Young Writers Society

Questions for the storybook, Chess Skirmish, can be asked here!

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[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]Role:[/b]

[b]Personality:[/b] (Can leave blank if undecided)

[b]Other:[/b]

I don't think I'll be joining this storybook, but I wanted to pop into the DT quickly to say it looks really interesting! It's been awhile since YWS has had a storybook like this one - and I definitely don't think we've ever had one based on chess. I can't wait to see where this storybook goes! c:

Thanks!

Reserve me the White King spot plllleasseee I love this!

Sure!

@TheRealEuphoria I just made a character form up at the top of the dt

Hey!! This looks so interesting! I do have a lot of questions though.

Like for starters, how does this work? Do all of the rules for chess apply? How big is the board? Is it like in the Harry Potter movie wizard chess or something greater? Either way, let me know. Also, who is making the moves? Do the pieces conspire before moving one of them or do they each just go for it independently?

I’m also curious about different powers the pieces have. You said queens have magic, but what about kings? In chess, kings are kind of figureheads, with queens the real powerhouses. I get why knights get Pegasi (so they can hop over others; good idea, by the way) but what about bishops? Do they get weapons or something? Maybe they just have speedy shoes that only allow them passage into certain diagonal realms, I don’t know. And what about pawns? Weapons for them, or are they just fall guys? Rooks?

How does capturing work? In chess, there is no 1 v 1 epic battle against pieces, it’s about the bigger picture. So if you want 1 v 1 battles, you might want to redefine how capturing works in this game. Same for some other ideas.

One more section of questions: Where are these characters from, and how do they get onto this chess board in the first place? Are they just from any world, any place, or are they just normal people from Earth? What kinds of characters do you want in this role play, and what sorts of backstories do you want them to have? Just fill in some gaps.

I’d love to join this storybook, but as you can see, my mind is spinning with questions! Please answer these if you can, and if you genuinely don’t know about some of these plot points, let me know and maybe we can brainstorm together.

Haha @Lia5Giba I would be HONORED to answer all of these amazing questions to clear up any confusion you have!

Like for starters, how does this work? Do all of the rules for chess apply? How big is the board?

Actually, I don't know if I got to this yet, but it is less of a board and more of a . . . large territory, I guess. Each tile is represented by a town. For example, the tile, D2, would be a town called Deito. The board is roughly the size of an average state county in the US.

Is it like in the Harry Potter movie wizard chess or something greater? Either way, let me know. Also, who is making the moves? Do the pieces conspire before moving one of them or do they each just go for it independently?

Glad you asked! The Harry Potter chess was partly where my inspiration for this came from. However, like stated before, this game is more of a large scale version. The pieces DO conspire before moving, but it's more of a long-distance communication type of thing. How it works is one side moves at sunup and the other team moves at sundown. The actual plot of this is where for some reason, the rules have been bent and now it's more of a free for all. I can explain in more detail if you like.

I’m also curious about different powers the pieces have. You said queens have magic, but what about kings? In chess, kings are kind of figureheads, with queens the real powerhouses. I get why knights get Pegasi (so they can hop over others; good idea, by the way) but what about bishops? Do they get weapons or something? Maybe they just have speedy shoes that only allow them passage into certain diagonal realms, I don’t know. And what about pawns? Weapons for them, or are they just fall guys? Rooks?

Ready? Okay, I'll list what I would prefer, but this is ultimately your decision.

Queens - The most powerful of all chess pieces, the Queen has extremely powerful magic that she can use against other pieces. Although the Queen likes to strike off on her own, she can be very quiet and intimidating. The Queen should be depicted with a staff or long magical weapon.

Kings - Although in actual Chess, Kings are figureheads and not exactly the strongest, the King here is actually very strong. However, his attacks are limited to short-range and he can't move very fast. The King wears his team's crown-- and the crown can only be taken if the King is killed. It is preferred that the King be boisterous and loud and uses no weapons except maybe a small dagger.

Knights - The Knight is the most interesting of the Chess Pieces since he can leap over his enemies. With his pegasus (That everyone thinks is a horse), the Knight is a formidable opponent and can slice down enemies with ease. It is preferred that the Knight uses a broadsword and that the pegasus is the same color as whatever team the knight is on. The Knight should be honorable and brave, but sometimes very prideful.

Bishops - The Bishop is the fastest of the Chess Pieces, being able to move across the board at superhuman speeds. The only one that can rival her speed is the Queen, but the Bishop is much more agile. The Bishop should have two short swords-- both in each hand, and the Bishop should be generally very arrogant and rude.

Rooks - The Rook possesses the most raw power in the game, using pure muscle to smash the Rook's way through anything. Although the Rook can be brutal and narrow-minded, the Rook may be stronger than even the Queen. The only difference is that the Rook can be a little short-tempered and not think too much. The Rook should hold two large weapons or one enormous weapon.

Pawns - Pawns can be Male or Female. Their personalities are diverse and their weapons can be anything ranging from swords to bare hands to scythes. However, if you plan for a pawn to be promoted to another piece, then make the pawn generally similar to the piece.

Aaaaaaand that's about it.

How does capturing work? In chess, there is no 1 v 1 epic battle against pieces, it’s about the bigger picture. So if you want 1 v 1 battles, you might want to redefine how capturing works in this game. Same for some other ideas.

The capturing is actually a little different. First, the captured piece is actually in the form of killing your opponent. When the opponent is killed, the opponent is temporarily "off the game" and only reappears when the game restarts.

The actual reason for this will be revealed later, but the pieces SHOULD feel a little resent towards whoever made them do this and some boredom on the sameness of it all.

One more section of questions: Where are these characters from, and how do they get onto this chess board in the first place? Are they just from any world, any place, or are they just normal people from Earth? What kinds of characters do you want in this role play, and what sorts of backstories do you want them to have? Just fill in some gaps.

The players should be grown adults or at least above the age of 17. Maybe some of the pawns could be younger, but that is up to your discretion. They will not have backstories other than the Chess Game they're trapped in. Similar to one of my roleplays, they have none of their past memories. Of course, I know why they are all like this, but the actual reason will be revealed later.

Now, if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

-kY0shi

Unfortunately, I’m not going to able to participate in this SB after all I forgot my new semester starts next week. I had to pick between this and Beneath the Hero and I really like the other one. Hard choice :’( But I wish you the best of luck!

A chess storybook? WHY DIDN’T I SEE THIS SOONER

In other words... I’d love to join this.
Would it be possible for me to reserve the position of the white knight?

@TheRealEuphoria oh no!!!! That's okay. I would hate to have one of my roleplays responsible for obstructing your schoolwork.

@QuoolQuo sure! White knight is reserved for you!

Hey! Okay, I’m in too many roleplays already, but this seems really cool and awesome and I’d love to join. I’d like to reserve the black bishop spot, please. (Maybe me and Quool can go head to head )

Thank you so, so much for answering my questions! It helped a lot, and I bet it’ll help others too. The idea of each team moving at either sunrise or sunset is a really cool idea! Same with the concept of the board. I’m sorry, but I have another question about the board towns. Heh... so, in each town, I assume that there live people. How do these people interact with the chess pieces? What if they get killed in, say, collateral damage—do they just reincarnate like the pieces or simply stay dead? Are they ruled by the king and queen, and if so, what are their territories on the board? Oh! And I wonder how each of the towns interact with each other, especially if some of them are ruled by opposing kings and queens.

And I guess I have one more question about game mechanics. I just want to make sure I’ve got everything right! Can chess pieces occupy the same town at all? If they can’t, like normal chess, what happens if a person tries to?

Thank you so much! If I’m being annoying, tell me and I won’t ask any more questions.

@Lia5Giba You are definitely not being annoying! Your questions are all valid and excellent and I would love to answer them!

Heh... so, in each town, I assume that there live people. How do these people interact with the chess pieces? What if they get killed in, say, collateral damage—do they just reincarnate like the pieces or simply stay dead?

The towns work as normal towns, really. When people die, they die, unlike the Chess Pieces. The Chess Pieces act as "Guardians" for each town for at least a day and until the Chess Piece moves away or is killed by another piece, that town is under the protection of that Chess Piece.

For example, say the White Knight moved to A3. The White Knight would then be responsible for protecting the townspeople in A3 from attackers, even if the White Knight must sacrifice his life in the process. Usually, the attackers are just other pieces.

Are they ruled by the king and queen, and if so, what are their territories on the board? Oh! And I wonder how each of the towns interact with each other, especially if some of them are ruled by opposing kings and queens.

Good questions! First, the towns are all "neutral". They accept the invitation of "guardian" from Chess Pieces and do not actually fight. They can cheer on the piece they favor, but they can't exactly cause any real trouble or changes to the clashes between pieces. The towns do actually interact very interestingly. First, unlike the Chess Pieces, townspeople can move across the chessboard however they like. The town that is occupied by a King or Queen usually acts more royal and prideful. In fact, that brings me to another thing.

The towns change each time they are re-occupied. When a King enters a town, the town becomes more like a palace and the people become more refined and formal. When a Pawn enters a town, the town just looks like a shabby village. Do you get what I mean? These changes, however, do not affect the opinions of the townspeople.

Can chess pieces occupy the same town at all? If they can’t, like normal chess, what happens if a person tries to?

Haha this question brings us to the plot of the RP.

In Chess Skirmish, the the setting and timeframe is the second match between the pieces. Basically, they all know what they're doing and they know how everything works. However, once they get started, they realize they can move freely around the board-- much like Bullet Chess (A type of chess where you can move chess pieces as much as you want.) This causes confusion and chaos around villages and even other Pieces. With tension rising into a fever pitch, who knows what will happen amidst the destruction . . .

If that wasn't specific enough, tell me and I'll explain in more detail.

No, that was great! Thank you. It kinda sucks pawns can only live in shabby villages . And that’s really interesting how townspeople can just switch cities. (In bullet chess, you can’t move pieces any which way, but I get your point.) I bet some chess pieces have a fan base and townspeople just follow them around the board. (If I’m wrong about that please tell me sorry)

I am pretty sure I understand just about most of this now. Thanks for being so patient with me! This is probably going to be very awesome.

Nah you're all good! Thanks!