The Chessmasters: RP Idea

[Red Mage Black]

Just an idea I had. If you're familiar with the tropes, then you'll know that the chessmaster is generally the one manipulating one behind the scenes. I'd put out a name or two if they wouldn't be spoilers. I suck with spoiler tags anyway.

The name of this game would be for each character to be one specifically, manipulating things to and fro. Turn your friends against one another, gain trust... etc etc. It isn't without a setting however. I planned on blending different kinds of -punk categories with this. The problem is, would anyone in general be interested in playing a game of intrigues and manipulation?

[IHateMakingNames]

Seems like it would go horribly in practice. Chessmaster is when the good guys defeat the monster they weren't supposed but it causes a trap to open and captures them where they then escape but that's what you wanted because it escapes to the king's chamber where they are arrested by the royal guards who are secretly the Chessmaster's minions.

Imagine 5+ unconnected people doing that kind of thing. Seems like it would quickly turn into childish attempts to outdo each other.

[Red Mage Black]

Oh how so? Sure, it can turn into a thirty xanatos pileup, but the fun is had trying to outdo one another in every way possible. If I had an example for this, it would definitely be the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Something along those lines. Different people in different positions, influence here and there, with loyalties on the line. There are many possibilities. Sure, it can be fun, confusing and somewhat frustrating, but don't put something down until you try it. It's basically playing a game of thrones in the literal sense.

[Overcast]

This is the kind of thing that doesn't quite work out as an RP and would probably make a better life as a forum game. As a forum game people would push their manipulations to you, you would control the world at large with the chessmasters just placing input and attempts.

Here you would have us trying to do this while playing characters. The scope of that is huge, and the amount of micro management might just be mind numbing, you have these expectations that things will work out, but if we are all playing our own chessmaster THERE IS NO WAY ANYTHING WILL EVER WORK OUT. Even the most basic two character duel it is occasionally difficult for people to give headway to someone else and usually has to be talked about in PM beforehand.

On that understanding we wouldn't even really be doing any serious plotting, save in the plotting of plot. We would seriously, as a group, have to discuss who is going to win from the get go or else this would become so convoluted it wouldn't be fun.