Warframe - Armistice Era (A Tabletop Rpg) - A Call For Alpha Testers

[Morec0]

Ladies and gentlemen! The wait is over!

A long while ago I made a post where I talked about an unfinished attempt to create a Warframe tabletop RPG as a gift to the Warframe community. I apologized for my failure and said that, while unlikely, I would try to return to it in the future.

More recently, I updated that very same post with infrequent and meaningless tidbits, a sign I had once again restarted the project and come a ways more than I previously had managed to.

Now, I make a new post to say that the progress I made has reached an new high. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the start of the Alpha Testing phase of Warframe: Armistice Era.

 

Now I'm sure there are two major questions being brought up in your mind right now:

1) What is up with that name? Wouldn't Warframe: The Rollplaying Game have worked just fine?

and

2) How can we have an accurate Warframe Tabletop RPG when we know so little about the characters we play as? I mean, how can you Rollplay as a Tenno when we aren't even sure what they are?

And I answer both with the same reply: this game doesn't center around the Tenno. No, rather it centers around the Grineer and Corpus in time before the Era we find the main game to take place in.

The Tenno are a myth, whispered in hushed tones - the Orokin Era is long gone, the Era of Grineer dominance has passed. What stands now is Origin as it was before the Tenno, before the Echoes of the Sentient, when the Grineer Empire and Corpus Corporation were all that ruled over the system - a fragile need for the other being all that spared open war between them, but at the same time led to the oppression of the common civilian under their iron heels.

The player plays not as a Tenno but a Grineer of the Empire or Corpus employee of the Corporation, working not only with their own kind but with their uneasy allies as well to further their goals.

And yes, some liberties have been taken in order to make this the game I see (where I haven't purposefully left matter vague, at any rate), but I've attempt to keep them fairly grounded in what we know and what we thing we know, and it's overall very minor speculations compared to what it would take for the Tenno to be the player characters at this point (but don't worry, their time will come).

 

So, with introductions out of the way you're probably still wondering about that title: "A Call For Alpha Testers". Well, it's exactly what it says on the tin. I'm looking for people from the Warframe community to help me test this game, help me take it from the current inane scribblings of a lone nerd and make it into something solid that can be used by the Warframe community as they wish.

And, naturally, that's where all of you come in.

You're the Warframe community, I want your help.

 

So, interested? If so then you're wondering what I'm about to explain next: what do you need to do to help? And how will this whole thing go down?

To the former the answer is simple: leave a comment here expressing your interest and saying how much tabletop RPG experience you've had in the past and send me a PM containing your email address - or post the address here if you don't want to go through the extra steps and aren't shy about that sort of thing. I'm currently looking for two (2) more people to help me out with this project.

And don't let your lack of experience with tabletop RPGs or even overexperience (however that would work) try and hold you up - I literally have no idea what I'm doing either, I'm honestly making this up as I go along and am open to all manner of suggestions. If you want to help but aren't sure you can, go ahead and sign up. I WILL say I am going to favor those who have more experience over those who have none, but if those people don't exist out there in the community then I will turn to those with less or none.

I just need the help in playing this, testing this on the go, and overall making sure it's FUN. You don't need to have a resume for fun.

Secondly, to the latter I say this: this isn't just going to be a closet event, just me and the other testers sitting alone and playing the game - no, I intend to have this be a broadcasted event for the whole community to enjoy and comment on.

Thanks to my good friend ToxicTroublermaker this game will be streamed over Twitch, allowing for all those interested to tune in and watch and comment on. The viewer's feedback will be just as valued as the players, and, all in all, I just want to help entertain the community. I'm not making this for me, after all, I'm making this for you.

 

And that's it. That's the long and short of it and all I have to say.

If you're interested go ahead and leave a comment. If you've got further questions go ahead and leave a comment. I'll answer them all as best I can.

I look forward to any interest in this that may arise, I look forward to playing this game with those who volunteer. I look forward to finishing this project for the community I made it for.

Cheers, my fellow Tenno,
~Morec0

Edited October 27, 2015 by Morec0

[AM-Bunny]

Ha, glorious.

 

I'll confess, I've contemplated the thought before, but I got hung up on exactly the snag you mentioned - how do you make an RPG about characters you aren't even sure of their basic physiology? You've provided an interesting solution, although even the Grineer and Corpus are largely unknown to us. I suppose a little creative inspiration is half the fun, but that bothers me.

 

A touch disappointing that the rules look pretty much like D&D 3.5 - ever since I discovered MnM 3e I'm convinced that it's the ultimate game system for any universe. It can seriously be applied to anything and work perfectly. 

 

I'd love to volunteer, but I'm afraid I'm much too shy for this sort of thing... all the same, I wish you the best of luck ^.^

[Morec0]

Ha, glorious.

 

I'll confess, I've contemplated the thought before, but I got hung up on exactly the snag you mentioned - how do you make an RPG about characters you aren't even sure of their basic physiology? You've provided an interesting solution, although even the Grineer and Corpus are largely unknown to us. I suppose a little creative inspiration is half the fun, but that bothers me.

 

A touch disappointing that the rules look pretty much like D&D 3.5 - ever since I discovered MnM 3e I'm convinced that it's the ultimate game system for any universe. It can seriously be applied to anything and work perfectly. 

 

I'd love to volunteer, but I'm afraid I'm much too shy for this sort of thing... all the same, I wish you the best of luck ^.^

 

Largely unknown, but we know more than we can say about others - and the purpose of an RPG, as I understand it, is to make your own story anyway, so aside from a few details on group origin and whatnot (in particular in regards to the Corpus, which I pulled from StalordD's AWESOME What We Know video on the Corpus guilds) I've tried to keep things fairly bane bones - contrast to my ORIGINAL attempt where I tried to label what planets were under which character's control and whatnot. It was a mess.

 

And I can't say I know either system. I was pretty much making this up as I go along based on my minor understanding of a few different Roleplaying systems from other games I've watched.

 

And that's totes fine, as I said. Still tune in to view when we get it up and running, though, would love to have you there.

[MartianJellyfish]

Glad to see you bring this project back to life (I was tempted to make a Nekros joke but I shall refrain from it).

 

I personally haven't played tabletop RPGs in nearly a decade, so my experience with them is fairly limited and somewhat outdated. Mostly D&D and Vampire: the Masquerade and its variants. I'd love to volunteer for this alpha test (and possibly be the worst Corpus scientist/Crewman in the history of this game's fanworks), but I'm afraid I have too many ongoing projects of my own to handle right now. Still, I will be looking forward to seeing more from it, and how you're gonna work around the little lore gaps we haven't filled yet.

[Kinzuko]

I'm a table top rpg scrub lord but I would love to try and play

[Blackout751]

Sure, why not.

[Drakeardian]

Hmm....

 

I may be up for the challenge.

[S.T.M.P.D]

Ha, glorious.

 ever since I discovered MnM 3e I'm convinced that it's the ultimate game system for any universe. It can seriously be applied to anything and work perfectly. 

 

I'd love to volunteer, but I'm afraid I'm much too shy for this sort of thing... all the same, I wish you the best of luck ^.^

I searched this up - Mutants and Masterminds, a superhero RPG? Howzit work?

[AM-Bunny]

I searched this up - Mutants and Masterminds, a superhero RPG? Howzit work?

It's originally made for superhero games, but it's amazingly flexible, and the rules can apply to anything. Most of the effects are very base, abstract, and customizable.

Say I wanted my character to have Frost's Snowglobe. I would start with a Protection power, then apply the 'radial area' customization. I would also link it to Status Affliction, and select 'slowed/frozen' as the inflicted ailment to any enemy entering. I proceed to apply all the customizations until the power is perfect, and then calculate the cost of the power. Depending on your power level, you only have a certain number of points to buy powers with. The system is so flexible, you can come up with any powers you can imagine.

That's a pretty quick example, I'd really implore you to look it up, you only need the core book - it has everything in it.

[Stigmergy]

MnM's got some huge balance issues and stuff that doesn't really work the way it ought to

 

...so it might actually be perfect for replicating the warframe experience

[Morec0]

MnM's got some huge balance issues and stuff that doesn't really work the way it ought to

 

...so it might actually be perfect for replicating the warframe experience

 

HA HA!

 

[keen211]

 Hello there! As a huge RPG nerd myself I'm really glad to see something like this pop on the warframe forums. I'd love to help you out in any way I can! I've played a lot of RPG campains in the past, mostly in GURPS and some lesser known systems, and I've DMed most of them. I also love crafting game systems (I'm a student of game design myself) and I've already created an RPG system of my own. I might be a little limited on available time but I'll pm you with my email so we can talk. Cheers!

[Newbiespud]

Looks like you've got a few interested parties, but heck, I've been dying for some Warframe-themed tabletop action, so I'll throw my name in the hat.

 

I've got some experience broadcasting RPGs online. I run/DM a long-running campaign called "Fallout is Dragons" (warning: pony content) that I stream on hitbox.tv and publish as a podcast on libsyn. I've also got some homebrew dev experience - the system I use for FiD is a friend's that I contributed a few things to. Even if you don't have room for a player, I wouldn't mind taking a look as an interested designer, or even just as a techie on the broadcasting side.

 

There are a thousand RPG systems and growing out there in the world, but not enough actual games been played. I'm all for this.

[SpaghettiMan976]

Yeah I'm totally down yo

[BaronVonBangin]

Hey! I saw your posts about writing this up a while back!  I'd love to help out, but I'm not super sure how much time I'd be able to devote to it seeing as I'm currently schooling, working and am currently part of an RPG group right now (full plate).  If involvement just involves emails and posting here on the boards it'd be easier to keep up with since I won't have to devote a set amount of time to discussing it "live."

 

That said! I've played in numerous tabletop RPGs including Pathfinder, Dark Heresy, Black Crusade, Rogue Trader, Death Watch (lots of 40k, I know), an RPG my friend had written called Centurian, an online "tabletop" RPG called Remnants of Earth, and an RPG I co-wrote called Breeze. (whew)

 

I've only GM'd once and aaaaaalmost Gm'd another one but not everyone could commit so we dropped it (I mention this because I wrote out the whole setting with the intent on having it be a living setting that'd exist and move along despite or in accordance to PC choices.  

I'd love to see a set of the rules if you have any, just to see if I can break a PC or whatever in the meantime.

 

I'll PM you an email as well.

[Morec0]

Heyo folks! Thanks for the interest! I'm actually surprised to see this many people I was expecting, like... one.

 

I'll be getting to work in sorting though all of ya'll tomorrow, and be sending you some PM's on the matter to work out the nitty-gritty details and make sure there wont be too much schedule conflict (i.e. you're midnight is our midday). Looking forward to this!

[SilverBones]

Looks good to me so far. Feel free to sign me up to take a look.

 

I am also working on a custom system for a Warframe RPG, taking inspiration from CthulhuTech and Shattered in regards to dice pooling.

 

I'll see how it works out, but would love to see your system.

[BaneOfOrion]

i have neither the time nor the friends with which to play currently, but i will watch with anticipation, and would even be willing to donate to a kickstarter if you were to put together a full on module. other than that, keep on digging that lore-pit Morec0. My warframe universe addiction is becoming crippling because of you, you bastard.

edit-and stallord of course

Edited September 30, 2015 by BaneOfOrion

[Morec0]

i have neither the time nor the friends with which to play currently, but i will watch with anticipation, and would even be willing to donate to a kickstarter if you were to put together a full on module. other than that, keep on digging that lore-pit Morec0. My warframe universe addiction is becoming crippling because of you, you bastard.

edit-and stallord of course

 

Glad to hear. It's slow going getting this all set up, and that's all on me... Ideally I'll have things ready by the end of next week, and sometime after that we'll set up the first stream.

 

And I would NEVER dream of charging for this - lawsuits from DE aside, I want this to be easily available to all interested parties free of charge as a gift from me to the Warframe community... sadly the most reliable method, Google doc.s, confuses the hell out of me.

 

Now, if DE wanted to pay me to work on the concept for them... hinthint nudgenudge Steve.

 

And I do hope you're watching the Loreframe stream - that's got me AND StallordD.

[TheJadrimian]

Still looking for people? A friend of mine brought the old threads and document to my attention a while back – always thought it was something that ought to be done. I looked at putting together a TTRPG set in the Warframe 'verse myself for a while, so I reckon it'd be interesting to get involved with this.

 

As for me, I've been into tabletop roleplaying for the last five years or so. Been through a variety of systems, but for the last year I've been running Stars Without Number, a sci-fi sandbox system, via Roll20.

[(XBOX)BusinessMan762]

I'll join my experince with table top RPG's is okay but i'm still a n00b

[Eftycchia]

I don't really play tabletop RPG a lot anymore, but this project definitely catches my eye out of all the threads here. Actual progress made instead of sitting in one place doing absolutely nothing, much like me when i get on Warframe (or when i open my other applications heh).

 

I'll see what I can help with if possible. And apologies if there's any mistakes with me trying to remember the basis of ye olde games.

Edited October 8, 2015 by ViroVeteruscy

[Lovesplosions]

I definitely want to give this a try.

 

I wouldn't want to be on the initial alpha test stream, but I do want to run a game with my friends. As soon as you make materials available I will get to work on a campaign, and I would happily make note of any issues about the system that we as a group come across and report back to you.

[Morec0]

I definitely want to give this a try.

 

I wouldn't want to be on the initial alpha test stream, but I do want to run a game with my friends. As soon as you make materials available I will get to work on a campaign, and I would happily make note of any issues about the system that we as a group come across and report back to you.

 

I'm incredibly exited to hear this sort of thing. Would LOVE to hear from you when that time comes.

[Morec0]

Right, this is just about ready to go up... I seem to have lost one of my original contributors, and since the majority of these offers are very old I wanted to try and get new answers before we can move on:

 

Is anyone out there interested in participating in the Alpha Test streams? Ideally someone within PDT or EDT (or regional equivalent) would be ideal.