RPG Research volunteers and other contributors will create through multiple phases of development a solo and multiplayer adventure that furthers the vision and mission statements of the organization and helps train our volunteer staff to use ERPGs to achieve these goals. The primary purpose of this development project is to create one of the most accessible role-playing games, designed from the beginning for accessibility, including the ultimate in accessibility: brain-computer interface controls. Allowing the participants to play the game with just their brain.

We need donations to cover the expensive accessibility equipment, computer systems, mobile devices, and especially the BCI hardware, so that we can properly test our code.

Please donate to the 501(c)3 non-profit RPG Research here: https://www.rpgresearch.com/donate

We also always need to grow our developer base, so if you are interested in joining as a developer, QA, or playtester to find and report bugs, please sign up as an ERPG Dev team member for RPG Research here: https://www.rpgresearch.com/volunteer

#PROJECT TITLE Ilmatar

RPG Research ERPG Development Project Description and Objective(s)

Purpose is to make it easy to create adventures for specific targeted goals in recreation, entertainment, education, and therapy, using most any game system or genre with the same narrative, with accessibility in mind from the beginning.

Released as Open Source license with strong attribution requirements.

Stages of development summary:

Phase 1

Developer training, prototype story development, and prototype story testing to train developers, using NWN Aurora Toolset.

Phase 2

Part 1: Create Project Ilmatar toolset, minimum viable product (MVP).

Part 2: Create text-only, multi-user, online, turn-based adventure using this Project Ilmatar Toolset MVP, based on the Phase 1 storyline and geography.

Part 3: Verify accessibility input controls working correctly, support screenreaders and other accessibility tools, especially with Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) controls.

Part 4: Iterate through extending the toolset to be more complete for 1.0 needs, then expand the adventure features with the toolset, and continue to verify I/O with BCI.

Phase 3:

Part 1: Add audio and graphics functions to the Project Ilmatar Toolset.

Part 2: Add audio and graphics to the existing prototype story (in the style of Dirk the Daring based on choices). Verify still works as online, multiplayer, turn-based.

Part 3: Verify still works with accessibility equipment, especially BCI.

Phase 4:

Add real-time GM function to the toolset, allowing the "GM", educator, or therapist, to intervene in the game real time within the game, with all the powers that a GM should have in a TRPG.

Phase 5:

Part 1: Add physical world capabilities to the toolset so that a GM/Educator/Facilitator/Therapist can use the real-time tools as an interface with robotic equipment to roll dice, move miniatures, etc.

Part 2: Enable these robotic controls to work over Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), so players can roll physical dice, move miniatures, update character sheet, etc. using BCI.

Stage 1: NWN:EE Developer training

Training developers on some core concepts using Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition including: solo game play, multiplayer cooperative play, DM client, Aurora toolset, developing cooperatively, narrative storyline development, connecting into cohesive whole, centralized server hosting.

Stage 2: Ilmar

Text only branching ETSMA (electronic text-based solo / multiplayer adventure) RPG Create toolset for creating adventures that meet this stage's design requirements.

• Supports both single player and cooperative multiplayer (no PvP), turn-based, character and narrative driven, just text-based.
• Must be cross-platform support for end-users
• Changeable underlying RPG rules system.
• Multiple genre support for the same story.
• Minimum cross-platform support for: Linux, Windows, Mac, & Android.

Stage 3: Vaina

(Pronounced: Vah-een-ah) activated live action film or animation based on Stage 2’s result, interactive video plus (IV+)

• Same features as Stage 2, but adding GUI, graphics, animation/video, audio, etc., to results of choices.

#TARGET AUDIENCE Internal staff training and use by general public for other providers wanting to build on our work.

#RISK AND OPPORTUNITY Risk: never finishing / not having the staff to finish

• Must be small enough to be handled in bite-sized pieces Opportunity: we create a platform that is useful to us for our training and our clients
• Something that is useful for others to use
• We get appropriate recognition/attribution for the creation of something of value by the broader community
• Potential licensing problems or opportunities
• Potential partnerships

#DELIVERABLES

Multiple phases of deliveriables the produce:

1. A NWN:EE version of the storyline
2. A new toolset of our own original creation (or built on existing open source toolset so we don't have to reinvent the wheel if possible), that enables development and delivery of:
3. a text-only version of the storyline
4. A more multimedia rich graphical version of the storyline game from #3.