hey....

[gdl96]

How do I get started? This looks pretty interesting. How do i do stuff? I'm new to this. I'd appreciate some help.

[Elbreth of Carhouth]

I'm thinking of starting a new RPG, since Hobbiton has seemed to die completely now.
If you have an idea as to what you would like, I could start it.
Then all you've got to do is make up a character for yourself, you don't need another username, and play along. It's kinda improved stuff, just react realistically to what others say and do.

[Mathron]

Howdy! Just joined Entmoot the other day, and went and read all of the Hobbitown RPG... to find it sorof petered out and ended.
I would be michly interested in joining, should another spring up!
-Mathron

[Elanor]

maybe something where we have a few well-defined characters to work with beforehand and you can throw in plot twists and other characters but they can't become long-term members of the cast? That would help it be less confusing. One problem is that everyone wants the plot to do different things, so they sort of get in a tug of war! I don't know about that...

[Xivigg]

Ì think the real problems was Shan and Gil let us down and as i say i'm not interrested to do everything all by myself

That say i agree with you as everyone insert their character anywere and anytime we get a group awfully huge and it was very difficult to move everyone

Also lack of interraction make the hole thing weird (not to say boring)

I'm definitely in if you want to start something new
(of course if you want me cause if you don't waant me to be part of your game i have no problems with that)

[Mathron]

Methinks the key is (or at least based on my own RPGing experience) to have one central person sort of steering the plot (as Gil had been doing), while every else focus mainly on their own character and goals. While it certainly is acceptable for each character to try to have their own purposes come to the forum, by having all the people able to control the others characters, it ends up, as you said, in a tug of war.
I think with everyone setting up their character and their personality, and controlling their own actions save where the central person moves them along to further the plot.
But, I may be a bit biased from the games I play. ~grin~
-Mathron

[Elbreth of Carhouth]

Welcome Mathron! Glad for your input, really I am. And Xivigg, you are always welcome, what made you think we would not want you to play?
I've done a number of different RPG's, and I've found that they work best when improvised, but I suppose that also deals with what kind of personalities each of you have. If we have some stong characters or ideas, like Gil and Shan, and a whole bunch following, then the game dies if there is no follow through.
If there is one or two people controlling it, some players are angry because one of their actions is not reacted to because it doesn't fit into the plot. (I've been in that position.)
I think I will keep it mostly improvised, and I will kind of steer it a little, but not much. Characters can jump in and out as they please, but I caution people. Please do not add a bunch of extra characters, we ran into trouble with Orc armies, Elven warriors, and an Elf lad which nobody really played. The fewer "extras" the better, it's much easier to keep track of your own character without having to worry about others you may have added.
I don't want to discourage people from joining, we can have as many people as we want. And if you feel you can control more than one charater at once, and not mess things up too much, by all means go ahead and do so.

Now that we have people willing to play, what should the story be about? I'm not sure if Gil will be back, he's busy in some of his own RPG's and has a number of other hobbies going as well. Shanamir I can't say, I haven't heard from him.
If anyone has an idea, any idea no matter how strange it might sound, please let me know. I'm running out of inspiration for all my games. (I'm mod at a couple of RPG boards.) If it's related to Lord of the Rings or Hobbit, great, but it doesn't have to be. If it isn't we can always work some Tolkien stuff in.

[Mathron]

Some possible places:

Moria - was that place ever cleared out? Maybe a dwarven expidition or some such.

Isengard - maybe some Rohirrim went to check the place after Saruman got the boot.

Or something else with Rohan, and its Riders.

Or some of the forests - from mirkwood, to fanghorn, to Lorien, to the Old Forest.

Or maybe in Dale and teh Lonely Mountain

Or the Misty Mountains.

Well, there are some good places in Middle Earth, any of em appeal to anyone?

Oh, and don't worry, I have one character I plan to play, and won't have any hanger on's or such.
~grin~

-Mathron

[gdl96]

When and how does this start? I feel like rpg'in

[Sauganast]

*start cough* -- come to mithlond, home of RPG's, click on link in my signature below -- *end cough*

A good idea would to be to have a spot to post messages about your character, so that everyone can look up on what your character is all about. That way if someone doesn't know where your char is coming from they can just look it up where all the char's are. *cough* -- like soon to be at mithlond -- *end cough* And as for the plot, whoever starts the RPG steers the RPG, they are in complete control of what is happening, if they do not show for a week, RPG is deleted or someone else is given control. *cough* -- that is not advertising -- *end cough* ;)

By the way Elbreth, I am ready to start an RPG whenever you are. :)

[Mathron]

I actually visited Mithlond a little back, but all the RPG's there seemed to have died down as well...
Anyway, I like the idea about a section on characters! Sounds like a good plan.
So, looks like we've got a couple people interested here, eh?
-Mathron

[gdl96]

I've had my character description up for about a week. I'm Maulstradamus the Short.

[Elysha]

I was very impressed with your RPG up through Gilthalion's "tying things together" post. I haven't read much further, since it seemed to be a little confused. The way everyone worked together to write the story was awesome, although I know there were a lot of loose ends where it left off. I think Hobbiton may pick up again when Christmas holidays come, and spring next semester. It sounded as though, like me, everyone is head over heels with schoolwork and tests. Just wait for the right season -- spring! -- and you may regain your participants and wrap it up.

I think it might have helped if Xivigg had elaborated on her plans instead of shrouding them in mystery, so that other people could manipulate her character and the story better. I think it was just so mysterious that people didn't know quite what to do with her, although it looked like a good idea. Also, it might have been nice if Shanamir hadn't copied Harry Potter with that scar, thus spoiling whatever Xivigg's plans might have been. But otherwise, I thought the story was well put together, well continued, and Gilthalion especially helped hold it together.

It seems to me that in giving the story and the characters, it is best never to keep the characters' plans too secret, but to give other people cues for continuing.

I think it's a good idea to filter new people joining in after the story has really gotten going. To make sure of what their intentions are and whether they know exactly how to fit in with the gears of the story.

I may be able to conscript my brother to play in the next RPG. He writes Sci-fi and fantasy, and loves Tolkien, and enjoyed reading your previous RPG. I just asked him whether he would be interested, and he replied promptly in the equivocating affirmative -- "Probably." Looks like fun!

[Lief Erikson]

Hello. I'd like to play as well, and I've got an idea of where we can do it. I think we should work in Dale. :-|
This is serious. Its nearby Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain which makes a good combination. We could place it after the battle of the five armies and before the LOTR. That way we'd have most of the dwarves to work with and also Bard, plus of course the extra that we'd make up. We could say that there was a goblin passage built to near the Lonely Mountain, and that's how most of the evil creatures from the Battle of the Five Armies got there.

[Elysha]

"Lief Erikson" is my brother. Sorry for spilling the beans, J.

Success!

[Mathron]

Sounds like a keen plan. Starting out there could lead to a lot of different possibilities - how things go on at the lonely mountain, in mirkwood... that expedition sent out to Moria, with Balin, wasn't it, that ended in failure...
And so forth.
-Mathron

[Xivigg]

Humm

i must say that Shanamir didn't copy anything
his character is comming from a role playing game that is running since 91-92
and i don't think he ever read Harry Potter

[Elysha]

I'm sorry, Xivigg, I thought he only decided to give Shanamir an evil-detecting scar when he met your character! It all comes of coming in in the middle, I suppose.

I really had no idea that the scar has been part of Shanamir's character for so long. One of the possible pitfalls of reading role-playing games without participating in them, I suppose. I won't criticize anymore.

[Xivigg]

well you couldn't know

the game isn't online
hhe only take his character and put him online

but it's the kind of think that make roleplaying interresting

not knowing everything (ok i knew about it but i forget)

[Elbreth of Carhouth]

Okey day, I'll start a new one tomorrow. I've run out of time now. Fangorn sound ok?
That's the one I'm thinking has the most potential, because anything can happen there.
I will have a discussion thread about the going's on there, just so we can talk about what our ideas are without sticking it in the middle of the story.
If anyone wants to post their character in the meantime, go ahead. It really does help out.
And yes, I'll be back at Mithlond soon! ;)

[Gilthalion]

As Elbreth mentioned, I've been busy, things had fallen off and I couldn't write it ALL, after all!

But now that my back is healed, my internet service is restored, and the elections are over (Entmoot & USA), perhaps I can write an ending.

Then, I would ask the moderators to Lock the Hobbiton thread down.

So, if anyone wants to finish up some business in Hobbiton, they'd best do it quickly!