Let's Write an Interactive Story while Playing it ! This is the discussion thread of "Once upon a time in a peaceful village...". If you want to play, please choose a character or post a character sheet in this thread or here. >> Character List >> The Story Post Links: >> Introduction >> Story Setting >> Character ideas >> Summary Page [Edited by - Wai on June 17, 2007 1:49:34 AM]

Multiplayer Interactive Story
~ A design project where you design and write the game while playing it ~

About:

In this game, we write the plot of an interlacing branching story by having each writer roleplay a character in a game of suspicion. The goal of this game is to create an interlacing story as the context for future discussions in the structure, design, and implementation of interactive stories.


The Game:

This game, "WOLVES" for short, is based on the game "Are you a werewolf ?". This game starts with 13 characters, three of them are assigned the hidden roles of Wolves. Each night, the wolves would conspire and eat a character. Each day, the characters would vote out a suspect. The goal of the Wolves is to eat or vote out all villagers. The goal of the villagers is to vote out all the wolves. The strategy of the game comes from the diverse personalities and special abilities of the villagers.


The Characters, Their Strategies, and Their Abilities:

Please See character profiles here.




[Edited by - Wai on May 20, 2007 11:29:51 AM]

Yes you are welcome to run the game here since it has something to do with writing and games. [smile]

The Setting:

The game takes place in a small cursed early modern village surrounded by woods, where hunters hunt with rifles or bow-and-arrow. Light bulb might have just been invented, or close to be invented, but in any case, news like that would only be passed to the village by the occasion lost travellers or wandering luck seekers. The mean of transportation to the village is on foot, by horse or donkey, by ox cart or a wagon.


The Villagers:

In a standard game, there are 13 villagers with different personalities. The number of "stock" villagers that can interchange for the game can be higher. These roles are not set, but the usual characters fall into these types.

The Local Residents:
1) The Mayor
2) The Builder
3) The Baker
4) The Innkeeper
5) The Barmaid
6) The Farmer
7) The Beggar/Idiot

The Travellers:
8) The Priest
9) The Merchant
10) The Hunter
11) The Herbalist
12) The Adventurer
13) The Writer

The only declared character at the moment is #3 the Baker, who is the Little Red Riding Hood:

"Oh My ! The Wolves are Back !"



Notable Locations:

The Village Plaza (where execution takes place)
The Inn and Stables
The Barn and Windmill
The Chapel and Graveyard
The Mayor's Mansion
The Blacksmiths
The LRRH's hut in the woods
The Hunter's camps in the woods

This is meant to be a cute game. Dead bodies are replaced by tombstones.




Any comments ? Interests ?
Should I be posting something that I have not posted ?

[Edited by - Wai on May 14, 2007 11:54:19 PM]

With diceless roleplaying games it's common to post an example character description sheet so that any player wishing to join just copies it and fills in their own information. (I do diceless roleplaying all the time, although usually the kind where players are organized into pairs and rp a romance.) It's also common to have one thread for posting character descriptions and optionally pictures, and asking out-of-character questions about the game, while there is a separate thread for in-character roleplaying (and a link in the first post of each thread to the other thread).

Here are some other villager ideas, of course it will be up to Wai whether or not to approve any character:
- the eccentric rich man
- the retired soldier
- the chaperoned marriageable daughter
- the bossy wife
- the town braggart and ladies' man
- the trouble-seeking teenager
- the matchmaker
- the practical joker
- the hypochondriac afraid of their own shadow

An Character Sheet Example :



Little Red Riding Hood the Baker
Age 7, Female
Appearance: See Sprite (without the wolf ears and tail)

Occupation/Routine: She bakes at home, then skips through the woods to sell bread to the inn. She buys flour and ingredients from the barn.

Personality: She doesn't know how to lie, and she is maximally gullible. She is very fair otherwise. She is curious, easily distracted, and has no hesitation in following strangers. She likes to bake cakes and pies as gifts. She becomes very shy when praised. She is forgiving and has no concept of revenge or death, although she knows when people are upset: "Hello Stranger, why are you sad ?" Not that she would understand sadness: "Okie, would you like a Muffin ?"

Speech: Her speech is often exclaimed, her usual forms of expression is: "Oh My ! What .... You Have !" She addresses other villagers by occupation such as "Hello, Mr. Mayor !" She address strangers this way: "Hello, Mr. Stranger !"

Anti-wolf Strategies: She has no strategy initially. She would ask the villagers directly whether they are the werewolves. All of them are going to say that they are not, and then she is dumbfound, because she doesn't expect people to lie.

Initial Trust and Suspects: She initially trusts everyone.

Belongings: A cartoon basket with infinite storage space for cakes, pies, muffins, cookies, etc...

Special Abilities: Makes cake with any ingredient given (such as a letter or a bomb), and delivers the cake anytime with no questions asked. The LRRH can be exploited as a messenger.

[Edited by - Wai on May 17, 2007 12:53:39 AM]

Character Ideas

- The Builder
- The Innkeeper
- The Barmaid
- The Farmer
- The Beggar/Idiot
- The Hunter
- The Herbalist
- The Adventurer
- The Eccentric Rich Man
- The Retired Soldier
- The Chaperoned Marriageable Daughter
- The Bossy Wife
- The Town Braggart and Ladies' Man
- The Trouble-seeking Teenager
- The Practical Joker
- The Hypochondriac afraid of their own shadow
- The Hardworking Simpleton
- The Thief
- The Inventor
- The Forture Seeker
- The Run-away Bride
- The Prisoner
- The Sage
- The Alchemist

[Edited by - Wai on June 15, 2007 8:33:10 PM]

(wonders idly if I ought to make myself a sprite...)

Vaughn the Merchant/Tinker
Approximately 25, Male
Appearance: A bit androgynous, somewhere in between handsome and pretty. Slyly grinning and winking when dealing with people, having a 50-50 chance or charming them or seeming to be a con artist. When dealing with objects however he is clever with his hands, has a more honest smile, and hums to himself.

Occupation/Routine: Is primarily concerned with making a profit, so he will tell rich people whatever he thinks they want to hear or whatever will result in them buying his items. Each day he offers a new type of anti-werewolf charm. However he has a kind heart and will not deliberately give someone bad advice unless he strongly dislikes them. He may give free good advice to someone who has purchased from him or done him a favor, or give free aid to a child or penniless person.

Personality: Playful and manipulative in a more-or-less benevolent sort of way except for trying to get people to give him all their money. Doesn't like conflict, and will try to distract or pacify people who are angry. Doesn't like bullies, braggarts, and bigots, and might deliberately trick such a person into humiliating themselves or becoming the prey of a werewolf. Is himself vulnerable to flattery/seduction.

Speech: Flattering/charming but not too flowery. Phrases, "Oh, I've really got something special here for you today!" "Oh you simply must have this blue ribbon, it bring out your eyes so nicely - it looks so charming on you that I'll give it to you for a song, a mere pittance!" "Moonstones bathed in holy water at the temple of Kalamazoo, guaranteed to make any nearby unnatural beast as docile as a lamb!"

Anti-wolf Strategies: Vaughn is skeptical and does not at first believe in werewolves. Once they are proven to exist he is neutral towards them unless/until they are proven to be harmful. His first strategy would be to avoid them and not annoy them, or even aid them if they were his customers. If this fails then his favored strategy would be a clever trap.

Initial Trust and Suspects: Trusts dumb kind people, suspects smart people and bullies.

Belongings: Trade goods, money, tinkering tools

Re: You can make a sprite but most likely what would happen is that I would make the sprite for your character. The easiest way would be you draw it and then I turn it into a sprite of the same style.


Also, tt is not mentioned in the game rules, but characters can have properties that allows them to kill wolves at night. It is a game balance issue in both gameplay and the story. But I intend to let each character have one or two unique Anti-wolf skill.

So if you want Vaughn to lay a physical trap, it is possible to do so in the story with the actual effect of killing a wolf.

[Edited by - Wai on May 16, 2007 5:34:58 PM]

Blank Character Sheet:

??? the Nameless Wanderer
Sex undecided, Age ???

Appearance: (you can post a picture also)

Occupation/Routine: wanders

Personality: undecided

Speech: undecided

Anti-wolf Strategies: undecided

Initial Trust/Suspects/Relations: undecided

Belongings: undecided

Special Abilities: undecided