Serious [Half Life: Mission] - A Concept

Sil

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[Half Life: Mission]


Half Life: Mission is an alternative approach to the main server's standard way of running things, taking on inspiration from the Alplands series by @Dallas & co., events of the server's past, and TTRPGs like D&D and Call of Cthulhu. With a greater focus on improving the gameplay for smaller population sizes, with a pulpy sense of action & story calling for greater feats accomplished, HL:M is perfect for nebulous' current status with Garry's Mod as a whole. It does show itself as more complex than the standard way of server we've been having, and there's a few more rules in-place, however I feel this slight raising of the bar is something that can help HL:M with its focuses rather than appealing to the widest market possible.

[The Premise]
Rather than hosting the server up 24/7, all in one given area that acts more like a sandbox for players, HL:M is only up for 2-3 days a week and can change maps easily according to what's being ran at the time, to put greater emphasis on the stories themselves and giving players the potential to expand far and wide through a dangerous world. These days of up-time, called Missions, act as the typical sessions you'd see in a TTRPG or an event you may have been apart of on the server. The Missions are ran by the admins who have written out the story for them, being called Game Masters (GMs), with other members of staff being able to help with elements like playing enemies or being able to assist in building set pieces that the players will explore.

Another distinct change from the norm is a difference in approaching characters. Due to the nature of the gameplay, it means there are less restrictions to what can be requested in the Character Applications thread; conversely, it means all characters who wish to take part have to go through their own application process. However, this also means that accessing other factions are significantly easier than before, as rather than having to wait several months as Civil Protection in order to have the chance to become OTA, it's as easy as a simple application after a session or two.

I've mentioned two things there: one, less character application restrictions, and two, the presence of the Combine as a playable faction. I'll cover the character applications first, before moving onto the Combine.


[Character Sheets]
Characters will have to fill out a character sheet in order to become authorised for taking part. These sheets will follow an adjusted version of D&D's 5e sheet, with some things changed and some things removed altogether. I've chosen 5e's sheet because it is overall a lot easier to put into play like this, and allows for the GM to be able to easily pull up a character's sheet to know what they have, what their stats are, etc. without needing to use a variety of commands. It also allows for the potential to 'level up' your character, being granted increases to stats, tokens, and the choice for rank changes the further up you go.

When applying for a character, you'll be able to pick your big stats making use of a point-buy system. This allows for easier management of characters so people don't end up with a ridiculously high (or low) number for every stat. You'll also be able to pick equipment from a compiled list (one that does not exist yet but will comprise of most weapons, armour, medical supplies, food, and some misc items) using a similar system, called Tokens. Tokens are used to purchase equipment both during and between sessions, as well as being used as a form of reward for certain Missions. Both major factions will make use of Tokens, keeping them useful and useable continually. For reference, the Black Market act as the resistance's supplier, whilst the Distribution Service act as the Combine's.


[Two Factions]
The server will also be host to two factions: the Resistance and the Combine. The Resistance comprises of your go-to rebels, the Vortigaunts, and the LAMBDA team who can bring strange tech to missions such as the Gravity Gun. The Combine on the other hand are host to the Civil Protection, the Overwatch Grunts, and the Overwatch Soldiers- a leg up from the grunts who have stronger armour and access to better weapons. You can have characters across both factions, as storylines will be dependant on the GM rather than ones that both sides have to be cautious to hide from one another.

The Resistance often takes their Missions from radio messages, higher-ups from LAMBDA (such as Eli Vance), and the occasional bounty, whereas the Combine's Missions are from Dispatch, Overwatch, and rarely from the Civil Administration themselves. What they entail is up for the GM to decide, though importantly one faction's Mission won't cause the PKs of the other faction, as it just kills the fun.

[Closing Remarks]
This is a concept. At the minute I have no plans on actually working on any of these as a viable option for the server moving forward (especially since at the minute I have such a poor internet connection that I couldn't play even if I wanted to), however if enough interest and support is given I'll gladly flesh out more ideas to be reviewed. Right now, this is more of a shift in structure than anything, changing up the status quo massively in favour of an alternative style of play, and is something I've had in thought for a while though haven't expressed it fully until now. Please leave any comments and criticisms below, and thank you for reading.
 

'77 East

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higher-ups from LAMBDA (such as Eli Vance)
god no

this community's track record with lore characters (outside of a few circumstances) has been absolutely atrocious

I have no plans on actually working on any of these as a viable option
then why has this been submitted?

the status quo (re: walking around a barely populated city setting) won't change without actual, genuine effort from people who could and can do what they propose; all this does is dredge up the board with something that will be flat out denied, then pointed to as evidence that the status quo must be kept.
 
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Sil

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then why has this been submitted?

the status quo (re: walking around a barely populated city setting) won't change without actual, genuine effort from people who could and can do what they propose; all this does is dredge up the board with something that will be flat out denied, then pointed to as evidence that the status quo must be kept.
Because its nice to write up concepts. Keep in mind the board itself I've posted this; this isn't a suggestion. This is just an idea I've been having in my head for a bit that I wanted to put into words.

Given the opportunity and the improved internet connection, I seriously would take this to the next level and attempt to further manage it. To actually change things up. However, to actually do that I'd need a good few things to fall my way.

1) I'd need a server, for starts. If the passing of keys happens again on neb then there's a slim chance, sure, but I'm also not a staff member and it's quite unlikely I'd be given the Server Director status on this matter. Renting my own is something nigh unsustainable when working from the ground up, with 0 coding/programming/developing/forum management experience.

2) I'd need a staff team who's enthusiastic or at least tolerant of the idea to help work on it. Neb's staff team throughout the years has been really good, but this is a very radical idea that I don't see many current members of staff be invested in. Prove me wrong, genuinely, because I'd love to see who else likes this idea.

3) I'd need time to invest into the project. That would've been easier when younger but now I don't want to be spending significant time on a game like this, not without at least some support (see 2).

4) My current internet connection literally cannot sustain multiplayer. This will shift towards the end of August when I move out of my current accommodation, but until then there is nothing I can do on that part.

This thread is meant to be more of a "Here's a concept, any comments & criticisms please leave here". If I could work on it, I would, but there are hurdles in place that are too high for me to get over right now.
 
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RedMan

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This is not a bad idea by any means. As a matter of fact, Willard Networks has conducted something similar through "Expeditions" and "Short-Stories" which has shown that when done correctly, it can be a very rewarding experience for everyone regardless whether they are involved or not.

However, I believe the introduction of TTRPG will alienate the expectations of the HL2RP gamemode, especially if you intend to heavily organise a DnD playstyle on GMod.

To put it bluntly, it would likely fare better as an activity that is subordinate to the main server.
 
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