[PXFIRE] Roleplay Discussion

[Neo Emolga]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/pokemontrainersarah/pxfire-logo1.png


PXFIRE Roleplay Discussion

Hey guys! With PXFIRE starting in less than a month, things are going to heat up fast! In this thread, we'll brainstorm and discuss things people would like to see in the PXRFIRE Roleplay. Anything is possible right now, but here are a few touchpoints that might be good as starters for the discussion. I'll try to use as many of the best ideas as I can and we'll go from there to make a community RP that as many people as possible can enjoy.

These points are just food for thought and are really meant to just get thoughts about this going. You're more than welcome to build off of them, but definitely don't feel restricted by them.

Overall Structure and Setting

Here's your biggie. There's three kinds of things we can do here.

RP with player characters being human. - Basically your typical Pokémon Trainer characters with Pokémon of their own. They don't need to be league competitors either, but we can get into that later.

RP with player characters being Pokémon. - This would be akin to a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon setting where YOU'RE the Pokémon.

RP with player characters being something completely different. - With or without Pokémon? Who knows. It's always a possibility.

Genres

Genres are loose and are definitely meant to be more like labels rather than straightjackets. For example, there are plenty of times when Harry Potter reads like a mystery novel even though it's more in the fantasy area. Lord of the Rings has plenty of moments of romance. And then you have things like Scary Movie that blend horror and comedy together. There's really no limitation on genres and it's possible and even neat when stories wander into other areas. It's something that makes them unique.

For this RP, think of it the same way. Instead of saying "I want something with fantasy," shoot for "I like X, Y, and Z from some of my favorite fantasy games and stores. Maybe we could put those in this?" Try to aim to be a bit more specific, since there's a lot of things to fantasy. Fantasy races, fantastical creatures, magic, and all that other stuff are big areas. Maybe just grabbing one or two things from here and there are all you need. When you shop at a grocery store, you buy things from all different departments to make a tasty and unique meal. Same thing here.

Team Involvement

Keep in mind the RP setting will have multiple teams which could be themed off of anything from the cool, the cute, the weird, the funny, and the silly. The RP should be pretty flexible to allow for any team to jump in and feel right at home, and the same goes for the other way around. A team of noble fighters that specialize in electric-type Pokémon could work well in a space-age sci-fi setting, a medieval setting, or a modern day one. A team of computer hackers might be out of luck in a RP where there's only Pokémon and not even a single smartphone laying around.

A key thing to remember is the RP will be PVP (player vs player) in nature. Which means players will be trying to strategize and keep each other on their toes as they try to rise to the top and be the ones in control. It's fun, it's exciting, I've done it before and it's cool and fun to see what kinds of curveballs people will throw your way. If it sounds a little intimidating, it's totally not. Remember, we're all in the same boat together! Be open and ready for anything.

Crisis Creation

Every good story has something that knocks the characters out of the norm of everyday life and challenges them with all kinds of obstacles. Otherwise, there's really no story unless their everyday life is really that unique and different from everyone else's and that is the story. But even then, there's got to be things that are different that make this particular day noteworthy compared to others.

In RPs and stories, usually something tragic is going on and the characters either have to solve it or at least survive it. For our RP, we'll need that also. Because there will be many players involved, the crisis should be large enough for just about everyone to be a stakeholder in it and have their lives affected in some kind of way that makes them take action. How they react is up to them, and there will be differences between how one team wants to address the situation compared to another. And that might cause them to become rivals. Then things really get fun! >:3

Extras

If you need more guidance, you can always read the Pokémon Crossroads Role Playing Guide (http://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/showthread.php?180-The-Pok%E9mon-Crossroads-Role-Playing-Guide-(Beginners-Advanced-and-Role-Play-Creation)) if you need some extra thoughts to go with. It's an oldie but goodie! Guide #3 is more of what we're focusing on here, but the other stuff is worth a look as well.

I'll try to provide feedback on as much as I can. I feel together, we could make something really sweet and definitely fun for everyone. http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y109/Ultradyne/Emolga_587.gif

[LKWayvern]

I feel pretty neutral when it comes to what species the characters should be honestly. I tend to enjoy creating Pokemon characters the most, so I really like PMD settings most of the time, but I'd be up for other kinds of characters, too!

When it comes to genres, I really love steampunk and fantasy fusion types. Two of my favorite book series have a fantasy/steampunk kind of genre, they're called Parasol Protectorate and A Memoir by the Lady Trent. The former is set in a world where supernatural creatures are very much real, so humanity created more advanced technology in order to survive, and then supernatural creatures began integrating into society, and the latter is basically about a woman named Isabella who travels across a fictional alternative version of Earth studying dragons, and they both have some really interesting worldbuilding as you can probably tell.
So perhaps we could explore the side effects of magic and Pokemon powers on technology? That's something I almost never see in fanfictions and roleplays. You have telekinetics, telepathics, beings literally composed of data and code, Pokemon that can transform into water, Pokemon that can absorb and dispel electicity and fire, massive Pokemon, tiny Pokemon... Their technology and buildings would probably be very different from human.

I don't have any ideas or preferences concerning teams and conflicts at the moment, maybe I'll think of something later?

[Chakramaster]

I don't get to do it very often, but I'd love any sort of PMD setting. Actual interacting as a Pokemon. Whether this be multi species where the Pokemon can even interact with the humans or not. Sometimes in RP I tend to get lost because everyone else tends to gather while nothing even happens/happened with my character and no real way to lead into it really without a way to work it in,

I have an idea I might drop later I've been thinking of, but it's not much to go on. It's something if anything. I'd love to discuss and hear more out on the idea though.

[VeloJello]

Personally, I prefer a setting where the PCs are humans, or humanoid, but a PMD style thing would be pretty cool, especially since I think WAR has pretty much always focused on human/humanoid characters. As for genre, fantasy - especially urban fantasy - is my absolute jam, although I'm not opposed to focusing on sci-fi or putting a bit of it in the mix.

This is a bit cliche, but maybe every group is assigned a patron Legendary Pokemon? A group with a mischief-making prankster motif might have Hoopa; a group with a slow-and-steady strategy might have Regigigas or Groudon; a very "edgy" group might have Necrozma or Yveltal. These legends could be fighting - maybe because being gods is hard, or maybe because of some outside influence. Different allegiances could be made, but each group's Legendary representative would have their own agenda. There's also possibilities to be found in a post-apocalypse world - maybe humans have vanished and Pokemon are left to figure out what to do with themselves, forming into groups based on what kind of past involvement they had with humans; maybe the world is under the thumb of a horrifying dictator of some sort and each team is forming their own reaction faction. I have a jillion tiny plot bunny ideas; if you want a hand coming up with premises, I wouldn't mind helping helping brainstorm/being a sounding board.

I do have some concerns about activity, though. I know that the nature of this event means that high activity is a necessity, but some people on here can churn out four posts a day, and others are lucky if they can make one post a week. I remember some WARs got really rough because the high-activity people would often make game-changing posts, forcing those of us who couldn't go as quickly to adjust and take even more time, during which more people would shake things up even more, etc. Do you have any plans for how to handle posting order, a post throttle, or anything like that?

[Noblejanobii]

Personally I adore fantasy settings but I've never attempted steampunk before so that could play out to be interesting. A mystery setting could be nice too. Hm… or maybe it's like a D&D type thing? Like just absolutely wacky where almost anything can happen kinda thing? I'm up for just about any genre and the inclusion of Pokémon won't stop me from joining.

Hm… maybe long ago humans and Pokémon lived in harmony, each having some magical powers. But the Pokémon were beasts, unable to be tamed by any magic the humans could muster! So the humans fled to a series of islands that had little to no Pokémon on them, and those that did exist were eliminated quickly. For centuries, the human race evolved into other species such as elves, succubi, orks, etc. and the strongest, wisest, sorcerest, etc. were used to ward off any stray Pokémon. However, supplies are running low, and an attack must be launched on the old lands of beasts to gather more land and supplies to aid in the survival of the once human race.

[Chakramaster]

It's weird, but what jumped out at me once I thought "competition" since this will be sort of like a competition between us, was to work in all three of the options listed. Make some calamity between the worlds. Like a known prophecy in each world that has been done for eons. Though, each time one is completely fufilled, the other world suffers. It works in like a triangle. Human/Pokémon/Human-hybrid (or whatever the third is chosen to be). Say the Human world is thriving. While it thrives, the world of Pokémon is at a full loss. Food, money, sunlight, all are rarely ever seen. It's hard to come by. Ravaged by thieves and anarchy nearly everywhere you go. It takes a selected group to go through the challenges of prophecy to fix it, but once it's complete, world 3 is affected. The world of Pokémon would thrive as the human world once did. Now, the human world would be on a decline. Not in the state the Pokémon world was, but you can see changes as nature begins to change around the world.

Yeah that be kinda hard to run in a short time though xD. So maybe something more simple as to create chaos between the other players rather. I'll give it some more thought and read over the others as well.

[Neo Emolga]

I like the idea of a steampunk PMD setting! I'm only delved just a tiny bit with steampunk stuff, but it's definitely something that sounds fun to work with.

I'm thinking of going with something like this. This is really just me taking the ideas you guys laid out, tying them together, and fleshing out an RP and storyline out of it that uses a little bit of everything that everyone suggested without having contradictions.

So here goes:

Basic Premise

From what I've noticed, people are cool with playing as a Pokémon or as a humanoid. So...

https://i.giphy.com/3o85xIO33l7RlmLR4I.webp

Your character is natively a Pokémon, but because they're extra cool and spunky, they can temporarily take on other forms. Okay, the real reason for this is because they're an Aikon. In a steampunk world filled with humans and Pokémon, your character is a very rare type of magical warrior that comes equipped with a neat toolkit. Aikons are quite powerful, but they also like to blend in all ninja-like before they strike. Aikons are so rare and so mysterious that there's plenty of people and Pokémon that believe they don't exist and are just the stuff of fairytales.

As an Aikon, your character's true form is that of a Pokémon, BUT for combat, utility purposes, and to blend in, your character can transform into other fantasy creatures. Such as if your Aikon character is naturally a Flygon, they can return to their natural Flygon form at any time, but they might also be able to become other things such as a human, a succubus, and a minotaur. We'll go with three forms your character is familiar with. They specialized in these three alternate forms and know how to work with them, but they don't take on any more than that or else they would be diversifying themselves too much and wouldn't be too good at any one thing in particular. We could even say your first form is the form you're best at, your second form is the one you're good with, but your third is a bit rusty. So our Flygon would totally rock and convince everyone as a human, but as a minotaur, he might be a little shabby at fighting and behaving like one. You've got to choose wisely! Or we could just have it where your character is quite good at being all three forms and that's cool and fine. Your forms would also reflect the kind of Pokémon type your character is. As a human, your character would still have ground and dragon powers, attacks, magic, and special abilities. You could also imbue your weapons with these type-powers, such as a bow and arrow with draconic-powered arrows or a sword/axe that flares up with earth-shattering power or draconic energy.

The best way to think of Aikons is like kitsunes in Yokai folklore where you can shape shift forms. But, you usually want to do this in secret unless the pressure is really on. It's not something you fling around in public unless it's a life and death matter.

Storyline Thoughts

I was thinking of taking a page out of Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire). Arceus, considered to be the top dog and the big cheese of this world, is dead (we'll get to the reason for that in a bit). And Arceus never announced a heir. A powerful but corrupt dictator known only as Velge has taken over. And he used to be human, but he's used a very sick and twisted form of forbidden magic called Shadow Delve. It's very dark, powerful, and eerily unpredictable magic that was supposed to be sealed away because the ancient Aikons of old just couldn't destroy it. No one knows where it came from and it's rumored that it came out of space, but it's here now and it's causing all kinds of problems.

Velge takes on many forms. Sometimes he might be taking on the form of a giant, colossal dragon, other times an imposing armored giant, other times a swarm of giant bats and insects, and what have you. The WORST part is no one really knows how to kill him either.

At the same time, the effect of Shadow Delve is causing all kinds of blights, especially the more Velge abuses it. Humans and Pokémon near the areas where heavy Shadow Delve magic is used often get turned into hideous mutants or terrible monsters. What's even worse is these mutants and abominations can be controlled by Velge as his expendable pawns.

The Crisis

Arceus is dead and the world needs a new legendary to take the throne. A real legendary. Definitely not Velge. The only ones who want Velge in power is Velge himself, his dark emissaries, and of course, his mindless, zombie-like shadow drones. It's your objective to help support and fight for your legendary patron to rise to power and change the course of fate and destiny. However, they need you as much as you need them. They can't rise to the top without your support and by helping them, you stand to gain powerful leadership and influence as an emissary of the ruling legendary Pokémon in command. The fate of the entire world is at stake and massive change is inevitable, but you know the best outcome is by helping your patron legendary take the throne and the power to replace Arceus.

As said before, Shadow Delve, what Velge controls now, is very powerful but very unpredictable magic. Most milder forms of magic, like the ones your character uses in the form of Chronicle Art, are relatively safe. But Shadow Delve, thanks to Velge's abuse, causes anomalies that will at least mutate and disfigure humans and Pokémon, if not kill them. He doesn't care about the ugly effects and even likes the kind of unintentional chaos they cause. He'll even claim it inspires him.

There's also the situation surrounding Arceus's death. What could have killed a god so quickly and quietly? How did it happen and is there a chance it could happen again? It wasn't Velge's mess with Shadow Delve. That only started to happen afterword. And that's the mystery that's currently unanswered behind this enigmatic assassination.

Also, Shadow Delve is just ONE type of "Cataclysmic Magic" that is super-powerful but has very unpredictable effects. There are others that if used by the wrong people, could end the world or drastically change it. But for ultimate power and command, would you try to seek it out? Do you think you have what it takes to control something so unruly with the potential to recreate the world as you see fit? Velge thinks so with Shadow Velge and it has turned him into a dark god. But with no other way of killing him... is it an option you're willing to explore?

Team thoughts

Each Team will have a kind of mysterious "Chronicle Art" that only they know and each team can decide and work out what kind of thing they'd like, which would also tie in with their team theme. Possibilities include:

Time Advancement/Reversal (making a non-biological object brand new or make it crumble with age)
Change your typing (Like Delta species. So if you want to be a water-typed Pikachu or a Ice-typed Charizard, have fun! They would work exactly like Alolan forms)
Ability to achieve extra evolutions (Kind of like Mega Evolution)
The inclusion of a magic not based on Pokémon attacks/moves, so things like time magic, summoning magic, necromancy, healing magic, and things like that are fun extras you could add to your team's arsenal.
Magic that allows your character to be seriously good at a particular trade or skill with instant results, such as instant weapon or artifact forging.

The storyline behind Chronicle Art is during ancient times, magic and the mystical races used to be EVERYWHERE and they lived, worked, and played together. And for that reason, technological advancement was slow and seldom because it wasn't really necessary. Back then, technology was pretty much glued around the medieval era because very often, magic was more powerful and more versatile even though there were plenty of folk that shunned its use (like some people don't want to use technology). But then the Soul War struck and with so much left in ruins after a lot of Cataclysmic Magic (such as Shadow Delve) being used, many people decided to rely on technology to rebuild rather than magic and it's destructive tendencies. Many of the fantasy creatures such as orcs, faeries, minotaurs, and so on decided to migrate toward other planes or even create celestial rifts to other worlds where magic would be safe to migrate. There are still some refugees and tiny colonies that exist, but they're very rare and hard to find, hence why it's mostly humans bustling around. Not to mention the mess with Shadow Delve makes those who decided to remain not want to poke out of the secret spots too often. This has been the way for the past five hundred years.

There were still some hidden pockets of society that practiced Chronicle Art throughout the years as the new age of technology rose up and built up what is now the steampunk stuff you see in the current RP setting. A new age of clockwork machines, weapons, devices, and elementary robotics has surfaced with things like airships, elementary firearms, and simple computers appearing. But when this new clockwork and steam-powered technology meets the magic of old... well, who knows what might be possible?



That's basically what I have right now. Given, ANY of this is definitely subject to change and this is really just a kind of rough draft that gives a flavor for what's possible. Let me know what you guys think and what kind of modifications you'd like to see!

[LKWayvern]

So would we all be working to get a single Legendary on the throne, or would we each select a Legendary for our character? If we're all working together, which Legendary will we be picking? If we're each picking a Legendary for our character, can multiple characters support a single Legendary and work together? And, if we're going with the hypothetical 'select a Legendary for a character' who roleplays each Legendary? The person who is trying to get that Legendary on the throne? Should we establish relationships between Legendaries beforehand?
...You can tell I have a minor obsession with worldbuilding and Legendaries and background mythology.

Also, if we are going with a steampunk/fantasy type of setting, a couple other things to consider. What kinds of inventioned would exist in this world? How much have Legendaries interfered with the progression of civilization? Have they contributed anything in science or art?

[VeloJello]

I'm curious where humans fit into this - with no innate magic (unless you're giving them magic) and no way to "tame" Pokemon, their only real advantage would be that all of them have thumbs. It's possible that through history they could have been stamped out or even oppressed somehow, seeing as they're the "weaker species", unless Pokemon are extra rare. Not a necessary thing, but sapient beings are really good at creating crappy power structures and treading down anyone they see as inferior or just plain different, so it's entirely possible that this world would have its prejudices. I'm also curious about the Aikon's "mythic" forms - for instance, fairies are really open to interpretation, so could a player decide they want to have the form of a tall, ethereal, beautiful person, or the form of a small flying humanoid with dragonfly wings, and still be considered "fairies"?

With regards to magic, some questions. Are Aikons immune or resistant to the effects of the Shadow Delve's mutation/corruption? Because monster Aikons sound like they would make really good boss battles, and having that risk would be a good way to keep players from recklessly charging in. More on Aikons - how do Aikons come to exist? Are they born randomly, is it genetic, are they chosen by Legends...? Also, about Chronicle Arts - just for my reference, their use is not limited to Aikons, right?

I really love where this is going, not gonna lie. I am just a barrel of questions. XD i'm highkey planning an obnoxious renegade who's not afraid to grab all the cataclysmic magic they can and get all the things done

[Death's Spook]

Congratulations Neo. You just gave me an RP to put Tess into.

[Soups]

I like it, Neo. It's a sweet compilation of the suggestions that everyone has given thus far. I'm here for it.

[Noblejanobii]

WE GET TO BE NINJAS???

https://media.giphy.com/media/EDRdYt04QK2d2/giphy.gif

[Neo Emolga]

Oh wow, glad this already has great reception! I was kind of just tossing developed suggestions out there!


I like cookies!

So would we all be working to get a single Legendary on the throne, or would we each select a Legendary for our character?

My thoughts are each team would have a legendary, and everyone on that team is out to help that legendary become the next top dog and hopefully kick Velge's buttocks off the throne. But, you're also competing with the other teams as well, who want to put their legendary on the throne. And you've got all kinds of other things going on as well, such as the situations regarding Cataclysm Magic! You think it stops at Velge? Guess again!

If we're all working together, which Legendary will we be picking?

That's up to you and your team! Any legendary is fine, though it would probably be best to have the team talk it out and pick the one you think fits the team in the best way. And that would probably be best decided after teams have been created and you know what your team's theme is and stuff like that.

I'm also fine with small groups of legendaries being chosen as long as they're related. Such as if you team decides to support Latios and Latias as the heirs, or if you want to go with supporting the Suicune, Raikou, and Entei trio. That's fine too. Once you've selected, those legendry patrons are unique to your team. Another team can't choose them. Just note that the power of the legendary is distributed among the ones you pick, so if your team were to go with Suicune, Raikou, and Entei, one of those three alone would only have 1/3 of the power of what a single team legendary would have, such as if a team only had Mew as their legendary and no others.

If we're each picking a Legendary for our character, can multiple characters support a single Legendary and work together?

Basically, everyone on your team would be supporting the same legendry (or legendaries). You would work together to protect them and empower them while they grant you special favors and powers also for your support and strengthening.

And, if we're going with the hypothetical 'select a Legendary for a character' who roleplays each Legendary?

I'm kind of thinking it would be best if these legendaries were NPCs. But I'm open to talking that over, since it may be hard for the group to decide how their patron legendary behaves and who should have them do what. In the hands of a player, there's less of a chance of having lockouts because no one wants to step over each other's toes when it comes to deciding what the legendary does and when. In the hands of a single RPer, no one really needs to worry about and just follows that RPers lead.

The person who is trying to get that Legendary on the throne? Should we establish relationships between Legendaries beforehand?

From the start of the RP, your team's relationship with your team's chosen legendary or legendaries is VERY strong. You'd fight and die for each other. You believe in them and they believe in you.

...You can tell I have a minor obsession with worldbuilding and Legendaries and background mythology.

No problems here, it rocks!

Also, if we are going with a steampunk/fantasy type of setting, a couple other things to consider. What kinds of inventions would exist in this world?

I'm thinking along the lines of Bioshock Infinite, if you've ever played it. If you haven't, the setting is a floating city in 1912, and it has a "magic" kind of system in the form of Vigors. There are firearms, clockwork machines, elementary robotics, and that kind of thing. Most of these machines would be effective, but simple.

How much have Legendaries interfered with the progression of civilization? Have they contributed anything in science or art?

I guess it would be fair to say it depends on the legendary. Some might be more receptive to it, especially if they've been working closer with people. Others might be neutral toward the technology, while some legendaries might want to do away with it and return to the ways of old. That's up to your team!


I'm curious where humans fit into this - with no innate magic (unless you're giving them magic) and no way to "tame" Pokemon, their only real advantage would be that all of them have thumbs. It's possible that through history they could have been stamped out or even oppressed somehow, seeing as they're the "weaker species", unless Pokemon are extra rare. Not a necessary thing, but sapient beings are really good at creating crappy power structures and treading down anyone they see as inferior or just plain different, so it's entirely possible that this world would have its prejudices. I'm also curious about the Aikon's "mythic" forms - for instance, fairies are really open to interpretation, so could a player decide they want to have the form of a tall, ethereal, beautiful person, or the form of a small flying humanoid with dragonfly wings, and still be considered "fairies"?

Humans would be more apt toward harnessing the power of science and engineering. Plus they still train Pokémon, but unlike the games/anime, they don't solely rely on them. Some of the more combative humans would think it foolish for someone to expect their Pokémon to do all their fighting when they're your companions and you should fight alongside them if you truly believe in what you're striving for.


With regards to magic, some questions. Are Aikons immune or resistant to the effects of the Shadow Delve's mutation/corruption? Because monster Aikons sound like they would make really good boss battles, and having that risk would be a good way to keep players from recklessly charging in. More on Aikons - how do Aikons come to exist? Are they born randomly, is it genetic, are they chosen by Legends...? Also, about Chronicle Arts - just for my reference, their use is not limited to Aikons, right?

Good questions!

Aikons are more resistant to it. Much more than anyone else, but... they're not immune. It's kind of like playing with something that might be addictive. Like a video game that you've played for an hour and you REALLY need to go take care of something else, but... oh, just another hour. And another. And then you realize poof, where did the day go? Only that's a very mild analogy in comparison to this. There will be temptations and influences. Non-Aikons will be very easily tempted and will mindlessly succumb to the tantalizing influence. Your character can resist them as long as it's only for a short time and they find a way to separate themselves from the influence. But if it becomes constant or in heavy quantities, they might just be won over. The temptations of Cataclysm Magic... they're hard to resist once they've been discovered. Like trying not to cash in a winning lottery ticket that would blow up your neighbor's house if you did kind of hard-to-resist!

Aikons go WAY back into ancient times. They started as Pokémon that were driven by curiosity, adventure, and traveling. They were very nomadic and were constantly on the move to discover the world's secrets and mysteries. They were more like warrior treasure hunters, archaeologists, and explorers, always trying to poke into the dark, lost, secret places of the world that were forgotten about. Essentially, they gave many lost magical powers (the Chronicle Arts) a second wind when they put them back into practice and research. The best of the best was passed down through the generations while the more complicated things were reserved mainly for the masters and the specialists that were willing to devote heaps of time into their practice.

The legendaries saw Aikons as potential disciples, bodyguards, and emissaries. With Aikons by their side, a legendary was well protected and in turn, shared their knowledge with the Aikons to help them find those secret places once lost, as legendaries live for extraordinarily long times and have learned and remembered much throughout the ages.


I really love where this is going, not gonna lie. I am just a barrel of questions. XD i'm highkey planning an obnoxious renegade who's not afraid to grab all the cataclysmic magic they can and get all the things done

Oh, it's totally fine, this is what this thread is here for! Ask oodles of questions if you want! I'll admit it might take a bit to get to them, but hang in there, I'll get to them in time!


Congratulations Neo. You just gave me an RP to put Tess into.

Heh, heh, let's see how Tess dances in this one! >:D


I like it, Neo. It's a sweet compilation of the suggestions that everyone has given thus far. I'm here for it.

I tried my best and I think this is a pretty good recipe. That's the whole reason for this thread! It also helps me gather ideas and cook something sweet up. :3


WE GET TO BE NINJAS???

AND SO MUCH MORE!!!

[LKWayvern]

I think maybe there was a misscommunication when I mentioned relationships. I meant relationships between the Legendaries. Like, for example, how close was each Legend to Arceus? Are there any rivalries or friendships not explicitly mentioned in the games and anime that we'd like to expand on?

[Neo Emolga]

I think maybe there was a misscommunication when I mentioned relationships. I meant relationships between the Legendaries. Like, for example, how close was each Legend to Arceus? Are there any rivalries or friendships not explicitly mentioned in the games and anime that we'd like to expand on?

The legendaries definitely respected Arceus. Some might have agreed with his ways more than others, but in general, it was accepted that he was the ruling authority. But with him mysteriously dead now, everything is a big question mark. Who takes over? Who or what killed him? How will it be decided as to who takes over, and how will the world change because of it? Those are questions YOU will answer when you venture into this RP!

As for legendary allies and enemies, it's very shaky. VERY Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire) in style where allies and enemies can change and flux in no time, making every move and action a riddle and an enigma. Some legendaries may like some dealings while others may betray their former friends for their own advantage. It's all a game of gods, really.

[AD]

If Team Peasants doesn't get Ho Oh, my heart will break.

[Morzone]

Hmm....

I'm assuming Neo can draw up another one of his amazing maps for this (unless we're using canon regions)

I'm not actually very sure about this, if I'm honest. And it's because of what happened in WAR II. The plot for war II was very similar to this. The ruling power had been completely assassinated, no one knew who or how, but it left everyone not trusting others while different factions (teams) scrambled to use the opportunity to take power while trying to stop whoever caused the crisis.

While its a pretty good plot, the problem came in that it was too, well, Big. Literally No one interacted directly with anyone else. The world was so big and the plot so ague that there was too much room to maneuver and little incentive to get people in the same area. With such little interaction people dropped out quickly and it left the few that were left on a rather sad and desperate chase to have our characters meet up. (I mean, I can't prove they wouldn't have gone inactive but I feel more interacting would have helped)

This plot line is very good and we can definitely make it work, I think, but we need to make sure the players have plot-based incentive to interact with each other.

Anyway, Three questions:

One, what is the relationship between the rest of the world and the legends/aikons? Is it mainly region and religious where different cultures worship different legends, or are legends very prominent in the world, living among the people? And if the Aikons are generally special disciples to the legends, do they have some kind of special rank/privilege in the eyes of the people?

two: How does magic work? Is there a system to it, Or is it kind of free-for-all whatever you can think of?

three: Do you have to back a legendary? Could a team possibly go the route of believing there shouldn't be a single overruling king?

Also I feel relatively lost As I've never read/watched game of thrones or played the chronicle games

[VeloJello]

Quick suggestion - the "world" could be limited to just one continent, or even one area of a continent. Heck, other areas could exist, but be "roped off" by either navigational improbabilities or by the Shadow Delve. Get the accessible area small enough and interaction will occur as a matter of course.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Quick suggestion - the "world" could be limited to just one continent, or even one area of a continent. Heck, other areas could exist, but be "roped off" by either navigational improbabilities or by the Shadow Delve. Get the accessible area small enough and interaction will occur as a matter of course.

This is basically my advice for this. The first rule to make players that may not be allied with one another nevertheless interact is to limit how much world there is. (The second is to make sure there's some hotspot at some particular point on the map to force people to go there). That said, I think this is nowhere near enough. There were problems in the previous two wars that I would like to address pretty quickly, because of course this is a WAR-equivalent. They may be controversial but I'll at least have my word.

The first problem was the lack of obvious antagonist outside of the players; some reason to mobilize and get players to do things and put their necks out. In the first WAR on PxR, this was pretty much solved because Team Aqua was a sufficient antagonist all to themselves, while the second WAR had no such equivalent and thus no-one really had any reason to fight each other because everyone felt like they were good guys, which was another reason why no interaction took place in WAR II, to my limited knowledge. This proposed plot, of course, has already solved this conundrum via Velge playing with the Corruption and generally not belonging on the throne, and his ambitions may not even end there. If nothing else it'll make all the rough good guys have a chance of banding together to kill him, because now they don't have to worry about having to fight against good guys with opposing views on the other side and coming off as baddies!

Which leads into the second problem, which is vastly more prevalent and basically summed up above. The second was the omnipresent aversion to inter-team conflict. It has time and again peeved me off that in RPs designated as mass wars and varying types of conflict against the teams (especially the last two WARs), that no-one was actually willing to take the first shot and agress one another if they were 'heroic,' which is in part supposed to be the point of the RP itself. I won't list specific violators-that would take too long. Rather, the exceptions, aka the only teams that willingly instigate conflict with other teams are the obvious villain teams-this has been the case for every team RP I've participated in. If there were no villain teams there were no inter-team conflicts, period. In a few RPs, the presence of an obvious villain character made up for that and made RP interesting because there was something to fight against; if that didn't exist, things petered out fast.

There's a lot of reasons why I think this behavior exists. In two reasons; as a heroic/neutral team you do not want to look like the outright villain (and killing others makes you look like that automatically), and in general you do not want to have your characters die. The obvious way to avert both problems is to avoid coming into contact with enemy teams on any terms that are not friendly, so you don't get into kerrufles that could end fatally. In other words, an aversion to things that are pretty hard to RP properly, and thus no-one does these things. This kind of behavior, from what I can gather, was ultimately what doomed the last WAR. You know what else? The ability to effectively do those things and not break character nor suspension of disbelief, if anything, is hard enough that such feats should be rewarded. Heavily.

That's my opinion on that. i'm not sure if anyone will agree, but if nothing else I'll probably be fulfilling the 'antagonistic' role just to engage inter-team conflict, because that's far more interesting than the alternative.

[Neo Emolga]

Yep... Morzone and Tazz are right. Very, very right. I read Morzone's post in the morning and I've been thinking about it while at work all throughout the day. The more I thought about it, the more I began to really doubt this whole thing.

I think I got too carried away with this one and got tunnel vision. On that note, I think it would be best if we dumped what we have and start fresh. I know that's going to surprise a few people, but here are the big reasons why. Morzone and Tazz already touched base on a lot of these, but I'll spell it out even futher.

The plot is getting way too complicated. And it's getting worse by the minute. I'll be brutally honest, even I don't know where I'm going with it! The best RPs we've ever had were because they had good but simple plots. They gave people something to get started with, but it allowed them to take charge and write the story rather than feel confused and wonder if they were doing things right. The storyline should be easy to get into right away with nothing too crazy, and this one is a doozy when it comes to crazy complexity.
The magic system (is there even a real system here?) is a mess. At first, the idea with the Chronicle Arts sounded cool, but then it just didn't make sense and the more questions people asked about it, the more I began to feel it's just not going to work.
It's too much like WAR II's RP, and that RP flopped pretty badly. The insertion of fantasy races seems kind of random, too. Whatever race get inserted, there has to be a reason for them to exist. WAR II's RP even had this and it still didn't work.
We don't even have a world created yet. This isn't as severe as the other reasons, but this would beg for a totally new world and that's going to be a chore to set up. Not to mention I have big doubts it would work well. The Magi Saga RP had all this and even then, it just fizzled out really fast.
The thing with the legendaries is looking very iffy. It's starting to seem odd that the teams are out to help an NPC get to the top rather than themselves. Not to mention considering the powers some legendaries have, it's definitely better to only insert them into the RP if it's really appropriate.
The whole thing with Aikons is confusing as frick. I'll admit, I winged it when I made these and just wanted to let them be something people would think were cool and offered loads of great options, and the more I tried to give them more lore, the more confusing it got. When I see a lot of people asking a lot of questions, I take that as a bad sign. It means it's way too confusing to grasp the concepts and that, in turn, would make it even harder for people to get into the RP in the first place.
The steampunk setting just isn't working either. My knowledge of steampunk stuff is really pretty limited, but now a lot of questions about what kind of technology and gadgets are available and boom, I'm having trouble answering that question too.

I think what happened here was we had a really tasty burger, and a really delicious sundae, and wham, I thought blending them together would have made a masterpiece. Hurr hurr no.

I think we need an RP that's closer to what the first WAR RP was like. That one was pretty successful and fun. And I remember the best and most successful RPs I've seen kept to simple but satisfying plots. Simple, easy to understand setting with a few neat things, but nothing too confusing or really out in left field when it comes to fantasy. Things we might need to think about:

We might need to forgo the steampunk setting. It's confusing and I'll admit it's hard to work with not being an expert in that area myself. I think something just modern-day would be easier to grasp and keep it akin to what the usual scenario is in the mainstream Pokémon games.
It might be good to have a few neat "mystical" elements, but nothing too crazy. The first WAR RP had the Burst stuff from the manga, which was a cool idea and had a lot of versatility and was relatively easy to understand. We need something more like that. Something that's neat but easy to pick up and work with. This Chronicle Art stuff was definitely way too far out there and no one really knows it's capabilities and limitations. That makes it hard to work with and it will likely result in people not posting because they have no idea what to do.
Stick with what we know. I'm thinking keeping it set in the same Pokémon world from the games. If people think going with a PMD setting is better, I think I'd actually consider using one of the maps from the PMD games since people are more familiar with those. This greatly minimizes the chances of people running into things where they don't understand the layout of the world.
We need the teams to be the center focus. And like Tazz said, there HAS to be a team rivalry. Heck, I'd even command a dark/evil team JUST for this purpose, because I know EXACTLY what he's talking about and I want to slap "I AGREE" all over it. I know from past experience that fighting an overpowered NPC, like Velge, can get awfully dry. Very quickly. They either die fast or no one really cares about them. No one ever makes themselves lose to a NPC either. Last night, I thought it might work better with the new circumstances, but... yeah, Morzone reminded me of days past where it didn't work. It's way more interesting if the rivalry is player between player, as long as it's fun and fair and things don't get bitter between people. When players get into a satisfying rivalry and do their best to have a fun and friendly competitive RP, it's gold. I think we should aim for that here instead.

I apologize for getting too carried away with the previous idea, but after seeing what was said, I feel better just saying let's keep it on a level where it's easy to understand, has some neat originality, but keeps it simple, cool, and fun. But I feel if we go with what was posted earlier, I don't think it would work out and I have doubts I would be able to make it work in a way that people can really successfully get into for the long haul.

Again, the most successful RPs I've seen kept it simple but neat. I think that's what we need to do here, too.

[LKWayvern]

Playing a villain is fun. I'd totally volunteer to be a villain in an RP!

Something simple... Perhaps each team has a certain artifact that grants its members particular powers. The evil team's goal is to steal the artifacts that the other teams have. The other teams are trying to defend themselves, and if possible steal or destroy the evil team's artifact.

I dunno. Just an idea off the top of my head, trying to keep it from getting too complicated.

[Neo Emolga]

Playing a villain is fun. I'd totally volunteer to be a villain in an RP!

Something simple... Perhaps each team has a certain artifact that grants its members particular powers. The evil team's goal is to steal the artifacts that the other teams have. The other teams are trying to defend themselves, and if possible steal or destroy the evil team's artifact.

I dunno. Just an idea off the top of my head, trying to keep it from getting too complicated.

We could totally be villain buddies!

But yeah, that's exactly the kind of simple idea I'd want to roll with. The thing is, if there's room for things to grow, it will grow. One team's strategy, in response to artifact plundering, might be to get NPC helpers or get ordinance while another's might include building some machine to help their cause. It keeps things ever-changing and dynamic, which allows the RP storyline to become exciting and suspenseful.

[LKWayvern]

We could totally be villain buddies!

But yeah, that's exactly the kind of simple idea I'd want to roll with. The thing is, if there's room for things to grow, it will grow. One team's strategy, in response to artifact plundering, might be to get NPC helpers or get ordinance while another's might include building some machine to help their cause. It keeps things ever-changing and dynamic, which allows the RP storyline to become exciting and suspenseful.

Okay, so if we're rolling with this idea... And you mentioned earlier wanting to use something we're all familiar with-- we could maybe use Arceus' Plates as this artifact?
Like, each Plate allows Pokemon access to moves of the Plate's type that they wouldn't normally have access to, or it gives the entirety of that team a specific power, or a power that goes with the theme of that Plates type-- like the team bearing the Splash Plate might have one member who's a non-aquatic Pokemon who can breathe water, one member who's aquakinetic, one member who can purify water, etc.

So it's an object we're already fairly familiar with, and is easily enough expanded upon to fit the plot.

[Chakramaster]

I haven't said too much on it since it was posted, but I do agree. Keeping it relatively more simple sounds best.

I do still think a PMD setting would just work out better, but as to story it could be anything. Even something simple as a "small Explorers Festival" or Tournament like setting. Where Exploration Teams from all over the world are gathering in Treasure Town. Where this year's festival was chosen to be hosted. It could somewhat be similar to events like Harry Potter's Goblet of Fire. Except you work with your team to complete challenges.

But to simplify what was posted would really take a lot of tweaking too. I'll need to read back over it a few times too

[AD]

If I was ever a villain...i tend to go too far.

[Noblejanobii]

Aww I really really liked that idea. But then again I'm a sucker for complexities.

But oh well. If it's villains we're going with then someone might want to come along. We do venture hand in hand after all.
http://i.imgur.com/ZcJYm6m.png

[Soups]

Well, let's at least save what was for a later time. I actually thought it was interesting. However, I do understand how it can be viewed as a bit much for what we're trying to do. Nevertheless, we'll need something fresh. I agree that whatever we come up with has to be simple. Does that mean it can't have ANY complexities? Of course not. Complexities will naturally reveal themselves with time. That's the result of great RPing. I just don't know necessarily what we should do. You're the mastermind, Neo. I'm sure we'll enjoy whatever you conjure up. xD

[Neo Emolga]

Okay, here's the preliminary idea I have in mind using a kind of blend between Chakramaster's idea and a few other thoughts I have in mind. This feels a lot more manageable.

I'm thinking of going with a PMD setting since people seem to really like that. And sure, we could have a Festival thing, but we kind of need a crisis situation as well, so here are my thoughts.

Just note that in this RP storyline, we would use a new world for the setting. I just don't think the already existing ones would fit all that well, though an emergency were to arise, I would roll with PSMD's.

A while ago, I wrote Trial of Juno and the third installment dealt with Juno traveling to the Pokémon-only world of Egatept that was ruled to be so dirty and evil that it was actually scheduled to have an Armageddon. Well, Juno decides he wants to step in and try and save it as a last resort. The tech level was kind of Vietnam War era, but it wasn't particular. They did have machines, computers, firearms, and things like that, but nothing into sci-fi areas like robots and laser rifles.

We could have a similar PMD world that's very dark, very gritty, very Orre-like, and essentially a world where the bad guys won. It's a world where evil teams would actually have a much easier time than the good guys since when it comes to violence, smuggling, theft, and cheating, you've got plenty of options whereas the white knight looks like a joke. So imagine a PMD-like world where dark cities are bathed in hellish glows of trashcan fires and imposing neon lights and there's violence, theft, smuggling, drugs, and other bad things everywhere. In Egatept, there was also a genocide of normal-type Pokémon going on. We could have something like that as well as a sub plot. Meanwhile, most of the world is ruled under a North Korea-like regime with a dictator in power. Speak ill against the dictator, and say goodbye to your butt. We'll call this faction "Schism" for now. I'm still deciding on what the dictator would be like, but he or she would be pretty cold-hearted and ruthless and would be regarded as some kind of demigod even though they're a normal Pokémon.

The surprise here is I'll be solely commanding Schism's forces (and weee, I don't care if my characters and NPCs take heavy casualties!). Expect a force that exploits plenty of sickening propaganda, military oppression, and obey-or-else standards. Meanwhile, as with Charka's idea, they're having a "Tempest Festival," but it's NOT the kind of festival you'd want your kids to see. Blood sports like arena fights to the death (with gambling on winners and losers), deadly vehicle racing, and endurance competitions where fatalities are common would be the highlight. Think of an Olympics gone completely wrong and you'll have the Tempest Festival.

Teams will need to decide how they want to deal with the issue. So much of it is being televised that a team that actually wants to send a message could have opportunities, or you could have other teams simply taking advantage of it. Or even participating in the events themselves. You decide how you want to deal with it!

During said festival, we could have it where a convoy was supposed to bring the dictator the Arceus Plates, only it was intercepted by an unknown attacker, and now they don't know where the Plates are. These Plates are special in that they can change a Pokémon's type just by physical contact, and the type changing stays for as long as the older wants. The user also gains the power to use any attack of that type as well! They can pop off the type change at any time, but then they would need to touch a Plate again to change types again. But there's a rumor that the Master Plate was lost as well, and this one has the power to take Pokémon to higher evolution states that what they could naturally achieve (think permanent Mega Evolutions that technically don't exist yet). Naturally, that was supposed to go to Schism's dictator, but now it could be anywhere and Schism is out in full force trying to find it. If the Plates have already hit the Black Market, they could be anywhere by now.

So those are basically my ideas for now. I wouldn't make it get any more complex than this. The fight against Schism and your other team rivals is your main storyline plot, but the Tempest Festival and Arceus Plates would also serve as great sub plots that can easily become part of the main plot as well. I definitely think this would be enough to get a decent RP going without too much complex stuff going on. Plus, with me taking command of Schism's forces, team rivalries or not, you'll definitely have Schism to deal with. So something will definitely be going down.

What do you guys think?

[VeloJello]

This actually fits the character I was wanting to create even better than the old premise does. I love it.

I feel like noting that I'm planning a chaotic neutral character - someone who's not going to go out of her way to bother other "good" factions, but someone who won't hesitate to mess with them if she feels like she can handle things better.

I'm not sure about the genocide thing, though. The fact that I'm planning on playing a Heliolisk aside, I can't see a logical reason for it. Normal-types aren't overly weak (so social darwinists wouldn't go for their throats) or overly strong (not a threat to the current power). I would possibly consider making the Plates stronger or implementing Shards so that teams could gather more power, though command of ordinance, weapons, mercenaries, etc could also serve that purpose. Also, I'm still not sure where the team rivalries would come up - unless everyone has a very different worldview it feels like this kind of thing could actually encourage cooperation over confrontation.

[LKWayvern]

sounds extremely interesting! maybe i'll get to read that section of trial of juno at some point in the eventual future!

Okay first of all, I am very very interested. I am usually interested by both PMD and dark situations with no easy solutions, so this has me doubly interested.
I'd like to hear a little bit about the technology levels, though it did give me a pretty good idea of what does and does not exist at this point. Not exact, but pretty good.
propoganda? military oppression? obey or else? sounds just like night vale. i'm sure i'll love it.
Joking aside, I am digging the darker themes. I have read a couple darker PMD stories, but none anything like this. I think the closest I've gotten is the fact that there's a draft in Evolving Worlds, and the government there is... Benign if inexperienced and somewhat incompetent. So this is something totally different and new to me that I'd be very interested in exploring.

One thing, though. I think that this was brought up before when discussing the previous War RP.
What's the incentive to create conflict between the teams? Do we have wildly different morals from each other, like Team Red believes that Schism should be taken down at any cost while Team Blue believes in pacifistic methods of victory while Team Yellow is purely interested in keeping the Plates out of impure hands? Or are we all different units in a massive overreaching resistance movement?

[Morzone]

So, Here's some thoughts/ideas I had after reading the new plot-idea.

The Schism should be shadow pokemon
Just an idea, Shadow pokemon are supposedly evil or at least artificially Bad pokemon. It gives a good premise as to how the dictator keeps in power, because instead Killing off people they don't like, they can turn them into shadow pokemon who a essentially brainwashed puppets. Plues helps that shadow moves (onle usable by shadow pokemon) are always super effective against non-shadow pokemon. Also their sheer numbers suppresses the idea of purifying the shadow pokemon, making any "white knight" pokemon look hopelessly outmatched and pathetic. Possibly the dictator himself is XD001, but I would lean more toward having them not be a legendary.

Limit Plate powers to contact
I wasn't entirely sure by how you described it, but to be safe I think the plate's powers (changing type/using any move of that type) should only be usable when a pokemon is holding/wearing the plate. The way you said the "type changing stays for as long as the older wants" I wasn't sure if this would also last After they put the plate down or some similar action of no longer directly holding it. From my prior experience, plate abilities are often OP, but I think the limitation of having to have it on your person would help limit these, since an enemy managing somehow to make you lose/drop the plate can become a major liability in a battle.

More on plates, (for details) would you still be able to use your original type moves? For instance if a typhlosion had a water plate and changed type, could they still use fire type moves while he is a water type via the plate? Or would it be a "They can change back and forth" kind of thing?

A plot line Idea
This is mostly the way I organized the various ideas together into a plot-line:

You are in the PMD world of (insert name here), ruled by a dictatorship of shadow pokemon called the Schism. Their rule is absolute, and to go against them is considered futile.

The dictator has recently announced a grand event Known as the Tempest festival. An olympic-like tournament of bloody to-the-death battles, High risk land,sea,and air racing, Extreme endurance challenges, and similar dark and deadly competitions. Of course, as it is hosted by the government, the tournament is mostly rigged to allow the dictator's personal representative athlete shadow pokemon to win. However that doesn't stop other pokemon, supported by secret under ground factions (the teams) to join in a rare chance for a sliver of hope to take down the schism.

What is this hope? The hope is the grand prize of the festival: The master plate. Recently uncovered in an ancient relic sight, the dictator wants to take the opportunity to remind those who think to oppose him that it is futile, as after one of his warriors wins the festival they will present it as a "gift" to the true master: the dictator.

the factions know two things: If the dictator controls the master plate he will be unstoppable. And second, if one their faction gets the master plate, they may have for the first time a real chance to take down the schism. Each faction has, over many years, managed to acquire a few of the other normal arceus plates, which allow the holder to change type and use any move of that type. However even with a few of these plates they don't have enough power to face the entirety of the Schism. And this lies in the fact that the Factions are separate and relatively distrusting of each other in these dark and dangerous times. Each is worried the other will become just another version of the schism, only trusting themselves to bring peace to the devastated land. If all factions had combined forces and their various plates, they could probably do it, but the Schism's ability to spread fear and distrust is great and keeps any resistance broken.

Now here's the plot twist: At first the festival goes off as normal. The rigged stuff rigs things in favor of the shadow schism warriors. Then, part way through the festival, the "unknown attacker" strikes and the master plate is stolen, leaving only a message to keep the festival going until a winner is decided. It's clear by the Dictator's reaction (lashing out violently at other competitors to kill them and starting a crazed, death filled man-hunt for the thief) that this wasn't a ploy by the dictator in case the shadow warriors didn't actually win. This leads to a horrible nightmare of a game where the factions must simultaneously attempt to find the plate first (something near impossible considering the schism searchers greatly outnumber them, and the faction has to stay undetected) while at the same time trying to win the festival.

The important thing, which stays secret to the players, is that the "unknown attacker" is in fact Arceus. Arceus had decided that the world had become too evil and was due for destruction, but with the recovery of the master plate Arceus decided to give one last chance. If one of the factions managed to beat the schism in the festival, proving themselves worthy, he would give them the master plate, as well as a way to purify Shadow pokemon, in order to defeat the schism.

While each faction/team has plates, I don't think its necessary to make sure All the different plates are given out. Preferably each team would only have 2-3, but to keep it fair it might be better to have each entrant have their own plate.

So... what do you guys think?

[Soups]

So, Here's some thoughts/ideas I had after reading the new plot-idea.

The Schism should be shadow pokemon
Just an idea, Shadow pokemon are supposedly evil or at least artificially Bad pokemon. It gives a good premise as to how the dictator keeps in power, because instead Killing off people they don't like, they can turn them into shadow pokemon who a essentially brainwashed puppets. Plues helps that shadow moves (onle usable by shadow pokemon) are always super effective against non-shadow pokemon. Also their sheer numbers suppresses the idea of purifying the shadow pokemon, making any "white knight" pokemon look hopelessly outmatched and pathetic. Possibly the dictator himself is XD001, but I would lean more toward having them not be a legendary.

Limit Plate powers to contact
I wasn't entirely sure by how you described it, but to be safe I think the plate's powers (changing type/using any move of that type) should only be usable when a pokemon is holding/wearing the plate. The way you said the "type changing stays for as long as the older wants" I wasn't sure if this would also last After they put the plate down or some similar action of no longer directly holding it. From my prior experience, plate abilities are often OP, but I think the limitation of having to have it on your person would help limit these, since an enemy managing somehow to make you lose/drop the plate can become a major liability in a battle.

More on plates, (for details) would you still be able to use your original type moves? For instance if a typhlosion had a water plate and changed type, could they still use fire type moves while he is a water type via the plate? Or would it be a "They can change back and forth" kind of thing?

A plot line Idea
This is mostly the way I organized the various ideas together into a plot-line:

You are in the PMD world of (insert name here), ruled by a dictatorship of shadow pokemon called the Schism. Their rule is absolute, and to go against them is considered futile.

The dictator has recently announced a grand event Known as the Tempest festival. An olympic-like tournament of bloody to-the-death battles, High risk land,sea,and air racing, Extreme endurance challenges, and similar dark and deadly competitions. Of course, as it is hosted by the government, the tournament is mostly rigged to allow the dictator's personal representative athlete shadow pokemon to win. However that doesn't stop other pokemon, supported by secret under ground factions (the teams) to join in a rare chance for a sliver of hope to take down the schism.

What is this hope? The hope is the grand prize of the festival: The master plate. Recently uncovered in an ancient relic sight, the dictator wants to take the opportunity to remind those who think to oppose him that it is futile, as after one of his warriors wins the festival they will present it as a "gift" to the true master: the dictator.

the factions know two things: If the dictator controls the master plate he will be unstoppable. And second, if one their faction gets the master plate, they may have for the first time a real chance to take down the schism. Each faction has, over many years, managed to acquire a few of the other normal arceus plates, which allow the holder to change type and use any move of that type. However even with a few of these plates they don't have enough power to face the entirety of the Schism. And this lies in the fact that the Factions are separate and relatively distrusting of each other in these dark and dangerous times. Each is worried the other will become just another version of the schism, only trusting themselves to bring peace to the devastated land. If all factions had combined forces and their various plates, they could probably do it, but the Schism's ability to spread fear and distrust is great and keeps any resistance broken.

Now here's the plot twist: At first the festival goes off as normal. The rigged stuff rigs things in favor of the shadow schism warriors. Then, part way through the festival, the "unknown attacker" strikes and the master plate is stolen, leaving only a message to keep the festival going until a winner is decided. It's clear by the Dictator's reaction (lashing out violently at other competitors to kill them and starting a crazed, death filled man-hunt for the thief) that this wasn't a ploy by the dictator in case the shadow warriors didn't actually win. This leads to a horrible nightmare of a game where the factions must simultaneously attempt to find the plate first (something near impossible considering the schism searchers greatly outnumber them, and the faction has to stay undetected) while at the same time trying to win the festival.

The important thing, which stays secret to the players, is that the "unknown attacker" is in fact Arceus. Arceus had decided that the world had become too evil and was due for destruction, but with the recovery of the master plate Arceus decided to give one last chance. If one of the factions managed to beat the schism in the festival, proving themselves worthy, he would give them the master plate, as well as a way to purify Shadow pokemon, in order to defeat the schism.

While each faction/team has plates, I don't think its necessary to make sure All the different plates are given out. Preferably each team would only have 2-3, but to keep it fair it might be better to have each entrant have their own plate.

So... what do you guys think?

It's very Hunger Games... ish, which is cool and all because I actually enjoyed those movies.

If we ran with this idea, we'd obviously have our "good" teams and their motives would be clear: to rid of The Schism. However, what would be the motive for the "bad" teams we'd have? To rid of The Schism and have rule for themselves? I'm curious.

[Morzone]

It's very Hunger Games... ish, which is cool and all because I actually enjoyed those movies.

If we ran with this idea, we'd obviously have our "good" teams and their motives would be clear: to rid of The Schism. However, what would be the motive for the "bad" teams we'd have? To rid of The Schism and have rule for themselves? I'm curious.

I was going to leave that mainly up to the teams themselves. Hopefully emphasizing how, in this world, the only people you can trust are those in your own team/faction will be enough motive to keep teams from immediately banding together to fight the Schism. I guess selfish want for power is one way. Maybe a faction could betray the "good" and turn out the support the Schism. Maybe some actually want to see the world destroyed, Schism and good pokemon alike.

[Neo Emolga]

Everything definitely sounds great! Just a few things that I think might need a tweak:

I think the Plates should still only need to be touched once. Reason being that some Pokémon just don't have the hands to physically carry a Plate with them wherever they go. For example, an Electrode, a Dodrio, and a Serperior would be pretty out of luck. Also, a Plate, once retrieved, could be something the team could share rather than one player keeping it all to themselves. I would say if a Pokémon uses a Plate, they could still use all their original moves, but they just might not be as effective. Hence, that might be a reason why they might remove the effect. A Charizard that went water type might want to go back to normal if he came across a grass or electric type.

As for Arceus being the interceptor, I'm cool with that. I wouldn't actually make him blow up the world, though. It could just be a bluff to get others to take action. It might be a good plot point if the Master Plate falls into Schism's hands just for a short while before it gets stolen back. Also, I like the idea of Schism consisting of Shadow Pokémon. Heck, I'd be happy with the dictator being XD001 Shadow Lugia. That naturally seems to fit for the faction, and it would be a serious holy crap factor if he ever evolved, but I personally wouldn't have that happen.

I'm okay with dropping the genocide elements. We have a great plot and sweet subplots as is. What the teams decide to do is kind of up to them and what their teams goals are. Some teams may try to change the way of the world, though they would seem like the bad guys to a world of Pokémon who have always lived in a culture of violence and darkness. Others would simply want to be the new ruling regime. That depends and some of those goals could be conflicting.

[Morzone]

Well I doubt we'd get far enough into the roleplay to where he would actually destroy everything but... yeah. Also I kind of figured the "the schism turns other pokemon into shadow pokemon" would replace the genocide thing.

Just a few questions:

How are the plates going to be distributed? I mentioned in my idea that the teams already had a few (I'd limit it to 2 per team but 3 might work as well), at which point teams could request certain plates. Or are they sort of "discovered" as the roleplay goes on? My plot idea didn't really account for discovering the normal plates and assumed the teams would already have a few each.

So, last time in WAR II, there was a limit that you had to wait 48 hours between posting to make sure everyone got a chance to participate. Of course this was a pretty necessary factor, but would it be possible to shorten it slightly? Maybe 24 hours instead? It could help things get started quicker.

Are we going with that idea then? Just want to make sure.

I am HYPED! I wonder which character I should use... which one it is they are definitely going to be flying around in a plane.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

I think that we shouldn't be openly stating our plot twists-especially if, you know, someone manages something very sneaky and suddenly Arceus attempts to steal a plate that isn't there at all, because now everyone knows that'll happen. WHEN may be the key difference, but it takes something out of it to know what's upcoming in advance anyways. The Judge is basically the GM and thus the plot twists shouldn't be predetermined for him/her.

We have the Tempest Festival as a good enough conflict; we should have the GM be able to decide what plot twists occur, and perhaps tie the other teams into things more-so than just the fact they're competing for the same item. I'm not saying that particular twist isn't pretty good, though, just that we not discuss such things as plot developments. That's going a bit too far forwards, methinks.

Other than that: The Schism being Shadow Pokemon is really good; it both explains their uprise (superior type), their behaviors (Shadows looking down on Non-Shadows), and if need be their downfall (Shadow Pokemon cannot gain experience; this means that they could believably be unable to win races because they couldn't train effectively, an interesting prospect). I do like Neo's idea to have the 'dictator' be nothing particularly special, however, and XD001 is a legendary.

The Plate Powers... Probably should only require contact once, but should also be limited to one plate per entity, such that you touching a new plate overrides the old (even the Master Plate) and not being in contact with the plate you got powers from, after a while weakens/nullifies that power, to ensure that someone can't just horde all the plate powers and that you can actually be crippled if someone were to take those plates.

[Morzone]

Well I said plot twist but I really was just trying to include the bit about Juno giving the world one last chance into this plotline. Really it'll be up to Neo to make whatever twists they want.

[Neo Emolga]

I have a decent sized chunk of the RP's storyline written, but I'm come across a few things along the way I think might be good to change. Certain things were causing me to hit hard into roadblocks, such as the Shadow Pokémon and just how Schism even got a XD Shadow Lugia as a dictator in the first place. Because I wasn't able to explain the origin story of those in a PMD-setting, I found myself really needing to go another route.

Changing Schism and Dropping the XD Shadow Lugia Dictator - Besides having difficultly explaining the XD Shadow Lugia's origins, background story, and while he would be running the show at Schism, it just seems too painfully cliché (and I'll admit I've used Lugia a gazillion times before in RPs). I definitely think something more unique is needed for this to keep things interesting and I think we'd be better off without a legendary at the top, but instead a really hard-as-balls common Pokémon. Instead of the... "eh, I think we've done this before" setting with an evil *yawn* dictator, let's go for something a little more... unique.

On that note, what was "Schism" is now "Black Lotus" and it's commanded by Queen Taiya the Lilligant. She's charismatic, alluring, extremely difficult to kill, and she's as cruel as she is beautiful. She hates the weak and loves to exploit fools and send the stupid and brazen into combat. Sadistic, cynical, and sassy, she's the villain you'd LOVE to HATE. You'd be lucky to have an audience with her directly, but you'd regret it and it's more like coming down with a rare disease than winning the lottery in terms of chance and happenstance. She sings songs about her dead and humiliated adversaries and hosts festivals to celebrate the fall of her enemies. She has the media loving her and a seemingly endless horde of pawns at her disposal. While the rest of the world becomes a filthy pile of crap and her royal quarters continues to grow and gather influence, she's living the high life in a very well-protected compound, though she's quite capable of chopping any attacking assassin into tiny little bits with her extreme mastery of swordplay. Six have already attempted and while two were beaten into goo by her bodyguards, she finished off the remaining four herself and quite frankly enjoyed the experience all four times. She's hoping you'll be number five.

She has a whole hierarchical military throughout the world and absolutely loves overkill and NEVER fights with a trace of compassion or honor. You fall, you lose your weapon, you come unprepared, you're dead. Period. She'll fight with all sorts of nasty tricks and things below the belt just because she knows they'll ruin you and that's all she wants. Meanwhile, Queen Taiya has a inner circle of elite warlords and commandos that is called Teien. Like her, coming across Teien warriors means a brutal fight to the death. And usually Teien warriors are commanding officers of Black Lotus and they're on the field leading platoons as centurions. No one knows exactly how many members Teinen has and there are some Teinen that are well known and infamous while others lurk in the shadows and remain hidden to the masses.

And on that note...

Dropping Shadow Pokémon - It was a great suggestion, but there's something I want to try instead that's sort of like it, but different and opens new possibilities in terms of uncovering plot points along the way. It bends more toward being on the mysterious side as to why Black Lotus Pokémon and followers seem to have that extra vigor and endurance. Only the highest on the Black Lotus food chain know the real nature of it, but the wind has carried the whispers and at least, most Pokémon know it is called "Ante".

It's up to you to figure out what this mysterious and deceptive force of Ante really is and where it's coming from. Even Arceus doesn't know and it's deeply concerning him, but it's very enigmatic in nature and trying to get to the root of it is like trying to navigate an ever-changing labyrinth in your dreams. Arceus fears that there may be a link between Ante and the Master Plate and if Taiya gets her hands on both (she's already got one, that's for sure), something beyond anyone's control may happen... much to her delight.

Setting changed to continent - Rather than using an entire world, which would result in a ton of people getting separated, the RP will be focused on a small continent of a Pokémon-only world. And this entire continent is ruled by the Black Lotus Kingdom. While the rest of the world is, for the most part, muddled with violence, greed, and so forth, the RP will focus on this one Australia-sized continent. There's one major capital city, another metropolis-sized city, and a few smaller ones. It's definitely plenty to work with for the RP's setting. If we need to expand, I'm ready to answer the call, but I think it's best to at least start with this and the storyline of the Black Lotus Kingdom and the Tempest Festival.



So that's what I've been up to. I hope people like the new changes because I think they're bound to be more fun and interesting. As you can see, I'm definitely still using your ideas, but please don't mind if I tweak and transform them around a bit here and there. Usually I do this a lot with my RPs, just not so out in the open and under scrutiny as you're seeing before you.

[Soups]

Queen Taiya is RUTHLESS! I love your imagination, Neo. It's really something special.

I like it. It's definitely simpler, but it also leaves tons of room for growth. I also like the fact that you decided to shrink the size of the setting. That will encourage more interactions between RPers.

[Morzone]

This is why Neo is the master Rp maker

Ooooo... the "ante" Makes me shiver with excitement!

Not sure if the "As evil as she is beautiful" Queen Trope is that unique, but I still like it a lot better than using Lugia/XD001. I've never really been a fan of using Legendaries in RPs unless they're very distant or in name only :/

[Noblejanobii]

Oh shoot I didn't see the new plot. I like it though. Kinda liked the old plot better but this is a great plot as well. But I'm confused as to who our characters would be exactly? Rebels? Schism members? Someone else?

[Morzone]

You are in the PMD world of (insert name here), ruled by a dictatorship of shadow pokemon called the Schism. Their rule is absolute, and to go against them is considered futile.

The dictator has recently announced a grand event Known as the Tempest festival. An olympic-like tournament of bloody to-the-death battles, High risk land,sea,and air racing, Extreme endurance challenges, and similar dark and deadly competitions. Of course, as it is hosted by the government, the tournament is mostly rigged to allow the dictator's personal representative athlete shadow pokemon to win. However that doesn't stop other pokemon, supported by secret under ground factions (the teams) to join in a rare chance for a sliver of hope to take down the schism.



Oh shoot I didn't see the new plot. I like it though. Kinda liked the old plot better but this is a great plot as well. But I'm confused as to who our characters would be exactly? Rebels? Schism members? Someone else?

Assuming Neo hasn't made other (and probably better) plans, our characters are PMD style pokemon belonging to factions (our teams) attempting to take down the queen. My Quote was before Neo's update, so kind of filter out the schism/dictator talk with his new info.

[Neo Emolga]

Queen Taiya is RUTHLESS! I love your imagination, Neo. It's really something special.

I like it. It's definitely simpler, but it also leaves tons of room for growth. I also like the fact that you decided to shrink the size of the setting. That will encourage more interactions between RPers.

Thank you! Sometimes it just takes me a little time to hit that sweet spot, and I'm glad you guys don't mind me changing things around.


This is why Neo is the master Rp maker

Ooooo... the "ante" Makes me shiver with excitement!

Not sure if the "As evil as she is beautiful" Queen Trope is that unique, but I still like it a lot better than using Lugia/XD001. I've never really been a fan of using Legendaries in RPs unless they're very distant or in name only :/

Unlike shadow Pokémon where people pretty much know the story behind that stuff, I feel Ante gives me some unique playing room. Here, no one but me knows what it's all about. >:3

True, that Queen Trope is in TVTropes for sure (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GodSaveUsFromTheQueen), but it's fun to work with and I haven't ever seen it used in a Pokémon setting. You also won't see that used in a dark and grungy setting like this.

Using legendaries in RPs is... a dark temptation I sometimes fall into. And I really should learn to avoid it. Here, that Shadow Lugia just felt shoehorned in and it was not working in well as I was drafting up the storyline background.


Oh shoot I didn't see the new plot. I like it though. Kinda liked the old plot better but this is a great plot as well. But I'm confused as to who our characters would be exactly? Rebels? Schism members? Someone else?

Well, the old plot was confusing and I know the magic side of it would have caused problems...

Your team and your characters can be anyone they want to be. My only restriction is they can't be allied with Black Lotus Empire (Schism is gone, this is what replaced it). So, they could be rebels, imposers, thieves, outlaws, or a freedom fighter force trying to tear the Empire out of Queen Taiya's grasp.


Assuming Neo hasn't made other (and probably better) plans, our characters are PMD style pokemon belonging to factions (our teams) attempting to take down the queen. My Quote was before Neo's update, so kind of filter out the schism/dictator talk with his new info.

Pretty much this. Everything is still a work in progress and things are subject to change, but I don't see it changing that much more than what is has already.

[Noblejanobii]

I'm still really confused. Maybe I'll just stay out of this until the RP is up. Don't want to get attached to plots that might not even start.

[Neo Emolga]

I'm still really confused. Maybe I'll just stay out of this until the RP is up. Don't want to get attached to plots that might not even start.

Yeah, maybe just hold off until the whole plot is fully tied together and it might make more sense. I'll admit, a lot of ideas kind of got thrown around, taken off, changed, and shifted around. If you still feel confused when the full version goes up, let me know, I'll work it out.

[LKWayvern]

So, these mercenaries...
*adjusts sunglasses*
Guess that means Neo's really upping the ante he--
*probably run through with Taiya's sword*

...Yeah sorry I don't really have any actually useful contributions right now. I guess I'll escort myself out then~

[Neo Emolga]

So, these mercenaries...
*adjusts sunglasses*
Guess that means Neo's really upping the ante he--
*probably run through with Taiya's sword*

...Yeah sorry I don't really have any actually useful contributions right now. I guess I'll escort myself out then~

It's no problem, cheesy puns are perfectly fine every now and then. Although Taiya would probably do that.

Anyway, I don't have a map or a fancy pants banner yet, but I figured those could come in a bit. Here's a rough draft of what I have so far.

THERE IS A WORLD...

Throughout the universe, there are many prosperous, colorful, and lively worlds of peaceful Pokémon that live well and work well together in harmony.

Xia is not one of those worlds.

Like many others, Xia is a world where only Pokémon live and humans are the myths of fairytales like the stories humans tell of mermaids and centaurs. But unlike many other worlds of only Pokémon, Xia is ravaged, corrupted, and dirty. Throughout most of the world, cities are bathed in oppression and violence. Crime is culture and treachery is tradition. While Xia's technology is more advanced than most other Pokémon worlds and is somewhat similar in nature to what modern day humans have, it owes that to the loose and lax regulations regarding pollution, greed, and endless industrial creations. Most cities are bathed in dark smog while trashcan fires and flashing, imposing neon signs fill them with a hellish glow. Meanwhile, massive motorized vehicles stampede their way through the streets, adding to the noise and smog that surrounded these dark cities.

Upon Xia, the small, southwestern continent of Liao, a new development is arising.

For fifteen years, the Black Lotus Empire has ruled throughout the tropical and in some places, arid continent, but it shares its dark and ravaging culture with the rest of the world. Under the rule of Queen Taiya the Lilligant, Black Lotus has shown no compassion for the weak or the poor. Taiya's elite officers, known as the Onyx Circle, serve Taiya and the Black Lotus cause as commanding officers, legionnaires, and centurions. Some of them are infamous for their strength, cruelty, and cunning while others remain in the shadows as only rumors and enigmas. Despite her protection and sworn bodyguards, Taiya is quite a lethal fighter herself, having killed four assassins all on her own and taunts her opposition to send her a fifth to provide her with more entertainment.

Rebellion groups that have opposed Queen Taiya's rule have only met crippling defeat so far, though there is word that Black Lotus hides a powerful secret that explains why their troops and forces seem stronger than other Pokémon. It wasn't until recently that the name "Ante" had surfaced, but for now, the name is all that outsiders seem to know about this mysterious force of power.

A FESTIVAL OF BLOODSHED

Today marks the beginning of the fiftieth annual Tempest Festival, a violent tradition of blood sports and mortality games that leave many of their participants dead or crippled for life just for the chance of power, fame, and extreme wealth. Their globally-televised events capture the attention of millions of sadistic Pokémon craving destructive death games. As the 50th anniversary, the next month of events and game promise to be deadlier, bloodier, and more destructive than ever before to mark this dark anniversary. Black Lotus has their own team of battle-hardened Pokémon more than ready to slaughter every last adversary Pokémon in every competition. The mass grave pits are already prepared and are simply waiting to be filled while the betting machines are at the ready, just itching for greed and lavish desires to seize the impulses of many gambling Pokémon.

Meanwhile, their competition, like many years before, consists of captured innocents, insurgents, rebels, resistance soldiers, and anyone brave or foolish enough to put their life on the line to challenge Black Lotus at their own blood games. But like a flame battered by Black Lotus's hurricane of violence and madness, their hope of winning is pale, though still possible. Like gold dangled on a string before them, they are driven by their own impulses.

This year, however, there is a twist to maximize the size and scale of these bloody competitions and the hellish circus anarchy.

The grand prize for the team, country, or faction accumulating the most points and thus, winning the 50th annual Tempest Festival, will be presented with the Master Plate. A white-stone tablet relic that grants the holder the ability to evolve well beyond what should be possible for what that Pokémon can evolve naturally. Offering this incredible relic is none other than Blacklocke Arms, a weapons manufacturer given exclusive rights to supply a large portion of the weaponry in this year's games and have plenty of advertising presence. It is unknown how they got the Master Plate in their possession, but it remains as the most coveted prize out of all the hundreds of offerings Tempest Festival sponsors are providing this year.

The Master Plate is rumored to hold strong, incredible power of allowing Pokémon to evolve even beyond their normal forms as a kind of skeleton key for evolution stones and evolution sources. It is believed that if Black Lotus wins the Master Plate, Queen Taiya, in conjunction with her mysterious force of Ante, may become unstoppable in unnerving, unpredictable ways that has even Arceus concerned, for even Arceus isn't familiar with the true nature of Ante and what it's capabilities are. Meanwhile, though many of the other competitors are hoping to win lessened prison sentences, cash prizes, and other lavish desires, the Master Plate is by far the most coveted relic.

Your team and allies have the chance to use these games as a leverage to potentially overthrow Black Lotus and build a better, more peaceful Xia with the Master Plate under your control. Or, you may simply decide to replace Black Lotus as the new ruling authority. The problem is you're not alone in your objectives. Other teams and Pokémon seek the Master Plate, the glory, and the better life that comes with it and from winning what promises to be the most brutal of Tempest Festivals as it celebrates fifty years of bloody carnage and ferocious combat. You and your team have been preparing hard for these games. Unlike many others who are entering, you are better prepared with your own armor, weaponry, vehicles, and training. Black Lotus may have the advantage, but this year the stakes are higher and the competition is more ready and ever before.

War may never change, but this time it's on television and under the classification of "entertainment."

YOUR TEAM'S ROLE

Whether your team is a band of freedom fighters, scoundrels, thieves, pirates, covert heroes, smugglers, or what have you, this is your chance at furthering your team's agenda. All members of your team have plenty of supporters and you are a known threat to Black Lotus, but you have survived, endured, or evaded their oppression. As far as you and the rest of your team are convinced, they may say the land you have claimed for yourself is theirs, but you refuse to acknowledge it.

Your team has many NPC supporters and is well-funded to be a considerable nuisance to Black Lotus. You and your teammates are better prepared than most entering these dark and violence arenas and competitions.

It's your choice. It's up to you whether to enter these games as gladiators, or simply find a way to sabotage them from the outside or inside. You can use the media attention to build your own agenda, or use the whole Tempest Festival as a distraction to work within the shadows where eyes won't be watching.

The only restriction is that you cannot be allied with Black Lotus. Beyond that, everything is fair game.

MAP OF LIAO

<Still work in progress>

LIST OF TEMPEST FESTIVAL EVENTS

BLOOD PIT ARENA - Here, Pokémon enter as gladiators in a fight to the death. Entrants are allowed to bring whatever weapons and armor they so choose, but there are no vehicles in this competition. Meanwhile, Blood Pit Arena has several variants. In the "Open" version, there is limited cover and gladiators enter only with that they begin with, while in the "Pillager" version, the arena becomes more like a labyrinth with better weapons and armor hidden within the dark, bloody halls of this bloody, televised deathtrap. Gladiators are free to use whatever Pokémon attacks they have, as well as use whatever weaponry they come ready with or steal from someone else whether they're alive or dead.

DREAD METAL DESTRUCTION DERBY - Much like the Blood Pit Arena, the Dread Metal Destruction Derby is like the Blood Pit Arena, only with vehicles. Contenders are free to work in teams using either a fast and speedy vehicle or the biggest junkyard hulk they can construct. Vehicles can be armed with whatever weaponry the competitors decide to use. Meanwhile, the arena itself consists of an entire urban slum neighborhood to wreck havoc in where collateral damage means nothing. If a competitor's vehicle is disabled or destroyed but they survive, they can still fight on foot, but they'll be at a severe disadvantage.

ROADKILL WARRIOR COMPETITION - For those who want speed and destruction, look no further than this bloody racing event. Roadkill Warriors is vehicle-only, and unlike Dread Metal, it is a racing event with flames, carnage, and mayhem. However, use of weapons or attacks isn't allowed until second lap (to prevent everyone from killing each other right at the starting line!). Here, racers need to decide whether to sacrifice speed for more armored protection and weaponry, or go fast but fragile. Meanwhile, like Dread Metal, multiple Pokémon can work together in teams in the same vehicle, but the difference is if your vehicle is destroyed, you lose your chance to win, but could definitely still die while rendered helpless on the track.

DEADLY FORCE - In this team-based competition, one team is pitted against another instead of the free-for-all like settings of the other competitions. One team is the Assassins while the other team is the Bodyguards. The Bodyguards have to prevent the Assassins from killing the VIP, a unprepared and completely innocent Pokémon yanked off the streets and used as fodder for this bloody competition. The catch with this event is Black Lotus's forces will always take the assassin role. And it's extremely rare for them to lose.

DEATHWISH ENDURANCE - Deathwish Endurance has a survivor mode and 1vs1 mode. Here, opposing Pokémon are locked into chambers and exposed to the element they're weakest against. Fire Pokémon are thrown into tanks that will be filled with water. Water Pokémon are hooked up to an electric-chair like device while grass types are put into an incinerator that progressively gets hotter and hotter. How to win? Survive longer than everyone else. This competition remains as the hardest, because somehow Black Lotus stays alive longer and there is suspicion Ante may be involved, but there's absolutely no evidence.

(Feel free to suggest more and add in your own sadistic competitions!)

SHADOW WORK

Your team has managed to steal or acquire two of the Arceus Plates (each team will choose when I prompt them to make their pick in their team thread). Each Arceus Plate has a corresponding element, and will allow you to change your Pokémon character's typing and appearance to reflect that plate. Your character will also gain access to moves and attacks of their corresponding element, and while they can use their original attacks, they won't be as strong. To keep this effect, you only need to keep the Plate close by, either by holding it or keeping it besides in you in a pouch or pack. Each Plate is also about the size of a deck of playing cards, making them easy for any Pokémon to carry with them.

While your team has two of them, the others are still out there whether they're owned by other teams, possibly as prizes for the Tempest Festival, buried within the black markets, or in someone's possession. Arceus is working in the shadows, but there is a degree of uncertainty when it comes to Black Lotus, Queen Taiya, and this force of Ante that she and her allies have.

SIGN UP

Name: Your character's name, first and last.
Species: What Pokémon species your character is. No legendaries.
Gender: Male, female, or genderless.
Age: How old your character is. Assume most Pokémon age at the same rate as humans, save for special occasions.
[u]Team: What PXFIRE team your character is a part of.
[u]Description: Describe any details that distinguish your character from others of their own kind. Scars, birthmarks, body physique, and the like can be mentioned here.
Personality: The emotional intelligence and attitude of your character.
Background: A short life story regarding your character and their connection to how they came to be in Liao.
Other: Anything not mentioned above that you would like to include.

[Morzone]

aw.... No plane races. I was SO ready to have my quilava shoot other people out of the sky. I think I may need to make a new character for this one, none of my other ones really fit into the setting. They're either too pacifist or too noble, darn it all!

By the way, when describing the different festival events, you seem to have switched back to calling them "schism" by accident.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Is Arceus really involved, and if so, how? It's rather dubious to just sling his name in there for no real reason like that. Clearly his plates are involved, but if that's that, then he should just be a mythological figure, referenced but never seen (and given the setting, highly disbelieved), right?

[Neo Emolga]

aw.... No plane races. I was SO ready to have my quilava shoot other people out of the sky. I think I may need to make a new character for this one, none of my other ones really fit into the setting. They're either too pacifist or too noble, darn it all!

By the way, when describing the different festival events, you seem to have switched back to calling them "schism" by accident.

We could totally have plane and aerial combat! Wow, don't know why I didn't think of that, but it's a perfectly valid possibility! So yes, have your Quilava and get into some heated dogfights! Some poor contestants might be too poor to afford planes, forcing them to resort to using fragile flying-types, but it could totally work.

Also, that was because I wrote those before changing the name (and because I was a silly sap rushing to post it on a workday evening while having work the next day!). I fixed that up, hence, why I post drafts before saying "hey, here's a final version!" My bad. XD


Is Arceus really involved, and if so, how? It's rather dubious to just sling his name in there for no real reason like that. Clearly his plates are involved, but if that's that, then he should just be a mythological figure, referenced but never seen (and given the setting, highly disbelieved), right?

You know, I'm actually not sure what to do with Arceus to be completely honest. I like the idea of using the plates and the kinds of powers they provide, but Arceus himself being involved, especially against Black Lotus, makes things iffy and I'm thinking of dumping him out of the plot. It feels like the only reason why he's in this is because his plates are and because of that, there's some motivation for him to be involved. Frankly, I think we'd be better without having such a powerful legendary in this. He was okay before as he counter-balanced the XD Shadow Lugia, but since that guy is gone now, might as well dump the other guy too.

My current thoughts are to drop Arceus and turn his plates into a different kind of relic item, but the functionality remains pretty much the same. I actually don't want Arceus to be involved at all, so I think using something besides the plates would also make sure no one else finds a way to make him a stakeholder in the storyline just because of his plates. In this storyline, the legendaries could just be much more passive and indifferent as they don't want to get involved in these ugly kinds of shenanigans and would rather just let natural selection run its course. That ensures either the players will have to go a very long ways to find them and get their support, or they'll have to figure this whole thing out on their own (I'm much more hoping for the later).

Instead of plates, maybe they're relic spheres instead. And to make things more interesting, maybe the kinds that change your Pokémon's type are actually pretty common and everyone can start with one. They're not cheap to the point where everyone has the whole collection, but you can start off with one of your choosing, such as a player character starting off with a Pikachu character but has a fire relic sphere to become a fire-type Pikachu. If you want more, well, you need to put in a little RPing effort to find one, buy one, steal one, and so on. And I'm okay with people doing that.

But there could be other relic spheres that do much more. Such as the grand prize one that everyone wants: the one that allows you to evolve beyond what should be possible. Could there be others beyond that? Oh, I might introduce a few others... just to keep things interesting. >;3

[Morzone]

To be fair, with the time limitation between posts, I doubt we'd get far enough in to get to a point when arceus even would show up :P

Darn it Neo, I'd already started thinking up a cool Racing Weavile character. Now I have to choose! Wings or wheels... (unless I can have multiple characters)

[Neo Emolga]

Darn it Neo, I'd already started thinking up a cool Racing Weavile character. Now I have to choose! Wings or wheels... (unless I can have multiple characters)

http://i.imgur.com/jULZLLI.gif

[VeloJello]

I'm digging this new plot! Is there any room for some sort of footrace with a deadly obstacle course? Spiked pits and sudden flame jets to jump over, falling ceilings to outrun, etc. Whoever gets out the fastest - or, y'know, alive - wins! Probably the sort of sport they run to get people warmed up for more carnage. XD

Either way, Operation Dumpster Lizard (aka: my Helioptile) is most definitely go.

[Neo Emolga]

I'm digging this new plot! Is there any room for some sort of footrace with a deadly obstacle course? Spiked pits and sudden flame jets to jump over, falling ceilings to outrun, etc. Whoever gets out the fastest - or, y'know, alive - wins! Probably the sort of sport they run to get people warmed up for more carnage. XD

Either way, Operation Dumpster Lizard (aka: my Helioptile) is most definitely go.

We can totally do this! Sounds like fun! Well, not for those taking part in it!

Also, some updates!

An aerial combat and racing event (Heavens of Fire) is being added for you flyboys! I'm also adding a naval combat event called the Devil's Tide. And I'll be adding that lovely suggestion Velocity came up with! So many events to win, and yet... so many different ways to die too. XD

As a VERY important note, you do NOT have to go cheap with the way your character enters these events. You wouldn't want to. Your team starts the RP with a big enough budget for your character to have some pretty nifty combat toys, vehicles, and such to work with. In events where it's possible for Pokémon to have a team, you will have NPCs under your team's alliance helping you out. Your team's member base and budget is more than enough to afford them.

Black Lotus and the three teams that are involved in PXRFIRE aren't the only ones taking part in the events (although you are some of the richest and most well prepared). Other minor NPC factions will be participating, whether they're fighting on behalf of some kind of mafia, rebellion group, or even a business corporation. Their gear and vehicles will be considerable, though it varies. And then some of the NPCs you'll be fighting against in the RP will be on the poor and impoverished side and will need to go cheap with their weaponry and vehicles and may be fighting alone under only their own name. For example, the Heavens of Fire event allows entrants to use fragile flying Pokémon, but that does not have to be you. You wouldn't want it to be you. But you will come across many characters who will be broke nobodies in the mix and may only have that and a few small firearms as their entry gear. But you never know what to expect from entrants who don't have much left to lose...

Arceus is officially being dropped. Involvement from the legendaries is expected to be little to none in this. I'm not going to say it's impossible, but you'd be pretty hard-pressed to get them involved in this mess when they feel much safer just keeping away from it all. This will prevent people from saying "hey, let's just call in Kyogre and flood the planet!" Uh huh. Nope. It'll be like trying to pull Sean Connery out of retirement.

The Plates are officially be replaced with Blaze Jewels. "Common" Blaze Jewels are the things that allow your Pokémon character to change their typing, such as a Raichu using a Fire Blaze Jewel to become a fire type and use any type move they'd like. Even something like Sacred Fire which is usually exclusive to Ho-oh. Said Raichu could still use electric-type moves, but as a fire type Pokémon, they wouldn't have as much power as before. Also, said Raichu would look more like a fire type with reddish/orange fur and maybe a flame tail rather than one with a thunderbolt-shaped tip. With Blaze Jewels, you only need to have it near you (about one meter within) to use it. So even if you're a Pokémon that needs to walk around on all fours, like Umbreon or Luxio, you can still wear it in a pouch or as jewelry to make use of it. Also, you can take off the effect at any time in an instant.

In the world of Xia, Blaze Jewels are rare, but not too rare. They're common enough for your character to start with one, but not to the point where everyone and their mother is walking around with dozens of them. Think of it like owning a car. They're also spherical and are about the size of a golf ball and are colored to whatever type they change, such as a fire one being red and an electric one being yellow. They're also perfectly legal to use in these Tempest Festival events, and you will see NPCs using them. You can get others besides the one you start off with. It's not against the rules to pick one up from a dead Pokémon in the middle of an event!

The "Master Blaze Jewel" is what's the new grand prize of the Tempest Festival. It's about the same size as the others, but it has a pretty powerful white-silver color and it glows brighter than the others. A lot of Pokémon, even many Black Lotus Pokémon, believe this Master Blaze Jewel is the only one that's different from the more common variants. Heh, heh, no. There are other "Master-Level Blaze Jewels" out there that bestow some pretty wild powers, but... that's for a later time, my friends! Now between these and the mysterious force of Ante, there could be a powerful link that Queen Taiya and Black Lotus want to exploit. Trust me, I have more than enough "idea toys" to keep this storyline going into the wild blue yonder.

Teams will be directly incorporated into the storyline and the map setting. But I kind of need to see what kinds of teams get created first before I do this. I'm planning out and building the map at the moment, but as I see teams get created and what kind of shape and form they're taking on, I'll make nice little places on the map that they'll feel cozy and be right at home with that will share the culture and theme of that team. Technically, you'll still be on Black Lotus's land, but that's in name only. The NPC Pokémon in those towns/areas will be your friends, NPC allies, and don't recognize themselves as being Black Lotus in the slightest. Already Black Lotus is hard-pressed to collect taxes from you and your NPC friends and in most cases, the situation between these areas and Black Lotus wavers on the brink of revolution.

[Chakramaster]

I'm curious. Are there going to be traps in events? Ones that do things to distract or take a member out or weaken them for a short time or something? Just a simple event to something to keep things interesting so it's not just one-way or back and forth. It could be something completely wacky even to just temporarily keep the one affected by the trap distracted or out until the effects wear off.

Also I'm liking the ideas of the Blaze Jewels. So if it's just near them within rage it's "active" or can they choose when to have it active or not. Like a surprise? Is one the max per user or can there be a tool (like the jewels themselves) that are very rare and can meld two jewels powers together so it gives powers of both types. Like a "Jewel Fusion Band" the user wears and inserts both into each slot so that both converge into the users power. Like the Electric and Water jewel could be insert into a Rock type's band to give them the powers of and Electric and Water type both. You may already have it set where you can be all of the above if they just have the types. I'm just throwing out more ideas is all xD

Still loving how it's looking so far.

[LKWayvern]

Can there be a deadly version of Hide and Seek, or Manhunt? Darkly warping a beloved childhood game may make an... interesting event.

[Neo Emolga]

I'm curious. Are there going to be traps in events? Ones that do things to distract or take a member out or weaken them for a short time or something? Just a simple event to something to keep things interesting so it's not just one-way or back and forth. It could be something completely wacky even to just temporarily keep the one affected by the trap distracted or out until the effects wear off.

It could be a thing! Every event has plenty of nasty surprises, so traps in the other events (not just the one Velocity suggested) could be a thing. Hidden benefits like weapons and armor and maybe even a hidden Blaze Jewel on those battlefields could be a possibility.

Also, I added this note to the actual RP page:

LIST OF TEMPEST FESTIVAL EVENTS

In almost all of these events, victory goes to the last team or individual still alive, though in the past, losers have been able to retreat and flee away from the carnage after the situation looks hopeless to them. There's no punishment or prosecution for running away (besides losing/disqualification) and it's a perfectly acceptable (although humiliating) way to survive, but in most cases, the number of survivors is usually very low.

Expect for NPCs to be dropping like flies in these events, but I totally understand if you don't want your character to be the same way. So, if things are looking grim, bailing out via running/flying away, teleporting, or what have you is possible. It might require some creativity, but it's a possible option. Just note that most participants don't make it out alive, so usually only player-controlled characters will have this kind of safety net available to them. Realistically though, it would make sense for your character to take non-lethal injuries and maybe some of their NPC companions/teammates would be killed in action even if your character escapes from the carnage.

I figure just about everyone would appreciate this safety net rule. :3


Also I'm liking the ideas of the Blaze Jewels. So if it's just near them within rage it's "active" or can they choose when to have it active or not. Like a surprise? Is one the max per user or can there be a tool (like the jewels themselves) that are very rare and can meld two jewels powers together so it gives powers of both types. Like a "Jewel Fusion Band" the user wears and inserts both into each slot so that both converge into the users power. Like the Electric and Water jewel could be insert into a Rock type's band to give them the powers of and Electric and Water type both. You may already have it set where you can be all of the above if they just have the types. I'm just throwing out more ideas is all xD

Still loving how it's looking so far.

You can activate it whenever you'd like and turn it off just as fast as long as it's close to you. You are also able to easily hide them and unleash them as a surprise. If you acquire another one, you can keep both of them with you.

Since the world of Pokémon has dual types, you could use two Blaze Jewels at once to become a dual type based on both of the Jewels you're using! So if you use both a Dragon Blaze Jewel and a Fire Blaze Jewel, you're now a fire/dragon type! But that's your limit. If you acquire a third Blaze Jewel, you're going to have to choose two out of the three typings you have available, but not all three. So if you found say an Electric Blaze Jewel on top of what you already have, you could go either fire/dragon, electric/dragon, or fire/electric as far as dual type possibilities go. But you're free to swap among those forms on the fly! And if you acquire a fourth and so on, it's the same kind of thing. Additional Blaze Jewels will just give you more selections as far as your dual typing selection goes. And if you have multiple Blaze Jewels, you still have the option of using only one at a time, also.


Can there be a deadly version of Hide and Seek, or Manhunt? Darkly warping a beloved childhood game may make an... interesting event.

Well, Blood Pit and Deadly Force kind of cover that already. But if you have a unique way of making it distinctively different, let me know!

[LKWayvern]

Maybe it could work like this?
There's a stadium with a particular kind of terrain, maybe city or forest. And there are two teams, composed of maybe five players each. Each team is given a 'flag', and before the actual event they're allowed a half hour each to hide their flag.
Then, the teams need to find the others flags. No matter where a player on the enemy team is, if your team is able to they're allowed to put them in 'Jail' by either badly injuring them, Paralyzing them, putting them to Sleep, Freezing them, using some kind of Taser, any way you can think of. Interrogating a member of the enemy team to find their flag is considered acceptable. Hypnotising them or using Attract to get them to confess is acceptable.
Perhaps the teams would also be able to use traps, if they bring materials for them ahead of time?

[Neo Emolga]

Maybe it could work like this?
There's a stadium with a particular kind of terrain, maybe city or forest. And there are two teams, composed of maybe five players each. Each team is given a 'flag', and before the actual event they're allowed a half hour each to hide their flag.
Then, the teams need to find the others flags. No matter where a player on the enemy team is, if your team is able to they're allowed to put them in 'Jail' by either badly injuring them, Paralyzing them, putting them to Sleep, Freezing them, using some kind of Taser, any way you can think of. Interrogating a member of the enemy team to find their flag is considered acceptable. Hypnotising them or using Attract to get them to confess is acceptable.
Perhaps the teams would also be able to use traps, if they bring materials for them ahead of time?

I would say up the team size to about twenty (the audience wants to see way more causalities on the field). And I think it would be more interesting if the teams didn't have that half hour to hide the flag. Instead, the game instantly starts and they need to quickly decide what to do with it as the enemy team is coming. It could also be possible to have one player keep a hold on the flag, but then they risk losing it if they're killed or captured.