Staffing The Return of Survival Horror Discussion

[Uaithne 543]

I saw that other thread about survival horror (locked because it's old, but I'll link it at the bottom of this post), and I thought I'd like to know more about people's experiences and expectations with survival horror sites.  I'm interested in actual survival horror, not the "gothic horror" (I think it's called) of vampires/werewolves/demons/witches living in modern society.

 

My survival horror site is in the works, and I'm always open to new ideas to make things interesting and exciting.  Pulling off something that is truly survival horror is pretty challenging on an open forum format where people can come and go as they please and there is no limit to the number of members who can join.  While I doubt I'm going to be able to invoke a sensation of terror in my members, I'd like to make my roleplay as tense and exciting as possible.

 

In Pine Ridge Creek (thanks to whoever was on Discord and gave me that name, haha), something called the "Decay" is spreading.  It's similar to Silent Hill's Otherworld in the sense that everything gets twisted and rusted and bloody, but the mechanics are a little different.  Rather than coming and going in pulses, the Decay seeps out and spreads.  What it touches is permanently Decayed.

 

One of the things I found a little hard to deal with when I was on a survival horror board years ago was the fact that you are literally always on the run.  While this is an aspect of survival horror and some people love it, it's a little too intense for me.  You need variety.  Unlike movies or books, roleplays (at least most of them) don't have a specific end where the viewer or reader is let "off the hook" and can return to the real world, even if the characters can't.  You're done - end of emotional investment.  With a roleplay, of course you can take real life breaks, but then you have to return and play with your character again.  Constantly running and fighting and escaping becomes . . . boring.  You get tired of roleplaying that scenario constantly.  Fast paced, always worried about your character, wondering what monster will attack next.  And eventually it gets boring.

 

For this reason, I've made the rest of the town that's not touched by the Decay relatively safe.  However, there's a clear possibility that monsters may be able to get into the rest of town, and I've put disclaimers up that people can't expect their characters to always be safe just because they're not in the Decay.  In addition, the Decay is in the process of spreading, and it's possible that the entire town will become consumed, though probably not for awhile.  But having a break from the horror will allow more balance for the members so that they don't get bored as often.

 

I've also introduced a few mechanisms that will help keep people engaged.  The main one is the optional point system.  People gain points for roleplaying, taking requests, participating in challenges, reaching certain post counts, being active, etc.  However, it's what they spend it on that can open up more opportunities for them.  For example, characters cannot have guns to start with, but they can be purchased in the store.  The gun comes with 1 OoC month of ammo.  They can purchase more ammo through the store as well.  More importantly, they can purchase specialized ways for their characters to be involved.  These "plot occurrences" mean that the staff will work with them and/or choose something to give to the characters that will be relevant to the story.  It could be a shiny new item that will help them defeat monsters, or it could be involving the character in some one-on-one storyline that will impact the overall site plot.  (There will be different categories based upon price.)

 

Of course there are general board-wide subplots that people can involve themselves in without using the store.  The point system will allow them to get extra-involved in something.

 

We also have the IC actions = IC consequences rule.  I was on a survival horror site that didn't have this, and it was so stupid.  I played a monster, and people could literally come up and do a jig two feet away from my character while taunting him, but my character couldn't do anything without their permission.  So essentially they were like the sibling who goes "I'm not touching you I'm not touching you I'm not touching you" while my character just had to sit there and deal with it because mommy and daddy would get mad if my character slapped the annoying brats into oblivion.

 

What have you experienced on horror roleplays?  Why did these mechanisms/plots/ideas work or not work?  What would you have liked to see?  Or really, just talk about anything related to survival horror roleplays.  I'm game.

 

Here's the inspirational thread: https://rpginitiative.com/topic/5631-survival-horror-and-monitoring-elements/

[Guest Archaic Cyborg]

I've run SH rps and been in a few others, and there was always the same hurdles; people in general can't be made to follow the rules, more so the IC boundaries than the ooc 'don't godmod' angle.

 

There were IC repercussions, rewards, incentives, random events plus planned ones, as well as storyteller involvement. The main response to all of these were 'I don't like it, my muse is dead, ehh. The next response was people flaking.

 

People love the idea of horror and survivalism and not knowing who's the killer or when next they find food, but once the shit hits the fan, they get cold feet. SH plots require a little more work, ie input and active play, and so some players burn out fast or find it too overwhelming.

 

It's best to keep things simple and consistent, with a pace that the majority of players being able to follow. If there's a lot of rewards and requirements to reach, then it becomes more work and less entertainment.

 

The main attraction in these premises are the 'characters trapped in a lift / basement / jam jar'. People join for the chance to play out 'omg, where am I?! what is this??' introduction scenes... then they get bored once everyone has done the same thing. There needs to be a new kind of novelty for characters who enter the game, be it the timeline, their knowledge about the location, and who they're aligned with.

 

People love having a purpose in the game, so having a few groups available for characters to join is awesome-- but you need to maintain the link between effort and reward. If characters/players aren't rewarded for finishing events and such, then what's the point? I usually see IC groups like medical team, security, farming/hunting, exploration/scouting.

 

As for bringing back SH, I feel that the less comparisons to Silent Hill, the better. Everyone has heard of SH, everyone knows the gist of it, and every setting based in an isolated town, asylum or school will have taken bits from Silent Hill. It's much the same deal as High Fantasy writers using The lord of the Rings as a foundation Don't advertise or describe your game as inspired by Silent Hill, as most times the game is just Silent Hill.... with a different name. Stand out, do plots differently, get known for doing your own thing rather than what a popular fandom has done.

 

 

[Uaithne 543]

Thanks for the advice and input @Blackjack Bart. 

 

Although there is a SH element to it in that I modeled the way they decay looks after the Otherworld, that's pretty much it. I want the site to be open for all people who want a horror site, not just Silent Hill people. Therefore, I won't be using "inspired by" as a tag line, though of course I won't deny the inspiration 

 

I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on purpose and reward. What would be meaningful awards to give to people? Are we talking about graphics or IC items or something else?