Bleach in The Playground: Renewed Revolution (Setup And Discussion)

[Terry576]

Because we're playing high school students, who have their own individual friends and cliques and sure as hell aren't going to be lovely dovey with that the dude who ditches school and smokes on skyscrapers because he does MAGIC~

That's stupid.

Really stupid.

Every other place has characters who should already know each other - or at least know of each other. Mortal World doesn't get any of that assumed setup.

[DiscipleofBob]

Frozen already got back to me less than a half hour after I made that post.

The hollow attack is a MEANS for the mortal characters to actually meet and START interacting. Otherwise it's a bunch of random characters NOT interacting in a school.

In case it's not clear, this is one solitary hollow. It's not the start of some massive campaign or series of hollow attacks. It's only because otherwise the mortal world was at a complete standstill, and if you had any semblance of an overarching plot for it, you certainly never gave any indication as such and left us waiting for days. We the players are not patient enough to wait three months when no one had any reason to interact with each other and nothing was being done about it for days.

This is after weeks of everyone else being ready to play and waiting for an opening post.

I don't see how a random hollow showing up in any way affects your ability to do whatever plot you want, and if it does, maybe you should've made that clearer in the opening post and discussion thread.

[Terry576]

Because people never talk in class right

man i hate talking to the people i sit next to in class because that is a stupid thing

Also the thread has been up since what, 10/30? That's a whole 2 days, my god what a wait.

[Tebryn]

No. No Hollow Attack. Half the cast isn't even there, there is no set plot, no character interaction set up, and I haven't even told you what the school is about. The Hollow Attack has now thrown off half of my plans because you know, you didn't want to wait.

Yes, Soul Society started with intrigue, and Hueco Mundo started out interesting as well - Mortal World is always the slowest to start, because all the characters have to meet and interact first.

Do you want to know how long it took to get to Hollow Attack last game?

THREE MONTHS OF INTERACTION. Three months of character development and beginning to understand each other's characters, because that's goddamn important for the main cast.

Kill the Hollow Attack. Have it be a scouting run, have the reiatsu vanish I don't care. Just stop trying to launch fight scenes with characters who have never even SPOKEN BEFORE

EDIT: Also, Frozen is in FINLAND. You have to wait more then TWO HOURS FOR HIM TO RESPOND

This may just be me, but it would be more helpful if you were nicer about it. The set up about what the city is about and what the school is about was something that should have happened before we started the game. You insisted on doing all the work on your own however. It's very very difficult to do much of anything when one person wants to control the entire flow of the story and won't so much as share his ideas with us. It's not even about the wait times or real life things or the server being down. Those are all understandable. Sharing anything at all about what you've got planned would help immensely. Getting angry, making demands and generally being rude isn't the way to keep this thing going.

Instead of demanding he drop the the Hollow Attack (which several players said "ya! Lets do it!") both storylines should be tied together.

[Terry576]

I'm not going to be nice when the extent of the start was:

"I want to do a Hollow attack"

"Okay"

"No thats a bad idea"

"Yeah let's not do that"

"K I AM DOING HOLLOW ATTACKS NOW"

[Tebryn]

I'm not going to be nice when the extent of the start was:

"I want to do a Hollow attack"

"Okay"

"No thats a bad idea"

"Yeah let's not do that"

"K I AM DOING HOLLOW ATTACKS NOW"

That's not how it went. Everyone but you said "Ya, lets do that". Bob probably wouldn't have done it otherwise.

I'm not exactly sure what to do with the class Higure is teaching, so some sort of interruption may be helpful, if that's what you were talking about.

I'm all for interrupting the Physics class with a fight. It'll be very dramatic storytelling. Miya won't be much of a threat in this, though, since she won't recognize her Fullbringer powers until after her mother comes and attacks as a hollow.

Ya, unlike Soul Society and Hueco Mundo the Mortal World doesn't have an organization outside the school as a linking point for characters built in.

Edit: I still wouldn't be opposed to a hollow attack though. Kick things off with a bang.

I will probably be having Arianna in the Mortal World, if that's okay. That way, she can join the Hollow fight.

[Terry576]

I'm sorry but two days? Really? The thread has 28 posts! Does it really require a Hollow Attack right then?

If you really oh-so-desperately require super fast paced boom boom boom gotta go fast action, this isn't really a good place for it.

Hueco Mundo wouldn't attack in the first place, Mortal World is neutral ground that can merely feel the waves of the war. If they do attack, its an act of war and now you just broke the Cold War (in the mortal world) and entered a real one.

Also, why is it attacking in the first place? Why the school? How did it get to the Mortal World? What's its motivation for not going after those closest to it?

[Tebryn]

I'm sorry but two days? Really? The thread has 28 posts! Does it really require a Hollow Attack right then?

If it's what the majority of players want then who am I to tell them they're wrong? It's a short time I agree. But if we're going into a game where both sides are playing for keeps and this is -The Final War- then it makes sense that hollows are on the upswing. The first few posts will set the stage for the rest of the game after all.

And while it may not be the character connections you want people to form up, I have plans to push the Spiritually Aware characters together. Because that's what should happen when things don't go to plan. You change your plans. Instead of demanding people drop what they want to do, I would respectfully ask you to wait and see how things play out. You can't fault us for not being able to read your mind.

Hueco Mundo wouldn't attack in the first place, Mortal World is neutral ground that can merely feel the waves of the war. If they do attack, its an act of war and now you just broke the Cold War (in the mortal world) and entered a real one.

Really? Because so far this doesn't seem like it's Hueco Mundo so it doesn't matter what they'd do. This may be just the start of a prolonged Mortal World Story Line that Bob has in mind. We don't know.

However with that said. If -I- were a super powerful Arrancar my first place to attack would be the Mortal World. Because it's weak and filled with soft squishy food.

Also, why is it attacking in the first place? Why the school? How did it get to the Mortal World? What's its motivation for not going after those closest to it?

Perhaps this will be revealed later. For someone who is so upset about the time, you certainly are not having a problem finding fault with a single post that is setting up a plot that could be long running.

[Terry576]

I expected the Final War not to kickstart itself on MORTAL WORLD GROUND. I expected an invasion force, which was the point of 'three hundred missing men', or Hueco Mundo to invade.

I certainly didn't expect the first post and plothook of the Final War to get the response of 'oh paperwork'

[Tebryn]

I expected the Final War not to kickstart itself on MORTAL WORLD GROUND. I expected an invasion force, which was the point of 'three hundred missing men', or Hueco Mundo to invade.

I certainly didn't expect the first post and plothook of the Final War to get the response of 'oh paperwork'

Then perhaps you should have conveyed that beforehand or even in the post itself concerning the missing men. I made the logical jump with what little information I had. You cannot fault us for not being able to read your mind.

[Terry576]

Yeah but who goes to clerical errors when faced with that as a hook? That was the most surprising twist I've seen in a while.

[Tebryn]

Yeah but who goes to clerical errors when faced with that as a hook? That was the most surprising twist I've seen in a while.

It's not though. I'm confused what made you think this. Sawada said "These 200 people weren't happy with the transition of power. I moved them somewhere where their political ideals won't interfere with their work. Here, this is the report and their locations." and he immediately received "I have people for that, I don't read my paper work. Now where are they?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Also, why is it attacking in the first place? Why the school? How did it get to the Mortal World? What's its motivation for not going after those closest to it?

Frozen Feet has all the important information regarding the hollow. That's what the PM was about. I'm certain I'm not the only with a character with information I'd like to remain secret for plot purposes.

I also don't see why every single little detail is important to post IC when the hollow first appears. It's a hollow. They show up in the mortal world. That's kind of the premise of Bleach. If you would like clarification, this hollow isn't part of the Hollow King's army. This isn't the start of an invasion. This is one hollow.

Remember the first arc of Bleach? When the mortal, spiritually aware characters fought hollows in the mortal world instead of sitting around talking in class for three months?

[Terry576]

Remember the first arc of Bleach? When there was one spiritual character and he fought Hollows alone and there weren't conflicting interests and there weren't quincies, living arrancar, and fullbringers?

Yeah, I liked that one.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]

The transition of power from the previous Captain, and his sudden death, to himself hadn’t been an easy one. There was the mandatory three day mourning period, the incense, the funeral itself and the transference of power to be undertaken in a period of time that the otherwise behemoth like SSI would have scoffed at as even a preliminary research appointment. Sawada wore the robes and trappings of the Grand Sorcerer yet they were much to big for his slight frame and the pair of Mod Souls that flanked his chair seemed to only add to the effect that the slime and effeminate Shinigami was out of place at a table of Captains and Commanders. The question however seemed almost leveled at him in a more uncomfortable manner and of course, it required an answer.

With a motion of his hand a small hologram shimmered from one of the looming Oni’s chest, showing the roster of the entire SSI. “Due to restructuring following the death of the Former Great Sorcerer, several of our members were not pleased with the change of power and have been moved to less people oriented positions. I assure all present that their value to Soul Society will not diminish in their new jobs. We are still working on such personnel changes, we hope the Gotei understands that in any command change there will be such complications.” He perked his chin up to fix those around the table with his gaze from under his broad ceremonial hat.

I've highlighted it for you.

[CMOTDibbler]

Ok, stop. We need to simmer down here. We're all here for one thing if I'm not mistaken. And that is to have fun. We've only just begun this game, and we're already running into trouble, it seems. In a game being played by multiple people, it seems that having a set plot is not going to work.
That's essentially telling, what, twenty-thirty people to go write chapters of your book, then expecting those chapters to be coherent without any discussion with the other writers. That isn't going to go so good.
I've played Dungeons and Dragons for almost 10 years now, and I know better than anyone that set plots don't mix well with groups. If you want your party to go someplace, you have to make sure they know that before hand.
In this large a game in this setting, where not all of the players are available at once, it's not viable to get responses from everyone involved before making a move. So plots have to be fluid. It seems rather cliche, but expect the unexpected. If we don't, if we have to discuss every move, the game will end up slowing down so much that no one will want to play it before.
That sort of thing happened with the last two Bleachitp games, it seemed to me. I don't want to see in happen to this one. Either we fail like the last two, or we work it out. We're all in this together.

Ok, I've said my piece. Sorry for the pseudo-wall of text.

[Tebryn]

Ok, stop. We need to simmer down here. We're all here for one thing if I'm not mistaken. And that is to have fun. We've only just begun this game, and we're already running into trouble, it seems. In a game being played by multiple people, it seems that having a set plot is not going to work.
That's essentially telling, what, twenty-thirty people to go write chapters of your book, then expecting those chapters to be coherent without any discussion with the other writers. That isn't going to go so good.
I've played Dungeons and Dragons for almost 10 years now, and I know better than anyone that set plots don't mix well with groups. If you want your party to go someplace, you have to make sure they know that before hand.
In this large a game in this setting, where not all of the players are available at once, it's not viable to get responses from everyone involved before making a move. So plots have to be fluid. It seems rather cliche, but expect the unexpected. If we don't, if we have to discuss every move, the game will end up slowing down so much that no one will want to play it before.
That sort of thing happened with the last two Bleachitp games, it seemed to me. I don't want to see in happen to this one. Either we fail like the last two, or we work it out. We're all in this together.

Ok, I've said my piece. Sorry for the pseudo-wall of text.

I don't think anyone is getting upset CMOT But I agree. If we try to set up an overarching story-line and push it back on the tracks if it goes off course instead of let it evolve naturally then the game isn't going to last long. Which is the main reason I didn't oppose the Hollow Attack. If it's what people want, then the proper thing to do is work into into the narrative so it makes the story coherent. Not keep the story coherent and weave things in artificially.

[Shades of Gray]

Nobody sets out to make a complex over-arching storyline. Lord of the Rings was a man playing around with language. Order of the Stick was a simple comedy strip. Many long-running tv shows were created under the assumption that they'd have one season to work with.

We need to do what feels right, get into the groove of things, set up character interactions and plot hooks and then go from there. A good plot will stem from that. Any discrepancies that come up and be fixed, we have an edit button. Having an organic, moving game is more important than having a dramatic or epic one.

We also have an OOC thread, so everyone should make their intentions clear. If something is unclear, we should ask about it. While Terry didn't make the plot point about the 300 missing people clear enough (were they redeployed, killed, or just go poof?) it was probably hasty of us to all pitch in our own solutions and operate under the assumption that it was an open hook that we could fill in the blanks for.

[Tebryn]

While I agree it may have been a little hasty, the post itself actually made it sound like it was looking for an answer.

"Will one of you please explain to me how an entire battalion can just up and vanish? No, really. I'd love to know how the oh-so competent Combat Division, and the 'impeccable' Science Institute managed to lose some three hundred odd men in the span of a single afternoon."

I gave the answer that made sense. With changes in power often times comes with people who are unhappy. Sawada buried them where they wouldn't be found without outright killing them. I did leave 100 for Bob to explain but he's not at the meeting apparently.

[Mina Kobold]

Wow, things are going quickly around here. I assume the lack of objection means Rin is acceptable? I apologise for not getting the other characters I mentioned up yet, but I shall move Rin and Alice to the registry as soon as possible if they are both accepted.

I will get around to posting In Character next week, but feel free to poke me if any of you think Alice or Rin would fit well in a scene. ^_^

Uhm, sorry to interrupt, but I am still kind of wondering about this.

To be on-topic, I think going with the plot that people agree on is the best idea, even if it may seem worrying to those who would like a different approach. It is a freeform game dependent on the players making a collaborate story, after all. One way to work around it would be to have the attack allow for some characters to miss it, thus allowing for them to develop in a less dramatic fashion. Would that work?

PS: I noticed that the In Character thread mentions that those Hollows not following Dianichi to Hueco Mundo were killed, does that concern all Hollows? I was considering making a pair of Hollow characters that act independently from the Hollow society, but I can easily change that idea. ^_^

[KerfuffleMach2]

I don't see how a single Hollow attack can be a bad thing currently. I'm sure the Soul Society would know that Hueco Mundo cannot control every single Hollow. It can't be done. So they would expect some Hollow attacks. And as long as each attack was an isolated thing, I don't see how they would be the start of a war.

Maybe we did start it a little early, but I know that odds are good that the players of mortal characters wanted something to do besides the routine of a school day. Yes, the students could interact in the classroom a little. But, they might not all have the same class. And I know I didn't talk to every single person in my class. This Hollow attack would give them some kind of common ground with each other. Even if right after it they go back to almost ignoring each other.

And these kinds of little sub-plot things are good for a freeform game. It's not like every character can always be involved in the main plot at all times. Plus, they can help transition people into the main plot better. Or lead to the development of new plot-related ideas. That's part of the fun of freeform stuff, in my opinion. Letting things go and seeing what happens.

[DiscipleofBob]

Unless there are multiple objections, I'm going to continue with the hollow attack, and then when that's settled, I won't send any more out for a while because I likely won't need to. We'll have the fuel to get the fire going. And I sincerely doubt that the one solitary hollow is going to hurt anyone's plans.

EDIT:

Uhm, sorry to interrupt, but I am still kind of wondering about this.

To be on-topic, I think going with the plot that people agree on is the best idea, even if it may seem worrying to those who would like a different approach. It is a freeform game dependent on the players making a collaborate story, after all. One way to work around it would be to have the attack allow for some characters to miss it, thus allowing for them to develop in a less dramatic fashion. Would that work?

PS: I noticed that the In Character thread mentions that those Hollows not following Dianichi to Hueco Mundo were killed, does that concern all Hollows? I was considering making a pair of Hollow characters that act independently from the Hollow society, but I can easily change that idea. ^_^

I see nothing objectionable about Rin.

And none of my hollow characters are actually affiliated with the main hollow faction, so I'd say it's doable.

[AnimeKid]

Just a small concern here Bob. I was looking through the registry to PM people who might not know that the game has started yet. Then I noticed that you had like 8 characters. You sure you're not over exerting yourself?

[DiscipleofBob]

Just a small concern here Bob. I was looking through the registry to PM people who might not know that the game has started yet. Then I noticed that you had like 8 characters. You sure you're not over exerting yourself?

I'm used to making tons of characters for RP's. It helps that several of those characters are reactionary and won't be used too often.

The only characters I intend to roleplay as full characters are Kiba, Kenzan, and maybe Cutie Pie.

I actually have a seated officer in mind for the Medical division that I might make soon, but right now I don't see the rush for one.

[Frozen_Feet]

Do you want to know how long it took to get to Hollow Attack last game?

THREE MONTHS OF INTERACTION. Three months of character development and beginning to understand each other's characters, because that's goddamn important for the main cast.

Yes, but it only happened that way because everyone involved wanted it to happen that way. That does not appear to be the case here. And it still took that long mainly because there were lots more people involved, which caused it to take forever for everyone to post. (Seriously, there were about twelve players involved in it, with almost twice the characters! At least one player quit before the plot even finished.)

((If you actually look at the start of Reborn's MW thread, you'll find that my and Innis's characters were fighting by page 2. ))

Also, I reply when I can access a computer, which can be whenever.

Personally, I'm not really feeling this "suddenly supernatural threat at school!" *), but that's because we did it last time, and we did it better. This obviously doesn't matter to anyone who wasn't there for the last game.

I see no reason why this event can't run its course and then be integrated to the greater plot. It can serve as the foundation for some of the characters to know each other. Not everyone needs to be introduced at the same time, nor does everyone need to partake in every plot thread. (* Word "Hollow" omitted for a reason.

[Dorizzit]

Spoiler

Show

Personally, I'm not really feeling this "suddenly supernatural threat at school!" *), but that's because we did it last time, and we did it better. This obviously doesn't matter to anyone who wasn't there for the last game.

I see no reason why this event can't run its course and then be integrated to the greater plot. It can serve as the foundation for some of the characters to know each other. Not everyone needs to be introduced at the same time, nor does everyone need to partake in every plot thread. (* Word "Hollow" omitted for a reason.

This is essentially my view. Naito, for example, can't do anything in this plot because he doesn't have any supernatural sixth sense.

[DiscipleofBob]

This is essentially my view. Naito, for example, can't do anything in this plot because he doesn't have any supernatural sixth sense.

If Naito is spiritually aware then he should be able to sense those kinds of things like the presence of hollows naturally.

Not that he has to by any means. If you'd rather go the classroom interaction route, there are still (at least) 3 other characters left in the classroom by my count, and while the teacher's out of the room would be a good opportunity for students to strike up a conversation IMO.

[Dorizzit]

If Naito is spiritually aware then he should be able to sense those kinds of things like the presence of hollows naturally.

To my memory, there is no indication that untrained, inherent spiritual awareness provides reiatsu sensing capabilities.

[DiscipleofBob]

To my memory, there is no indication that untrained, inherent spiritual awareness provides reiatsu sensing capabilities.

I could be incorrect, but I was under the impression that any spiritual awareness would let you feel reiatsu. Maybe not being able to pinpoint the exact locations, but you'd be able to sense if a hollow was nearby, for example.

[Eiko]

As current ruler of the hollow faction, I personally have zero issues with any kind of low scale hollow attack. Dainichi makes it clear that any hollow found to have disobeyed his orders and attack the human world will be killed, this relies on both Las Noches finding out and then actually bothering to track down the hollow. For low grade incidents this likely will not be worth the time invested, especially for newly formed hollows that have not yet even left the mortal world.

As such, non-aligned hollows are fine, perhaps even encouraged for the drama. As long as for player character ones of these the player is aware of the consequences of them interacting with the white city then go for it.

Also, still here, still watching. Just felt no need for any character I'm running to be doing much just yet. If people like I can start periodically posting random snipets of the daily goings on of the city.