Any chance we can see Luke in a pony cosplay, munching on pinecones?

I thought Nat was the one playing Trixie.

Luke should be cosplaying as an owl monk. Always. ALL the time.

Hmm...

For what it is worth, I would assume pretty much every major (and some minor) PvP battles are going to be... well... the usual group issues. Maybe it is just because my main RPG group started in High School and while I was in college when I had to leave, I never found another regular group so I still think of it when I think of role-playing.

People get upset about stuff all the time and it often comes out both in person and in the game. You also have those interesting times of drama when it is both; someone did something stupid, whether in game or out of game and it has to be reflected. Would it make sense for Usopp's player (...yes I am terrible at keeping the player's names straight) to actually be shooting for serious role-playing? In fact, I could see this as one of Luke's schemes: if Usopp is feeling too weak and underpowered, maybe he figures out some power leveling trick involving intense role-playing.

I can just see all the actual "abandoning the Merry" dialog replaced with "Luke this is insane! His character is going to get killed before he can make this "Super Sniper" prestige class work! I don't know why the GM agreed!"

Of course Luke, the GM and Usopp are are going to stoically see it through, realizing this is what roleplaying is to them: not just power gaming, not just taking on a role... but both. ;)

I honestly think one of the major themes of this comic is going to end up being all of the players becoming more 'balanced' RPers- the Munchkins will learn to appreciate and enjoy the RP aspect, and the RPers will learn how to optimize- of course, it's not going to be a complete reversal or blending, but enough.

To that end, the whole "Sogeking" thing (and the bit before it), where Usopp suddenly becomes really, really effective- heck, maybe even the whole Skypea/shot to different islands arc will be indicative of the RPers figuring out prestige classes/multiclasses and generally optimizing their pre-existing characters. The things where the crew really starts coming together as Nakama is going to parallel the Munchkins learning to have fun with RP, and the group as a whole learning how they best play together.

This is going to be a long-running (very, very, very long running) campaign, unlike most College level ones (which, in my own experience, tend to either game-hop or have an alarming rate of player turnover), and so these players will end up probably becoming a group of fast friends.

The leaving of the Going Merry will therefore probably play out completely in-character, but with the emotions fueled by something happening out-of-character. A major life-change for Usopp's player, a betrayal by Luke or something, maybe even something like seeing Franky's new player as an outsider or usurper of Usopp's player's place in the group.

It'll be a fantastic, dramatic bit of ad-lib theatre between the two, and will end with Usopp's player storming out (possibly taking the model of the Going Merry with him) angrily. However, after that, tensions are going to wind down, and he'll have a talk with the GM before coming back to the group- harkening the arrival of Sogeking.

The fight will be cathartic, leading to a culmination of the real-world issue (or at least acceptance of it), and the bonds between the whole group will grow stronger as a result.

Luke learns that Phil slept with his sister, and damages the going merry model in his anger. GM decides that means the Going Merry is critically damaged. Usopp is rightly pissed about this, of course. Phil storms off, and the GM fills in for Usopp with Sogeking.

I really don't see why player drama would be needed. I've had ridiculous PvP showdowns in a number of games (one which cost my character an arm...and led to a demon arm) and none of it required us to be mad at each other. Sometimes you just recognise that for the characters, this is coming to blows. I personally keep hoping that LuffyvsUsopp will stem entirely from role-playing, with Phil and Luke loving every moment of it as they ham up all of the 'dramatic' dialogue and actions. Then everyone comes up with the nonsense of Sogeking because they don't want to just get rid of Usopp =p

Now I'm picturing Luke and Phil watching a professional wrestling marathon to prepare for "roleplaying".

Thing is, there's so much more emotion in that teamfight than usual. Most of the time, PvP is sorta like when 2 Superheros meet for the first time. They're both just kinda slugging away at each other until whatever stupid mistake is realized/one gets pummeled enough to not want to fight anymore.

But the tears, the fighting past the point of self-destruction, the fixation on a single goal, which is _not_ fighting the other guy (for Usopp)... I don't see these two doing that, no matter how great the roleplaying has come. When's the last time you've ever heard anyone grin at the other while saying "With tears streaming down my face, and snot running out of my nose, I heave my broken body up again to interpose between you and the ship. "You won't take her!" I scream..."

It just seems more like something that would evolve from at-table actions and emotions than something deliberately thought up. Even if it's 'just' them getting enough into character, they'll still probably end up feeling the emotions of the scene.

Is there something going on between Luke and Twilight's player?

luke+nat 4 eva!

I think the whole Sogeking will be made through the Montebank prestige class, which allows for new identities. Since the identity is considered a mind-affecting abilitiy (or could be reasonably justified as one) Luffy will immediately believe it. Yes, there may be still an OOC fight between the two, but it would be a measure of increased maturity for Luke to still work beside him in the game.