it is some general idea of what I think I'll lean on.

WyzardWhately

I'm pretty interested in this.  I'm not overly familiar with .hack//, but the idea of a fantasy world that turns out to be more than just a fantasy is deeply intriguing to me.
Look!  I have an ons and offs list now!  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=13580.0
It's still really sketchy, though.
Here are my dice rolls: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/player/WyzardWhately/

DigitLninja

... I'm sorry but I have to ask you Whately... are you in space?
Quotes to Live by:
"The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, expand your world. You gotta push your horizons out as far as they'll go" Sanae Hanekoma,The World Ends With You. for Nintendo DS

"A post should be like a mini skirt. Long enough to cover the important parts, but short enough to keep interest." -Someone

oh's and oh's / Double A's Update 1/10 / Short Story:Memoirs of Renamon/ Hey [you], you should check out my 1 on 1's

NINJA VANISH! *disappears in a puff of smoke*

Yorubi

Don't worry Whately, I'm not to familiar to it as well.  I only really used that as something to compare the RP with and to help inspire the story. ^^ Its kind of a surreal setting which is why I enjoy it so much myself. Taking the concept of playing a fantasy game in a world like ours and having bugs and glitches involved that you associate with something modern really gives such an abstract feeling towards the world. Add in the fact that danger actually lurks in the world that should otherwise be perfectly safe, it creates a sense of 'horror' in a way while provoking wonder.

Anyways, right now I think the biggest issue I have with coming up with something, would be just how they could combat this 'virus' of sorts. While I am leaning at them actually fighting, I'm not sure if it would involve maybe a hacker item or some strange tool that normal player shouldn't get to actually dispose of it completely. Then again, it could be their only option is to fight the corrupted data creatures to 'kill' them temporarily and try to progress to try and solve what is causing the trouble. So many possibilities to play with. :) Add in the fact they might be doing things they aren't suppose to, it could cause them some trouble with the Game Masters and further make things much more complicated, specially if any of them are actually in a coma themselves playing. :)

TheHangedOne

I'd personally like to play someone whose trapped in the game.  :-) And it seems like their could be a lot of options to combat the virus monsters.  Hacker/hacked items that can utterly eradicate the data, sure...but if their's corrupted monsters and stuff, they could be killed conventionally, following the in game TOS and such... it's just that it's a temporary solution. It's a band aid, when, in keeping with the metaphor, stitches are needed.

...Hey, what happens if the virus starts infecting the players? Maybe that's what causes the coma? Or might cause psychotic fits or the like as the brain is seriously screwed up (Our brains,afterall, are frequently likened to computers).
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Saerrael

Aaah.. why am I full on games? I'd love to join this.
I played .hack (ages ago, the first two) and watched the anime from that time.
I also play WoW now, so I can relate to MMO players quite well (if I do say so myself).
The whole idea is really interesting to me *growls!*

Yorubi

Pretty much! Only the more powerful creatures might 'respawn' rather then being finished off instantly. Those will be rather rare though and quite 'special' :).

In terms of playing a player trapped in the game, thats perfectly fine, you might not even realized that you are as well if you like that. :)

Hmm well corruption of a player data will happen to some degree, though I wasn't really thinking of it in terms of being very significant. Not sure if it should effect the user or not. It could be interesting to have corruption effecting the mind. It depends really if people like the idea of characters being 'corrupted' and if they might enjoy that corruption carrying through to their mind in RL after so much. It could be interesting really to have in place though I'm not sure if it would complicate things too much.

Saerra Haha sorry :) Well if you get space open at any time, feel free to join in. :)

Saerrael

>.>
<.<

I'm going to think on a character...
If you get your head around classes, please post them well visible. I'm looking for a healing or caster class myself.

You're evil, Yorubi, but I wuv you for this idea <3

Yorubi

Haha alright thanks. Classes I'm still not sure on but I'll have a healing or caster class for sure. I don't think I will make the classes to complex, maybe I'll do basic classes then like a 'subclass' thing to make it so people can make them a little more personalized.

Oh and I'm pure good. XD

DigitLninja

Quotes to Live by:
"The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, expand your world. You gotta push your horizons out as far as they'll go" Sanae Hanekoma,The World Ends With You. for Nintendo DS

"A post should be like a mini skirt. Long enough to cover the important parts, but short enough to keep interest." -Someone

oh's and oh's / Double A's Update 1/10 / Short Story:Memoirs of Renamon/ Hey [you], you should check out my 1 on 1's

NINJA VANISH! *disappears in a puff of smoke*

Saerrael

Oh and.. if you do set it into the future;



Something to think about? Seems 'easy' to infect a gamer IRL.

Yorubi

Hmm eh I honestly think I'm keeping it more towards modern. You don't need to be physically hooked up to manipulate and damage the mind after all. People do it to each other all the time. If you get your mind to think your dead, just that would happen. :)

Saerrael

Current time works better for me anyway. Thought I'd just offer what I found in a search.

Yorubi

Well to bad what you found in search is so stupid! Hehe j/k.

Well mentioning the classes before, would everyone like very basic classes with the option to mix and match 2 together (Making both weaker but giving you the benefit of both classes together) or rather I try making a single class system that might have things like paladins and what not? Its not really something that should be a big deal in the roleplay if its free form, just acting as a basic restriction to what your character can do, but if people feel like having 2 classes mixed is to 'overpowered'  or anything I can just create more classes and scrap the idea of dual classes :)

Saerrael

#19
I'm for basic classes and against dual classes, myself.

(Bookmarked)

Yorubi

Alright. :) Well the biggest problem with regular basic classes is that it forces everyone to play some basic character and prevents some creativity. I guess though, if you consider how games work today, there usually is enough variety in each basic class to make them more complex and unique, depending how a person builds them.

TheHangedOne

I'm for the idea of single, basic classes.. but would like to suggest their being advanced classes being something that players can work towards. For isntance, a Cleric (basic healer) could eventually become a Paladin (and gain martial prowess), or become a Bishop (and gain even more healing spells + the ability to smite pure evil creatures). 

As mentioned earlier, I'd like to help out with class design, if you need it.  :-)
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Yorubi

Sure, feel free to give input right here about what you like. I'm working on a basic idea now using the idea of a Basic class and having 'specializations', which could either work as a job advancement of some kind or simply a focus of their character's build. It should leave it open to adjust and still get somethings in. Just give anything you think would be good and I'll try putting up a rough class list.

Really, having class progression in a way makes me feel almost like I should put in some experience system or something. It really makes things a little tricky to figure out how to balance it out in a way people will like. It is based on a game though I don't want to make some full fleshed system for it either. I guess its just another thing really I'd like input on how we should do it. I don't want people thinking they can just 'instant level' for no reason and take their level being some form of god like strength compared to everyone else either. >.<

Saerrael

Well, in MMO's even maxed levels aren't gods. They're just not able to gain levels any longer and must deal with the imbalance that came with their chosen class.
For one, if you look at my healing class choice, I'd have no problem with being 'squishy' and not able to whack something to death with a sword/ mace/ axe. I might have a bit of magic to smite, but not much, but am very good at healing my teammates.
This is how I view classes at maxed level, personally.

Yorubi

Yeah, I just want to emphasize the group working together and not have it so one member practically tries to show off to the others.

I put a very rough idea of basic classes down. I did mention the weapons and armor choice, though I can see sub classes having more or less armor depending on their role (for an example a Knight using a shield might use heavy armor, while a beserker 2 handed fighter might use light or medium armor so they can more easily swing their weapon). I have a feeling Cleric will be a bit off the odd ball in terms of their combat style since they tend to either focus magic and support, go physical with divine support, or simply focus upon aiding others.