Seeking: Zombie turn-by-turn/role play hybrid

MORE THAN JUST A ROLE PLAY

• "Rebuild" is a role play with elements of a turn-by-turn, survive & thrive game.
• In the Story Thread (role play thread), writers will post for their Characters, just as with any role play.
• And in the Update Thread (OOC Thread), the Writers will find such things as:
  • Periodic updates of such things as resources, utilities, services, dangers, environmental conditions, and more, all of which affect the Characters.
  • Vague hints or obvious suggestions of tasks and missions that should be undertaken to help the Characters survive and, ultimately, thrive.
  • And statistics that affect their NPCs, such as health, loyalty, effectiveness, and more.
• The ultimate goal of the Characters is to survive and thrive in a radically changed, dangerous world.

The Story

• Zombies have brought an end to life as we knew it.
• A small group of humans are safe inside the Knight Library on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon.
• And as the title implies, they will need to rebuild their world.
• And all the while, Zombies -- and eventually other Survivors, written by the Host -- will be trying to kill them and/or take their stuff.

Writer's Expectations

• I only have three demands:
  • Don't hold up the story.
  • Check your spelling and grammar.
  • Don't violate the standard role play rules, such as god moding, power plays, etc.
• Be respectful and considerate of your fellow Writer, and we will all have fun.
• Posting frequency and length is totally dependent upon how involved you want your Character(s) to be. (Yes, you can have more than one Character.)

What to expect from your Host

• I will post every day, usually more than once.
• I will NOT intentionally kill your Characters, and I WILL let you know about the dangers they face so that they don't walk into something unexpected and die.
• If you chose danger, I will provide it, but I won't randomly throw a herd of Zombies or a Human with a grenade at you without you knowing it's possible.
• I, too, will follow all the expectations I listed for the Writers above for the Characters I write. (I will write a handful of characters to add background and exposition as necessary, but I prefer to leave most of the story telling to you, so most of my characters are either short term or expendable.)

Sounds like fun, would have been joimimg, but since I'm mostly active during weekends I will most propably hold up the story. Sooo...yeah, if you have a spot open for me at some later stage lemme know

Sounds like fun, though the distinction between the two threads for me is a bit unclear. If you would have me, I would like to join this RP.

HISTORY OF THE ZOMBIE RIOTS

The following is what the Characters knew at the time of the Zombie Riots which begin our story. I will update this information occasionally:

• The date: Saturday, 25 October 2014.
• The setting: Eugene, Oregon, population 156,000 and home of the University of Oregon.
• Live on ESPN, violence spontaneously erupted at an Oregon Ducks football game. The game was halted as police moved in to clear the mischief makers, but the violence only spread and soon engulfed the entire stadium.
• As hundreds were being trampled in the mayhem and more fans joined the riot, a new horror was being broadcast to the national and even international football audience: some of the rioters were gnawing on the fallen! They were chewing on the dead and dying, as if they were ribs or chicken legs at a Tailgater's barbeque!
• The violence and madness spilled over into the city. Neighborhoods were filled with screams from victims, growls from crazed lunatics, and gunfire from police and home owners trying to gain control or simply protect themselves.
• By the time darkness fell, the mayhem had spread across Eugene. First responders from dozens of cities, as well as the National Guard, did what they could, but it was too late. Eugene was gone -- as soon would be other cities -- overrun by what the national Press was already describing fancifully as the "Zombie Riot".
• Our initial characters are people who fled the Zombie Riot and holed up inside the Knight Library on the U of O campus. They are mostly strangers to one another at this point: they include Eugene residents, out of state college students, visiting football fans, and more.
• They will initially have nothing more than what they were carrying with them at the time the Zombie Riot erupted, as well as what they can find inside the library.

I will be creating the Profile Sheet today. I am currently occupied with real life chit, but I think we can start posting Characters later today and begin writing soon.

Concerning Knights comment above, about only being available in the weekends, here is my outlook on the situation:

• If you don't think you will be available for consistent posting, you can still create a Character who is sort of a loner and interacting only with the Host's NPC characters.
• But if you want a more substantial role -- particularly if you are going to be collaborating closely with other writers -- you most definitely need to post almost every day.

Make sense?

Profile Sheet

Instructions:

1. Click on "Reply with Quote" at the bottom, highlight and copy the Profile Sheet below, then paste it into a PM addressed to the Host, LetUsWrite. (Doing it this way will preserve the bold of the questions. Makes reading Profiles easier, I think. Thanks.)
2. Answer the questions.
3. Delete the additional instructions.
4. PM it.
5. Wait.
6. The Host will get back to you asap.
7. Simple.
8. If you want to see an example, click here. (You don't have to do it this way: it's just an example.)

CHARACTER INFORMATION:

NAME:

AGE:

GENDER:

PICTURE:
(No anime or cartoon images. Real pics. Be original and don't select a celebrity.)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
(What we don't see in the picture, such as height, weight, etc.)

PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION:
(Shy, outspoken, cry baby, worry wart, slut, bible thumper, etc.)

BACKGROUND:
(Include education, occupation, family information, etc. What ever you want but no more than you want.)

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER THE "GROUP"?
(What skills, knowledge, abilities, etc., do you have to offer the group of survivors? You don't have to rehash what you included above in "Background".)

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR CHARACTER PROCEEDING FROM HERE OUT?
(Is your character going to be content with being a part of a "new society" here in Eugene? Is your character anxious to get back home, where ever that may be? Is your character going to take advantage of the mayhem and loot and pillage and ... other bad things? Don't reveal anything more than you want us to know at this point. If you don't know how your character will react yet, just put "don't know yet".)

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SEXUAL INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER CHARACTERS?
(Yes or no. Or if you feel the need, list your limits concerning sexual role play.)

DID I MISS ANYTHING?
(Include it here.)

WRITER INFORMATION:
(Anything you want to tell us about yourself.)

NAME: Max Taylor

AGE: 62 (born 4 July 1952)

GENDER: Male

PICTURE

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

• 5'6", 155#, a bit frail looking though he is actually in good health.
• Green eyes, often hidden behind sunglasses, even indoors (as further explained below).
• White beard and hair, cut short and almost always under a tightly rolled stocking cap.

PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION:

• Quiet, polite, unassuming, helpful, generous to a fault.
• He likes looking at the pretty college "girls" but rarely talks first to them, fearing he will be called a "dirty ol' man".
• A life long, low wage, laborer, Max is envious of what the graduates have waiting ahead of them. (Well, not anymore, that is. )
• He is often viewed as being "quirky" because he almost always wears his sunglasses, even indoors. What people don't know is that his indoor pair are broken: one lens falls out repeatedly, and one arm is held in place with tape. He is too proud to tell anyone or ask for help in buying a new pair.

BACKGROUND:

• Born 4 July 1952.
• Grew up on a small working farm.
• 1970: After a falling out with his father, he volunteered for Viet Nam War at 18.
• Spent most of his 4 years with a Special Forces strike team in Cambodia and Laos. (Saw a lot, but never saw anything like he's seeing now with the Zombie Riots.)
• 1974: Came home to find his father dead of a heart attack, his mother in a home with terminal depression, and his brother spending the money he'd gotten from selling the farm on drugs, women, and fast cars. The family farm is now a shopping mall.
• 1975-85: On the road with an Outlaw biker gang.
• 1986-93: Oregon State prison for Manslaughter after a bar fight.
• 1995 to present: The only work he could land was janitorial work under the supervision of a former (and now deceased) Army buddy at the University of Oregon's Knight Library.
• Rather comically, he has been taking classes -- free, what with being an employee -- and was going to graduate Spring 2015 with a degree in Environmental Studies.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER THE "GROUP"?

• He knows the library like the back of his hand. He will be able to help them find what they need to survive ... so long as they can keep the Zombies -- and Pillagers -- outside the library's doors.
• He can provide history of the Eugene area. (OOC: Obviously, I am from here.)

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR CHARACTER PROCEEDING FROM HERE OUT?

• Max has no where to go and no one for whom to get home, so he will be perfectly happy with staying inside the relative safety of the library.
• He won't be any help when it comes to fighting -- he's too old and frail -- but he still remembers the booby traps of Viet Nam ... and, more importantly, how to make them!

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SEXUAL INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER CHARACTERS?

• Max likes women, and he likes sex. Or, at least, he thinks he does. It's been a while ... a long while. ;D
• If I do get involved in a sexual role play, I like to write them in a separate thread that can then be linked to the "Story" thread. Then, those who are interested can read it and those who aren't can skip over it.

DID I MISS ANYTHING?

• Max is mostly here to point other Characters in the right direction, to give clues as to where things might be found, to give hints about actions that might be worthwhile. Think of him as one of those Tutorial characters who talks to you during the new game you just downloaded to your Tablet or Smart Phone.
• However, if someone does want to interact with him on more of a PC level, I am more than happy to do so. I just don't want to get bogged down in a lengthy role play situation that takes me away from managing the turn-by-turn (TbT) portion of the game.

WRITER INFORMATION:​

About me:

• I am anal about spelling and grammar.
• I write both short and long posts.
• I am on the internet almost every day for at least a few minutes.
• I typically check for new posts in the morning, at lunch, and immediately upon getting off work, as well as during the evening at home.
• I shouldn't have a problem with keeping my Characters or the TbT portion up to date.

blackpenman said:

Sounds like fun, though the distinction between the two threads for me is a bit unclear. If you would have me, I would like to join this RP.

Click to expand...

Good point! It is a bit confusing. I will edit the initial post today to make it clearer. For now, hopefully this will help:

• The "Story" Thread is your typical role play thread. Here, writers tell their tales.
• The "Game" Thread is more of an OOC, with links to Profile Sheets and Image Galleries ... but also:
  • It will includes the more factual, statistical information that you might see in a video game or in a live D&D table top game, including Character Statistics like health, strength, and abilities; possessions; and more.
  • It will include a very to the point description of events that are taking place -- action!
  • This action is going to be crisp and clear, unlike creative, description role play posts. Its purpose is to set the scene for the writers, who then can describe what they saw, what they did, how they came out -- if they came out -- and whether or not they gained anything from the experience.
• I am still working on the specifics of the two threads, but as time goes on and we get settled, it will all begin to flow easily.

And yes, we would love to have you. Just PM a completed Profile Sheet to me (LetUsWrite) and we'll get you started. Take a look at the first post in the Seeking Thread -- you probably already did -- and read the first couple of posts in the Story Thread to get a feel for the story so far ... and go for it!

I have been asked some very good questions, and the answers are below:

Can my Character have a firearm or other weapon?

• No fire arms. Fire arms must be discovered by Characters during their Scouting missions.
• If your Character is male and would have been carrying a pocket knife on an Autumn afternoon, you may have that.
• If your Character is female and would have been carrying Mace on an Autumn afternoon, you may have that.
• Yes, I know, the above sounded sexist. But I've never known a woman who routinely carried a pocket knife, nor a male -- other than cops and men who deal with dogs during their public work -- who routinely carried Mace.
• Besides, I am trying to limit the weapons initially to encourage you to go out into the world and look for them.
• Initial possession of a weapon may mean that I veto your possession of another valuable. So, what's more important to you? A lunch box with a full meal in it that may feed you for 2 days? Or a 3 inch pocket knife that you may never use?

If my Character gets bits or scratched by a zombie, does (s)he turn into a Zombie?

• We have 2 NPCs who were scratched on day one of the Zombie Riots -- see the first "Story" thread post -- so I guess we're about to find out, aren't we?
• I have an answer to this question, but I am not prepared to divulge that information yet. Sorry. You're going to have to find out.

What are "Points"?

• I am still working on the details of this.
• Essentially, Characters earn Points by accomplishing tasks, discovering resources (or other items of value or interest), cooperating with other Characters, killing Zombies, creating a more comfortable situation for all, solving a mystery/riddle/puzzle, and more.
• Writers also earn Points by posting to the Story thread. How many Points are earned is still being determined -- as is their worth -- but let me just say now that they will be tied to how interesting your post is, not how long it is. Writing a 5,000 word post will not earn you any more Points than a 500 word post. Writing a professional quality piece of verse is not necessary, either: this isn't a writing contest. Just write something that reflects what happened to you in the last update of the Game Thread, and you'll get your points.
• A Writer's Points are a personal thing. Do not share with other Writers how many points you got for what ever you wrote or what ever your Character did. Remember the saying about comparing apples and oranges? You will never know how many points performing a certain action will get you, so there's no reason to dwell over what is worth what or why you only got 1 Point for this thing and someone else got 2 Points.
• Points can be "redeemed", in a fashion.
• For example:
  • You Scouted a room at great peril to your own health and (just making up a number) received 5 points.
  • You need a warm coat and point the desire to have one out to the Host.
  • The Host offers you a selection of coats, from 1 point to 10, based upon quality and style.
  • Choose, and pay.
  • Get it?
• I am still working on the specifics for this, but I envision having sort of a "Marketplace", sort of like in many video games, at which Characters can equip themselves.

How many Characters will there be in the Library, and will there ONLY be Characters in the Library or will they be outside, too?

• Initially, all of our Characters will be inside the Knight Library.
• Additionally, there will be a dozen or more NPCs (Non Player Characters) which I will write on a very sporadic schedule. Most of these NPCs are expendable or -- to create drama -- will not be interested in cooperating in a thriving, reborn society. They are there to create challenges which your Characters will have to face. (Don't automatically assume that all NPCs should be hated, feared, or eliminated: some are there to help you, such as Max the Janitor.)
• Over time, as new Writers wish to join, they can either assume the role(s) of NPCs inside the Library or new Characters outside the Library. These "outside" Characters can deal with the "inside" Characters outside, or they can be invited into the Library, per the rules and guidelines that the Characters inside (PCs and NPCs alike) adopt for their little community.
• Over time also, those inside the Library will discover that they have to deal with the outside world. It will simply be impossible to survive -- let alone thrive -- inside the Library walls without additional resources from the outside. Think food, medicines, clothes, fuel, and more.

Okay, so ... major change. After spending several hours contemplating how to best implement the concept of the game portion, I realize that I will never have the time necessary to pull it off in the fashion that I had proposed.

New idea!

I am abandoning the D&D style character abilities and skills portion that applies to each of the characters on an individual basis -- the source of most of my woes -- and I am replacing it with the following:

• In the soon to be created "Update" thread, I will post situations that the Characters will need to deal with, such things as "threats", "supply needs", and -- in following with the role play's name -- "rebuilding" civilization issues.
• I will not tell the Characters (or more specifically the Writers) how to take on these issues, but instead I will give hints and/or leave it totally up to the ingenuity and creativity of our Writers. (I am already impressed with our current Writers' responses to situations!!)
• Each day (I hope, anyway), I will update the "Update" with new information as is applicable. Colors -- green and red, for the most part -- will make it easy for Writers to quickly peruse the Update to see what has changed radically for the better (green) or worse (red), requiring them to pay more attention to that particular issue.
• By doing it this way, I don't have to track the progress and advancement of individual Characters. The Update statistics will apply to all Characters. (There is the possibility that some Characters will be affected more or less than others -- for example, a young child, frail elder, or injured/sick person -- but that is some thing we will deal with later. For now, let's keep it simple.)
• Writers will always, of course, be encouraged to offer their own ideas. For example, I got a PM today asking, "Do we have enough toilet paper?" I laughed out loud, startling a Co-Worker, then realized that that is a "resource" that should be considered!

Okay, so ... I am going to get to work on the "refit" of the role play right now and, if I can keep my eyes open, I will have the basic format of the Threads "fixed" before I go to bed.


On another topic, once we have most of our initial writers and those writers have posted their introductory posts for the first or maybe even the second day of the role play, I am going to start advancing the role play 1 game day each 1 or 2 real days. That may sound fast: I was once in a role play that took a full real month to advance a single game day! And it wasn't because people were delaying: it was simply a very action packed role play that required lots of posts that covered nearly every second of action.

Why am I in a hurry? Well, to fully experience the challenges our Characters are going to face -- resource depletion, loss of utilities, attacks from Zombies (and maybe even other humans) -- we need time to pass.

We don't have to turn every interaction between Characters into a chain of posts: some exchanges can be settled in a single real night or two, rather than a week.

If two (or more) writers have an exchange that they want to spend some significant time writing, I have a way to do that, so ... no worries. (I'll discuss that later.)

Sometimes, when there are no major challenges to be faced, we will do what I think most people call a Time Jump or a Time Leap. That's when we jump ahead 3 or 4 or 10 or 30 days, as is appropriate. All writers will have ample time to prepare for a Time Jump, to conclude their current collaborations and prepare their thoughts on how they think their character may have "evolved" during that time.


On yet another topic!! Could all of my writers do me a favor? Could you complete the following Writer Profile information and PM it to me? I forgot to ask this information.

Be aware that I am going to organize this into one OOC Thread post for all to see, so do not answer anything you are not comfortable answering!!

Your Location:
(Don't be any more specific that you are comfortable with. I am actually more interested in the next question. For example, I am "near" Eugene, Oregon, but I don't tell people what city.)

Your GMT Time Zone:
(If you don't know, look at the bottom of any Literotica Page. It will tell you what your local time and # of hours from Greenwich you are located. For example, I am in the Pacific Time Zone in the US, so currently -- during Daylight Savings -- I am GMT -7.)

Times when you are available to collaborate with another Writer on multiple posts:
(For example, I can usually trade a series of posts with another writer evenings (6-11pm) any night except Sunday, when I watch television.)

I have rewritten the introductory post to reflect the changes we have made in the game portion of the role play.

If you read that introduction once before and it just wasn't for you, you should check it out again or, even better yet, check out the Story Thread.

We are still looking for about 5 more writers.

Some of our writing is done in the main Story thread, while other parts -- particularly lengthy 1x1 conversations, confrontations, or sex scenes -- are done in side story threads that are then linked into the Story thread to fit the time line. It's fun.

Love the idea of this, but looks like it is slowing down. Room for another female ?

Kichita said:

Love the idea of this, but looks like it is slowing down. Room for another female ?

Click to expand...

Yes, we had to re-organize a bit, when LetUsWrite suddenly wasn't around anymore.

The more, the merrier!
There are a lot of non-playing characters around in the library, you are welcome to pic one. Or two. Or three. Or you could bump into some who are going to scavenge 'tomorrow'.

It would be nice if some males would join ...

is this still going strong?

i would love to partake... !

birdlives said:

i would love to partake... !

Click to expand...

This is going very strong. Take a look at these links: The story thread: http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=916582

The new OOC: http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=940489

We are back to a normal RP though.