Multiplayer. D&D style.

[telegraph (OP)]

I remember there was an initiative from Zook to do community succession games. As far as I can see - idea did not really played out. That is a pity, because succession games should be really fun. Maybe game design does not encourage that playstyle much...

Anyway. I was thinking of how to add multiplayer madness to Aurora and came up with the idea that might be just right: Dungeons & Dragons play style. And now in more details:

A group of players decides what kind of game start they would like to have. It can be a single-race start, or multi-race start. Any additional creation options.
A Space Master (a player that is entrusted with divine powers) creates agreed game in SM mode.
Every player (except Space Master) get an officir assigned, as his in-game avatar. These might be specially created officers, or those that were present at the game start. Some skillful(in RolePlaying) players might get several avatars assigned. The assignment may be performed in a private messaging with Space Master to allow greater intrigue (Is that Mars governor played by Zook? Can I trust him? How about the C.O. of that scary dreadnought on my orbit? What is he up to?)
Decisions regarding game progress in certain areas are performed by corresponding officers:
 - Mars governor decides what to build, whether to allow import/export and immigration policy.
 - C.O. of a ship decides where his ship go and what it does (including the sneak attack on a flagship of his fleet).
 - Scientist decides what to research. Research lab assignment is performed by governor though.
You can see the idea.
Non-Player-Officers are fleshed out by Space Master (will that NPC Venus governor join Mars rebellion?)

All turns are performed by Space Master, who facilitates the gaming process and posts updated database for players to consult, if they wish to. Racial passwords should keep secrets of foreign races (or rebels) from those who are not supposed to know.

I think it will be a fun experience. What do you think? Who is ready to try?

[Jikor]

We have at least one game going that is similar to this. Four races each played by a player and one person (not a racial player) is DM / GM and running the turns and posting updates etc. Having all one race played by several people could be interesting as well. Would certainly lead to a lot less cohesion in the race most likely. Would be even neater if there was a competing "team" playing aliens in another sector. I know there was one game planned like this with some guys from bay12 but that never got off the ground.

[kks]

It sounds really interesting, though I think you would need more players than at regular multirace games(at least ten?). 
Maybe it could be played with some sort of parliament, navy headquarter etc.   like the one Cripes Amighty is doing in the fiction forum (Republic of Earth), but much less complicated.   Then for example earth governor has to respond to some kind of empire's government.   Unless he wants to declare himself dictator, of course. 

One problem mighty be action during fights, etc.  , since it takes a long time to have each player giving his orders and times would progress very slowly.   Could be solved by giving only rough orders and SM playing it out based on their guidelines. 

I'd join.  And don't forget you can add custom or better(for rp) random traits for officiers. 

[exdeathbr]

Maybe some 4 player team
One that care of designing ships and ship parts, upgrades.  . 
Other control the battle ships. 
Other control mining ships and survey ones.
The fourth ones do the rest

[Conscript Gary]

I believe there's a BSG-themed game running over on the bay12 forums (on hold, sadly) that works like you're suggesting. The person running the show handles all the other races, while the players all play various ship captains and fighter pilots, with all the politics that come from that scenario.

And yes, we currently have a four-player one-SM game running with one race per player running down in the fiction section. Sublight's running it, I'm just a player

[telegraph (OP)]

For sure, the more players - the more fun.
If we would ever get enough players we could even reate a bunch of out-of-game institutions, like ship design bureau or a secret police or whatever. And a parliament for republics for sure. Regarding combat slow-downs I had in mind the following scheme:

Space Master, while carrying out orders encounters a potentially hostile contact.
He contacts the first player officer in the relevant chain of command (hopefully the S.O. of the Tast Group, but it may be a passanger too ) and asks what to do about it.
The contacted officer may chose to notify the higher command or he might chose to act himself.
In the first scenario there will be a major discussion and forum flame about the possible approaches.
In the second scenario officer describes his actions and Space Master tries to follow them as close as he can. If something new happens or the proposed strategy really backfires - it is up to Space Master whether to contact officer again and let him reconsider or not (RP element of human factor).

This way skirmishes will not become an endless chat between player and Space Master, but player will still retain some form of control (the more situations you cover in your plan - the more predictable actions of Space Master will be.)


Gary, can you share a link to that thread? maybe we could just join in? why is the game on hold? any major forces are at hand? I think it would be pretty easy to change a Space Master in my scenario, if old one becomes slow to responce. and If player does not pay much attantion - no big deal, he is just another NPC officer until he is back. Following orders, doing boring stuff...

[Conscript Gary]

Here's that BSG game. Seems to be on hold due to computer and personal troubles. If dealing with a closer group of friends such issues would be mitigated probably.

[alex_brunius]

Every player (except Space Master) get an officir assigned, as his in-game avatar. These might be specially created officers, or those that were present at the game start. Some skillful(in RolePlaying) players might get several avatars assigned. The assignment may be performed in a private messaging with Space Master to allow greater intrigue (Is that Mars governor played by Zook? Can I trust him? How about the C.O. of that scary dreadnought on my orbit? What is he up to?)
Decisions regarding game progress in certain areas are performed by corresponding officers:
 - Mars governor decides what to build, whether to allow import/export and immigration policy.
 - C.O. of a ship decides where his ship go and what it does (including the sneak attack on a flagship of his fleet).
 - Scientist decides what to research. Research lab assignment is performed by governor though.
You can see the idea.
Non-Player-Officers are fleshed out by Space Master (will that NPC Venus governor join Mars rebellion?)

All turns are performed by Space Master, who facilitates the gaming process and posts updated database for players to consult, if they wish to. Racial passwords should keep secrets of foreign races (or rebels) from those who are not supposed to know.

I think it will be a fun experience. What do you think? Who is ready to try?

There is already at least one big similar game ongoing on the Paradox Forums (even if I think there is less intrigue then you suggest):

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?666468-Aurora-III-(v-6.21)-The-Final-Frontier-Hosted-by-Blue-Emu

Have been a few other attempts there aswell, one with each player controlling a faction in a multi faction start (that included alot more intrigue/alliances and backstabbing).