Dice Scum, the series.

I got an idea for an opening/short. They're playing a GURPS-type "real life" game where they're DEA agents on the trail of a cartel drug ring. They've infiltrated the warehouse that's connected to a cross-boarder tunnel. Things are tense as they relay the information to the assault team going in. And then the cartel gunmen start heading towards their position, guns drawn.
And then Stephen (who's character looks like some animu bishi ninja, in contrast to all the other guys in TAC gear), rushes out of cover, directly towards the ruthless cartel gunmen, waving his katana.
Aiden: "....what?"
Stephen: "What do you mean what? I'm going to take them out with my stealth ninja tactics."
Aiden: "...You do know that they can see you and that they have guns, right?"
Stephen: "That's why I'm doing gymnastics and shit, I'm dodging their line of fire! They can't hit me!"
Aiden: "...."
(Sound of dice rolling)
Auden: "Okay, not only did your spectacular show of gymnastics fail to distract the cartel gunmen, it causes you to inpale yourself with your katana."
Stephen: "THAT'S BULLSHIT!"
(Sound of dice)
Aiden: "The cartel gunmen don't miss, and they inflict..."
(Sound of dice)
Aiden: "Oh, wow. Enough damage that your character has been reduced to a, quote, 'hamburger slushy'"
Stephen: "THAT'S COMPLETE BULLSHIT THAT'S NOT FAIR WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU RACIST AGAINST JAPAN YOU ASSHOLE!"
(Sound of Stephen flipping over the table and spazzing out)

Also, there needs to be an episode where the Vietnam Vet plays a Call of Duty spoof, starts having a flashback, and drives off in a hijacked Prius. The gang has to track him down and drag him out of the McDonalds PlayPlace he's using as a fortress.
Steven needs more comments like "ninja run", charging energy in his katana, and throw in something about his powerlevel being high enough to withstand bullets.

"...it's not your character's powerlevel, it's their level. And levels don't make you fucking bulletproof, Steve. We've talked about this."

"I told you to call me Senketsu!"

"Yeah, I'm not doing that."
 
@ This entire group -- though in particular to @HinRai and @SteelPlatedHeart -- if one of you wants to do it, I'll back out. If we want to go about the auditions route, that's fine, too. At any rate, I'm definitely also up for voicing (annoying, high-pitched) female characters or... proofreading, I suppose? Or something. I'll find some way to be helpful.

...... This project is already looking better than Gen Zed. I'm amazed, but not that amazed. It's not harder to be better than Gen Zed.
 
I'd love to be a VA on this - but I honestly can't think of any parts my voice would fit! If the English/Euro shut-in was deeply bourgeois as opposed to working class - you'd definitely have the right person for the job! Or at a pinch, I might be able to do a passable job of voicing the stoner dude?
 
If we're aiming for 5 min episodes, maybe those character intros should be like side or mini-eps. Each main character has like their own short into video, so that way we don't have to bog down the first episodes with introducing everyone.

Also, Stephen would totally be the guy to eat toast with every meal just to do the "run with toast in mouth" trope for when he's late.

I can actually see that. A side series called "A day in the life" where my dumb synopsis is split into four (and later eight) sub episodes that shows how this group acts outside of the table. The main series then focuses on them doing tabletop gaming stuff. Each episode is a snapshot of how the players utterly buttfuck the games that are being run.

I got an idea for an opening/short. They're playing a GURPS-type "real life" game where they're DEA agents on the trail of a cartel drug ring. They've infiltrated the warehouse that's connected to a cross-boarder tunnel. Things are tense as they relay the information to the assault team going in. And then the cartel gunmen start heading towards their position, guns drawn.
And then Stephen (who's character looks like some animu bishi ninja, in contrast to all the other guys in TAC gear), rushes out of cover, directly towards the ruthless cartel gunmen, waving his katana.
Aiden: "....what?"
Stephen: "What do you mean what? I'm going to take them out with my stealth ninja tactics."
Aiden: "...You do know that they can see you and that they have guns, right?"
Stephen: "That's why I'm doing gymnastics and shit, I'm dodging their line of fire! They can't hit me!"
Aiden: "...."
(Sound of dice rolling)
Auden: "Okay, not only did your spectacular show of gymnastics fail to distract the cartel gunmen, it causes you to inpale yourself with your katana."
Stephen: "THAT'S BULLSHIT!"
(Sound of dice)
Aiden: "The cartel gunmen don't miss, and they inflict..."
(Sound of dice)
Aiden: "Oh, wow. Enough damage that your character has been reduced to a, quote, 'hamburger slushy'"
Stephen: "THAT'S COMPLETE BULLSHIT THAT'S NOT FAIR WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU RACIST AGAINST JAPAN YOU ASSHOLE!"
(Sound of Stephen flipping over the table and spazzing out)

This is now essentially its own episode. This will likely be the second episode after the first episode disasterous game of what's basically Warhammer Fantasy. That one will culminate in someone outing Aidan as trans because they knew him back when he still looked like a girl.

The first episode opens with how @Orthodox Chrischanity wrote that piece, and devolves into a two on two match where Stephen and Chris take on Tram and Aidan (mostly for balancing, Tram and Chris know this game well, whereas Aidan and Stephen mostly don't.). It shows that Stephen is that one asshole who's family is rich enough to buy any unit he goddamned wants, and that Chris is a rules lawyer who regularly corrects everyone on how the unit acts. The game rather quickly becomes a cluster fuck as Stephen tries to backstab Chris after his weeb army of swordsmen and ninja are not allowed to do bullshit since Chris calls out that their stats are either not as good as Stephen says they are, or the powers do something different to what Stephen says they are. Essentially Stephen tantrums and decides to get petty revenge on Chris for knowing his shit.

Aidan then suggests that he and Tram back stab each other. When Tram asks why, he states that 3 on one, especially against Stephen, whose super leet and expensive weeb army is getting trolled by Chris' near munchkin level statbeasts, wouldn't be much of a fun match. He agrees and the two play off against each other as Chris is winning his match on the other side of the board with ease, money hax from Stephen or no. The two are mostly just talking about classes as Stephen becomes more and more angry at Chris winning with his non-asian stuff. Aidan's new Elven Guardsman gives him the edge due to specific actions Chris told him he could do before then, despite not knowing the game better, and is winning against Tram when Stephen, in a fit of childish rage, flips the table and essentially stops the match. The episode ends when Stephen is still bitching because he had to pay for the group's lunch for being a raging asshole, and Chris is seperating his toppings and cheese from his pizza.

Also, there needs to be an episode where the Vietnam Vet plays a Call of Duty spoof, starts having a flashback, and drives off in a hijacked Prius. The gang has to track him down and drag him out of the McDonalds PlayPlace he's using as a fortress.

That one is going to be a game night episode. I'll do brainstorming for that once I stitch together episode 1 from the ideas flung about here tomorrow. Mainly because that'll take a couple of hours minimum.

I'd love to be a VA on this - but I honestly can't think of any parts my voice would fit! If the English/Euro shut-in was deeply bourgeois as opposed to working class - you'd definitely have the right person for the job! Or at a pinch, I might be able to do a passable job of voicing the stoner dude?

I will take or try out most anyone at least once. Plus I can figure out who else needs voices from the gaps and have replacements if things come up.
 
I can actually see that. A side series called "A day in the life" where my dumb synopsis is split into four (and later eight) sub episodes that shows how this group acts outside of the table. The main series then focuses on them doing tabletop gaming stuff. Each episode is a snapshot of how the players utterly buttfuck the games that are being run.



This is now essentially its own episode. This will likely be the second episode after the first episode disasterous game of what's basically Warhammer Fantasy. That one will culminate in someone outing Aidan as trans because they knew him back when he still looked like a girl.

The first episode opens with how @Orthodox Chrischanity wrote that piece, and devolves into a two on two match where Stephen and Chris take on Tram and Aidan (mostly for balancing, Tram and Chris know this game well, whereas Aidan and Stephen mostly don't.). It shows that Stephen is that one asshole who's family is rich enough to buy any unit he goddamned wants, and that Chris is a rules lawyer who regularly corrects everyone on how the unit acts. The game rather quickly becomes a cluster fuck as Stephen tries to backstab Chris after his weeb army of swordsmen and ninja are not allowed to do bullshit since Chris calls out that their stats are either not as good as Stephen says they are, or the powers do something different to what Stephen says they are. Essentially Stephen tantrums and decides to get petty revenge on Chris for knowing his shit.

Aidan then suggests that he and Tram back stab each other. When Tram asks why, he states that 3 on one, especially against Stephen, whose super leet and expensive weeb army is getting trolled by Chris' near munchkin level statbeasts, wouldn't be much of a fun match. He agrees and the two play off against each other as Chris is winning his match on the other side of the board with ease, money hax from Stephen or no. The two are mostly just talking about classes as Stephen becomes more and more angry at Chris winning with his non-asian stuff. Aidan's new Elven Guardsman gives him the edge due to specific actions Chris told him he could do before then, despite not knowing the game better, and is winning against Tram when Stephen, in a fit of childish rage, flips the table and essentially stops the match. The episode ends when Stephen is still bitching because he had to pay for the group's lunch for being a raging asshole, and Chris is seperating his toppings and cheese from his pizza.



That one is going to be a game night episode. I'll do brainstorming for that once I stitch together episode 1 from the ideas flung about here tomorrow. Mainly because that'll take a couple of hours minimum.



I will take or try out most anyone at least once. Plus I can figure out who else needs voices from the gaps and have replacements if things come up.
Question: are these episodes going to be animated as just the players at the table, or will it show their characters in the situations that are described with cutback to the actual people playing the game when they "break character"?

For example, in that drug cartel ep, are we going to actually see the group sneaking into the base as Aiden narrates what's happening, everyone talking in character...then Steven's character leaps over a box and starts ninja running and anime dodging around while the guards stare in disbelief? And then we cut back to the table where Aiden asked Stephen what the hell he's doing?
 
I went and did some half-assed "field research" today to see what kind of players there are that can be explored as background noise that can be brought in as covenient. There seems to be for divisions in these places: The cafeteria tables for magic. The Large slabs for RPGs, and the terrain tables for miniatures, most of which were of the Privateer Press line. I have since purchased a starting kit for one of the Warmachine factions. I will blend among them. But the "Living World RPGers are a veritable goldmine of fascinating characters, and I find myself wanting to play Gloria, the new age cat lady who wants to escape her home and has found a group of people willing to accept her and play games with her. She is the little nice Viennese woman.

My zolpidem is kicking in, but in my last few moments of sanity, @Adamska and I will be skyping storywriting to the folks.

Keep the ideas coming. They've been borderline brilliant if done well!
 
We should keep in mind that we do need these characters to actually get along and at least be somewhat friends with each other. All the stuff we're coming up with is funny, but there does need to be some good reasons for them hanging out and getting along at least enough to game with each other.
 
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Question: are these episodes going to be animated as just the players at the table, or will it show their characters in the situations that are described with cutback to the actual people playing the game when they "break character"?

For example, in that drug cartel ep, are we going to actually see the group sneaking into the base as Aiden narrates what's happening, everyone talking in character...then Steven's character leaps over a box and starts ninja running and anime dodging around while the guards stare in disbelief? And then we cut back to the table where Aiden asked Stephen what the hell he's doing?
I think it would be funniest the way you described it, with the group "actually" sneaking in while Aiden narrates, and cutting back to reality when Stephen starts pulling his bullshit.
Or better yet, not cutting back, and having CharacterSteven arguing with the omnipresent voice of the narrator, while the other characters groan, tap their feet, and check their watches
Count me in as officially on board with this. I think our first order of business should be making a draft of a script for the pilot, as @Adamska suggested. With a script, we can start holding auditions to try to find people who can "voice" the characters. Just my two cents however, feel free to disregard if there's something more pressing.
 
We should keep in mind that we do need these characters to actually get along and at least be somewhat friends with each other. All the stuff we're coming up with is funny, but there does need to be some good reasons for them hanging out and getting along at least enough to game with each other.

Aidan: Generally decent player and often the only one that often wants to DM. Also has resources that others don't have (namely source books and/or play mats and extra gubbins) for DMing. Also tends towards being fair.
Stephen: In spite of being an asshole at times, is wealthy. This means that he can not only be counted to pay for food when its his turn, but he can finaggle and wrangle a variety of stuff for others due to mommy and daddy. Sometimes has ludicrous amounts of luck.
Chris: A fair rules lawyer, but tends to be a That Guy in terms of munchkinery. Is a living resource manual for tabletop games he plays, and is often relied on due to this. Also paints models really damn well.
Tram: Fun player and can let loose some of the funnier jokes among the group. Also can bring in some damn fine cuisine based on South Asian dishes if they come over to his family's house for a meet and greet.
Frank: The other funny guy in the group, and generally good willed. Is kind of an "uncle" in a lot of ways due to his experience. Tends to play the smartest so long as he doesn't have a flashback.
Gloria: Easy going player and tends to not cause a lot of trouble. Tends to get heavily involved in her characters, which tend to be vaguely based around her idea of a utopia. The one time she DMed was a damn good one.
Pavel: Nondisruptive and tends to suggest world building through his actions. Also fun to game with outside of the tabletop, but you can sometimes get put into a stream on Hitbox.
Hayden: Soaks up some of Stephen's more terrible impulses (since "she" also likes anime) and goes all out in "her" characters sometimes, including LARPing as them. Is generally annoying however.

I went and did some half-assed "field research" today to see what kind of players there are that can be explored as background noise that can be brought in as covenient. There seems to be for divisions in these places: The cafeteria tables for magic. The Large slabs for RPGs, and the terrain tables for miniatures, most of which were of the Privateer Press line. I have since purchased a starting kit for one of the Warmachine factions. I will blend among them. But the "Living World RPGers are a veritable goldmine of fascinating characters, and I find myself wanting to play Gloria, the new age cat lady who wants to escape her home and has found a group of people willing to accept her and play games with her. She is the little nice Viennese woman.

My zolpidem is kicking in, but in my last few moments of sanity, @Adamska and I will be skyping storywriting to the folks.

Keep the ideas coming. They've been borderline brilliant if done well!

The cast shall be rewritten with this and other claims in mind upon the morrow.
 
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I think it would be funniest the way you described it, with the group "actually" sneaking in while Aiden narrates, and cutting back to reality when Stephen starts pulling his bullshit.
Or better yet, not cutting back, and having CharacterSteven arguing with the omnipresent voice of the narrator, while the other characters groan, tap their feet, and check their watches
Count me in as officially on board with this. I think our first order of business should be making a draft of a script for the pilot, as @Adamska suggested. With a script, we can start holding auditions to try to find people who can "voice" the characters. Just my two cents however, feel free to disregard if there's something more pressing.
Okay yeah, I like the idea of it staying in the "game world" until right near the end it finally cuts to reality. Picturing Character!Steven getting shot to hell with a sword in him, all while sperging out at The Unseen Narrator is a hilarious image.
 
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Question: are these episodes going to be animated as just the players at the table, or will it show their characters in the situations that are described with cutback to the actual people playing the game when they "break character"?

For example, in that drug cartel ep, are we going to actually see the group sneaking into the base as Aiden narrates what's happening, everyone talking in character...then Steven's character leaps over a box and starts ninja running and anime dodging around while the guards stare in disbelief? And then we cut back to the table where Aiden asked Stephen what the hell he's doing?

I was envisioning it cutting between Game and Tabletop depending on how OOC the conversation goes, with bleeding between the two occasionally occuring.

I think it would be funniest the way you described it, with the group "actually" sneaking in while Aiden narrates, and cutting back to reality when Stephen starts pulling his bullshit.
Or better yet, not cutting back, and having CharacterSteven arguing with the omnipresent voice of the narrator, while the other characters groan, tap their feet, and check their watches
Count me in as officially on board with this. I think our first order of business should be making a draft of a script for the pilot, as @Adamska suggested. With a script, we can start holding auditions to try to find people who can "voice" the characters. Just my two cents however, feel free to disregard if there's something more pressing.

Yep, it's why I'm being tentative until I get off my fat lazy ass and shit out the pilot, which'll be the "Warhammer Fantasy gone wrong" episode.
 
Sounds like a good idea; script would give whoever auditions some lines to read. Also gonna echo what Steel said -- we should, at the very least, have some kind of friendship/comradeship amongst the group. And a reason that they haven't kicked out/shunned Steven yet.

Edit: I was ninja'd by a few minutes and someone provided reasoning. Niceeee.

Is it bad that I am a bit excited to see how this goes? Quite possibly. Also, I'm pretty sure weeb Steven would get either get a kick out of SU or denounce it as classless garbage, but that's just side notes at this point.
 
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I was envisioning it cutting between Game and Tabletop depending on how OOC the conversation goes, with bleeding between the two occasionally occuring.



Yep, it's why I'm being tentative until I get off my fat lazy ass and shit out the pilot, which'll be the "Warhammer Fantasy gone wrong" episode.
You know, since we'll be animating the RP scenes, we could easily go with a different art style for each game world if we end up getting more than a couple animators. That way we don't overwork our animators, we can have multiple episodes being worked on at once so there's a lack of delay between episodes, ect.
 
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I really want to avoid too much Welcome to Eltingville:

If we do the RP stuff, it should be more with the "Living World" rpers.

We're doing good so far, keeping the focus on the characters having real world dialog. Just trying to avoid the total nerdage, with the exception of Chris and Stephen, who have their kind of little worlds.

I also want to just add one more thing before we focus entirely on the pilot. Since this is board game culture, and to an extend minis game culture, I think we should pick the style of "army" the characters field.

We know Stephen is basically the samurai melee army.

I think one should have the most homoerotic of homoerotic tough guys faction.
One elven faction, because you can't have a game without elves.
Maybe something junky, piecemeal or just loaded with monsters.
 
Gay orcs?
Hmm. A group of tusked monster men, originally created by a demon lord. A goddess of beauty, realizing she needed an army, brokered a deal for the monsters to serve as her soldiers. Tried her best to make them beautiful, and for the most part succeeded. They have a difficult time passing as human...

Nah, terrible. Just plain ol' gay orcs is good.
 
Aidan could go for the elven army, since maybe he's a pretty big fan of Tolkien and the Silmarillion specifically.
Chris could go for the homoerotic group, chosen through entirely gameplay related reasons (like higher stats and whatnot) and he mostly just ignores the gay element behind them.
Tram would go for a army of trolls, who have a fairly limited number of troops, but he chose them because he thinks they're really cool.
 
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I've got a concept for the four main characters 'ere!
gen_somethingorother_by_wytchitoby-d996j8r.png

Also I was struggling a bit with Chris' face, so I just left it blank for the most part

Here's kinda what I envisioned as I read the character descriptions; they're obviously subject to change, so if anyone has any ideas, let me know!
 
I've got a concept for the four main characters 'ere!
gen_somethingorother_by_wytchitoby-d996j8r.png

Also I was struggling a bit with Chris' face, so I just left it blank for the most part

Here's kinda what I envisioned as I read the character descriptions; they're obviously subject to change, so if anyone has any ideas, let me know!

Pretty much spot on. Except for some reason, I pictured Stephen with a long ponytail. All white-boy otaku samurai. The aryan Genjuro.
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