planning LITTLE - a survival-based rule-driven little pony RP

Octavian · January 30, 2021

LITTLE

In LITTLE your pony is taken to an alien world of humans, a world in which they are tiny! They are expected to survive as long as they can in an abandoned house, using only the resources they can procure from the alien environment and their own ingenuity...

Key concepts of the game are that each post will tick down one of three needs: food/hunger/friendship. Too long without any of these and your poor pony will be returned to their world, erasing all memory of their exploits. To avoid certain doom your pony will need to use the resources found in the alien world. Each post that is not towards your survival is another hoof-step towards running out of the resources you need to thrive D:

Each post takes time - either to perform an action or cross a portion of the house. The more time taken, the more hungry, thirsty and lonely your pony will get >:3

Items will be the only solution to problems and special items will be tailored to these specific needs. The three needs and the requirement to travel through space provide the basis for the challenges in each of the rooms. Items found in the house provide the solutions. Late-game content will build from these four basic premises.

So who's interested?

Starting lore, in depth details of mechanics and some excerpts of the RP are below.

Starting lore

Spoiler

Discord is bored. Years and years of pony rule in Equestria have deprived him of his favourite past-time – messing up the lives of little ponies >:3 Still, he is a reformed draconequus and won’t go back to his evil ways, but nor can he endure this boredom.

After talking to Fluttershy about her experience as Angel bunny he gets an idea. A grand LITTLE pony game where he sends ponies to survive as the littlest versions of themselves possible. He searches the dimensions for an appropriate setting and chances on one where hairy ape-like humans enjoy playing with tiny horsies. He called this game the HUNGER games at first, but on learning that was taken he decided to call it the LITTLE games :p

He broaches the idea to Princess Twilight, not wanting to go behind her back as he did with his previous schemes. Of course, she refuses at first… but when she learns that no-pony will be hurt and sees how much it means to Discord she reluctantly agrees, on one condition - that each little pony can take their best friend :3 Twilight sends out a call for the more adventurous ponies in Equestria. Those who agree will be teleported to the alternate dimension. The winner of the game will be granted an ancient pony artefact of huge power as well as three wishes from Discord himself. Losers will simply be brought back, tails between their lil legs :3

Your pony has answered the summons and has been teleported to an abandoned house in the human world.

Details

Spoiler

Time/space and posts

1 post = time taken to travel 500cm. (If travelling further eg crossing a number of rooms to go back to an item you left there or a resource then you can say so – the post will be treated as X number of posts equivalent to the distance travelled)

Map and space

A simple player map is provided every post by me.

The game-world is very simple: two floors; four rooms of exactly 2m square each; one room of stairs (500cm long) to connect the floors. Don’t question the physics

Needs

I will track the needs of your pony and add this info to each post.

Every 10 posts without water gain a point of thirst. 10 points of thirst = dehydration and ‘death’ (teleported back to Equestria). Drinking enough water restores the meter.

Every 20 posts without food gain a point of hunger. 5 points of hunger = starvation and ‘death’ (teleported back to Equestria). Eating enough food restores the meter.

Every 10 posts lose a point of friendship (max 10). When reach 0 = ‘death’ (teleported back to Equestria). Talking to a friend restores 1 point per post of conversation till the meter is restored.

Penalties for having multiple needs unfulfilled

Thirst over 5 + Hunger over 5 = Exhausted. Travel half as far per post.
Thirst over 5 + Friendship under 5 = Dry Throat. Gain friendship half as fast.
Hunger over 5 + Friendship under 5 = Grumpy. Lose friendship twice as fast.

Friendship as a need

You will nominate one best pony friend. They will be transported to the world with you... but not necessarily as you would expect. Interactions with this friend will satisfy your need, but discord will not make that easy...

Satisfying needs using items

Items solve your pony’s needs. To keep things simple ponies always must solve the problem using a specific item which has been prepopulated in the game-world. Easier items will provide ways for your pony to fix its needs temporarily. Harder items will require combining components and thinking outside the box to permanently solve your pony’s needs.

Your tiny pony can’t solve problems using its own abilities. There is no magic or flight in this world (even if your pony would be able to do those things normally).

Inventory

Your pony has an inventory space for 3 items.

Late-game

Once your pony finds an item that permanently satisfies its needs (eg a water/food store that will last indefinitely and which it can carry with it + a permanent friend) then the late-game content will begin.

Example RP

Spoiler