"Imposter" Interest Thread (a Thing like RP)
 

I’ve had this idea for an RP for awhile, and I finally decided to give it a go.

The idea is basically the same as the movie John Carpenter’s: The Thing. The group is isolated, alone. At this point, I’m thinking something along the lines of a sealed government facility, a la Half-Life…but with no commandos or obvious killer aliens.

But the point is this: You know for a fact that there is an organism among you, one that can replicate and impersonate anyone perfectly. You don’t know why it’s here, but you know it’s hostile.

And you know that at least one among you group is this organism. But who?

That is the heart of this RP: Who do you trust? Who do you not?

This is going to be a little different than other RPs in that characters will be killing other characters. The group has to decide who they think are the imposter organisms, and who’s human. To win, the humans have to destroy all the imposters. But the question is, if they are perfect replicas, who do you know who is human and who isn’t. If this RP does come about, the people who join must realize that their character could die at anytime. It may be on the first page of the RP, or it may be never. Your fate lies in the hands of the others, and whether or not they trust you.

On the flip side, you have the imposter. Out of the people who sign up, I will pick one at random to start as the imposter organism. The goal of the imposter is to infect the other people. They do this by getting other people alone. Replication takes a half hour. When someone is replicated, I’ll send them a PM telling them they are now on the side of the imposters. Imposters will also work to try to get humans to kill other humans. After all, this small group are the only people who know what’s going on. The imposters win when all humans are destroyed…either killed or infected. Imposters know who the other imposters are…but are not necessarily allied with them. What better way to gain the trust of the group then to reveal another imposter for who they are?

There are some things I would like to iron out, and would like some input on. One is, how do you kill the other characters? I don’t want to see this become a “last one standing wins” RP, where everyone is just trying to kill everyone else. I’d like to see something along the lines of a voting system, if you know what I mean. The group gets to vote on whether or not to execute the accused…but I’m not really sure to implement it. If anyone can give me any input on this, please tell me.

Also, there is also the concept of spreading the infection. Do we just go by if you were alone with an imposter, you’re infected, or should there be some sort of system to it? The last thing I want to see this become is a big argument of “Your it!”, “No I’m not” “Yes you are!” kind of thing. Any input on how the infection system should work would be greatly appreciated.

I do have some ideas for these problems, but I'd like input. I want to keep this as far as possible.

So…thoughts, comments? Interest? Or should I not worry about ironing out the details because no one is interested.

There is one big flaw here.

To run this kind of RP successfully, all RPing would have to be through PMs. No one can see others people posts, unless they are in the same area (RP wise) as the other person. If everyone knows where everyone else is, some one can just avoid people the entire game, the creature can track down everyone, and other things.

Or one guy could just kill everyone, just to be sure.

You could have everyone doing things that are at least slightly suspicious. Just because you're not the creature doesn't necessarily mean that you won't do something that makes others suspect you.

The problem might be that you'd have to make all the characters' thought processes invisible - looking from the character's point of view is something very commonly done.

Alternatively, you keep the entire thing transparent and trust in the player's abilities to keep their knowledge separate from their character's knowledge. This is heavily dependant on the players you attract though.

Another idea is, who says the creature knows it is the creature? It might have a sort of dormant kill trigger - until then its actions are influenced by its replication imperative but it isn't 'active' if you know what I mean. This gets around the problem of showing the thoughts of characters.

As for the people killing each other, let paranoia take it's course. All they have to do is rationalise why they think someone is the creature. If they go and try to kill someone without the rest of the group knowing however, they'll probably rapidly end up getting killed themselves.

Not necessarily, I think. Like Arhra said in his post, it would depend heavily on the quality of the RPers attracted.

That said, do you have any suggestions on how to get around that problem, other than doing the whole thing via PMs?

Hey, they could try. Is everyone else just going to sit back while one guy goes on a killing spree?

This is one of the reasons why I was asking for input on the "killing-system". You have any ideas on how to prevent a one-man rampage, Pyros?

Agreed. If this RP goes through (which isn't looking very promising at this point), it would depend heavily on the players to seperate themselves from their characters. It's hard to do, I know from personal experience.

Yeah, they did something like that in the book the movie was based on: Who Goes There? A guy had a nervous breakdown by wondering if he was a thing or not. It would be hard to do in an RP, though. Would I just keep the players in the dark as to whether or not they were a thing until they were destroyed? That seems like the would have the possibilty of some upset people by the end. But it does counter the problem of the other players knowing where each character is if not even the players know that they are an imposter.

Indeed, paranoia and trust would be the heart of this RP. Trying to go on a killing spree isn't really the best choice for long term survival, I think.

So...any suggestions on how to fix the flaws? Anyone still interested, or should I just let this die?

I'm interested, but I have doubts about it working. I haven't seen the movie, however, so I'd just be the paranoid guy who knows he's in danger. Of course, that would just lead to him locking himself up in a room with a gun and the rational that anyone who enters must be the creature. Of course, this also means he's probably gonna be the first one to die.

Well...at any rate, doesn't look like this one is going to take off, but I would recommend renting the movie sometime. This is one of the few rated-R movies you'll ever see me recommend.

Just a warning...high gore content. I'm talking out the wazoo here, man.

Yeah, like when that dead guy's head walks off, and stuff..

Well, I've decided my answer. You make every character have sets of primary and secondary goals. Primary being "Protect all allies"or "Steal particle accelerator and escape", secondary being something particular, like "Protect little timmy more" "Stop other guy from stealing particle accelerator"

Humans protect all allies by if they see a "Thing" they kill it, and if they discover another rp'er is a thing.

The GM has to be the first and any unimitating thing, and any non rp thing. Like after a "thing" aborbs and repilicates, there's still mass left over to go replicate again. Also any animals replicated are also his pawns.
The thing protect's it allies by absorbing more humans and creatures, as there is no way for any of them to escape without using these humans. Also it desires all of them, a instinctual greed, if you will.

The thing spreads by either attacking and devouring, but can also spread by being eaten, or transmission of it's cells into blood. The thing can be discovered prematurely by blood tests, and unprematurely by cutting skin for blood. (thing's don't bleed, as every cut off cell becomes it's own entity. The thing can mutate it's existing bodily limbs into other things to solve situations, within scientific reason. It can't grow wings and fly, nor can it make itself to look like any dna based creature as whatever limbs it grows are non-earthly. Fire Kills it dead, same with high doses of electricity, and certain diseases. Bullets have trouble kiling it completely, but if it's blown to tiny tiny little bits that are spread out, all cells shortly die of hunger.

Thing:(continued.) When the thing attacks or runs toward a character, it has to be posted that it's attacking.

**
GM:
(The thing is running toward "Jeremy" in the artic tundra, as he hears the character's beatings on the door, and asking to be let in.)

"Jeremy"
F**k guys! Let me in! (spots the thing) AAhhh! Stay the hell away from me you fleshy b#st#rd! (Fires a few good shotgun rounds at it, blowing it to bits.) Hells yeah! (Upon killing it he checks to make sure it's dead.)

GM:
(small piece of thing jumps onto Jeremy's jacket)

Jeremy: Get the crap off me! (throws off jacket, little thing into littler things and runs back to cabin.)
**

Another method is that a thing has replicated the cook, and continues to feed the other crewmembers (with a special ingrediant). Only Jeremy (P9's character) eats it.
Then the Rper who plays the replicated cook, pm's the GM and Jeremy.

To: GM From: Cookie
OMFG! JURMY b3 teh thin& neow!

To: Cookie From: Gm
Alright, but learn how to type soon, as He probably ate it without understanding a word you said. I can only barely understand you, and I have a L33t translator! Dear god, man! You posted 3 posts ago in entirely ones and zeros! What the crap does 1101010111011010 mean? Why did I even let you in?

To: PyrosNine From: Cookie
H0w @R3 y0\/ G3nT73m3N.
@77 YuR J3R3MY @r3 b370nG t0 U$!
Y0u @R3 0n t3H W@y t0 d3$Tr\/ct!0N.

To: Cookie From: PyrosNine
What you say?

To:PyrosNine From: Cookie
CATS: Y0u H@v3 n0 Ch@Nc3 to suRv!V3 m@k# y0\/r t!M3.
CATS: H@ h@ h@ H@!

To: GM From: PyrosNine
No really, what'd he say?

To: PyrosNine From: Gm
You're a replicant, Nein.

To: GM From: PyrosNine
Well, damn. Mother always said my gluttony twould be the end of my skinny little self.
"If food don't make you fat, you must be evil! EVVVILLL!
Oh wait, that wasn't my mom, silly me. That was the town crazy lady.

***
More later, I hope this is a good idea. And that you find me funny. Pyros wanta attention...

May it's just because I'm tired, but that most of that post made no sense to me whatsoever, Pryos

It made no sense to me as well, in retrospect.