Stat-Free RPs

[Gan Xingba]

This is probably getting some skeptical looks right now, but let me explain: I've never played D&D, or any table top RP in my life. However, I recently found myself getting into PBP RPs on some forums, and found it incredibly entertaining. There were no stats for anything, so all I ever had to worry about was actually role playing with my character. Combat was somewhat on the honors system here, but with a good GM or just a solid crew of players, nothing got to ridiculous. Even PvP combat was fun, trying to think of clever ways to outsmart your opponent and think of clever maneuvers instead of just relying on cold math.

Unfortunately, my old haunting ground for them is dying off somewhat, and so I've been looking for somewhere new to play. As it turns out, there aren't very many places where one can do this sort of thing, and many of the places you can are...well, let's just say one of them is Gaia online.

Anyway, to the point: do you folks do this sort of thing around here, and if not, would you be opposed to trying it? Am I barking up the wrong tree here?

[Gralhruk]

Hello and welcome. I think this thread should probably be in Uncognative Cackling or Inquiries as I believe it is a question about the site rather than an invitation to discuss the merit of Stat Free RPs . . .

Anyway, to answer the question: that type of play isn't the norm around here but it isn't prohibited either. So basically, if folks are interested then you are barking up the right tree. If not you are just barking up a tree, but not really the wrong tree :).

[Gan Xingba]

Actually, I kind of intended it as both about the site and the general merit of Stat Free RPs. Sorry for the confusion.

It has just seemed odd to me that there are so few places for Stat Free RPs on the net, so I'm actually curious about the reasoning behind people not participating in them.

[Noocytx]

Stat-free roleplays are usually harder to come by, I believe, because people are selfish. Trying to get a good DM who can fairly handle the attention among everyone is hard to do, especially because people want to try to do new and cool stuff that has no precedent or rules to follow. I believe there are a few stat-free games on here, or diceless games, or some other games along that on this site. I don't know which ones they are so I can't aim you in the right direction though.

If you would truly be interested in trying to get a game going using this, get a thread going in character acquisition. If you get enough people (which can be hit or miss at times), see what happens when you go stat-less. I'm not really interested in this game style though, so don't count me in.

[Icebird]

I just want to say in that Wired*Nun is amazing in this regard. His last game, My Enemies Have Sweet Voices, went on for years using Amber Diceless, which is nearly statless, and his current game, The Cult, is again diceless and even closer to statless. I am/was a player in both games, and they're really cool. :)

You might try PMing him to see if there's still a spot open, but I certainly can't speak for him.

[LynMars]

I've noted some of the games on here that ostensibly have stats tend to run in manners where they aren't terribly important, as they are in more traditionally structured tabletop games at times. The emphasis on writing out the charcater's actions in a descriptive style tends to enforce creative interaction over hard and fast rules more often than not, relegating them more to the loose guideline status that reading some of those rulebooks would have you believe is the way RPGs are meant to be run.

Adventurers' Escapades (http://online-roleplaying.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=28) has some almost freeformish games going on, and as Icebird mentioned, Wired*Nun's games (http://online-roleplaying.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=523) tend to have a very freeform feeling. Occasionally Amber games and other loosely ruled or near-freeform games get advertised in Character Acquisition (http://online-roleplaying.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=23).

You might want to take a look at some of the games running on here, as even some of the D&D games emphasize character interaction and growth over stats.

I also know of a few other decent freeform online sites if you're interested, that function in much the way you describe in your first post. And miles above and beyond anything like Gaia. ;)

[[WanderingMagelok]]

I haven't been in anything like this on this site, but I am currently involved in a diceless Firefly game on another board. We have stats and stuff, but they're more guidlines so that the ST can gague our character's abilities. Generally its just free play.

[Gralhruk]

I'm actually in a couple of games where stats aren't important, but I was viewing that as a different thing than a truly stat-less game.

Eidolon is free form but we base ability and action on the D&D 3.5 rules. At the end of the day stats don't matter a whole lot since we don't roll dice and we are more or less free to bend the rules, but we do use the framework of the rules to create a sense of what is possible and what isn't.

I'm also in a game here which is actually played using Hero system, but in which I don't know any of my character's stats. Well, that's not entirely true. The DM sent me a character sheet, but since I don't know Hero it was more or less meaningless to me. Anyway, the game itself abides by all the rules but I'm fairly ignorant of what goes on behind the scenes. I give my actions and the DM translates that accordingly. Again, similar to what you are talking about but not really stat-less at all.

[Erendiox]

To do something this you need really good people, people who won't abuse the freedom. People who are in it purely for the story and the creative aspect. All of these things are hard to come by in players.

I'm rather interested. :cool:

I've seen freeform games done, where there is no GM/ST, and the players dictate together how the story progresses. What you're suggesting is not too far removed. With no rules, you might even want to take it a step futher and have no GM, let the players share in the story making aspect. If you end up progressing with this, let me know. Also, what kind of world would you be using?

[Gan Xingba]

Well, I don't know about the "no GM" thing, especially when playing with people who you don't know well, but at the very least you need someone to review character profiles and decide who's up to snuff. Character profile reviews, if conducted right, can usually weed out those who would abuse the system. If I'm not mistaken, that's the one drawback that keeps people from playing: the potential for cheating. With a good GM who has the cojones to say "no," normally its not an issue.

Unfortunately, I was looking more to join someone else's game rather than create my own at the moment, but if I do decide to, then I'll definitely consider starting it here.

[SinbadEV]

First of all I'm not promoting another site intentionally but http://www.storycrafter.com/ seems to err on the side of stat-less games... most of them seem to die out quickly and the players there all have games and the sites organized terribly... I guess I only point it out so y'all could read some of the "stories" there to see how the process can work.

[LynMars]

The settings I sent you earlier via PM, Gan, don't have GMs who say "this character is too powerful." However, on the one I play at, one will get flak from other players for creating an ubermunchkin. Also, I have a thread that offers to go over folks profiles to help clarify, tweak, and in a few cases say "This is uber, tone it down, add some drawbacks, and/or clarify. But I'm not an overriding GM, so can only make suggestions.

The other site is known for some powerful characters, but they do have an active Admin staff and a similar "player control" level going on. In both these systems, people tend to mostly ignore the twinks if they can't learn. Also, who ever is opening up a RP thread is the GM for that thread, and their word is law as much as any others. A lot more chaotic than other systems, but it works once you get the hang of it.

As for more traditional GMed games running now with no real stats or set gaming system, I know of Wired*Nun's, linked above, but that's about it. :) And you'd have to ask him about that.