Gauging Interest in an Anime, Manga, and/or Video Game-Inspired Game

Well, I've been considering starting up a game in the near future inspired by many of the genres and tropes found in anime, manga, and video games (though not actually based on any specific series or franchise), probably once a week or once every other week on the weekends. Systems that I might use include: Aegis Anima Prime BESM Third Edition Clover Engine Heart Golden Sky Stories HeartQuest Magical Fury MAID: The Role Playing Game Musha Shugyo Open Anime OVA: The Anime Role-Playing Game Retail Magic Schoolgirl RPG Teenagers From Outerspace Tenra Bansho Zero The Whispering Road Tokyo Brain Pop (formerly known as Panty Explosion Perfect) Treasure Hunters Uresia: Grave of Heaven Wasuremonogatari For most of those games, don't worry if you don't have the book, as I can either provide it or if not it's likely a simple enough system that it can be explained without having the book. Also, the ones listed above are the ones I mention simply because they're either relatively simple, or because I have some prior experience and familiarity with them. Even if not listed above, if it's an anime TRPG I most likely either have it but haven't really read it over in much depth, or would be willing to buy it if I don't. So then, I live in the UTC+09:00 time zone (Japan Standard Time), and the times I'd be free would be Saturday evenings or nights, Sunday just about any time, and Monday up until the evening or so, as long as it's not the late night. As for the type of game, that would be mostly dependent on what all the interested players are interested in, and I'm looking for about two or three up to about five or six players. Once I know who may be interested and available, we could all brainstorm the kind of game we want and I could make something based on everyone's input. I like when games are collaborative so that everyone has a hand in their creation, so players tell me what kind of game they want rather than me just telling the players what kind of game I'm running. Personally, I most enjoy running anime/manga/video game-ish modern day action, comedy, supernatural horror, and/or urban fantasy games, but I'm flexible and willing to run straight fantasy games and drama as well, or even romance if players like that. The game would at least use voice chat, as typing purely in text chat isn't very convenient for me. I personally usually don't use video but if everyone else wanted to I'm not against it. Anyhow, if any of this sounds interesting to you, please let me know what you think and what kind of game you'd most like to play in. If I can get enough interested people, I'll start a game forum so we can brainstorm some ideas together. UPDATE: Okay, so it's been decided that we're going to use " World's In Trouble? Must Be Tuesday ." Here's the description of the game from DriveThruRPG.com: " Must Be Tuesday is a light RPG that recreates the tone and plots of high school "Monster of the Week" television, particularly early Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Players take the role of high school students facing off against the forces of darkness besieging their school. The catch, however, is that the players themselves are also monsters, with their supernatural half constantly vying for control. Players must learn to effectively balance their lives, or face the possibility that their high school diploma will be posthumous! Must be Tuesday uses a unique combination of d6 dice pools, a character slider between a character's mundane and supernatural halves, and a simple, straightforward system of character traits, items, weaknesses and desires to create and resolve character-driven conflicts. Character creation takes just a few minutes and the game can be run with little prep-time thanks to the plot generator included in the book. " This 30 page PDF includes the basic rules and character creation, rules for combat, magic and research mechanics, 20 monster profiles to use for PCs and bad guys alike, a GM section, and a system for generating episodic sessions using a five-act structure. Full colour and fully illustrated, it contains everything you need to run the game in compact form. " We will be having our first session this Sunday, May 3rd, at 1:00 PM (Japan Standard Time, UTC+09:00). We will be using voice chat. As of right now, there will be four confirmed players. I'm willing to take on up to two more though for a total of six. If this kind of game sounds interesting to you, please send me a private message during the next two days and I'll give you more details.

Also to add, in addition to the more general genres that I mentioned above, some Japanese anime, manga, and video game-specific genres that I most often watch, read, and/or play and thus influence the kind of games that I'd be more likely to run are: Bishoujo Series Dating Sim Ecchi Fighting Series Gag Series Harem Genre Magical Girlfriend Magical Girl Mon Otokonoko Genre Panty Fighter

I'm always interested in these kinds of games, but I unfortunately always play in text, while you're looking to run voice. I wish you luck, though. I'm currently running/playing in a "weird school" anime game that uses a lot of tropes, particularly from harem anime. We're using a modified version of Maid rules, though I should see if I can get my hands on the books for Schoolgirl to see if there's anything useful in there.

Thanks for your interest nonetheless. I would highly recommend "Schoolgirl RPG" if you like "MAID RPG." Schoolgirl RPG is by Ewen Cluney, the same guy who translated MAID RPG, and it uses the same system as MAID RPG except you play as schoolgirls, schoolboys, or teachers instead of maids, stewards, and masters. And there are also a lot of new random event tables, powers, Qualities, etc. to fit the schoolgirl series anime genre. By the way, I'd recommend getting "Schoolgirl RPG: Complete Edition," which compiles the main Schoolgirl RPG rulebook with all three of its supplements into one book.

I'll have to look into it. We had to modify the rules for Maid significantly for it to work for us, so there may be some ideas in Schoolgirl that we can use. It depends on how much it'll cost me to find it, though.

If the majority of people who show interest preferred a text only game, I'd be willing to give it a shot, in which case I'd contact you to let you know about it.

I'm only interested in text games as well, depending on the theme and time of the game I could be interested.

What kind of theme are you most interested in?

I would offer that if either of you are interested in a text-based game about a trope-filled boarding high school, our game is always looking for more players, and more GMs (we currently have 3 GMs, and a fourth that may be joining soon once we feel comfortable that he understands the setting and theme).

Thanks for the offer, I'll keep it in mind, though for now I still preferably hope to find those interested in voice chat game.

Anything Mecha?

Truth be told, though I've casually watched the various Gundam series over the years back when they were on Cartoon Network's Toonami, I've never been much into mecha shows so it wouldn't be my personal preferred choice for something to run, but again I'm flexible based on what people may want to play. If I gave it a shot, it would be more of a super robot genre game rather than the real robot genre as I'm not particularly knowledgeable when it comes to hard science fiction and military warfare stories. And it would be mixed with one or more other genres that I'm more familiar with (such as fantasy, martial arts fighting, pet monster, school series, sentai, etc.)

As an update from my original post, here are some more anime, manga, and/or video game-themed TRPGs and systems that I'd be interested in both running or playing in: A Kid & His Monster Pal Aegis Anima Prime BESM Third Edition Clover Damage Control Exosuit A-OK Golden Sky Stories Haiiiii Ya! Heart Quest I Want the Hand of the Protagonist Kagai! Magical Fury MAID: The Role-Playing Game Monster Box Musha Shugyo Open Anime OVA: The Anime Role-Playing Game Retail Magic Retro Phaze Schoolgirl RPG Shonen Final Burst Sparks of Light Star Riders Super Console Super Happy Sentai Hour Tears of a Machine Teenagers From Outerspace The Arsenal of Heaven The Whispering Road Tokyo Brain Pop (formerly known as Panty Explosion Perfect) Treasure Hunters Uresia Grave of Heaven Wasuremonogatari And some other TRPGs and systems that aren't specifically related to anime, manga, or video games that I would be interested in running or playing in are: Act Ten Adventurers! Bloom Cryptworld Cyber 8s DCS Doll Engine Heart Fantasy Core Forever Summer Fox Tales Fuzion Ghostories Glimpse the Beyond Happy Birthday, Little Fears Heroine HOT CHICKS: The Roleplaying Game Hughesville High Inscrutable Puzzlements Lamentations of the Flame Princess Light Weight Role Playing Game Meddling Kids Monsterhearts Power Grrrl School Daze Shriek X Soft Rains Spectrum The Awesome System The Creep Chronicle The Victory System The Window Toypocalypse Wandering Monsters High School World's In Trouble? Must Be Tuesday Wushu

That's a very eclectic list of some very unfamiliar games. After trying to run a game based off of Maid (and Schoolgirl, by proxy), I'd recommend it only for one-shots. It really sucks to adapt the rules for a lengthy campaign setting... Also, I have a friend that is in the credits for School Daze because he donated to the Kickstarter. He's listed as a Principal, and even named one of the NPCs after his girlfriend's online name.

Yeah, I know, as I've run Maid RPG before as well in real life, on Roll20, and on forum-based RP sites, and it is indeed much better suited for one or two sessions per game. Thus if I were to use any of the Ewen Cluney comedy-type RPGs (Maid RPG, Schoolgirl RPG, and Retail Magic) each session would be a self-contained one-shot random game with new characters rolled up each time, or at most a scenario that lasts maybe two sessions tops with the same characters.

I'd be interested in a game of this sort I think. I am passingly familiar with a few of the anime TRPG systems out there, have you considered using FATE or GURPS? Though I assume based on the list that you're looking for a more rules-lite system than those. As for themes I'd probably prefer a darkish/more combat orientated magical girl game, but other themes are fine too.

I have FATE but never really gave it more than a quick glance, and never checked out GURPS. It's true that I do prefer more rules-light systems, and with only a few exceptions all the games I listed are generally under two hundred pages and several are under one hundred or even under fifty pages, as I prefer games that are shorter and simpler nowadays so I can focus more on stories than on memorizing a lot of rules and mechanics. I like dark, combat oriented games too and do like the magical girl genre. " Magical Fury " is a short and simple game based on the magical girl genre, as well as another one I have but didn't list above called " Sparks of Light " which is also a magical girl TRPG. There are also some of the generic systems anime games like " BESM ", " OVA ," and "Open Anime" that are also capable of doing magical girl stories as well.

Yeah I have OVA, that seems like it would work fairly well. Oh and I'd also prefer a campaign with voice chat but I would settle for text if need be.

Okay, that's good to know. I'll keep you updated if I hear from anyone else who may be interested in joining.

I don't think I fit your time zone but I just wanted to say your collection of anime RPGs makes me so jelly.

Thanks. What time zone are you? I'm pretty flexible when it comes to times during my days off.

Okay, so it's been decided that we're going to use " World's In Trouble? Must Be Tuesday ." Here's the description of the game from DriveThruRPG.com: " Must Be Tuesday is a light RPG that recreates the tone and plots of high school "Monster of the Week" television, particularly early Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Players take the role of high school students facing off against the forces of darkness besieging their school. The catch, however, is that the players themselves are also monsters, with their supernatural half constantly vying for control. Players must learn to effectively balance their lives, or face the possibility that their high school diploma will be posthumous! Must be Tuesday uses a unique combination of d6 dice pools, a character slider between a character's mundane and supernatural halves, and a simple, straightforward system of character traits, items, weaknesses and desires to create and resolve character-driven conflicts. Character creation takes just a few minutes and the game can be run with little prep-time thanks to the plot generator included in the book. " This 30 page PDF includes the basic rules and character creation, rules for combat, magic and research mechanics, 20 monster profiles to use for PCs and bad guys alike, a GM section, and a system for generating episodic sessions using a five-act structure. Full colour and fully illustrated, it contains everything you need to run the game in compact form. " We will be having our first session this Sunday, May 3rd, at 1:00 PM (Japan Standard Time, UTC+09:00). We will be using voice chat. As of right now, there will be four confirmed players. I'm willing to take on up to two more though for a total of six. If this kind of game sounds interesting to you, please send me a private message during the next two days and I'll give you more details.