Discuss Golden Sun, Book I [PG-L]

[inti]

Hiya everyone. I've had an idea for a new RPG, and it hasn't left my mind for at least a week, which is a good sign. Usually I forget my ideas, and if I write them down on paper, I forget where the paper is...but, anywho, here's the idea:

Most of us know vaguely about the game [I]Golden Sun[/I], right? Well, this RPG will follow in that game's footsteps.
We will first have the four main characters; Isaac, Garet, Ivan and Mia, who will be trying to stop Saturos, Mernardi, Alex and Felix from lighting the Mercury and Venus lighthouses. Saturos, Mernardi, Alex and Felix will be played as seperate characters, and even though they only appear one in a while in the game, those who will be RPing the four "bad-guys" listed will be describing their travels, as the four "good-guys" are on their journey to stop them.
If [i]Golden Sun[/i], Book I, is as much of a success here on the boards as it is/was in reality, then we'll have [i]Golden Sun: the Lost Age[/i], Book II.

There's the idea all summed up into however many paragraphs I squished together. Any comments/feedback?

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial]My main issue with it is everyone who would sign up would have already played the games enough to know the plot, and in areas where huge events take place (like Lighthouses, for example), wouldn't get to have any fun with the situations. I mean, maybe if you liked writing recounts, but otherwise no.

Also, the people playing [spoiler]Saturos and Mernadi wouldn't even get a look in in the second game because they get screwed over[/spoiler], so they wouldn't have much incentive to try very hard near the end of the RP. Ask yourself, would you like to participate in an RP where not only the plot is predefined, but you know your character is going to die?

Summed up, I think if you changed the plot it'd be a better concept. Recycling the game's plot could get tedious. Also... incorporate the djinni somehow... those little guys rocked, lol.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[inti]

Thanks for the feedback Alan. Now that you put it that way, I can see a new plotline is needed. That is why we have this forum, no? So, time to ask for suggestions for new plotlines. Anyone have any?
BTW, I like your idea of incorporating the Djinni. I/we should do that.
I'd really appreciate some help with getting a Golden Sun RPG off the ground. So if you've got any fancy ideas that Alan can't pick apart :smirk: go ahead and PM me or post them.
Members of RPGers Annonymous, if you could help out, that'd be great.
Alan, you seem interested enough, so if its ok, you wanna have a go at this? Or at least stick around to point out any large flaws? No, seriously, I want to eliminate some of the really big ones so that this RP can last for a while, and so we can all have fun.

[BlueYoshi]

[color=teal]A new plotline is definitely needed for this, especially that you're taking off an already existing one, like Alan said. Come up with something new and it should work out.

I don't think the issues of character deaths would be a problem though... I mean, what, only [spoiler]Saturos and Menardi die[/spoiler] in the game. If you continued onto The Lost Age then you'd already have two other characters to replace them, being Sheeba and Jenna. As for their fates, I have no idea since I never got far enought to tell.[/color]

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][FONT=Arial][SIZE=1]Well... I thought about this 'plot' thing... and because I have had a hell of a week and no caffeine for HOURS, all I came up with was the following:

As you start the game an Earth djinni of some description relates to you a tale of rejoining his friends... Now, assuming you didn't completely blow at Golden Sun I & II, we can assume they are all back together. This is where my idea gets a bit cooler.

The Djinni, when they join, can form monsters. Now what would happen if all 40-something of them joined together? Something uber. Very uber. And probably extremely psychotic and willing to destroy the world. Plus, throw in the fact it has the ultimate power of all elements and you have something to worry about.

I think it'd work best if this uber-monster (or ithey could turn into some uber-humanoid who can blend seemlessly with society) was fleeing to another dimension of some sort, and in its search for the portal it left there eons ago (because it was dumb and forgot where he hid the damn thing) is trashing the place up.

Your heroes valiantly quest to stop it, racing all over the world before they end up at Vale themselves, with the fate of the world in their hands.

Yes, it needs a fuckload of improvement, but its just the skeleton of a plot. More original elements should come from you. ;) (because, you know, its your RP and all)[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

Yes, it would be very foolish to start a game with an already existing story. I've played Golden Sun: the Lost Age, and although I really like the world with all the secluded continents and presence of the four elements, the plotline wasn't that brilliant IMO. Besides, there's bound to be Book Three in the series, as the plot didn't really end when the actual game ended.

What I suggest you do is you take the world with all of it's unique features, add few of your own, invent a fully original storyline located in a completely different time, and either make a selection of characters yourself or let the joining players create their own.

One possiblity for a story could be to place it into the Golden Age that was lost (you know what I mean if you know the story in the games). So it could be kind of a prequel...

But the decision is of course all yours, inti. :)

[inti]

[COLOR=SandyBrown][SIZE=1]I just finished GS: The Lost Age, and I see what you mean by leaving it open to sequel, Sage.
I do like your idea of using the Golden Age as the era for this RPG. It would be a lot of fun, and I was just thinking of a few possibilities.
For instance, everyone who has played either of the two GS games would know that Alchemy was sealed away, right?
Well, I was thinking that we could have a group of four trying to take away the Elemental Stars from their respectful lighthouses. Or it could just be that there are four (or more) people sent to seal away Alchemy. There would have to be a number of people trying to stop them, say...Leumarians, and the people of Vale.
Anyone want to add to this/comment?

Oh, and Alan, the idea of having a rampaging "uber"-summon of all the Djinni run throughout Weyard is cool, but that's one of your "fight-and-kill" type RPGs, isn't it? I think I want to make a more in-depth RPG (if that's possible, lol).
By the way, I just checked and there's something like 72 Djinni in total. That'd be a hell of a fight...[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial]This idea of the Elemental Star stealing intrigues me.

Yes, I know, that idea blowed, lol. But eh. I was tired. I did't actually [i]read[/i] it till a few hours ago. >.>;; I was just throwing out ideas, lol.

But yes. This elemental star stealing in the Golden Age. It sounds awesome. Having it from the perspective of the thieves, unaware of what their actions will do, would be the most interesting. Especially since they'd be coming up against all kinds of resistance in their plight.

Setting it in the Golden Age would also leave you open to be a bit more creative with the world, and add in things that were 'lost' between the Golden Age and the time frame of Golden Sun. Technology, magic, etc...

I'd also like to see what the effects of the stars being taken away from the lighthouse would be, as opposed to being taken there. We know what happens when they're returned, but what happened when they were stolen initially? I'm not talking the long, barely noticable things (like the shrinking of the world) but the initial things. Stealing the Fire Star could set off volcanoes, for example, or stealing the water star could cause huge rain storms around the world[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[inti]

Well, it looks like we have a main theme. Golden Age, thieves of the Elemental Stars, people to try and stop the thieves and Djinni. I'll incorporate the Djinni somehow, don't worry about that Alan ;).

I've already started stockpiling my Golden Sun pictures I found over the past few weeks, and I'm looking into some of the old graphics programs I have lying around.
I'll start the introduction to the RPG tomorrow, meaning that if anyone has any last words to add, do so [b]now[/b]. I will take everything into account.

About a map for Weyard in the Golden Age...I have one of the world in the era [i]The Lost Age[/i] was set in, but considering we're talking thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years before that, the landmass would have been immensely different. I will attempt a map myself, but any help is appreciated.

I'm assuming you guys are possibly along for the ride, Alan? Sage? Wingnut Ninja? Let me know via PM or something, or if you post here in the next couple of days.
I'm going to begin recruiting staff members to fill design roles for this in a couple of weeks, so keep your eyes open and in this thread guys.

Thanks for your help so far, or if you're going to step down and watch things go by from a secluded corner of OB, thanks for your help anyway. (Did that make sense?)
I've got to go get started on this now, or I'll leave it until next month...

[b]EDIT:[/b] ---{Update}---

Well, most of the basic plot has been done, and it's all safely written out on random pages all over my desk. Now all I need to do is sort out the order and start the nitty-gritty details.
Now, Sage, sorry to bug you, but...about the map. I've been writing the introduction to the story, and it's a bit hard if I don't have the map of Weyard in the Golden Age sitting there in front of me.
If it's alright, could you send it to me soon? My email's at the bottom of this post.
Umm...yeah. If all goes well with the map-sending and detail-increasing, this should be up in a month or so.
Oh, and Sage? If you haven't finished the map that's alright. Even if you haven't started it, that's ok too. I'll send you the description of Weyard via PM once it's done. Just tell me if the map's been started or not, ok?
Thanks guys.

email: [email][email protected][/email]


[b]EDIT:[/B] ---{Update}---

Another update peeps. Just letting you all know that the introduction post is almost 100% complete (I have to iron out a few things here and there) and should be up in a week or two.
Also, I'm currently working on a small-time site to cover any neccessary details about Golden Sun, and also just for a bit of fun (I didn't mean to rhyme that sentence....don't shoot me!!)
Ok, now what I'd like is for anyone who's been reading this thread and thinking "Hey, a Golden Sun RPG, I might have a go at this..." to PM me so I can get an idea of numbers. I already have the number of people needed planned out, but this is just a safety precaution in case there are less people than I need.
That's it.
Right now I'm going to go and fiddle around with some GS Sprites I found while I relax my brain. My sentences keep coming out slurred and...not-the-right-word-for-what-I-mean...-ness. That's beside the point.
Happy PMing (I need an idea of numbers, so please let me know, k?)

[Meggido]

Has anyone noticed that this is actually called Golden Sun, Book 1. This means that my mate inti wouldn't have to worry about the events that happen in The Lost Age. If this was to continue into the second game then those who were playing Saturos and Menardi could play Karst and Agatio.

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][FONT=Arial][SIZE=1]Woo.... He decided not to do it based on Golden Sun Book 1. It's just the name of the thread, haha. I think he's got something elaborate planned with the golden age.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]