Gameplay discussion

So we almost have a full cast, before worldbuilding + character creation I'd like to know roughly what you guys want to play.

Playstyle/Feel of the game
So there are several things that we could do and I would like your input on this, I'm happy to run anything.

A/ classic sandbox (basically how SWN is supposed to be played)
this is pretty free form and can contain all sorts of adventures/plot hooks. You might know how this works better than me so I won't go any further really.

B/ investigation
this could take several forms, playing as cops/team of investigators/thriller like story where you are pulled into a conspiracy, everything of course in a sci-fi context.

C/ high action space opera style
Think Star Wars, you'd be fighting a big evil bad.

D/ horror
We could try this one out if you're up for it, not sure if the atmosphere of a PbP would bring anything but I'd be willing to run this kind of adventure if you guys are down.

Theoretically we could include a bit of everything in the sandbox style, but just in case you want to focus on specifically one thing. I'm open to any other playstyle of course.

Content

1/ How okay are we with violent content ?
If someone is uncomfortable with anything in particular please tell me.
Perhaps we can decide what you're okay with with some rough outlines :

Game of Thrones level violence is good (IMO I can't go more violent than this)
Star Wars/LOTR etc... medium violence is good
Low violence/cartoonish is good

2/ Are we combat focused ?

3/ Is there any specific theme/idea you guys would like to look at ?
Time travel, dystopia, crime, alien life, space exploration, resource management, heavy focus on spaceships, focus on psychics/supernatural, hard sci-fi...

When should the campaign/adventure end ?
Of course the ending is nearly not as important as the trip there, but I think considering when the game ends can be important.
Some ideas :

all "character arcs" have been resolved
there is some end goal you have accomplished as a group (resolving a conflict, paying a debt...)
reaching a certain level
when the group has become famous
Discussion below

I'd be most keen for a classic sandbox personally, though I'd be fine with an investigation or horror game I always felt they didn't quite work in PbP.

I've never gotten to a combat scenario in SWN but for me combat is often the least engaging part of the game (at least on this platform, I can enjoy it in moderation at the table). So I'd definitely fall on the RP focus side.

As for violence, I've never hit a point in an RPG where I has uncomfortable with its level, I'd rather not see it trivialised (so not cartoony or used excessively).

A question for the GM, how much narrative control do you want to excerpt? Like will we be responding to what your presenting or are we allowed to add to the fiction in our posts?

Oh as for themes down for pretty much anything. I'll probably play a paychic be course I like how they play in this game but other than that I don't have much to add... Other then perhaps putting the "I am an actual physicist" warning up, not that it really matters...

Playstyle/Feel of the game
I'm thinking sandbox (I've not played SWN before, so not sure how nice it is for sandboxy stuff). That said, I love me some space opera so that's always a winner for me.

Content
Violence
I don't mind any real level of violence, so long as fits the tone of the story. If we're playing something lighthearted and silly then out of the blue we are fighting Ramsey Bolton, that's just not right.

Combat
I typically like a blend of combat vs RP intrigue. Again, though, not knowing the system makes it hard to say definitively.

Thematic Elements
Sci Fi, spaceships, exploration. All fun stuff!!

@Genisisect
I'm pretty open to giving you some form of narrative control (particularly if we go sandbox which is the less railroady experience). You can introduce background details and fluff as you want (like expanding on a description), so long as it doesn't break the game severely in your favor and doesn't stop the others from contributing as well.

If you want to create contacts/NPCs you'll use the appropriate skill and then we'll flesh the NPC together on the fly.

I might directly ask you questions tied to the narrative at the end of some of my posts as well (what's this guy's name, what's his tatoo like, what is he smuggling) - particularly when it might tie in to your character.

If you guys want to contribute to the narrative I'll open a thread when the game starts to record all the worldbuilding elements you've introduced during play, so that everyone (including me) can use it again at some later point.

As for scientific accuracy I will... do my best haha. I'm studying biology which might not help very much in this case, but I'm still drawn to science so I don't mind doing some extra research, at least some general info about space.

@Dramasailor
Noted. By the way the pdf is available for free on the internet, I'll make a thread with the basic rules (sometime)

A quick overview of the rules : The resolution mechanic is 2d6+attribute+skill vs TN, combat is handled with a d20 (don't know how I feel about that, maybe I will houserule something to keep the 2D6 mechanic ?) and there are 3 "classes" : the warrior with the highest hit die and the ability to ignore (once) damage during a combat, the expert with medium hit die but more skills and the ability to reroll a skill check (once/hour, to adapt it to PbP I will try to come up with something) and finally the psychic with the lowest hit die but the ability to use psychic powers (generally not the offensive sort).

I'm also going to add a question (will edit the OP) :

When should the campaign/adventure end ?
Of course the ending is nearly not as important as the trip there, but I think considering when the game ends can be important.
Some ideas :

all "character arcs" have been resolved
there is some end goal you have accomplished as a group (resolving a conflict, paying a debt...)
reaching a certain level
when the group has become famous

Yeah, I've been reading the rules this morning. I'm thinking an Expert is more what I'd be looking for. Possibly as a pilot or some other spacer.

As for play style, I came here with the idea of exploring and trying to cope with strange environments, cultures and biology, delving deeper into weird social and biological laws / rules. Also, investigation maybe, but more like 'exploring a story' than mental puzzles that I have to solve.
Horror isn't what attracted me to this game, though it wouldn't bother me as a flavor.

Content
I'd prefer something more serious than cartoonish. I like action scenes if not as a main focus. How deadly is the system? (online dice rollers hate me, I don't want to make new characters every few chapters :) Aside from time travel, I like all the other ideas.

Story end
Both succeeding and failing in a common goal is a resolution, so I'm fine as long as we do have a common goal that makes the PCs a team, not just random guys forced together because this is the story.

For character death it is always the same answer, poor decisions will lead to it rather than dice rolls - but the combat system is quite lethal in this game, be warned, especially for non Warriors.

Now you mention something important, the group has to function!
Coming up with the concept of your team will be interesting. You should discuss this between yourselves.

If exploration is your focus for instance you could be the classic team of astronauts/scientists collecting samples.

I honestly could not have said any of this better myself. I am open to play whatever the rest of the group wants to play.

After reading through more of the rules and setting and such, I'm down to try more of the exploration type game.

Meet new people, find new quests, discover new areas, and scavenging treasures as we go along our way of creating the world every step we take?

Exactly!!

I am thinking that adding the sandbox with the space opera would be an awesome combo. A sort of Star Wars-ish theme but not exactly "Star Wars." We create the world ourselves as we proceed with the campaign. The GM, of course, would create the names of all the planets, cities, NPCs, etc. This would make the game a sort of 'improv' type which would give no set outcome for anything that happens.

I am not in any way trying to take over the GM's job. Just trying to throw out some ideas.

The fully sandbox style puts a lot of work on the GM plot-wise, because this way the GM has to present lots of proto-plots for the players to choose from, then improvise the complexities as we go along. If there is a pre-made plot that we can poke from different angles, while making up lots of details, that might help.

What's your view on this, Hageru?

As long as I have a few plot seeds I think things should be fine. This is pbp after all, coming up with something on the fly is easier than improvising at an actual table.

If you are willing to play as explorators you can decide (roughly) what your group is about. Cartographers, scientists collecting samples, military scouts... the choice is yours.

The skill packages in the character creation section can also inform your decision.

As of now, what is the rundown of the game so far?

Nothing much yet, we're deciding on things. But now we know you guys want to play an exploration type game.

We should decide what your group is. I've already come up with a few plot seeds and I will try to do the sector map this week-end.

So, I'm asking, what is your group ? Are you employed or independent ? Have you done previous work or are you a brand new association ? Do you know each other ?

I like the idea of being a group actively employed by one agency. Beyond that, this isn't our shakedown cruise as a unit. Civilian vs military doesn't matter as much to me.

My current concept is an expert focused heavily on transport (transport specialist background and pilot training package). If the thought is more that pilotage would be done with hand waving and NPC wizardry, I could easily do up a different type of role.

We should be a group of, for lack of a better term, "mercenaries."

What kind of mercs are you thinking? You could really run a few different ways. Are we a mercenary company (banded together, under some kind of contract with either one another or to an actual company of mercenaries, orders come from above or from within, yada yada). What services do we offer and to what kind of clientele? Do we recover arms and armaments? Are we hunting for tech for a government? Do we do hostage rescue?

:)

I kind of like the idea of us being like action archaeologists in space. Indiana Jones with laser blasters. Scouring the cosmos for high TL items, on the run from governments and the like.