The webcomic MegaTokyo has an RP associated with it, one that has pretty much zero involvement on the part of creator Fred Gallagher. It demonstrates a way that a webcomic can inspire a game without requiring involvement on the part of the creator that takes away from the time he needs to produce the comic itself. (For example, Fred has, I believe, posted exactly once in response to the MegaTokyo: the Clans game, and I believe that post was "You people scare me.")Imp-Chan wrote:I'm actually wondering if a long-term RPG campaign might be a good addition to the boards. I know that I personally am unlikely to have time to participate, but a wistful little part of me wishes I did and suggests that others here might.
It's not like we don't have several universes at our disposal, although I'd have to double-check about whether or not we could actually run in-universe games without legal repercussions down the road.
^-^'
The way that game operates is to establish a few basic assumptions and standards that aren't quite the rule of law, but still have a great deal of force behind them. For clarity, I'll apply them to a theoretical Errant Story game.
1) Don't mess with the main Characters.
So in the case of ES, players might reference Ian, but they don't get to do anything that really effects him. So your character, for amusement sake, might accidentally get chucked through a building by Ian's rampage in Saus, but they can't in any way deflect him.
2) If the game and the comic end up contradicting one another, the comic is right.
So you introduce something into the game, and later it proves incompatible because of a later reveal in the comic. If you can't find a good explanation for why it still works, you find a way to write it out.
3) cooperative effort.
The MegaTokyo game has no GMs to drive plot or resolve disputes, nor does it have a system it uses. As such it's important that players work together. That doesn't mean conflict doesn't exist. It just means players have to work together for the enjoyment of all. As an example, say one player in the ES game played a Gewehr Wraith, and another played an Enisgerium Monk. The plot they were playing called for them to fight. Rather than it being a competition between the two players, they would instead get together on the side and determine how the fight should go, and how it should end, then work together to Make It So.
4) Plots are what the players create.
Basically the players themselves, rather than a GM, create the plots and stories. They can range from such minor things as "I Need A Widget, who wants to help?" all the way up to "The Church of Luminosita has Invaded! This Means War!" The two big restrictions to that being the first two rules. So kidnapping Meji is right out the window, but launching a (doomed to failure) attempt to rescue her from the elves is fine. All it takes is players willing to use their characters to create the plots, and players willing to play along.
The plusses of such a concept are that it would involve little to no involvement on the part of those In The Know (such as Poe and Impy) unless they wanted to be in, there wouldn't have to be an agreed upon game system that somehow needed to be adapted, and it wouldn't require GMing.
The negatives are that, without a GM, there's no one to resolve disputes or help ensure everyone is on the same page. It also requires some degree of drive and skill on the part of the players, both in terms of writing and creation of capabilities.
Anyway, just a thought, and of course it depends heavily on whether Impy can find out of such a game is even legally acceptable. And there are certainly other ways to approach a forum ES RP. I'd love to hear other ideas.