New Game Plus is a game in which players take on the Roles of NPCs within a video game. It will explore what happens when the Hero, normally a central figure in most characters’ Roles within the world, isn’t present and the people of Mydreign suddenly have control over their destiny.
Mydreign is home to many people, all of whom have their own stories; as such, within New Game Plus, we seek to accommodate a range of playstyles. While Player versus Environment (PvE) conflicts will be a key part of the game, there will also be opportunities for player-focused and relationship-driven plots. Player versus Player (PvP) conflicts may also come up, but they are not intended to be a large focus of the New Game Plus experience. Details about how to resolve these conflicts can be found in the Conflict Resolution: PvE, PvP, and Injury page.
A very important note about the nature of existence and IC/OC knowledge in New Game Plus: Mythologies of Mydreign exists as a video game, and so certain video game tropes, controls, and logics are considered day-to-day realities for the characters in New Game Plus. Players are encouraged to play with this fact: everyone has a Role related to the Hero, bugs and glitches may be explained as magic, open doors across the kingdom of Mydreign is considered normal, and so on. What may be strange in our OC world may simply be normal to Mydreignites. However, the knowledge that Mythologies of Mydreign is a video game is intended to be confined to the OC realm, or otherwise unconfirmed IC. In uptimes and downtimes, individual characters may have internal quandaries about the nature of their existence, and may have philosophical discussions about their reality with others, but the fact of their reality as it exists is not intended to be called into question by the story or the GMs. Any potential discussion about Mythologies of Mydreign as a video game existing in the real world (which may include topics like who the dev(s) is/are, influences of the game, game reviews, etc.), both by players and GMs, should be OC.
Overall, we will be aiming for an optimistic tone in New Game Plus, though there will still be space for some moments that are dark or poignant.
Major themes of the game will include:
Each of the characters within Mythologies of Mydreign have a Role that they normally fulfil within the Hero’s quest — it is a part of their identity and purpose, and they have been aware of it by the time the Hero is set to arrive. The player characters of New Game Plus are no exception. But, without the Hero, many of these Roles have lost their central component. Characters will react to this in different ways, and we encourage players to consider how their character feels about their Role.
Perhaps some will feel lost. Their Role was their purpose within life. The security of knowing what was to come has suddenly been taken away from them. Will they try to hold onto their Role as much as they can, even with the Hero gone? Maybe they will fill the void left by the Hero with someone else, attempting to fulfil their Role with a different central figure instead? When purpose is lost, how can it be found again?
On the other hand, some characters may feel free, seeing their Role as a burden that they have now escaped from. Maybe it was a duty they felt trapped by, a group they no longer wanted to be part of, or even knowledge of their own death. Whatever their Role usually was, some will see it as a miracle that they are no longer bound by it. But with your fate now your own, what will you even do with it?
The world of Mydreign is large, consisting of a number of different biomes. Normally, the Hero would be the one to explore and uncover the secrets within the world, but with them missing, it is up to the other inhabitants of the Kingdom instead.
There is much to discover within the world, and we want to encourage players to go where they think seems interesting, especially now that their characters will have the freedom to decide where to go. Consider what draws your character towards exploration, instead of remaining in the place they think of as their home.
Of course, there may also be characters who don’t want to explore, and this playstyle will also be facilitated if a player desires it. Consider why your character might remain in one place, even when there is a world to explore.
In Mythologies of Mydreign, the Hero travels the land, defeats monsters, and saves the world. The Hero is gone. The characters of New Game Plus are not the Hero. The characters, especially at the start of the game, are much weaker than the Hero. While it may be possible to solve some problems solo, there will be many times when issues can be resolved more quickly and easily with help from others.
To add to this, different people have different Skills. Characters will need to come together and find creative ways to combine Skills and Specialties to deal with the obstacles characters will face during the course of New Game Plus.
Some characters may face individual problems. While some players may want to have their characters work on these alone, we also encourage coming together with other PCs to deal with these personal issues. After all, without the Hero present to help, the decision of whether to turn to others for aid is a big one to make.
In addition to the past Society Games from which we have taken inspiration, some particular works that have inspired the design and development of New Game Plus include: