Touhou Tabletop RPG Project (Looking for Help!)

[Valzion]

Introduction

This was inspired by the ongoing project: Tales of Phantasmal Land Redux.  You can find it here.

I've always wanted to create my own tabletop RPG.  There are many RPGs out there that are extremely enjoyable, and others that are about as fun as kicking a can across the street.  I want to create an entirely NEW RPG, with its own mechanics.  I want to create an immersible world filled with danger and adventure.  And, I just so happen to like the world Touhou is based in.

Concept

I know some of you may be thinking: "There are already Touhou Tabletops out there!"

While that may be true, none of them give me a sense of satisfaction.  They may have been built with well intentions, but some of them just downright lack innovation, and others are barely playable.   An RPG is supposed to let your imagination to the work, and give you a world to interact in.  I know that there was one RPG that used something called Fandom Points.  I, honestly, dislike the idea of that.  An RPG is supposed to immerse you in a world of adventure  , not constantly remind you that you're simply controlling a character that is in no way a real being.  (I mean no disrespect, I'm just giving my opinion).

Another bad factor about other Touhou RPGs is the setting.  Yes, you heard me right, the setting.  Being based in Gensokyo is, in my opinion, a bad thing.  Why?  Well, let me list it down for you.

1) The Characters.  In a world where you're supposed to create the adventure with your own imagination, having pre-set characters feels like I'm just looking at the world, rather than actually -living- in it.  So, unless the setting takes place in some wild alternate dimension (which in its own right is pretty stupid), then this is a bad thing for people who love to immerse themselves in role play.

2) The Size of Gensokyo.  Okay, let's face it: Japan is pretty small.  You know what's smaller?  A country located -inside- Japan.  Really, Gensokyo is really small, and most of its locations have already been discovered by the events that transpired within the games.  Thus, it gives no opportunities for players to have real, thriving adventures.  Even if you like the setting of Gensokyo, sooner or later, things will get extremely boring, because there's really nothing -new- you can come up with.  You can get extremely creative, but all in all, it's the same thing: There's an incident, let's solve it.

3) Gensokyo's Location.  Gensokyo is located in Japan.  It's also sealed off from the rest of the world.  There are a limited amount of ways you can get -to- Japan, and there are even less ways to get into Gensokyo.  Things will get old, and they will get old fast.

Now that you understand (or don't understand, I'm continuing anyways) my reasons for calling the setting a bad thing, let me tell you what I want to do in this RPG:

I want to create an entirely brand new -world-, one that is large, immersible, and limitless.

That's right, I want to create an entirely new world, one only loosely based off of Gensokyo.  It's not going to be a small country, it's going to be a FULL WORLD.  Imagine the potential, will you?

With that being said, I need help.  I'm just one guy, and this is a pretty large project.  However, that's not my only reason for needing a team.  The other reason is that I want the game to be -fun-.  If I make the game myself, I'll put a lot of things that I deem fun inside.  However, -I- am not everybody.  I want a team not just to help me, but to give me their opinions as well.  I can handle a lot of things, but more people is always a nice thing to have.  With that being said, let's take a look at our goals first.

Goals

-To create a brand new world.
-To create a whole new lore, only loosely based on Touhou.
-To create brand new mechanics.
-To emphasize immersion before 'anything'.
-To promote free and limitless customization (There are races, no classes.  You build your character how you want to build it).

Right now, I have a pretty good idea of the type of game I want, but I need YOU (yes you) to help me out.  Here are the jobs I need:

Jobs

Directors: (1-2)

Valzion

Lore: (2-3)

Valzion

Game Mechanics: (2-5)

Artists: (1-5)


Note that these jobs are only listed for long-time helpers.  In no way does this mean that a random guy can't show up and give his opinion on something.



Playable Races

I believe we shouldn't horde the entire game with playable races, as is the norm in most of these Touhou RPGs. Therefore, I think we should limit the amount of playable races to around 6-8. I'm going to list what I think should be a playable race, but you guys may also have a hand at it.

Humans (duh) (Celestial / Hermit are sub-races of this)
Beast Youkai (Every animal-type youkai is a sub-race of this)
Lunarian
Vampire
Magician
Ghost (Half-Phantom is a sub-race of this)
Oni
Youkai (every one-of-a-kind Youkai is a sub-race of this)(This race is debatable)


I'm not looking to put a huge amount of races in here, rather, I only want the -main- ones. Tengu and Rabbits can count as Beast Youkai, so they shouldn't really be listed as an individual race.






Conclusion

Now, you might be wondering: "With all of these changes, how is this even related to Touhou anymore?"

The same way Final Fantasy is still Final Fantasy.

Even though it is in a different world, and has little to do with the canon of the games, it is still, in essence, Touhou.  It has everything Touhou has: Races, atmosphere, incidents, whatever!  It's still based around danmaku battles (although physical ways of fighting are obviously going to be in as well).

All in all, it isn't -different- from Touhou, it's just a re-imagining so that role players have a better place to....role play!

With that, I wish this project luck.  I am dead serious about this, and anybody who wishes to help out should be as well.




FAQ

Q: This is a "Touhou RPG," right? I like the fact that you want to try to make a well-thought-out system for a tabletop RPG based on touhou, but a problem I am seeing with this is "Why people will want to play it." If it's a "Touhou Tabletop RPG," then people will be expecting to create new characters and interact with the various Gensokyo girls in Gensokyo, right? I like the fact that you are wanting to do something different, but here's the main thing I am worried about; Will people show interest in a Touhou tabletop RPG that is completely seperate from Touhou and has nothing from the main series of the sort in it? I love the idea of people trying new things, but, if it has no bearing on the main series whatsoever apart from the little things (Spellcard system and lighthearted mood), then will the people this is intended for, the Touhou Fans, really want to play it?

A: Why would people want to interact with the girls from Gensokyo in the first place?

The basic answer: They want to be a part of their universe, and converse with the girls they know and have come to love.

Does that give any development towards their own character? Only a development based solely for the fact of finding the characters -everyone already knows- about.  This RPG is for the player to create their own character and live how they want to/play how they want to, not for them to instantly go up to Reimu because they can and that will be their sole purpose in the game.  Look at it this way: If people have a goal, or a drive, they're going to try and achieve that goal/drive. If people do NOT have a goal/drive, they're going to make one for themselves.

If I tell you that your favorite Touhou is in the game, what do you think the number one answer is going to be?

If I tell you that there are -no- Touhous in the game, and that they have to create their own goals / relationships with the other players themselves, what are they going to do?

If the former, they're probably going to look for that Touhou and immediately try to interact with them, and that will be their goal throughout the entire game.  If the latter, they're -probably- going to create their own goals and interact with other players, like a true tabletop should be played.  I think that people will show interest in this "Touhou" RPG solely for the fact that it is not based around the girls, it is based around the player themselves.  In this world, there is no such thing as a "Touhou". YOU, the PLAYER, are the Touhou itself. I feel that this is a much more rewarding concept, as you aren't trying to live up to legends like Reimu or Marisa, you are -starting- the legends.  I'm not catering to fans on this game. People have done that in the past. Didn't turn out too well, in my opinion.  I guess it's the same viewpoint as ZUN's. Make what you want to make, not what others expect you to make, and whether or not they like it is up to them.