The Black Glove
The Resident BAMF
How to Make a Successful RPG
Written and managed by The Black Glove
Written and managed by The Black Glove
Greetings, newbies. I am aware that many of you have joined or started your own RPGs, some of which have been more successful than others. Have you ever wondered what makes them work so well? Just sit back and relax, as BG explains the A-B-Cs of RPGs.
Step 1: Brainstorming
Before you do anything else, you need to have an idea of what you are gonna be doing. Brainstorm ideas based around things that interest you. A favorite TV show, video game, sport, hobby- what do you enjoy? As someone who has tried a variety of different genres, I recommend you be VERY careful about what it is you do. Stay away from these more popular choices if you can.
-Common Choices-
1. Pokemon Trainer RPGs (most common. Includes Schools, Journeys, Tournaments, etc.)
2. Kingdom Hearts (mostly around Organization XIII)
3. Anything Anime Based (Naruto, Bleach, Pokemon, etc.)
4. Pokemon w/o Trainers
5. Crossovers (Pokemon meets Kingdom Hearts)
Now, before you cross any of these off your list, remember that these are only what is overdone to the point where they all feel the same. In order to make your RPG stand out, we must move on to the second step:
Step 2: Tweaking
Take your original idea. Since they are the most common, let's use a Pokemon Trainer RPG for our example. Since there are an absurdly large number of these running around, we need to make something in your original thoughts different. Perhaps the events take place in a post-apocolyptic world, and the Pokemon trainers are fighting for survival rather than sport. Maybe your trainers are aiming to be the successor of a gym leader. Make something different about your plot. Of course there are also some plot devices that are overused. Here are a few of them.
-Overused Plot Tweaks-
1. Post-Apocalyptic
2. A new evil has arisen.
3. Characters are related to major characters in actual series (You are not sons of Ash Ketchum darn it!)
4. Chosen ones
5. A tournament
6. Fan Worlds (This includes Fakemon*)
7. A Contest
8. Character Fusion (not including Pokemorphs**)
9. Crossovers
10. Propechies
*Fakemon and their respective regions are heavily discouraged due to complication and unfamiliarity with the area and Pokemon. These things are best done on their own forum. As someone who has made such sites, I suggest Invisionfree. It's simple, easy to learn, and best of all, free.
*Pokemorphs are considered to be a completely different genre, where human DNA is combined with that of a Pokemon. Character Fusion refers to 2 characters (Player characters or otherwise) fusing together to create something more powerful.
If ever possible, AVOID THESE TWISTS. They are horribly overused, and should only be used if you feel you can use this twist uniquely. Wait until others consider you an expert, then MAYBE try your luck.
Step 3: Plotting
Every RPG, according to the rules, needs a well-written plot of at least 200 words. Plotting should cover this, as well as ideas on what events might occur in the RPG. Start with the one you will use in the RPG Signup. With it, give a brief synopsis of what it is the players will be doing within your RPG. Will they be competing in that tournament? Fighting pirates? Rebelling against an oppressive overlord? Solving a mystery? What is it you need to include?
-Stuff to Include in Your Plot-
1. Setting. Where and when your RPG takes place.
2. The enemy. Most RPGs have an antagonist, who often sets the plot in motion. Introduce at least what information is known about him/her and the organization they run.
3. What the players will be doing. The players should understand where thier characters stand. This will help them during the character creation process.
4. History. Any events in the past that may have set the current events into motion.
5. Setup. How the player is pulled into the RPG. Did a portal swallow them up? Were they sent a summons in the mail?
Most, if not all of this needs to be somewhere in your 200+ word plot. Then, plan out where the story will go from there. Perhaps the team will be directed towards a cave where you will have them encounter an angry Ursaring. As each part of the plot progresses, maybe you'll decide the players will discover a shortcut as a result of the damage from the battle. Always plan ahead, or it will bite you in the rear end. If you can, write up one post in advance, which can be edited or rewritten depending on the actions taken by the player. The better your plot is planned, and the more active you are in moving it along, the more likely your RPG is to stay alive.
Step 4: Information
In most RPGs, people will need to know some basic information about the setting. You'll be okay if you are doing a Pokemon RPG (though you need to explain anything that might be different from the games/anime/manga), but otherwise, you need to give details. For example, if your RPG is set in a fantasy world, you need to give people some information about magic. Here are the most useful bits of info you can have.
-Useful Information-
1. Setting. If it isn't the normal Pokemon world or our world, we need to know what the area looks like. Name off some major locations around the area, like forests or cities, and describe them. Elaborate.
2. Characters. Important People who can influence the direction of the plot, usually NPCs. Those in leadership positions are generally the most important to include here, especially if it's the main villain. You may want to include at least a small amount of information about the lead villain (or villains) here.
3. Races. This mainly applies to fantasy RPGs. In some cases, you may want to have different races, such as elves, dwarves, vampires and werewolves. Include information about every race (including humans) as well as thier strong points, weak points, and an idea of what they look like.
4. Abilities. Since a large number of RPGs involve combat, you need to clarify to what extent the players can use abilities, and how these abilities would be used. For example, if I want to make a character who can shoot electricity from his hands, the GM needs to decide how that would happen. If it's a magical ability in a fantasy RPG, maybe the electricity can be produced by using magical power as fuel. If it's a superhero, maybe they have to absorb electricity in order to release it. Give them freedom, but set limits.
Step 5: The Rules
All RPGs follow the basic Serebiiforums Rules, as well as the RPG forum-specific rules, but I reccomend you add these to your list. If your RPG contains content that might not be suitable for younger RPers (Violence, Gore, Mature Romance, Language, etc.), include what the RPG is rated, like you would a movie or video game. Anything important to the rule of play goes here. And for the love of Arceus, please don't use the "if you read the rules, write *example word or phrase* in your signup." It simply doesn't work, and if they did read the whole thing, it will show in their signup.
Step 6: The Signup Sheet
Every RPG needs a signup sheet. This will allow people to describe and create thier characters according to your will. A good signup sheet will have at least the following sections:
Name: The character's name. What they will be called while in character.
Age: The Character's age. Set limits that make sense to the RP.
Gender: Male or female usually. There are rare occasions in which the character is genderless.
Description/Appearance: What the character looks like. Suggested 2+ paragraphs when possible.
Personality: How the character acts. Suggested 2+ paragraphs when possible.
History: The character's background. This should be the longest section with at least 3 paragraphs. Even if the characters have amnesia, this should still include some information about what has happened to them, maybe even how they got dragged into the plot.
-Some other useful things to insert-
Abilities: Stuff like magic and special skills, how they work, what they look like. Stuff like that.
Weapons/Gadgets: Any useful tools they might carry around for use in their line of work. Some may even have inventories.
Talents: Things a character can do well, like sing, dance, cook, fish.
Other: Anything that doesn't fall into any other categories.
Step 7: Make a character.
99% of the time, you will want to have a character of your own in the game because it makes it much easier to direct the plot. Before you post the signup, MAKE THE CHARACTER. This way, the other players will have something to base thier signups off of, and you'll get RPGers around your level of gameplay.
Having trouble? I suggest Psychic's Making a signup thread.
Step 8: One final Check.
Go over everything you wrote up before and go over every sentence in detail. Make sure you have correct spelling and grammar, the format makes it easy to read, and you didn't leave any of the above out. If there are any final changes you want to make, now is the time. Then check your checks.
Step 9: Post the completed RPG.
Post. Make sure it's in the correct section, and then wait for signups!
If there is anything you think I forgot, please, send me a PM, and I'll post up the info. Happy Roleplaying!
-BG ;214;