Game idea - canvassing opinion

Agema · #1 July 23rd, 2009, 09:34 AM

I'm was wondering about starting a sort of GM/RP game, and whether people would be interested and - in terms of people more expert in modding - whether it's possible.

The idea is that the Pantokrator is preparing to leave the world, but has spread his seed across the continents and wishes to see his demigod children fight it out to determine who is worthiest to succeed him.

One player - probably the game admin - would be the Pantokrator. He'd have a separate "Mount Olympus", part of the map with no access except by teleport. The Pantokrator and his servants will have access by research and paths to all the spells/items in the game, and a vast stock of gems and gold.

Occasionally, the Pantokrator would put out messages. These might be just entertaining RP waffle. They could be metagame instructions - e.g. "All NAPs are cancelled with immediate effect". They could also be demands players do something - e.g. "Give me gold". Depending on how well the players responded to the last form they'd gain amounts of "Favour". Favour would be a points system, and players could spend those points buying activity from the Pantokrator: artefacts, gold, gems, attacks on enemy armies and provinces, pretty much anything the game mechanics would allow. Players with very bad favour might get occasional smites. Earning favour should be relative to national power to prevent already powerful nations simply having their power multiplied, and so as not to disadvantage nations with different play styles (for instance, with the above "Give me gold" edict, it could be the amount given proportional to income, not the absolute amount.)

This would add an extra level to gameplay because players may be able to access things they otherwise couldn't, particularly spells/items that they may neither have the research nor magic paths to get. Some players could ignore favour completely, others could use it as a tactic to access some strategies.

The GM Pantokrator would be entirely impartial. The Pantokrator should certainly not order anything obviously unfair such as "Attack nation X". If two nations ask him to cast Tidal Wave on each other, he shouldn't target one's capital and a random province of the other.

The game would end with normal sorts of victory conditions - VPs, everyone conquered and so on, with the additional one that anyone who kill the Pantokrator (permanently!) would instantly win.

Burnsaber · #2 July 23rd, 2009, 12:37 PM

I like the idea. Tickles my roleplaying bone quite a bit, you know? I'm a bit too busy with modding to do a nice job of the GM role (trust me I'm tempted, and I have a some sort of crendentials with being a Pen & Paper RPG GM since I was 12), but I'll play if the game isn't too huge (in either player number or provinces).

Ironhawk · #3 July 23rd, 2009, 12:48 PM

Its an idea thats been brought up before but never acted upon. Should be fairly easy to make a seperated province and staff it with a load of very powerful troops and commanders. You can even give them all the artifacts, if you want. However I dont believe that its possible to mod in gems or gold directly into a players treasury via map modding. So you'd have to find an alternate way to do that with sites / population.

Gandalf Parker · #4 July 23rd, 2009, 11:26 PM

Check out this thread which has links to yet older threads on this subject.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=43621

As for gems and gold (or items) the watcher nation can duplicate those by sending them as a message to the nation which should get them.

JR77 · #5 July 24th, 2009, 05:39 AM

Sounds like a great concept. Count me in as a player if you can make it work!

Sombre · #6 July 24th, 2009, 05:42 AM

Everything you've described is possible, though some of it might have to be implemented in slightly hacky ways.

If you want to know how to do any of it do feel free to ask. I'm often in the irc channel.

Agema · #7 July 24th, 2009, 08:54 AM

Thanks for offering, Sombre. I'm away this weekend, but I'll try to catch up with you Sunday or next week.

the Vanishag · #8 July 24th, 2009, 09:52 AM

Neat! I like the idea, and was thinking that I'd look for a RP-ish game next. I have experience as a GM, but not (yet) enough experience with Dom to volunteer to play Pantokrator, but I'm interested in being in the game (and, once I have more games under my belt, "running" a GM/Pantokrator Game).

It looks like Gandalf's already done much of the work necessary with the Watcher mod. You rock.

I like the idea that overthrowing the Pantokrator as an alternate victory condition, especially if the Pantokrator is limited in the revenge he can take (e.g., a failed attempt is seen as chutzpah, not a real threat).

What if "Mount Olympus" is very well defended, but linked to every province? Would that cause the map to go berserk? It'd make a "kill the Pantrokrator" strategy easier to implement, maybe too easy. A lesser case: linked to every other capital, but to no other provinces.

vladikus · #9 July 24th, 2009, 10:15 PM

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showt...965#post702965

It's a start.

vladikus · #10 July 28th, 2009, 04:41 PM

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showt...965#post702965

Same link as the above post, but with an update. The mod is ready for rolepaying, just edit any map and put the nation start off to the side (extremely easy to do).