Fullmetal Alchemist Roleplay?

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Fri Aug 10, 2012 1:06 pm

Okay, so we still want a war, but we want to start things off in central. I can see how battle after battle could get old... How about this. There is still a conflict with Drachma, who is attempting to gain territory and influence from Amestris through its superior technology. At the same time, someone within Drachma is collaborating with Ishvalans, and possibly those power hungry enough in the military to believe Amestris's transition to democracy has hindered their interests, to sap the powers of Alchemists and create a Philospher's Stone strong enough to win the war for Drachma. On the inside, one of these generals has positioned himself as a political opponent to Fuhrer Mustang, possibly even in Amestris's first truly democratic election. However, the war and the still struggling democracy has contributed to general instability in Amestris, including inflation, a decrease in the standard of living, terroism coming from both inside and outside the country, and rioting. The Fuhrer is left with no choice but to enact marshal law in the major cities, including Central, or risk losing control of the country completely. This stretches military resources thin, prompting a draft, and further empowers his opponent, who uses the opportunity to exasterbate the situation in Amestris by arresting, imprisoning, and even executing those who oppose him. He might paint this as eliminating those who stand in the way of Amestris's victory and, at the beginning of the roleplay, our characters and even the Fuhrer may believe in him.

Our next-gen characters could be part of the draft, made to leave their homes and become dogs of the military, though they may eventually realize the conspiracy they are a part of and join some kind of rebel cause. Or perhaps they'll seek further advancement for themselves and side with Drachma and the political opponent anyway. They could all have been assigned to a military barrack together in Central while they train to become Amestris's newest form of law enforcement. Though they would certainly be under observation, their status as military personel might also afford them an ability to explore the city that others lack during the reign of marshal law.

We might open on the day in which everyone arrives in Central and meets for the first time. Or a few weeks in during some kind of training exercise, at which point everyone would already know each other to an extent. Or a third thing.

Your alchemist antagonist, Sweet, and my terrorist OC might also be hiding out somewhere in Central, along with any other characters on that side.

Does that sound okay?

Colonel_Masters · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Colonel_Masters** on Fri Aug 10, 2012 1:49 pm

Great ideas Elizabeth, so far its the best i have seen here.

I would prefer greater freedom of character creation but as a standard i agree with this system since the people where conscripted they may have come from every place in life so it doesn't limit the freedom of character creation as much as it seems to.

And if any one would want to create a different character he can always ask, I for example would be interested in playing the political opponent who is trying to take over the country and another character.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:17 pm

I really do like that idea Elizabeth.

Now, as for the characters, I think we should allow people to create some original characters. I myself have three original characters I'd like to roleplay, and one of them I can see working under the military. One of my oc's is a blacksmith's apprentice, so he could make weapons for the military. I know blacksmiths were more popular in older time eras, but I think the concept could possibly work.

Before I go onto asking about my next oc, should we discuss what's happened to some of the already-existing characters?

Colonel_Masters · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Colonel_Masters** on Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:50 pm

I think we can do that both here and while playing the RP

One thing I think we should respect is that Edward after his travels led a quite life; as a protagonist I think his role in the story is over and that we should leave him be. ("SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT":give the chap a brake; he is happy now so how about we leave him be?)

Look at what happened in Bleach; they used Ichigo and his fiends which where burned out characters and in this way managed to kill Bleach for at least a few years. Ichigo passed all the trials of a protagonist hero character and defeated his foes, to use him again just didn't work and in my opinion if they wanted to continue bleach they should have moved to Karin as the new main character with a new set of allies and companions along with a few long running characters.

The rest of the characters such as Roy we can use but it would be a good idea to keep an eye on that and avoid Mary sues... however that element is only natural in a none original role play, we should just keep an eye on it so it doesn't get out of hand.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Fri Aug 10, 2012 3:19 pm

I agree that we should try our best to avoid mary-sues.

Anyways, for Edward I think we can have him and Winry be raising a family in Resembool, and we could possibly have Al and Mai be married. Mustang could be fuhrer, and I don't know about the rest of you, but I've always imagined him and Hawkeye getting married since they seem to care rather deeply for each other.

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Sat Aug 11, 2012 12:49 pm

@Sweet: What with automail and the popularity of areas like Rush Valley, I would think blacksmiths would still exist in some capacity in Amestris. Areas like Risembool certainly seem rural enough, and I'm sure weapons expertise would be valued by the Amestrian military, even if they were to use factory manufacturing themselves.

@Colonel: How do you see the general character's role in the roleplay? It might be interesting if he interacts with those on the level of our draftees--to issue orders and attempt to sway them to his side/keep the masses under his thumb--but maybe he's above that, it's up to you.

Spoilers and what not....

I also agree. I think Edward, Alphonse, Winry, and Mai have all earned their time out of the spotlight and could reasonably be assumed to be married with children, though I suppose Alphonse might have to relocate to Xing as Mai has a responsibility to her clan... As for Roy and Hawkeye, I'm not so sure. With Roy as Fuhrer, they might not want to risk their relationship getting in the way of the work they are doing for Amestris. Unless someone desperately wants to play their next-gen child, I feel like that's something they would put on hold until their time is over in the political arena.

Personally, I was thinking of playing the son/daughter of Alphonse and Mai as one of my characters, but I'm starting to think I'd be better off just going with a complete OC so I don't risk simply co-opting the parent's personalities. Perhaps a refugee from an area of Amestris bordering Drachma that fell victim to air raids and who gets caught in the draft. Might still make them part Xingese, or perhaps Amestrian-Drachman marriages were common in that area until recently...

Anyway, does that mean it's about time for me to set up the roleplay? If so, I can get to writing a more eloquent version of the summary above, which I can post here before hand if you'd both like in case there are any changes to be made. We'll also be needing a character skeleton, and a few rules specific to our roleplay that have come up in our discussion.

Rules

Characters should not have human transmutation as part of their background.

Cannon characters should not be claimed by an individual but rather used as needed. (Would that be my job, or will we be playing them as a group?)

In character posts should be no longer than 1024 character long, though you may choose to post responses for individual characters separately. This is no excuse for poor quality of writing, if anything the limit should allow for greater attention to detail and revision. (We can scrap this if it ends up being more of a hindrance, but I think it's worth a try.)

1-3 characters per person, limit of 10 overall.

Characters should have depth. Give them flaws and imperfections and play them that way. They may not triumph in their every endeavor, but we'll all have a better experience for it!

Any more suggestions?

Colonel_Masters · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Colonel_Masters** on Sat Aug 11, 2012 1:23 pm

Thanks Elizabeth... Come to think about it i think the general should be a semi character NPC I just want to write his speeches :P

So far so good I say, I think its a good idea if we start soon and put up new rules as we go along.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Sat Aug 11, 2012 2:25 pm

About roughly, how many words would 1024 characters be? I don't really like the idea of having a limit to my writing.

ZombieGil · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **ZombieGil** on Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:08 pm

Wow, I just read everything you guys have been saying... and well, wow is the only thing I can honestly say! That's a lot of planning! This seems to be some sort of awesome discussion and I'm hoping that I could possibly join in?

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:54 pm

Of course you can join in! Feel free to share any ideas you have!

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Sat Aug 11, 2012 9:26 pm

@Gil: I'm sure we'd love to have your input Gil!

@Colonel: I agree completely. We should try to get things going as soon as possible, most roleplaying rules are pretty much common sense anyway... Just write to the best of your ability and play nice with others! (But not neccesarily with their characters.)

Huh. I think I'll add that one. Pretty much covers everything.

@Sweet: It's about 200 words, which I admit is incredibly short, if not severely so. However, I think it’s important that we avoid immense posts if we want to make actual progress in the plot. I can’t count how many roleplays I’ve joined that have dried up a few posts after the character introductions. People get busy, their initial enthusiasm dries up, and knowing they must produce a wall of text before they can get involved in the story again can be exhausting. Or maybe it’s just me... I'd be willing to bump it up to 300 or 450 (unless there are any other suggestions to limit post length?) but I really think limiting ourselves will push us to make things happen in our posts and create momentum to move the roleplay forward.

@All: Here's what I've got so far in regards to the official roleplay summary. Let me know if I missed anything, if it's too vague, or if you think any changes are needed in general...

xxxx

Some two and a half decades have passed since Alphonse and Edward, the Fullmetal Alchemist, defeated Father. Their east-west quest to compile the alchemic knowledge of foreign lands continues to this day with only one alteration: they have families now. Alphonse lives in Xing with May and his children as a member of the Chang clan, while Edward returned Risembool and, of course, his life with Winry Rockbell. But the world doesn’t stop spinning when things fall into place, and though the Elric brothers are long past reaching for the sun, it’s still on the horizon.

Amestris is at war, and has been for some time. Its opponent, Drachma, seeks to take advantage of the fledgling democracy to garner territory and power for itself. While Amestris is renowned for its mastery of the alchemic arts, a triumph of the soul, Drachma boasts superior technology and a mastery of the human mind that can be wrought only through intense discipline and study. There are even whispers of another Philosopher’s Stone, this one made from stripping the raw power of alchemists, which could win them the war.

True to his word, Fuhrer Mustang has devoted his life to ending the military regime and bringing democracy to Amestris. The progress has been slow, but the country now stands on the verge of what could be its first truly free election—Fuhrer Roy Mustang, ex-military, verses a general of equal prominence—if it happens at all. The war has sparked inflation, terrorism from inside and outside the country, and rioting. The standard of living is falling, and refugees of the Drachman air raids drift from one slum to the next. The Fuhrer had little choice but to enact martial law in the more populous regions of Amestris, including Central, or risk losing control of the country completely. The troops required to accomplish this drained resources that would otherwise have been put to use in the Briggs Mountain Range, the final line of defence against Drachma’s ground forces, further exposing Amestris to attack.

It was then that the Amestris initiated the draft. As a comparatively small country, it required as large a pool as possible: those sixteen and older, regardless of gender, must report for service if their group number is drawn. Some are trained and sent to the front lines to defend and die for their country, while others serve to maintain law at home, the threat of deployment hanging ever over their heads.

All are dogs of the military, all must bite on command. It’s up to them if they will become part of the machine, for their own benefit or for that Amestris’s people, or fight the conspiracy above them, whatever the price of rebellion.

But not everyone has reported for duty. Draft-dodgers, terrorists, agents of Drachma—they too roam the streets of Central. In these times, it’s difficult to say who’s doing what is right and who’s doing what works.

When the bombs fall and bullets fly, what is worth more: the mind, or the soul?

xxxx

I plan to follow this with an explaination of what roles different characters might fill, but I haven't got that finished up yet.

Elrith Eldwind · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elrith Eldwind** on Sat Aug 11, 2012 11:24 pm

First off Hello everybody! It looks interesting and fun and that's why I’m sticking my abnormally big nose around here.

Now with that said I have a few comments I have to make as I am interested in joining. We've mentioned the universe and that the primary characters of the canon are going to be "given a break" from the lime light however perhaps the Elephant in the room is Mustang remaining. While i get that it is necessary and all we can’t just twist him to fit any mold then. Mustang is a canon character and thus one must be cautious in their role in the RP, being that he will be a major factor in the current plot isn’t a problem it just might be difficult ot carry out, after all this General would have to have gotten up pretty early to actually trick Roy and manipulate him as not even the immortal Father or his rabble could do so. Now the best explanation of this that I’ve thought of (and I’ve thought for a decent bit so please bear with me) if only if the General is not only someone in his camp but also someone he’s known for many many years, someone who while usurping his power would have to still be on the side of Amestris’ greater good. Politics are never very cut and dry, and being his past and personality Mustang would be Unyielding in his faith with someone whom he had decided long ago to put faith in.

That’s a big paragraph for me to simply be saying if Mustang is to be used than the General should probably be from his past (not necessarily a canon character) whom he trusts publicly. Meaning he probably wouldn’t be openly running against Mustang… yet… though the thought of a losing war against Drachma is a perfect excuse for this to flip during the RP and for the actually political climate to be a playable scenario. My suggestion is that the Antagonist General not be an open opponent for Mustang and while he’ll show his views here and there not until a major event, say an assassination attempt on Mustang would he make his move to run against Mustang, siting a need for a more aggressive strategy and more back toward a militaristic regime, a mask for a grab for power. Or perhaps even be a true move for the better, at least in his mind, the best bad guys believe they are the good guys and in the grey of politics things are hard to discern.

Sorry if I got a little bit ranty on that, hope you don’t mind my rudeness of bursting in here with a huge almost preachy sermon.

~Living-Dead Doll~ · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **~Living-Dead Doll~** on Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:00 am

I agree that there shouldn't be a character limit. I think there should be a guideline, but that would be only to make sure there aren't any one liners and such. As for long posts, I think its a good idea to try to make it so every post counts to moving forward, however I'm not sure how well that would work. In the long run, people might just not post because they didn't have anything to attribute to making the story move forward. I think the limit should be no less then 5 sentences, but no more then three paragraphs (paragraph of 5 or more sentences).

Also, I have been trying to keep up with everyones great ideas (but not the spoilers because I haven't finished the show completely). Just curious though, did we role out the possibility of humonculi or was it just something we haven't thought about yet?

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:46 am

Isn't that the point of a post though, to make the roleplay move forward? Ehhh, regardless, I think you're both right. I'd still love to impliment the 1024 character rule, but this isn't the place for it. The posts would be short enough that I could probably run a roleplay based on that platform alongside this one anyway, if I really wanted. I suggest, in its place, a 200 word minimum for posts with the understanding that you can go anywhere upwards of that so long as it remains focused and of good quality.

Sorry for making such an issue of this!

@Elrith: Hello Elrith, thanks so much for your input! The majority of my posts here have been mammoth and rant-like themselves, so I certainly can't hold it against you! Anyway, I think you make a good point. Having the general, as someone Mustang has a history with, appear to work alongside the Fuhrer at the beginning of the roleplay without openly challenging him would keep Mustang's character in tact and provide a nice twist later on. Perhaps Drachman agents have still tried to sway him to their side, or turn against Mustang in general, but only because he, having immigrated from Drachma at an early age, shares their blood. He may want to take over the Amestrian government in order to pave the way for Drachma's invasion but he may also fear or otherwise hate the country he came from and truly come to doubt, in some twisted way, Mustang's ability to protect the people or Amestris.

Either way, I agree that we need to be careful not to paint our characters as purely good or purely evil on either side.

So, any further opinions on that, or should I go ahead and alter the summary? (Sorry if this is a bit unclear or rushed, I'm just about to head to work.)

Elrith Eldwind · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elrith Eldwind** on Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:31 am

im not sure you need to change the summary at all. the general issue is an in game note and something to be watched there. honestly for my two cents worth 'i think you havent got any thing to change there.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:53 am

@Elizabeth, I really like that summary, and I'm glad most of our ideas have been incorporated into it. Also, thank you for explaining the word limit. After giving it some thought, I agree that it might be for the best. It might be somewhat strange to have someone post two paragraphs of roleplay, while the next person only posted two measly sentences. With a limit of words, all of our posts will be close to equal in length.

@Elrith, Thank you for all of your input! I'm glad to know that you are interested in joining.

I know this is off topic, but all of you have a very expanded/colorful vocabulary. Here I am sitting at my computer, pondering what some of the words you use mean. XD

Elrith Eldwind · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elrith Eldwind** on Sun Aug 12, 2012 1:16 pm

Thanks for the welcome, I know it was presumptuous of me to burst in here randomly and make such comments on my first post. As for big words sorry, lol, I’m an English Major. Now then if you’ll allow me I still have a few more comments to make.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Sun Aug 12, 2012 1:48 pm

It's quite alright, I appreciate it that you are willing to discuss your ideas. Anyways, I enjoy learning new words to improve my writing.

Go ahead and comment on anything, I'm certain all of us would like some feedback.

Colonel_Masters · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Colonel_Masters** on Sun Aug 12, 2012 3:32 pm

Well I think its best to keep the general out of any Drachman conspiracies because it would over demonize his character.

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Sun Aug 12, 2012 3:50 pm

Okay, so 450 words or less (no one liners) it is. And all I was going change was that bit about the general openly competing with Mustang in the election from the start of the roleplay, which really just requires me to remove a few characters of text, so no worries!

@Colonel: You may be right... I suppose differing opinions and a general desire for power would be enough conflict for one character, or at least enough to push someone of a certain disposition to challenge their Fuhrer politically... and whatnot.

I've got a few more things to type up, but I intend to get the roleplay up and open for character submission between now and Tuesday. We can always make changes later, but if anyone has any further commentary to contribute, now's the time!

And the best way to learn vocabulary is through exposure, so perhaps this roleplay will give us all a hand :)

Fullmetal Alchemist Roleplay?

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