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Master Chris
10-28-2003, 08:23 PM
It's come to my notice that a few people in da RPG forum and possibly a few others in GD and such are interested in the idea of a World War 2 alternate reality type RPG, well, we all like Red Alert don't we? I'm tempted to seriously look into the matter if there are people who would back the idea.

My proposals:

While some of us are Wermacht fans and others have more allied tastes, I suspect that the best course of action would be to have all Players, excepting mods I'd assume, be allied soldiers of one sort or another. If we had players on both sides of the war we'd only end up having them crash into one another at some point and that's not entirely preferred. While having an entirely axis cast of players wouldn't be good for gameplay either, some people would protest the use of Nazi characters by the protagonist players, so that's out. We're left with the only viable option of having an exclusively allied starting line up, although German freedom fighters might be accepted.

The storyline would somewhat follow the lines of:

Germany invents and produces a series of superweapons that stem the allied tide. Their advanced jet fighters regain air supremacy over Europe and help keep their beleagured ground dwelling comrades from succumbing to the massive numbers of allied forces, German super heavy tanks roll across the muddied countryside, ruling unchallenged, only falling under the combined firepower of infantry and heavy tank support. Japanese soldiers, women and children continue to hinder American occupation of Japan, the marines have their foothold on Japanese soil but continually struggle to maintain it. German and Japanese saboteurs have successfully prevented Project Manhattan from completing, nobody has the *bomb*.The war has come to a stalemate similar to the trench warfare tactics of the first world war, allied commanders have recruited a group of elite soldiers, saboteurs and so forth in order to conduct raids on impregnable German installations and either steal or destroy German technology. Their mission is so secret their own codename has a codename.

The general plot and niggly details can, of course, be negotiated to a point of universal agreement.

Technology: (Yet again, negotiable)

Generally, we'd stick with standard equipment and some 'post-war' tech for the allied troopers and standard Wermacht soldiers while elite German forces would get all sorts of weird and wacky equipment, we're talking the difference between the RA2 soviets/allies and Yuri forces.

Characters: (As always, negotiable)

With the prolonged warfare sapping man power, both sides are starting to introduce women to frontline combat roles, young children and old people are also inducted into the horror of combat. In other words, your character can be of either gender and any *reasonable* age. ie. 90 year old people, men or women, aren't able to keep up with fully trained and fit soldiers, you can be 90 years old if you wish but beware the consequences.

While characters won't be strictly pigeonholed as particular classes, there should be a certain specialisation in certain skill types for each character. I'm thinking:

Combat classes:

General Infantry (proficient with rifles, SMGs, pistols, grenades and so forth)
Sniper (proficient with rifles, pistols and sniper rifles)
Support Infantry (proficient with HMGs, bazookas, other heavy weapons)
Lieutenant (uses light weaponry, able to contact HQ for artillery and airstrikes)
Scout (uses light weaponry, specifically silenced weapons)
Special Weapons Infantry (We're talking weird weapons, flamethrowers and their ilk)
Freedom fighter (uses all weapons with average proficiency, close combat and stealth orientated)
Demolitions expert (light weaponry and explosives)

Non-combatants:

Medics (first aid, also uses light weaponry)
Engineer (similar to demo expert but focuses upon passive instead of aggressive action)
Spook/Intelligence (fairly obvious, smart character with little combat experience)
Transport detail (someone who focusses upon the 'to and fro' aspect of covert operations, may operate military vehicles in a combat capacity ie. tank gunner)
Native Guide/Malcontent/rebel network (like a freedom fighter but with an emphasis on non-combat skills, providing supplies for allied soldiers, interpreter, local contact etc.)

Once again, I'd like to point out that this is all negotiable and subject to change, well, assuming anyone is interested in the idea in the first place...

Apache_Longbow
10-28-2003, 08:55 PM
Sounds like a good idea. I'm in if you decide to go through with it :D

Artificial Idiot
10-29-2003, 05:35 AM
I don't like the idea of having super Germans, it's too much like RA2 reversed. Also, women in combat could be a problem. Should women that are more top heavy be able to hold a gun for example?

It sounds a good idea for a story RD, but it's too big a thing to be an RPG.

VO
10-29-2003, 01:51 PM
We COULD do something good with this. Some kind of alternative WW2 dirty-dozen type storyline, mebbe?

Master Chris
10-29-2003, 07:27 PM
I was thinking along the lines of small groups of soldiers dropped/infiltrated behind enemy lines on missions to assassinate/sabotage/rescue hostages. Small, reasonably unrelated missions with most of the plot development based around the characters and their interactions. I'm certainly not leaning towards the 'full scale warfare' approach I suspect AI has pegged.

As for women in combat, it's not preferred but with the loss of manpower it has become a necessary action to take, as for weaponry on *top heavy* women, they don't necessarily need to be toting heavy weapons or such, even then they could fire from the hip if need be. I would suspect that even dire necessity would only go so far anyway, the female characters could be assigned non-combat roles in preference to heavy duty combat professions.

I'm using the super German's idea because;

a) Germany *did* have a series of doomsday devices, super weapons and so forth in production at the end of the war, this storyline merely takes the idea that these weapons came into mass production and were able to halt the allied advance into Germany. Interesting point: Just this morning I came across an article that discussed a breeding program initiated by Himmler in 1935 to create 'the Master Race', women with blue eyes and blonde hair were encouraged to mate with tall, fit officers. That, and super weapons are COOL. Look at RA1 and RA2, Chronosphere, Iron Curtain, Mind Control etc etc. We like super secret weapons. Don't deny it.

b) There needs to be *some* reason why the industrially limited Germany is able to prolong the war against both Russia and America, two countries of massive industrial strength.

c) With the plethora of WW2 games out recently, Medal of Honour: Frontline, Battlefield 1942: Secret weapons of WW2 and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, one can see an obvious trend towards the whole 'secret projects of the Third Reich' in games recently. I'm merely extrapolating this idea into RPG form.

Anyway, it's not as if ALL the Germans in the RPG will be overcharged, it's only the elite SS type chaps who'll have all sorts of weird and wonderful weaponry and abilities. In fact, the majority of german soldiers encountered will be of average ability and equipment. Remember, Germany is the middle of a manpower crisis also, they can't afford to spend so much time training elite SS troopers and so forth.

Master Chris
10-30-2003, 12:06 AM
I'm thinking of loosely basing character creation on the SPECIAL system used in Fallout1 & 2. ie. A skill based system, not that it would be a strict, facist RPG with posts such as: "Hitler rolls a 34 on his Lockpick skill, he fails to unlock the door." No no, just that characters would be proficient in certain skills. Skills like 'survivalist'(able to survive outdoors for long periods of time, not having this skill means you can't do this very well) while 'linguistics: German' means you can speak German fluently instead of spouting basic phrases, which is what the average character can do. Consider these skills more of a 'specialty' in that field and that lacking a specific skill doesn't necessarily mean you are completely incapable of performing the associated action.

A basic character creation would look like this:

Name: John Smith (whatever you want)

Armed Service: U.S. Rangers (can be any allied nation, any service or even just 'freedom fighter')

Nationality: Obviously reflects which service you're in, but there have been crossovers. eg. Polish pilots in the R.A.F.

Rank: Private second class. (Once again, you choose, although it would be fair to say that there would be more privates than majors, and more than likely no generals. Also, freedom fighters and their ilk have no rank)

Occupation: General Infantry (this is where the class-system comes into play, you can be a medic, specialist, whatever.)

Armament: Weaponry is limited by Occupation but there will be some selection within each class. ie. GIs could choose to have a Thompson SMG or a Springfield '05 rifle. This section also includes equipment, although mission specific equipment would be doled out to the characters when necessary.

Skills: Here you would pick a few (about 4-5) skills from a reasonably large selection. Upon request, character specific skills may be granted.

Grenade Lobber (high accuracy, timing and range with all types of grenade).
Unarmed combat (able to connect fist with head on a regular basis)
Pack Mule (can carry absurd amounts of equipment with minimal strain or loss to speed.)
Stonewall (Grins and bears it when shot in non-vital area.)

etc etc.

Personality: Describe your character's personality. John hates Nazis with a passion, he defers to authority on all occaisons and can get overexcited in combat and go beserk.

Background: This shouldn't be overly in-depth, although, there may be characters who *need* a deep background, plot devices and so forth. John was born to a lower class family in New York and signed up as soon as the Japanese struck Pearl Harbour, and so forth.

We (myself and some volunteers, particulary those with either WW2 knowledge or RPG experience) might go and look into the idea of making 'specific' skills or 'perks', which can only be utilised if your character has certain traits. ie. An Australian character who held Tobruk from Rommel may have a specific "Tank Hunter' skill while Russian Infantry would have 'Resist Cold' etc etc.

Like I keep saying, this is all negotiable. Anyone interested in taking up roles of 'GM'? Generally, you'd need to have some RPG experience OR a decent amount of WW2 knowledge, having both won't hurt. I'm looking @ VO & Wes I might add.

Nyerguds
10-30-2003, 02:09 AM
Should women that are more top heavy be able to hold a gun for example?
Sure. Just look at Lara Croft :p

Phyre
10-30-2003, 04:24 AM
no offense, but I think this will bite....hard :(

sorry, I just don't see it working

Artificial Idiot
10-30-2003, 06:43 AM
Now, Now, I don't think it's fair to say it will be THAT bad. It could work, But it's still in it's early days yet. You can't make a good RPG in a day you know.

RD, while I'm not the most keyed up person when it comes to WW2, I'll be happy to help in whatever small way I can. I'd like to see this work.

VO
10-30-2003, 08:06 AM
This looks good. Maybe RD can be initiated into the weird and wonderful world that is...... the ID0 forums.......

<Delta_Sector>
10-30-2003, 05:34 PM
I want to be INTREPID !!!!!!! ( a spook )

Wesforce
11-03-2003, 01:50 PM
Sounds good... Count me in :D

Cedric Tandar
11-03-2003, 03:54 PM
this is idea is brillant. I commend you. Im also willing to help out in any way needed. I know a good bit about ww2 and would absoulutely love to this thing take off.

Master Chris
09-14-2004, 01:46 AM
Ignore this post. I need to transfer a text file from campus to my home computer and I didn't bring a floppy disk with me today. Go Go attachment:


But, for the sake of whetting your appetites, things are moving along WRT WW2.1. There's a first mission already planned, as well as a few characters you'll be meeting along the way. If you want to trek from Britain, to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and finally infiltrate Germany all in the one mission...then there's some fun in store for you...of course, this is still a few months away lads. Don't get your hopes too high...yet...

LeFire
09-14-2004, 07:33 AM
A few months away?

Well, Aussie 2nd semester exams end in 9 weeks... I'll be back in Singapore and free by then. RD, I'll support this RPG 100%.

GMP
09-14-2004, 05:34 PM
Count meh in.

And for "balance" we you should go RA2, Allies have technology, Germans have power.
Maybe giving jets to both sides. (Which would work well, I'd want to fly a P-51 Jet :D)