Glorified musebox fantasy jamjar with Tolkiens

[goldenplaits]

There are threads for each point at the bottom, for voting (voting is not binding. This is more a gauging of interest, so you're welcome to comment on your votes!) and your thoughts, but you can of course also comment directly to the post if it's larger/doesn't fit anywhere. So far, there's four people who might be working on this (narwa, ardruna, manxome, marcuswolf828), but more are always splendid, especially to get it off the ground, so step forward if you'd like to help with it :3

1. Which one?

• Panfandom
• Tolkien only (I lean heavily towards panfandom, because if people are okay with being outnumbered (because that'll probably be a thing) it should be a ton of fun to have some elements in the game that can mix things up some. But it's a thing that is totally up for discussion!)

2. Which of these should be permitted?

• Canon characters (not up for discussion ;D )
• Characters of limited canon (like Lalwen, Elrohir, Belladonna, Galion, Lalaith, Elros, Thror, Dís, Hetalia!Scotland, etc)
• Original characters (if panfandom)
• Canon AUs (I'd almost say this is also not up for discussion considering the nature of Tolkienite "canon"?)
• Original fandom characters (they'd come with the caveat that they may not occupy roles that would have been significant in canon, and all characters who would be connected with them, so they are in game, would have to have given their permission prior to them being brought in. There'd also be the option to demand that they should not be related/married to any canon characters, but on the other hand it'd be a way to allow for nameless wives/mothers...).
• Non-canon AUs (I'm personally iffy on this but wanted to put it up for discussion)
• edit: CR-AUs (characters that have been to one or more games and come in with the memory/changes from those games)

3. Which setting should it be?

• Ruined Arda/Middle-earth (The second music failed, or a similar explanation - maybe the apocalyptic fight against Morgoth did not turn out as planned? All parts of Middle-earth that ever existed are on the map, but they lie in ruin and have been changed. The only inhabitable area at game start is X, where all characters will wake up. Eru has recreated them, both their body and soul, as they were the most prominent in his memory, so they can have any pull-point that the player wishes. (if panfandom/to explain different timelines/variants of canon used: Eru is the creator of all universes and got a few things mixed up, so he's waking people from different universes and alternate timelines...) After game start, people can start to explore and rebuild, but there are dark creatures roaming the earth and depending on the character's abilities they can combat their hostile surroundings in different ways to fight the enemy. [There would be the option to say that while Morgoth fucked it up, what now lies on the land is even greater than him and different, so Morgoth & co would be appable]
• Fantasy World (Some other fantasy world, so everyone would have to start over completely. This would serve to level power differences even more. Either a generic fantasy setting, or something based vaguely on a different canon like Twelve Kingdoms. This scenario would involve 1-3 existing kings/queens with courts and more or less functioning kingdoms while around them everything is open map, so while the world would be chaotic it wouldn't be as chaotic as ruined Arda. It'd also allow for mixing up the monsters/evil creatures a bit.)
• Something else?

Whatever setting it is - should it have a place where technology functions? Should technology just function, period, or function nowhere at all? (this would obvsly more be a panfandom consideration to make)

4. Gameplay - which ones would you like to see? Pick/discuss one or two or three or all! State a preference or things you'd strongly like to see/not see, etc.

• Open map/explore yourself/write-your-own-story
• D&D-type quests which can be run by mods and players alike
• Monthly or biweekly status effect opt-out/opt-in events
• Mod-dictated weather/npc behaviour/map changes.

5. Technicalities

• A person may have up to 5 characters, none of which may be significantly connected to the other (you can play Arwen and Fëanor despite them being distantly related, but not Arwen and Galadriel because they've actually met and stuff). If it's not panfandom I'd say lets reduce the number to 3?
• (thoughts needed!) No actual apps, but everyone would have to have info on their journal, depending on the type of character more or less, and the character claim would only be accepted after that info is live (and if something is off/troublesome about that info, a character claim can be refused). Info should include name, appearance, and a brief explanation of their history&personality/the "route" for the character that the player has chosen, and a link to wikis if available. Is there anything else that's important and should be on there?
• Check-in AC: There'd be a check-in post every month, and all that aren't on hiatus and don't check in would be swept. But no actual activity check.
• No cast cap ever if it's panfandom, even if suddenly like, Gundam takes over or whatever.

6. How do you get in on this

• Invite-only or open?
• I don't even know what other options than word of mouth would be there to advertise it, so that's a thing, but...