Discuss Persona: Conflicting Desires-The Velvet Room

[RedJ]

[center][i]April 2015[/i]


The city of Yokuboshi, often simply called Yoku or Yokubo by its inhabitants, is widely known throughout Japan as one of the most peaceful cities in the country.


That is about to change.


Recently, Yokuboshi's crime rate has taken a sudden spike. It's not just the occasional theft, either- the crimes all range anywhere from bank robbery to downright murder. These crimes have become increasingly more frequent, and it seems as though no matter what the authorities do, the crimes continue.


Possibly the strangest thing of all, however, is whenever they manage to apprehend one of these criminals, all they can do is babble about things called 'Shadows'. It has been found that these people are often suffering from sleep deprivation, and such babbling is often passed off as side effects of the lack of sleep.


A select few, however, aren't quite convinced....


------------


Welcome to the backstage thread for [b]Persona: Conflicting Desires[/b]. I'll be posting various information about the RP itself here, and it is here that we will discuss everything about the RP itself. But you knew that already, didn't you? Of course you did.[/center]

[center]A quick note before we begin: this is a Persona RP, yes. But that doesn't mean I will tolerate random swearing for teh lulz. I also will not tolerate any form of metagaming or godmodding.Try to keep things as clean as possible- I understand some swearing will occur, but there is a fine line between doing it for effect and blatant vulgarity- if you're not sure it will go over well, don't do it. Also understand that people in this RP will be injured and likely die. In fact I can guarantee they will die, and likely in a horrible fashion.[/center]

[center]That will be nothing compared to what will happen to characters of players who think they can simply ignore these rules and do things their own way, though. This is the Megami Tensei universe. As such, I have multiple ways of dealing with said people. I'll let your imagination go wild with that one.[/center]

[center]That being said, I'm no dictator. I'm open for any ideas, so feel free to talk to me about these ideas and post them here for discussion =D[/center]

[center]Now, moving on to other important things about the RP-




[size=5][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][u]The City of Yokuboshi[/u][/font][/size]


This RP takes place within the (fictional) city of Yokuboshi, Japan. The city is broken into five parts- North, East, South, Port, and West.

North- Uptown. Places of Interest- Yokuboshi University, Yokuboshi Police HQ(there is a station in each section except the Port), various government establishments


East- Also known as the Industrial District. As the name implies, this is where most of the businesses are located. Places of interest- [url="http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Junes"]Junes[/url], Suou Mechanics, Yokuboshi Academy (divided into three separate buildings for each level of school, but all on the same campus)


South- Downtown. Places of interest- Yokuboshi Mall(several specialty clothing stores, Arcadia- an arcade, GameStation- a gaming store, C&L Toy Store, Wild Duck Burger, Aiya (ramen shop), Yoku Sweetshop, Book On, and an abandoned shop called 'The Velvet Room'),


Port- exactly what it sounds like. Shipments of imported goods from around the world come in from here, as well as the occasional foreigner. The place is littered with various warehouses.


West- Also known as the Domestic District. Most people in the city live here.[/center]

[center][u][size=5][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]Useful Links[/font][/size][/u][/center]

[center]Just a few links that might help some people out.[/center]

[center][url="http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Megami_Tensei_Wiki"]Megami Tensei Wiki[/url]- a wiki for the Megami Tensei universe, which Persona is a part of.[/center]

[center][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Japan"]Japanese Holidays[/url]- Exactly what it says.[/center]

[center][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_japan#School_grades"]Grade level/age table and other school info[/url]- as I can't find a decent guide to Japanese schools, this is closest I can find. You might need to do a little digging for more info on this, I'm afraid.[/center]

[center][size=4][b]CHECK BACK HERE OFTEN. [/b][/size][size=3]The setting alone is enough to cause some slight confusion, so communication is going to be imperative, especially at the start.[/size][/center] Edited April 4, 2012 by RedJ

[Orcus]

I'm down for anything Persona related, so count me in. I'd love to help in any way I possibly can. I have a couple questions though, if you don't mind.[list]
[*]If the story is going to feature Philemon, will Nyarlathotep be present as well?
[*]Will there be a social link aspect to the rp? Or some sort of leveling system for either our characters or our personas?
[*]You said that one of the two things will occur when someone is pulled into the dream world, the first of which is surrender and possession. What is the other? (Sorry if this question is answered in your post and I'm just not seeing it)
[*]Will the characters actively be travelling into the dream world, or will all of their adventures occur in the real word?
[/list]
As for people who want to join the story later, maybe they could witness one of the main character's summoning their persona, and this acts as a sort of enlightenment, which allows them to be reached by Philemon. Just an idea. :]

[RedJ]

[list]
[*]He will be around, yes.
[*]I toyed with the idea of Social Links, but in the end decided not to have them, seeing as they're really only relevent to a Persona user with the Wild Card ability, which none of our characters will have. What I might do is allow a characters' Persona to evolve as the story progresses and they develop.
[*]Typographical error The alternative is that the person would manage to repress their desires, which [i]could[/i] potentially awaken their Persona.
[*]Most time will be spent in the real world, but occasional travel to the dream world might be necessary. Then it becomes a question of how that would work, which is still being worked on.
[/list]
Hmm...I like that idea. In fact, I don't know why I didn't think of it before, seeing as being around the Protagonist was usually what caused other characters Personas in the games. Maybe it could combine with the above second option somehow- perhaps they supress their desires, and Philemon is then able to reach out to them, and/or their Persona is awakened when they are near the other characters. Something along those lines, then.

[Orcus]

[list]
[*]That's a brilliant idea! That way the ability to summon a persona won't be an arbitrary gift that any schmuck could abuse; the person receiving one would have to "prove" her or himself first.
[*]Evolving Personas sound groovy to me. That actually brings me to another concern I had: will the rpers be able to choose whatever persona from whatever arcana they please? And if our personas will eventually progress, would that require the rpers to pick personas that have an "initial/ultimate stage"?
[*]In keeping with the tradition of items/places in universe reflecting the theme of the game, as you stated previously (guns and towers reflecting fearful objects P3 and glasses and tvs reflecting the search for truth in P4), will the protagonists carry items reflecting their ability to check their desires? And would it make sense for the "portal" or gate as it were, which links the real and dream worlds together, to be a casino type something or other? Casinos might be a bad suggestion, but I usually equate matters of self-control with them.
[*]I like the concept of a mutated Persona, like faulty ones that gradually overwhelm the person's existence or something. (I know this isn't a question or a suggestion, but I thought I'd just share)
[*]Actually, to possibly add something to my last point, I had been considering creating a Persona-esque rp myself some time ago, where the protagonists needed to devour/control other personas or shadows so that they could create their own persona. Maybe people who give into their shadows are condemned to a similar fate, wherein they are unable to manifest their own "persona" without killing others and claiming their essence (or something) repeatedly until their "persona bar" were full, so to speak?
[/list]

[RedJ]

I'm planning on allowing the players to choose from one of eighteen Arcana (Fool, Judgement/Aeon, and World/Universe not being options). I will then give them their Personas in game, when the time comes. The reasoning behind this: one, I find it to be more realistic, seeing as the characters in the games couldn't just say, "HEY. I want this Persona, kthnxbai". Two, I don't want people running around with all-powerful Personas from the start. Sure, I could reject them, but I don't want to keep having to reject character sheets because they picked a Persona that's way to strong. Evolution will be handled the same way.

And it is at this point I should probably mention- I'm only allowing 18 characters for this RP, one for each Arcana. I think that's a high enough number, and I doubt I'll get more than that to join. I was also planning on having some 'evil' characters later in the game with Reverse Arcana, perhaps those who give into their desires. What I could do, though, is allow people to play as these characters, though I would have to work closely with them to keep the story going the right direction. This probably wouldn't happen until a bit after the RP started- I don't want EVERYONE playing as these guys and gals, for various reasons.

I like that idea...yes. In fact, that would give said 'evil' characters a reason to fight the other characters. I'll have to think on that for a bit, because my brain is currently going crazy thinking of all the potential things that could be done with that.

As for the casino/object thing...hmm. I haven't really thought of an object they could use yet, but as for locations, I was considering having a location change into a dungeon sort of thing, depending on the person. A casino is certainly a good idea- perhaps someone has a gambling addiction, then they give into their desires and the Shadow creates (or morphs) a casino-like area into its own domain in reality, or something along those lines.

EDIT: Idea. Perhaps characters could use coins to summon their Personas? I say coins, because coins typically mean money of some sort, and the choice to spend money recklessly (giving into desire) or to spend it wisely (suppressing desire) is probably the most common temptation people run in to. Edited March 25, 2012 by RedJ

[Orcus]

[size=4][font=times new roman,times,serif]I'm glad you like that idea, and I quite like that you'll be choosing which persona people will have. It's kind of a load of my mind, actually. :][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=times new roman,times,serif]And I like the use of the Reverse Arcanas as well. It will make for a great antithesis between the main characters and the villains. Maybe to maintain the suspense of who the Reverse Arcana users are they can submit their sign ups directly to you. Or is that too much?[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=times new roman,times,serif]Coins would be a great medium. To remedy the oddness of normal people carrying around swords and lances and the like, the coin could also "summon" their weapons-- flip the coin, your persona appears, and then your coin morphs into the weapon, which you catch stylishly. Meh?[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=times new roman,times,serif]So I like the idea of individual people causing reality to shift around them into their own personal dungeon. However, would that mean that 1) most corrupted people remain stationary, allowing their dungeon to develop around them, or 2) the world constantly transforms as said person journeys along? Or, could it be that the first option happens after the corrupted person has obtained their "hearts desire", at which point they take refuge somewhere? And maybe wherever the shadows/whatever is summoning the shadows originates from could be a corrupted casino like place? [/font][/size]

[RedJ]

Hmm. I'll likely have them send them directly to me, yes. Buuut I'll worry about that when I get there- gotta get this thing off the ground, first :P

I was actually thinking of having the Personas handle all the fighting, like in the P4 anime. That's always made a bit more sense to me, as compared to the brief appearances they made in the games to cast a spell, then disappearing. The people with Reverse Arcana might carry weapons of some sort, seeing as their Personas will likely only be stable enough to do just that- appear, attack, disappear.

As for the other bit, it will be a mix of all of the above. At first, they will general stay stationary, but as things move along, people might start moving around inside the dungeons- perhaps they haven't actually obtained what they are after, maybe they just don't want to be caught, maybe....hm. I think I'll keep that bit to myself for now >:)

[Orcus]

[size=4][font=times new roman,times,serif]Haha, that is true. That does bring me to another matter, however-- what is the age range for sign-up characters? Will we be a group of high school students like in the games, or will the gift of persona summoning be available to a more diverse bunch?[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=times new roman,times,serif]That does make the most sense, though it is a bit of a disappointment. I was looking forward to using tonfa as my weapons. Alas! Anywho, it sounds like you've got quite a bit squared away for the rp. Is there anything else I can help with?[/font][/size]

[RedJ]

Characters will be no younger than 12. There isn't any particular limit to how much older they can be, so long as it stays reasonable. So if you want to be a high school student, fine. If you want to be an adult, that's okay too. The only way we'll all end up playing high school students is if everyone signs up as them :P


Nope, that's it- thanks for the help :D I'll likely update the opening post here with more info soon, and the sign ups should be ready within the next day or so.

And of course, if anyone else has any suggestions, I'm all ears. Or eyes, if you want to get technical.

[Orcus]

[font=times new roman,times,serif]Hooray! I'm really looking forward to this. :D[/font]

[font=times new roman,times,serif]EDIT: Will you be creating your own new personas for the characters, or picking from the existing pool of MegaTen demons?[/font] Edited March 27, 2012 by Vongola

[RedJ]

There will be a few original Personas, but most of them will be based on demons in the MegaTen universe, maybe with a few modifications to their appearances.

[SunfallE]

[color=#800080][size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]Iâ??ve only played Persona 4 but I do have some ideas and input for this RP. So Iâ??ll tell you what Iâ??ve thought of as I read through the responses here.[/font][/size]

[size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]You mentioned rescuing people as a means for introducing someone late into the RP. It occurred to me that you could also do something as simple as a new person moving into town. You could also have someone coming to essentially gawk in the hopes of catching the bizarre crimes in action. Heck you could even have someone passing through who spends the night at a hotel and has the dream that gets them involved, leaving them separate from the main people and yet with a persona on account of the dream encounter. [/font][/size]

[size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]So there are plenty of valid reasons for someone to get dragged into this RP that donâ??t involve interaction with the main characters in any form. Their introduction into the RP doesnâ??t have to be dramatic either, at least not at first. Lol[/font][/size]

[size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]Now in relation to the dream world, Iâ??m thinking that itâ??s merely a means for people to be â??temptedâ?? so they end up running wild in the real world. That does imply that something or someone is using peopleâ??s dreams to cause this â??snapâ?? to happen, either way itâ??s just a thought and does leave an opening for someone evil to be behind it. [/font][/size]

[size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]I certainly like the idea of things being in the real world vs a different one with shadows in it to battle. This forces people to have to be creative with their solutions since what they do can indirectly kill or harm things in the real world. [/font][/size]

[size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]When it comes to people using their persona for good or bad, you could imply that the act of drawing on that power creates a bit of a ripple in reality itself. Only that ripple would be limited to a certain range, like say the size of a small room, building or however much the personâ??s psyche is capable of supporting. [/font][/size]

[size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]You could then leave it up in the air as to whether or not people present when that happens are drawn in or not, thus someone ending up dead cause they got in the way of the person going after their desires. There is also the possibility that this ripple isnâ??t something others can detect unless they have a persona. Maybe people canâ??t enter it once it happens, rather people who canâ??t draw on a persona that is.[/font][/size]

[size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]That would leave it open to make it harder for the authorities to track down or stop anything since theyâ??d have to literally be there when something happens. Thus making the need for people with their persona awakened a necessity to stop the madness that is happening in the city.[/font][/size]

[size=3][font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif]Anyway, those are just my initial thoughts on the concept. If I have more Iâ??ll post them. [/font][/size][/color] Edited March 28, 2012 by Hummy

[RedJ]

Edited the opening post and changed the thread title to differentiate between it and the sign-up thread, which is now up. I decided on The Velvet Room because...well, it made the most sense and seemed less generic than 'Backstage' :P

Also, the RP now has a name. YAAAAAAAY


I don't know why I didn't think of the new people passing through town thing >>;; I guess that's a lot less complicated than going into the dream world and rescuing them a la P4.

[RedJ]

Go go Gadget DOUBLE POST!

Alright, so I'm thinking of getting this party started on Wednesday. For those who haven't filled out a character sheet yet, I'm not closing sign-ups, so there's no need to rush.

[TheResplendent]

Embarrassing admission - Didn't notice this thread here before I made my sign-up. lol

Going to make a few edits to Yuko's sign up to be a little more coherent with the information you've provided. I feel bad not utilizing it simply because I overlooked the thread.

Also, i can understand the reasoning behind why you'd nix the idea of social links. Unlike the main characters of previous Persona games our characters won't be venturing outside our respective Arcana's Personas I imagine. I would hope we wouldn't need some kind of system in place to encourage communication between our characters either.

Also, I like the idea that our characters would be able to engage in rudimentary combat. In Persona 3 the group was much more coordinated battle wise, but I was thinking along the lines of 4 where it pretty much starts off like "Hey i got these weapons, um...which one do you want?". To show that we obviously never thought we'd need to learn to use weapons let alone fight anything, but be able to to adapt enough to know it would make sense to not be completely helpless without our Personas. I mean hell some of us could even use bokken weaponry in the beginning. Maybe this is me talking because Yuko has a strong interest in martial arts, maybe it isn't >.>....we'll never know...<.<. Whatever your decision will be fine though :)

[RedJ]

I might allow weapons eventually. I just feel it would get to chaotic if I did allow it, and I don't want everyone focusing on them and not using their Personas- they're there for a reason, and it's not as a means of last resort protection. The things the characters will be facing wont typically be things they can simply beat down. There's also the fact that the Persona and user are directly connected- if the Persona takes a hit, the user feels it, and vice versa. With that in mind, if a character charged into battle along with their Persona, the two would likely end up getting in each other's way.

Anyway, working on the opening post now. Should be up in the next few hours.

And on another interestingly random note, it occurred to me yesterday while I was taking a test in Psychology, I realized that the chapter we had been covering was based on the whole unconscious thoughts and desires thing. Gee, I wonder where I got my inspiration from (even if unconsciously)? :P Edited April 4, 2012 by RedJ

[TheResplendent]

Ah, I was under the impression that they would only be summoned for attacking purposes like in the games, and then return back to the character's soul until manifested once more. I actually think it would be cool to take a sort of Nocturne feel where the Personas would be able to act outside of simply showing up for an attack or two. If that's what you meant.

and Yay @ opening post *waits patiently*

[RedJ]

Exactly like that, yes.

Annnnd posted. GO GO GO

EDIT: For those who have characters in school, keep in mind that today(April 6th) is the start of a new school year. YAY JAPANESE SCHOOLS

In case you're not sure what to do, just have your character go about their usual routine- go to school/work, the usual. There will be a speech for the first day of school, so keep that in mind. Also, no one has heard about the murders yet, and everyone had the same dream about Philemon (see the Audition thread/Compendium).

Yeah, this is going to be a tad complicated at first. And for this reason I want to emphasize communication- post here often with your questions, message me if need be, stuff like that. I want to keep this as unchaotic as possible. Edited April 4, 2012 by RedJ

[RedJ]

BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH @_@

No, this is not dead, and neither am I. I apologize for the lack of...anything, but that'll be changing soon. I plan to have a post up before Saturday, so hopefully we can get this thing moving again soon.

[Orcus]

Happy day! :D