Ok, we’ve given the whole thing a bit more thought and here are some things to consider so it all works out:

While a great idea, we all gotta admit this will be a considerable task. Mostly for the DM but also for all players. From our experience with Warhammer, such projects quickly tend to become more of a chore than a fun game and people (especially us) tend to GTFO rather quickly. Our lives are too short to waste time with unpleasant shit that yields nothing. So what can we do to prevent this?

.) First and foremost nobody should forget this should be an entertaining game for everyone. It’s not a competition or war. A single narcissistic asshole can ruin it all. Also I can’t deal with idiots who play games to win over others at all cost. We play for fun and to create the most absurd situations that make people laugh. This is where host’s INFP skills shine. I know Mr. Bear loves his grim-dark novels but you know from my VPT adventure that we don’t. The world is horrifying enough, I don’t need to simulate more of this shit in my free time. So yeah, don’t forget you added another 9-yo to the mix.

.) Regarding DM, I think we all agree Bear system must take over that role, after all you’re the only one who can actually do that. But no offense, I’d rather have Joy as a player than as impartial but cold and cruel DM. I don’t mind a partial DM who bends the rules in order to provide a coherent entertainment for all. No-Fun-Allowed rulecuckery aides nobody. So this job requires some social skills. What about Autumn Ren?

.) Also from my traumatizing tabletop-game experience as well as scientific work, KISS is a fundamental principle. Keep It Simple, Stupid! We must limit complexity or the effort to play will overwhelm and ultimately piss off everyone. Even if we know we could do more and better. There’s always a trade-off between realism and computational difficulty. The best model is useless if the necessary calculation time and effort becomes prohibitively expensive.

.) Living spread around the globe we can forget playing in real time. At best everyone will reply once a day or two. We won’t be away and offline for prolonged periods until fall but I can’t promise we will always reply once a day. So maybe we should set a time-limit of 2 days? If a player doesn’t reply within this time the DM chooses an action for this player. Is that possible? This way the whole game doesn’t get stuck if one of us is out. Otherwise we’d probably have 2-3 turns per week.

Ok, that’s all for now. I think we’ll be a good party. Have you decided who will play from Bear system? I don’t care how many as long as you can handle it. We’ll see what we can dig up about D&D, starting from zero. Is it advised for players to familiarize themselves with the rules and possibilities or is it more fun to just jump in without knowing too much?