Advice/Help Want to make a themed group rp, but...

[DulceCherry]

I first planned to do this on DeviantART as a rp group, and asked for advice/help from them...then I realized that may not be a good idea, and decided to come here!

I wanna try my hand at a themed rp group...and as cliche and overdone as it is, I want it to be an Academy/Boarding School theme! But, with this comes a problem. I don't really want it to be a fandom-based group (since I'm not really deep into any fandom to really do it justice, at least in my opinion, and the thought of attempting a canon character makes me w e e p due to bad past experiences), and I am reluctant to deepen the cliche of it being a supernatural/monster school, since there are already so many and I don't know if anyone would be interested in yet another (don't get me wrong, supernatural/monster academy rps tend to be really fun, since you have more freedom for weird, crazy, and wild stuff happening at school because MONSTERS and MAGIC, and I totally wouldn't mind making one, I'm just worried that everyone's sick and tired of them, and no matter what I do, people still won't take interest in it).

Soooooooo...I need some help. What would you, as a roleplayer, wanna see as an academy themed group, and what would you want to see IN said group?

Thanks for ya time! ^ ^

- Froyo

 

[MehIsPotato]

For me I would want diverse characters and maybe it IS a fanasy school, but instead the kids have to defend the school from monsters? I dunno, but yeah.

 

[DulceCherry]

For me I would want diverse characters and maybe it IS a fanasy school, but instead the kids have to defend the school from monsters? I dunno, but yeah.

Hmmm...perhaps a school that takes students from all across the Milky Way Galaxy and covertly (or even just blatantly) train them to defend the school (and possibly even their home planet(s) from a rival school in the Andromeda Galaxy (and maybe even other galaxies too)?

 

[MehIsPotato]

Hmmm...perhaps a school that takes students from all across the Milky Way Galaxy and covertly (or even just blatantly) train them to defend the school (and possibly even their home planet(s) from a rival school in the Andromeda Galaxy (and maybe even other galaxies too)?

Yeah!

 

[rae2nerdy]

When you need help getting this off the ground welian has the most successful semi-academy based roleplay on this site. It's superhero themed but the general set up would help you in the mechanics I think. (sidenote : I think hers is also militaristic kinda? )

I'd also be happy to offer you help with things like

- keeping things moving through the school year
- coming up with classes / activities for the students to participate in
- hooks to keep people interested

If you go the military set up I literally have one of those. It's using mutants but shifting the mechanics to intergalatic defender training academy wouldn't be that hard. I'd be happy to offer you up my world building docs and explain the reasoning for how the school was set up.

 

[DulceCherry]

When you need help getting this off the ground welian has the most successful semi-academy based roleplay on this site. It's superhero themed but the general set up would help you in the mechanics I think. (sidenote : I think hers is also militaristic kinda? )

I'd also be happy to offer you help with things like

- keeping things moving through the school year
- coming up with classes / activities for the students to participate in
- hooks to keep people interested

If you go the military set up I literally have one of those. It's using mutants but shifting the mechanics to intergalatic defender training academy wouldn't be that hard. I'd be happy to offer you up my world building docs and explain the reasoning for how the school was set up.

Oh man, I would totally appreciate the help from both you and possibly welian, if they're willing! And would be interested in the building docs, if it wouldn't be too much trouble?

 

[MehIsPotato]

Oh man, I would totally appreciate the help from both you and possibly welian, if they're willing! And would be interested in the building docs, if it wouldn't be too much trouble?

I’m willing.

 

[welian]

Who what now

 

[rae2nerdy]

Who what now

They're wanting to do a themed academy roleplay. I remembered you had one Aegis? Or was I misremembering the theme for that.

 

[MehIsPotato]

Who what now

DulceCherry wants help creating a school group chat, and yours is the most successful

 

[DulceCherry]

Alright! Since the theme is more assuredly gonna be the interstellar one, now comes down to the part of...a name for the academy, and some backstory, perhaps-

 

[rae2nerdy]

Alright! Since the theme is more assuredly gonna be the interstellar one, now comes down to the part of...a name for the academy, and some backstory, perhaps-

Maybe some kind of intergalatic threat attacked the universe X number of years ago. At the time each planet in the particular section of the galaxy was left to fend for itself. Afterward they decided to create an interplanetary defense organization hence the school?

Interplanetary Allied Defense League - IADLE *pronounced idle*. The school is maybe IADLE Academy or something? I dunno I'm good at acronyms not so much at names.

 

[rae2nerdy]

lol ignore the extra E

 

[DulceCherry]

I was here struggling to wrap my mind around that E like "where did that come from?" lol

But that can definitely be one option!

 

[DulceCherry]

What about...the Advanced League of Intergalactic Alliance Security aka ALIAS ?

 

[DulceCherry]

Also thought of a name for the rival school...The:

Intergalactic
Conquest
Enforcing
Defenders

Or ICED Academy

 

[Idea]

What some people are sicked and tired off many also still love. The very reason why clichés subsist in any capacity is very simply that some people really like those clichés. If my word counts for anything then I advise that you do not waste your time think about whether this may be too generic or some people may feel a little sick of that...

Instead focus on taking the tools, ideas and themes of what you like and explore every branch of it you can. Cause face it: Every idea that could be made, in broad storkes, HAS been made. What's left is to explore the same ideas with a new perspective and in-depth story-telling. Questions like why is there a school and who's really running it, classes that do actually attempt to teach the students to grow instead of lording the superiority of the teacher characters or serving as plot filler.

If you like aliens, perhaps take a look at the Fermi paradox and explain it in a new way and incorporate that into your plot, or use the mechanics and implications of space-travel to give a new meaning to the life of an academy. After all, the classes we have in the real world were designed to teach factory workers, so imagine how much potential there is to innovate them in a new setting!

Overall my point is as follows: Do as you like, don't be afraid to be cliché, but whatever you do don't half-ass it. School RPs die most often because players and GMs alike take them as the opportunity to slack off and not do anything. Don't do that disservice to the players that are actually pacionate and you may have success in your hands.

 

[DulceCherry]

Valid point, my friend, and thank you for droppin in!

I am currently working on a potential backstory as to how and why the academy formed, and considering the fact that the academy will technically be taking in alien students, perhaps the Fermi paradox could somehow come into play? And in terms of classes, as I've spoken with geeking out privately, they could potentially be based around certain specialties (medics, assassins, etc.) so the classes would correspond as such.

 

[Idea]

Valid point, my friend, and thank you for droppin in!

I am currently working on a potential backstory as to how and why the academy formed, and considering the fact that the academy will technically be taking in alien students, perhaps the Fermi paradox could somehow come into play? And in terms of classes, as I've spoken with geeking out privately, they could potentially be based around certain specialties (medics, assassins, etc.) so the classes would correspond as such.

Whichever the case may be, good luck Space exploration isn't my thing, and i'll probably have my hands full anyway, but I'll be sure to root for ya from the sidelines XD

 

[DulceCherry]

Whichever the case may be, good luck Space exploration isn't my thing, and i'll probably have my hands full anyway, but I'll be sure to root for ya from the sidelines XD

Understandable, thanks so much, bud! :3