Advice/Help Collaborative roleplays

[Nadia]

Hi guys and gals.

I'm looking to create a collaborative group roleplay and wondered if there is any advice in trying to run one.

There will be no GM but I will run the admin and make final decisions etc. The players move any plot forward as they see fit, creating NPCs, locations and enemies. Players can use enemies against each other. I was going to use a simple dice resolution system just to add a little unpredictability.

Do these games work or just descend into chaos too quickly?

I don't know whether to do a drop in and out system or wait for each player to reply throughout the day,

Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.

Thank you for reading

 

[s e v e n]

Hi!! Woah, the concept itself sounds incredible! but I do see your point haha, it'll be quite the devil to execute properly xD It's definitely not that common around, yet I think I do suggest doing a closed rp with people you trust/very selected players, since otherwise, as you said, it might risk going down in chaos real quick XD Pacing is definitely also something you might want to pay attention when hosting a group RP, as the first few weeks would usually be the hardest test (it either makes it or nah). Make sure to keep everyone excited for the time being- usually people would drop in and out until you find yourself a steady cast, so don't give up! >:3 Wish you the best~

 

[Nadia]

Thank you for replying.
I don't have time to run a game fully myself and I'm not that great at coming up with characters and stories - I admire you GMs for doing that!
I also think it takes the load off one person when everyone can contribute.

I might need to come with a narrative for the world just to maybe direct the players a bit.

Do you think one setting works better for this?

 

[s e v e n]

For simplicity's sake, yes xD so at least you can establish on something. Or, another advice, you can make your RP a bit more sandbox-y (you make a setting, writers focus on character development, make side stories, etc, while you may/may not have a pretty loose main plot line going on at the same time ^-^)

 

[Crayons]

Collab groups are my favourite kind of RP! They do work, but you will need dedicated players who are prepared to contribute to the RP. How do you find them? Well tbh it's not super easy. If you don't want it to descend into chaos you need to have a few things in place:

A turn-based system, with a cut-off point for waiting for replies.
An OOC in which you especially and the other players are active and responsive.
A lore sheet, preferably one that can be updated as you go along.
A game which is flexible enough to account for people dropping out and new people coming in.
An up-front plan for what happens to characters when the player drops out or ghosts. (Turned to NPCs, killed off, etc.)
Keep applications open as long as you have space in the game.
Have a maximum number of players in one thread at one time. 3-5 players is the best number for that.

While I'm typing more replies have gone up on the thread so....

Yes, I'd recommend having some kind of narrative. But be prepared to adapt if players create their own storylines that they are enjoying more than the main one. Having a goal in mind for your characters, or a situation they have to respond to is great, but don't force it too much. Let the players come to you with plot suggestions.

 

[Chordling]

I feel like that you're gonna want your OCC thread to be very important if you want the content of your roleplay to run smoothly and consistently. All of the players involved will need to be willing to discuss and agree upon plot direction prior to writing out the events. I don't think there is any way that you can avoid having someone facilitate to some capacity. You can choose someone to take the lead or let the group naturally choose one for themselves. Ultimately, there is going to be a lot of planning that you might want to consider in the beginning.

 

[Luxura]

As someone who currently Mods a collaborative
RP group, they work, but you will definitely
need a strong Admin Team to help keep
everyone on track. A really strong OOC
is key, and I find being in constant communication
helps a lot.

My group has been around for 10 years,
obviously with people coming in and out, but
the core group has been an average of 5 years.
The key has always been that we're friends. We
talk to each other every day, we are involved in
each other's lives. We make an effort.
If you ever get to a point where you find
players that you want to have that relationship with
that is when your group is really going to take off.

We have a small group of Admin that share
the load as much as they can in terms of
creating ideas, and driving the plot, doing
HR, setting post deadlines, etc.
We all come to the table once a month for a
group chat where we check in on each other and discuss what
is happening IC, and how we want to move forward.
To us, the RP is a hobby, but it's also a place
and story we truly care about and devote our time
to. If it didn't mean something to us, this might
not work as well as it does.

If you want to check us out and ask more questions,
feel free to drop me a DM or check out the thread in
my signature! Happy to talk to you more.
Our OOC is on Discord, but we are going to be opening
one here on RPN to talk to other likeminded RPers outside
of the story. Would love to have you drop in sometime
once it's open!! ​

 

[Nadia]

My group has been around for 10 years,
obviously with people coming in and out, but
the core group has been an average of 5 years. /FONT]​

Wow, that's amazing!

Mine was going to be much more casual!

Thanks for the advice
X