[freeroleplay] Thoughts on system design

[Troy Truchon]

For my upcoming PBeM I am trying to find ways to do away with the
traditional game master. But I don't want it to become round robin
story telling as I've seen it become in many gmless rpgs. In short I
want it to stay a game I just see no point in one GM handling
everything thats not a player. Basically several people play a text
based adventure and I'm stuck playing computer.

One thought I have had is to break up the story into story arcs and
have a player whos character is not involved GM it. At least untill
his/her character becomses involved. At any given point the narrative
could be constructed by several GM's. The problem would be in the
protocols necessary to coordinate it.

To give a general idea lest picture a steriotypical cyberpunk game.
The players have been hired to make a hit on a low level executive. In
the peliminary parts the players break up to do the necessary
research. Each segment of that story would be GM'ed by someone whos
character was not directly involved. Then when they actually get there
the players staying outside are gmed by one of the ones going inside.
when inside the corporate security interactions may be handled by one
of the outside players, the computer security by be handled by a
someone playing a hired gun with no real tech skills, and that techie
might control the actions of the actual executive provided he wasn't
in the room. The fun in this system is that even the other GM's have
to play both their character and a number of NPCs and such in the
setting. Any thoughts.

-- 
Troy J. Truchon
Computer Service Technician