Thread: Your RP Creation Process

A question for my fellow RPers/GMs: how do you go about creating your RPs? Do you simply stick with simple, tried-and-true adventures, focusing on strong character growth? Do you construct elaborate worlds, the ultimate playground for your fellow RPers, letting their imaginations go wild? Do you write a deep, compelling plot, ensnaring your players in its twists and turns? Or perhaps some combination of the three, or even none of them?

Personally, I love using RPs as practice for my admittedly weak storytelling. I think of a theme and a relevant plot twist and work backwards from there, constructing a plot outline and setting that could feasibly accommodate both. Of course, I'm careful to not be too detailed in my planning, to avoid railroading my players and strangling all the fun and creativity from the RP.

As is evident from all of my past RPs, I rarely construct anything beyond the most basic of plots, preferring to allow the participants to let loose their imaginations - and their characters. I just don't feel right thrusting any particular decision on the characters that might not be natural to them.

Of course, if I have an active character in the RP, I immediately set about crafting an elaborate plot once the RP begins. I'm a drama-addict of an RP'r.

I just get ideas, refine 'em a bit, then post 'em. I sometimes take elements from video games I like. I usually lay out a vague plot, except for journey RPs, where I find it's best to see what the aspects the players are most interested in and build a plot around that.

Normally, it starts with a brainwave idea, usually a piece of the plot, then I leave most of it to improvisation. I normally have a semi-rigid plotline, so it doesn't get hideously derailed later on, but I welcome individual sub-plots that build off of the main plot, or even ones that are independent from the main plot, so long as they don't derail it completely.