This may be a stupid idea, but just wondering if anyone might be vaguely interested in designing an rpg as a group effort here?
 
I know most people have their own projects they're working on, but I thought it might be interesting as an experiment - even if it doesn't get completed, people might enjoy bouncing ideas off each other and learn something from it, or might branch off and take a framework for their own design in the off chance we make substantial progress before hitting some sort of irreconcilable creative difference.
 
Personally I'm fairly flexible as to setting or core mechanics or whatnot for this (I have my own other projects to obsess over every detail of too, of course).

Sign me up!  I am working on a random generator at the moment, but that is largely done with the preliminary stuff, just need to arrange it and make it work.

Great! Feel free to put up any details you don't mind sharing, if its something that could be used for the project. Any preferences as to what sort of setting or other details of what you'd like to work on, too? (I usually tend to default to fantasy since thats what I play the most of, but I'm easy).
 
Anyone else? I expect people are lurking and will probably only appear if this thing looks like going in a direction that interests them, which is fair enough. (If anyone wants help building something unusual, now could be the time to float your idea of a post-apocalyptic space cowboy d14 game, before too many other people appear who need to be convinced its a great idea..? ).

I've toyed with home brewed systems for over 30 years (though back then they were all more or less a clone of D&D and whatever game I could read about in magazines because I couldn't afford to buy them). Happy to pitch in - I've always got 3 or 4 home brew games in writing at any one time, but a joint effort could be fun, if the work load isn't too high and a common consensus can be reached on what is wanted/required.

For me (any/all of these are what I aim for, others may have differing opinions):

• Ultra fast character creation
• Probably stat as bonus
• I don't mind either realistic/gritty or cube o hit points thing, but my own home brew efforts are leaning towards static hit points at 1st level on, and the character just gets better at avoiding blows through skill or luck
• Any genre, cross genre, anything interesting, different, based off a book or film with serials filed off?
• cards, dice, resource management, coin flipping and count heads or tails, any other mechanics out there?
• Easy to read and play, even for a novice (so it might need an optional 'this is what roleplaying is' bit, and that could be fun to invite people on the forum to write the clearest, easiest to understand section to put in as a bit of a no-prize competition)
• Art - stick men style as in order of the stick, or best effort elmore/otus knockoff. Anything to spice the pages up from dry dull reading.
• Keep the page count low
• sample adventure or campaign

If anyone needs an example of low page count multi genre rpg take a look at this (mini six)

Excellent, free, multi genre, works. Job done.

Could we (as a group) match or dare I say, better that?

Quote from: APN;565962I don't mind either realistic/gritty or cube o hit points thing, but my own home brew efforts are leaning towards static hit points at 1st level on, and the character just gets better at avoiding blows through skill or luck

This is important I feel. Of course monsters and weapons plus armour need to be scaled accordingly.

Quote from: APN;565962I've toyed with home brewed systems for over 30 years (though back then they were all more or less a clone of D&D and whatever game I could read about in magazines because I couldn't afford to buy them). Happy to pitch in - I've always got 3 or 4 home brew games in writing at any one time, but a joint effort could be fun, if the work load isn't too high and a common consensus can be reached on what is wanted/required.
 
For me (any/all of these are what I aim for, others may have differing opinions):

• Ultra fast character creation
• Probably stat as bonus
• I don't mind either realistic/gritty or cube o hit points thing, but my own home brew efforts are leaning towards static hit points at 1st level on, and the character just gets better at avoiding blows through skill or luck
• Any genre, cross genre, anything interesting, different, based off a book or film with serials filed off?
• cards, dice, resource management, coin flipping and count heads or tails, any other mechanics out there?
• Easy to read and play, even for a novice (so it might need an optional 'this is what roleplaying is' bit, and that could be fun to invite people on the forum to write the clearest, easiest to understand section to put in as a bit of a no-prize competition)
• Art - stick men style as in order of the stick, or best effort elmore/otus knockoff. Anything to spice the pages up from dry dull reading.
• Keep the page count low
• sample adventure or campaign

If anyone needs an example of low page count multi genre rpg take a look at this (mini six)
 
Excellent, free, multi genre, works. Job done.
 
Could we (as a group) match or dare I say, better that?

Welcome aboard! I'm all for consensus - it'd have to be done democratically I think, I don't want to assume any sort of authority just because I started the thread.
 
Checked out Mini6 - nice system. As far as matching or bettering, you don't know until you try...
On the design aims you put forward, there's nothing there I don't like. I'd be happy with fast rather than super fast for character generation.
 
Flexible on hit point methods  - it depends a bit on genre but I usually like decent HP to start and slow increases (maybe a really tough person has double or triple the starting HP) but with a critical/ high attack roll adding bonus damage so that after gaining some experience and fighting skill, a hero gets the ability to take down weaker foes in one blow. But there is something to be said for gritty HP or just subtracting it off CON.
 
On stat as bonus I often agonize over this - the main issue for me is the tradeoff between having a big enough stat scale that ability damage works, and a simple to use bonus system.
 
Also, hi Traveller

I'm certainly ineterested.

Not really looking to do a collaborative fanstasy game though as working on my own heartbreaker.

The genre I think I could really buy into would be a Scifi future war.
I posted on the 'are military RPGs dead' thread that I think a futurewar game using the "biochip" concept would be intetresting.

Mechaincs wise I tend to move toward

• Stat as bonus
• Multiple chargen paths - random, lifepath, point buy - that all end up witha similar final outcome
• Dials for combat and skills - that is to say a simple core that you can dial up the complexity on
• Not a fan of hit points for this genre - but generally don't mind them provided they don't escalate too high
• Templates/archetypes rather than classes
• Prefer toolkits over splat - so 2 dozen 'monsters' and a toolkit for building more rather than 2000 'monsters'

From a design perspective I am good at working fast to get a lot of stuff covered. I am bad at the final draft.

QuotePrefer toolkits over splat - so 2 dozen 'monsters' and a toolkit for building more rather than 2000 'monsters'

I guess you could just use stats for this as you would an ordinary PC, save for the addition of stats such as Ferocity, Size and Cunning, or some such, specifically for monsters, with a list of special abilities that activate or can be used in certain circumstances. Example (off top of head):



I guess by presenting a few monsters in a side by side comparison table, then having a separate list of special abilities to draw on, or weaknesses (marked by !) you can easily compare the monster you want to make against an existing one. Is it stronger than an Orc? Weaker than an Ogre? Give it strength 3. Go down the list, give it any special abilities then give it a name. Done.

(These stats and numbers were reeled from my brain - I have no idea how they work or fit into a game system, but most are self explanatory I guess.)

Quote from: jibbajibba;565974I'm certainly ineterested.
 
Not really looking to do a collaborative fanstasy game though as working on my own heartbreaker.
 
The genre I think I could really buy into would be a Scifi future war.
I posted on the 'are military RPGs dead' thread that I think a futurewar game using the "biochip" concept would be intetresting.
 

Mechaincs wise I tend to move toward

• Stat as bonus
• Multiple chargen paths - random, lifepath, point buy - that all end up witha similar final outcome
• Dials for combat and skills - that is to say a simple core that you can dial up the complexity on
• Not a fan of hit points for this genre - but generally don't mind them provided they don't escalate too high
• Templates/archetypes rather than classes
• Prefer toolkits over splat - so 2 dozen 'monsters' and a toolkit for building more rather than 2000 'monsters'

From a design perspective I am good at working fast to get a lot of stuff covered. I am bad at the final draft.

Nothing here that I don't mind, either. As regards 'dials' perhaps meshing that with what APN suggested would mean a pdf of basic rules, then more rules elsewhere, or rules with a basic section and then a later elaborations section?
I went and looked over the future war thread and was surprised how much interest that sort of idea generated..interesting, though I guess depends what everyone wants to do.
I'm almost entirely ignorant as regards modern-day firearms, but if its a bit more futuristic/SF, maybe my biology background might come in handy for doing some aliens or something:)
On other skills, I think I'm fairly good as far as editing goes (picking up typos and spelling errors, or just mechanic nitpicking), but sadly no artistic ability or graphic design skills over here.

Quote from: APN;565993I guess by presenting a few monsters in a side by side comparison table, then having a separate list of special abilities to draw on, or weaknesses (marked by !) you can easily compare the monster you want to make against an existing one. Is it stronger than an Orc? Weaker than an Ogre? Give it strength 3. Go down the list, give it any special abilities then give it a name. Done.
 
(These stats and numbers were reeled from my brain - I have no idea how they work or fit into a game system, but most are self explanatory I guess.)

The comparison table is a good way to get a lot of benchmarks together in one spot to help the GM judge good values for monsters, and pretty efficient with space.
A few systems would even have monsters and PCs just draw off the same special ability lists - 'effects based' systems like Hero or Savage Worlds. It does depend a bit on what you expert PCs to look like, though (I think the single list for both works best for supers or multigenre games where a PC might be anything).

I'd be into any of the following:

Lifepath or retroclone (I have an idea I can't use for my FRPG) chargen.
Anything that isn't high fantasy or near future scifi.

I'll chip in when I can in any case.

It really depends on the leadership. I've been interested in getting into a project or having a team help me on mine but things always fall apart without a strong dedicated leader with a vision. So unless someone has those qualities the thing is bound to fall apart. I'm willing to help (since I got set back 7 months on my own thing) as long as someone capable is taking up the position.

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;565995The comparison table is a good way to get a lot of benchmarks together in one spot to help the GM judge good values for monsters, and pretty efficient with space.
A few systems would even have monsters and PCs just draw off the same special ability lists - 'effects based' systems like Hero or Savage Worlds. It does depend a bit on what you expert PCs to look like, though (I think the single list for both works best for supers or multigenre games where a PC might be anything).

Its simple givbe it that ends up a bit bland perhaps but we are so moving to cart before the horse

First stuff is the basics

• Genre
• Game flavour
• Core mechanic - target number, dice pool, roll under, diceless, roll under etc

Quote from: MGuy;566033It really depends on the leadership. I've been interested in getting into a project or having a team help me on mine but things always fall apart without a strong dedicated leader with a vision. So unless someone has those qualities the thing is bound to fall apart. I'm willing to help (since I got set back 7 months on my own thing) as long as someone capable is taking up the position.

Lets kick some ideas round see the concept has any legs or if we can agree on a core idea. Then we can think about roles and tasks. Its BSJ's baby as far as I can see though.

I like the future War idea. I would want to avoide Mecha, just cos I think its been done a bit to death, and go down a nato / bio tech route.
Playing off the Rogue Trooper idea of genetically altered soldiers and the idea that your personality can be digitised and implanted ala the Biochip idea.

This opens up the following design spaces in the game

• It explains a point buy Chargen as an option because you can literally be built
• Allows you to use a random chargen option through experimental gene splicing with animal/human/alien hybrids
• The lifepath chargen remains viable because bodies become commoditised its training that actually matters
• Mitigates the 'Death Risk' - fantasy games use resurrection or raise dead this would let you port your PC to a different body
• Any killed opponent develops a usefulness as a possible host body - this in turn means that weapons that blow everything to scree and plasma can be diminished in dominance because the dead (injured ?)  soldiers you recover can be used to enlarge your army if their meat is intact.

Just making he beginings of a pitch

You can kind of see how a PC might be a commando occupying a leopard human hybrid body, or how all the PCs might start like that as part of a unit. then as the game plays out the get switched to the bodies of fallen foes that can be patched up and their phyiscal stats change.
You can also see how they could get carted round in equipment to keep them alive (like rogue trooper) and how they would be pushing the team to keep fighting to get them a working body.

You could also see how androids, Dr Who syle gangers, an array of clone bodies and lods of other ideas would work.

then a battle fatigue / sanity mechanic for covering the mental effect it might have on you.

Lots of ideas in that soup.

just like I said just a single possible concept.