Forums / Discussion / Q & A

(I wasn't sure if this went in Forum Games or Q&A. I made my best guess, and I apologize if I messed up.)

Anyway, a few months? ago, thread named something like "Nations RP", which unfortunately aborted early. However, I looked back at previous similar ones, and they looked really fun.

I'm considering "hosting" such a thread, but I don't really know how that works, nor what it entails. In fact, I have a lot of questions I'd need answered before I could commit. Such as:

• Can a person just spontaneously "host" a session, or does it not work that way?
• Is there only ever one "host" at a time?
• Does it have to feature a map of the current Earth, or could I create a vote with different opinions, such as % sea coverage, ice age or "jungle age", pangea or archipelago or continents or such?
• How many players is ideal?
• How many turns per game?
• Do players have to start relatively close together, or is that something people could vote on as well?
• What are each player's action's per turn?
• How do I determine the results of said actions?
• Is there a nice, mathematical way I can calculate the result of turns, or do I jusr go by gut instinct and my mediocre knowledge of human history?
• If it's the latter, are there any other users I can pester for advice or online resources I could use?
• When does the game start? When all other furless bipedal sapient species besides homo sapiens went extinct? In the neolithic age? The bronze age? The ice age? The discovery of agriculture? Can this be voted upon?
• Is there a "rulebook" online to which I can refer?
• Do technologies only play a part later in the game?
• Are resources such as gold, horses, rice, coal, copper, etc. ever a part of the game?
• Is there any way I could use my super awesome hyper modded version on Civ IV BTS to help simulate things? Like to create a map, or lay out the tech tree, etc.

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to figure things out.

I think you can host a session whenever, just let a few people join (I think, like, 12?), though Syndic is quite popular for hosting many of the more famous NatRPs. Usually, it features a map of our usual homeworld (Earth) in the regular setting with historic events, though you could change things by taking a poll if that's what you wanted. I would recommend the aforementioned 12 or so, but I think it may be a little more or a little less. You can vote on starting particular continents or subcontinents, or choose a spread-out start across Earth. It can be easier to limit the actions of players in the later turns, but you are the host and ultimate judge of how turns work. You probably should ask Syndic how to best determine how turns work, because I don't think I am a good authority on that. I think going by what would logically happen with each player's actions could be useful, but you are the host. I think you should start it around when societies first began to form, though it can be your choice or by poll. Syndic, as mentioned earlier, could be your best bet for a "rulebook." Technology always matters, due to a technological advantage having decided many important historical events. You could do something about resources, though I think you should ask those you plan on NatRPing with if they want that mechanic as well. NatRPs are usually held with the map given (if you've seen the RPs Syndic makes, you'll know what I'm talking about), and techs listed for those countries. I really like these RPs, and I hope the best for you, Light Spectrum!