A really silly idea. Could it work?

[hyphz]

A very ridiculous idea which came to me as a result of a) being a fan of anime gaming and b) having an unexpected surprise exposure to episodes of Digi Charat.

An RPG, based on those anime shorts, with a 5-minute time limit per session.

Of course, the rules would have to facilitate this.  There would be no great overarching story (just as there isn't in DC, AminiG and similar shorts), just a kicker provided by one of the players; the aim being to have fun and rack up points (yes, why not?) by working aspects of your character into whatever happens in that short time.  (Actually, I think we're scraping the edge of an RPG here and basically getting into a "Just A Minute"/"Mornington Crescent" style jeu d'esprit.)

Of course, the problem is that there's no time for a GM.  That's actually not the big problem, until somebody tries a ludicrous action just to grab points.  (Yes, you can do ludicrous actions, but there's regulation on how you do them.)  Problem is, there's not going to be time to stop and have an argument about whether the player's action was permitted or not.

Any comments?  Is this silliness even viable?

[Jared A. Sorensen]

A very ridiculous idea which came to me as a result of a) being a fan of anime gaming and b) having an unexpected surprise exposure to episodes of Digi Charat.

An RPG, based on those anime shorts, with a 5-minute time limit per session.

I have no idea what you're talking about (DigiWhat?) but a 5-minute RPG sounds like mad crazy fun.

Hmmm...Joshua Neff and I spoke for a bit last GenCon about how to do a WB/Tex Avery-inspired 'toon game that really stayed true to the source material (unlike Toon). Having lots of short, manic sessions would be one way to reinforce that zany level of wackiness.

[Joe Murphy (Broin)]

Well it sound a wee bit vague to even debate, but any mention of Mornington Crescent, and I'm intrigued.

Rather than Kickers, which would take a reasonably long time to come up with, why not have each player come up with an actual goal? Or goal for the group as a whole?

You'd also want to limit grandstanding, rhetoric and overly long sentences... have you ever heard of the game 'Questions'?

I'd also point the esteemed Mr Hyphz towards games like http://www.atlas-games.com/ouat_index.html">Once Upon a Time. Lovely, and quick. A friend of mine came up with a variant based on superheroes. Ultimately, a story *was* created, but the story was usually, very very bad. In a great kind of way.

So yes, write more, propose more. :)

Joe.

[Joe Murphy (Broin)]

Jeez, Jared, don't you Google? :)

More on DiGi Charat http://www.dejiko.org/info/index.html">here.

I'm intrigued, now, I recognise the character from cosplay pages.

How about... each character writes down three words on three pieces of paper. One must be cute, one must be icky, and one is a personality trait. Each player picks a personality trait at random, and has 30 seconds to think up a quick character, like a cute alien, cute robot, or cute anime person.

The first person to combine as many of the cute words into a title for the 'show' gets a number of points equal to the words used, and starts the game by, say, yelling the title loudly. Thus, 'Cherry Cute Dino' wins 3 points. That player goes first.

Icky words are used to oppose the characters... hmm. Must think more on this, but am being dragged to bed.

Joe.

[hardcoremoose]

Hmmm...Like Jared, I have no idea what you guys are talking about.  But I'm certainly intrigued.  I especially like some of what Joe is saying...the character traits written on pieces of paper, the making up of titles - there's a little bit of Matchmaker and Graverobbers From Outer Space in there - could be the basis for a cool mechanic.  Very cool.

- Moose

[Jared A. Sorensen]

Okay, after looking at cosplay pages, I am simultaneously disturbed and fascinated.  Yikes, and I'll be a special guest at an anime/gaming convention in a few months.

I like the three-word deal.  I need to think about this some more.

[Matt Machell]

Hey a 5 minute RPG sounds cool, specially if it has Mornington Crescent overtones. I'm thinking something like Baron Munchhausen, which also works well for quick play. Or maybe something like my own Bedlam (okay gratuitous plug, but it uses a similar notes on paper mechanic, you might be interested)

Wish I had a clue about your source material though.


Matt

[hyphz]

Uhm, I think people might have taken the Mornington Crescent comment a bit too far (ObKicker: Mornington Crescent _is_ an RPG, discuss.)  On the other hand, I have a feeling that this thread could become a bit like that, given that it's almost impossible to explain ANY anime shorts.  Digi Charat is only one example: others are Adventures Of A Mini-Goddess, D4 Princess, and Magical Theatre Risky/Safety.  (Yes, they're obscure.  Most translators aren't interested in doing shows with 5 minute episodes.)

They do share some common elements: they have a strictly recurring scene and characters that doesn't change much over time (DC has two girls working in a game store but wanting to become actresses, AminiG has miniature goddesses trying to make a rat happy, Risky/Safety has an angel and a shinagami (think "doom harvester") who share the same body trying to tempt the person they live with in two directions alternately, etc.), plus regular occasionally-recurring but non-hero characters.  Although the characters do have goals the goals don't play much of a part in the plots (I've never seen either of the DC girls actually try any acting, and Risky/Safety sometimes don't even *meet* the person they're meant to tempt).  The characters sometimes have supernatural powers but they tend not to be that relevant, and a more relevant bizarre force tends to be anime logic (especially prevalent in DC, where throwing raw trash and sour yoghurt at Godzilla tends to be effective, and the scariest character in the whole thing is a silent, still teddy bear in a cardboard box labeled "Take Whatever You Want.")

I had a few ideas myself, but the system that results from them has a lot of problems, so I'll just post the ideas:

- Random resolution only arises in the case where spectacular or anime-like actions are taken.
- Characters defined by a set of "descriptions of aspects of the character", possibly with numerical ratings.
- You get points for putting your descriptions into play, but other players can also *force* your descriptions to come into play to use them against you.
- One player is a Catalyst, who cannot score that session, but must provide the initial kick (it doesn't have to be a complex kicker, since it's only got to have 5 minutes based on it..) and push the plot on if people stop.

(Oh, and we've got to have the optional rule that, if people are interrupting each other because they can't tell when each person has finished speaking their piece, people should signal they've finished speaking with "-nyo". :) )

[James V. West]

Coolness. This is very similar to what was running rampantly through my mind when I did the Smurfs thingie:

www.geocities.com/randomordercreations/smurf.html

Lots of fast-paced, screw-balance gaming. I'm interested.

[Joe Murphy (Broin)]

I feel a bit nervous posting random thoughts on the subject, but the game is still on my mind, so where else should I send said thoughts?

I'm not familiar with DiGi Charat, but I have been downloading episodes of Invader Zim on the http://www.musiccity.com">Morpheus peer-to-peer network. The show has only just started on tv here. And gosh, what a show. I could rave about it for, ooh, hours, but instead I'll post a little analysis. Each episode is 11 minutes long, so the stories are very sharp. They're extremely wacky, but exceedingly coherent.

For example, in one episode, Invader Zim accidentally sucks his robot sidekick's mind out, and sticks it in their suburban home/secret base. Gir (the sidekick) becomes animate, and crazed for tacos. It grows legs. Gir finds a greasy taco restaurant and buys a taco. Returning home, the sidekick realises he can't yet eat the taco, because he has no mouth. He's a house. So Zim persuades him to leave the house and return to his robot body, and everything returns to normal for the next episode.

There's some continuity between episodes, but for the most part (as with most sitcoms), things return to normal at the end of the show.

So how about a system where everyone starts with, say, 10 points, has to lose those ten points (by spending them to direct the plot, or counter other plots), and has to regain those points?

In the example above, Zim starts with 10 Doom points, say. He wants to improve the security in their base, and so spends points to start that plot rolling. Gir complicates his plot by getting sucked into the home. Zim complicates *his* plot by narrating Gir's lust for tacos.

So how would players regain points?

I have a vague idea connected to a card game called 'Switch' (in Ireland) , or Crazy Eights (in the UK). I'm sure there's a variation in the US. I won't explain all the rules, but hopefully this sample will let y'all know what this game is called in the US (or wherever you may be).

Everyone starts with 7 cards and the object is to have zero cards. Players play their hand according to two rules - they can play on a previous card of the same suit, or of the same value. They can play multiple cards from their hand together, eg, 2 Hearts-3 Hearts-3 Diamonds-7 Diamonds. Certain cards have specific powers, too. All 2s cause the next person to pick up two cards from the pile. The King of Hearts cause the next person to pick up 5, unless that person has the 2 of Hearts, in which case the next person must pick up 7, unless the next person has a 2, in which case the next person has to pick up 9... etc. 7s reverse the order of play. Jacks skip the next person. And all mistakes cause the player to pick up 2.

Dammit, there's something to this. I'll work on this during the week. A heavily gamist mechanic, relying on sharp wits and confidence, producing narrativist results.

Joe.