(IV is 4, right?)
RTD, or Roll To Dodge, is an extremely simple roleplaying system. It's so simple that explaining the internal rules would be a waste of time (and I've made this speech too many times), so I won't. Players post a post saying what they want their character to do, then the GM makes any required dicerolls and posts all the results.
The setting will be in a science fiction universe of my own creation. The theme will be exploration and Buck-Rodgers style stuff (though at the very beginning, it'll be about survival and trying to repair the ship you're woken up on), and it'll be a sandbox-y sort of thing. There won't really be much of any plot, there's nothing out of the ordinary going on.
QuoteLike the title says, you're going to wake up in suspended animation aboard a small derelict starship.
You can be:
"Human"
Or at least you look like it. You may or may not be Homo Sapiens of Sol, but you're close enough that it doesn't matter.
Android
Think Data. You are a machine, but you're built to 'be human', or at least effectively approximate humanity.
Robot
There's a series of books I read about on TvTropes about sentient fusion-powered tanks. "Bolo" I think it was. You'd be something like that, not at all humanoid in form but still possessing free will, personality, and intelligence. Wall-E or Johhny Five would be a more anthropomorphic example. KITT and the robots from Suspended would also fit here. Of course, you can't be anything terribly large.
Also, I'd really like if you drew a picture of what you're supposed to look like. Just use MS Paint or something.
Computer A.I.
The opposite end of the spectrum to Human. You don't even have a defined physical form- you're just an artificial mind who can reside in anything that can store data and execute machine code. HAL for example.
AIs come in different sizes. A large AI is more powerful (can control more complex things, like a starship, as well as smack other AIs around with more force) but will have a much harder time copying itself to other computers and will only be able to fit into a machine with a large amount of storage space. A small AI isn't so good for large tasks, but can fit in much smaller computers and can copy itself to other computers without being noticed with much less difficulty.
I think six players will be enough. None of you will have any recollection of identity besides your name and basic facts about yourself.
As for character creation, please try to avoid posting total Mary Sue characters. Power level should be around average-joe level, robots should be at most worn-out, obsolete defense bots. Humans should be normal people. I suggest at least one large AI, and no more than 3 AIs (since having most of your characters unable to interact directly with the world can get a bit dull).
Post character biographies, and then I'll post the initial description. Also tell me if you've ever played the Marathon trilogy of games. Not going to tell you why I need to know, though if you have it should become apparent at some point.
Err... Sorry about the rude double-posting behavior, but... umm... what's with the lack of responses?
Hi mate. I'm guessing that's because of the "RTD" principles you employ, wherein the GM just rolls the dice for everybody, from what I understand. It might not be the kind of PbP game people around here are searching for. Plus, your setting information is rather scarce for a homebrew. People might not really get what type of game you'd like to run.
My advice would be (1) select a game system known by people around here (like say GURPS, Starblazer Adventures, Stars Without Number, Traveller to name a few); (2) let the players roll for themselves using an online dice roller, like Invisible Castle; and (3) provide more information about your setting and the type of game people would be getting into.
Have a look around this forum at the active games and see how people do it.
Good luck, mate. :)
more detail on the description of characters required ie. any 'Att.' or 'skill sets' etc.? what sort of perameters are we looking at for understanding what a character can 'do' upon waking...:idunno:
For example, rather than talking about how uncomplicated the rules are and as a consequence your refusal to explain them, perhaps doing something like...
http://roll-to-dodge.677323.n2.nabble.com/What-is-RTD-td677480.html
... would be more useful and more clear to folks. Notice how it took even less space than your explanation about why you wouldn't be including an explanation.
Honestly, I think you're thinking of something different than what we're thinking of.