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Opposition Party, ever want to be the baddy?...(interest check)

Discussion in 'Roleplay Planning' started by SP3CTR3, Jun 3, 2015.

  1. SP3CTR3

    SP3CTR3 Flipping Tables at ignorance!

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    So this is an idea I've been playing around with, a group of villainous characters(Re: loose faction) whose job OOCly is to oppose other groups with a predecided outcome(whether it be rolled out or roled out, its' up to the participants). The aims would be generally varied, but they would pretty much be the villains of the week. It would provide other players with something to do, creating RP drama for the colonies and factions, etc.

    Maybe they have hatched a plan to steal some Erchrius fuel from a supplier....(Yotan...^_^)

    I know that there is already Siru Scaraba, who seem like very dedicated thieves, smugglers and pirates, but perhaps our interests could be different enough so that it didn't necessarily interfere with that, though RPing some friendly opposition there would probably be fun too.

    Whaddya think?
     
  2. Raideck

    Raideck Member

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    I give it a eh.
    If it's done right it can be fun but it can give ego boosts to people.
    If it's done wrong then that means another "Outcasts" and no one wants that.
    Good luck though.
     
  3. Yotan

    Yotan New Member

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    That would be fun to be apart of, someone stealing fuel from Tanji. I'd have not issues playing the victim.
     
  4. SP3CTR3

    SP3CTR3 Flipping Tables at ignorance!

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    I thought you might say that, but I'm also just using that as an example. We could 'intercept' supply lines to a colony or attempt to steal research from the Scientific Society for our super weapon... or maybe a floran has an axe to grind against the usmc, maybe Hyotl government is attempting to soften the colonial governments by assassination attempts and does so by hiring the group. The ideas can just keep coming. Arch nemesis' are possible as well as long standing feuds and manhunts for our 'hideout'. The main idea is to provide some much needed RP events that can be built without a ton of player blowback. We would know on the outset that we are the badguys, so ultimately we'd fail at most of our endeavors with the occasional 'Empire Strikes Back' moments where we beat the snot out of the overconfident 'good guys'.

    Send me a PM if this sounds like fun to you(and want to make this a thing to be apart of) or just agree with my post and I'll get back to you if you want to score some events for your faction...
     
  5. Mazékial

    Mazékial New Member

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    It sounds like you're either wanting to make a group whose sole purpose is to say "nay" to what is largely accepted in order to shoe-horn conflict, or for a conglomeration of pseudo-throwaways to start crap for a week only to be stopped and die/disappear/get arrested at the end like the average episodic superhero cartoon.

    I get the desire to keep things fresh and have things happening to minimalize baRP, but the way this is worded makes it feels too forced. Like you HAVE to make characters oppose A, B, and C (being popularly-held beliefs or morals) for devised reason X solely to make conflict.

    Basically, a group of extremist space-hipsters designed to be fought against? No. Seems to hollow to me.

    I'm all for having characters who are written to be naturally prone to start crap (especially if they profit from it in some way, just have to always be prepared for death threats if they make someone IC angry), and I love it even more when two Player Characters' ideals clash and lead them to become rivals or nemeses, but throwaways who are only meant to pick galactic fights every week are never good. Players controlling "NPCs" have their part in private events/dungeons if done appropriately, but a "villain of the week" would stale quickly and likely dive into the world of stereotypes.
     
  6. Boz0

    Boz0 New Member

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    I got it. Space Nazis
     
  7. SP3CTR3

    SP3CTR3 Flipping Tables at ignorance!

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    Sounds like fun to me! Haterz are supposed to hate right?

    @Maz: It is a bit contrived, but I feel like there should be a group of people/creatures out there to create drama and conflict. So yeah, hollow until you come up with a reason to oppose A,B, or C. Honestly I just get sick of not being around for the 'Events' and then hearing about it later on, which I don't mind but what if we planned out some events or even >omygoshgasp< storylines, that's what the RP is all about anyways.

    To be honest, I think it would start to take shape when folks started joining, characters would grow out of this, Nemesis' would emerge and what I feel like could be some memorable RPing(not sure if anyone knows this but stories emerge from conflict...). If everyone likes the way things are though I suppose we could just leave it. Dull and lifeless.........nothing and no one to oppose anyone else, business as usual.

    The idea though IS to keep it fresh and make stuff happen, but not without an actual reason. I only worded it that way above because, A.) why shouldn't the group decide on after they are formed and B.) why would you want to limit yourself to just one target?(maybe it's a group of mad scientists bent on a laundry list of items to make a super weapon)

    TL;DR:
    This is not just a group designed to oppose A,B,C; it's an attempt at making super villains that are memorable and yet the group knows they are the badguys, that usually they will get the shaft, but in the meantime it's fun to play. They don't need to be throwaways, they can live for as long as we want.
     
    #7 SP3CTR3, Jun 4, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 4, 2015
  8. Mazékial

    Mazékial New Member

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    Again, I get what you say and I agree there needs to be more events for the larger population...correction, more open ended events that are not simply closed off for a group of BFFs and at least are open to others' involvement.

    But this:

    Is exactly what I'm talking about that rubs me the wrong way. It feels too much like a superhero cartoon for me. Every week someone can expect some ultimate evil of darkness or twisted-mustache evil genius to challenge the noble in the frontier, fight, and more than likely die/get arrested.Could it work? Maybe. Would it give the playerbase something to do? ...Well as long as the USAF don't beat them to the punch, maybe (if anyone in them reads this, love youuuuuuu). But it still feels a little forced. And then there's the possibility of what if some players actually want to SIDE with them? Will you just take steps to ensure they're universally hatable? That doesn't really make for good characters. Will you make the character's lifespan actually progress as a standard player character if they "win"/survive their "episode", or will you just have them off themselves at that point?

    And there's also what Raidek said about it giving some people ego boosts. "Ha! I beat THREE villains of the week, you only beat one. You're not that special of a character and don't deserve attention from my faction/settlement/clique, go away, scrub."

    I guess ultimately what I'm beating around the bush of is this: characters who develop into antagonizing forces of one group or another as a result of server-side experiences, amazing, great, fantastic (Dionaea Tribe comes to mind for me). Characters who fly in on their space horse twirling a curly mustache and kidnap the first damsel they can find and tie her to a railroad track shouting "mwahaha" until the entire server comes down on them every week, nope.

    All that said...I think this server could possibly benefit from some kind of crime syndicate. Siru puts the Chaotic in Chaotic Netural, but their ultimate purpose is just salvage with some drug dealing on the side. I have a non-deployed character who could help start that off if you went that route. It's no "villain" of the week, but a crime of the week possibly part of some convoluted conspiracy to maximize profits by seeding chaos might be closer to something less cartoony and more long-term. As long as it's played smart so the USAF doesn't easily kill them all before something can come of it.

    TL;DR: Villain of the Week, meh. But an Intelligent Crime Syndicate looking to profit in this isolated and diverse community due to it being out of the peripheral of the major Chucklecanon factions...there's an idea. Or maybe that's an even worse idea. Thoughts?
     
  9. Solour

    Solour a dad

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    youre too pessimistic. USAF (or, atleast everyone except the gross rescue fireteam) wouldnt intervene, lest it takes place inside mattis; involves the well-being of a member, or happens upon a certain garden. something something else ur rong im rite
     
  10. Raideck

    Raideck Member

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    Raideck*

    And anyways past that, there can be a villain group it just needs something to make it a villain group. A purpose, a goal. Please don't use the "Some people are just inherently evil." or "Some men want to watch the world burn." that is true but for an entire group? No. For instance, only the Joker was wanting the world to burn, while his henchmen were being manipulated by him, as they were suffering from mental illnesses. look at the nazis (Oh god...) they wanted to make the world "perfect" in their eyes.

    So something like that, a goal.
     
  11. Twitch

    Twitch Wayward Star

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    Making a bad guy or "evil" faction inst difficult. It simply requires a lot of community outreach and interest. The second people start to see things as is vs them, it stops being fun for most players. Make roleplay for people, and in most cases they will come. Its not hard to craft an experience better then walking into a bar. It does however take time to set up, prepare, and execute.
     
  12. Optimism

    Optimism Guest

    I miss the Outcasts, myself.

    SP3CTR3, if you're thinking of doing something and you find some willing people, I say do it. Any additional villain type characters would be great to add to a real feel of antagonism and danger. Maybe you won't hit the mark the first time you do this and get in an OOC fight or two, but that's part of learning. Just because you haven't done if before, don't be hesitant. It's a learning experience.

    My advice is do if you're sincerely interested, and don't if you're not. One or the other.
     
  13. Boz0

    Boz0 New Member

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    A notorious space bandit gang.

    Led by the infamous warlords Cheeki and Breeki.
     
  14. SP3CTR3

    SP3CTR3 Flipping Tables at ignorance!

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    I like all of these suggestions. Like I said before, the goal should come out organically when we get a group together. I don't want to decide that for everyone, especially if more people wanted to do one thing than another.

    1.) Mostly, I just wanted to see who would be interested in doing this >with< me. We can of course decide the particulars once we have people.

    2.) I wanted to get some folks together who did want to make non-hollow characters for some real storytelling. I didn't mean that we would never win, just that the odds were probably never in our favor. Which is always more fun to win.

    3.) Having security at each of the colonies is dumb if there is no criminals, so I wanted to make some opposition for those who are willing to give their faction some fun RP. Combat, not always, maybe it'll be a sneaky job, sometimes it could be a fun diversion, etc. There is endless fun events that we can set up(and as a former table-top GM, I understand the work involved in setting up events).
     
  15. Mazékial

    Mazékial New Member

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    Well, in that case, I suppose count me in. I need something to do when I'm not trying to find things to do with Maz or planning an assassination with Sion.
     
  16. Boz0

    Boz0 New Member

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    I'm actually thinking this could be a thing. People should love being evil for once, evil and complex with a rich background story and insight!
     
  17. SP3CTR3

    SP3CTR3 Flipping Tables at ignorance!

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    Great! Anyone else want in?
     
  18. Tallen

    Tallen New Member

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    I'm in. It's been my desire to retire my main characters and play some antagonists or assist with these events.
     
  19. Smokestack

    Smokestack Bird man with a bird plan

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    I'm in. It'll give my characters (Akira Akane and someone not revealed yet) a lot more purpose. Because having IC Antares criminal connections as a spy is a lot more interesting.
     
  20. Ace1560

    Ace1560 New Member

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    I'm okay with this idea, I would like to try my hand at an antagonist at some point, I usually shy away from them as I cannot do antagonists quite right, they usually end up being chaotic good or neutral. I would like to take a go at it though.