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Post by ASGetty ((Zovo)) on Sept 25, 2015 20:08:09 GMT -5
I'm doing some worldbuilding at the moment, because I thought it might help flesh out some plot ideas. ... oh man, starting to get excited now. I just had some cool ideas about how a shifting city could work. Got a rundown building? Just shift it to the graveyard where all the other dilapidated structures are stored. You've got a shifting city... why would you "store" a dilapidated structure? That makes zero sense. Shift that shit outta here. |
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Post by James on Sept 25, 2015 20:12:52 GMT -5
I'm doing some worldbuilding at the moment, because I thought it might help flesh out some plot ideas. ... oh man, starting to get excited now. I just had some cool ideas about how a shifting city could work. Got a rundown building? Just shift it to the graveyard where all the other dilapidated structures are stored. You've got a shifting city... why would you "store" a dilapidated structure? That makes zero sense. Shift that shit outta here. It's an island city, and the "magic" only works within its boundaries. |
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Post by ASGetty ((Zovo)) on Sept 25, 2015 20:25:47 GMT -5
You've got a shifting city... why would you "store" a dilapidated structure? That makes zero sense. Shift that shit outta here. It's an island city, and the "magic" only works within its boundaries. Can't they magically salvage it for parts? I mean, making it an island actually makes the situation worse. All the structures are going to age. If they just keep moving the old ones they're just going to end up with an ever-growing dead spot. Like a bruise on a piece of fruit. Doesn't it make more sense to magically repair them, or at least recycle them? |
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Post by James on Sept 25, 2015 20:33:56 GMT -5
It's an island city, and the "magic" only works within its boundaries. Can't they magically salvage it for parts? I mean, making it an island actually makes the situation worse. All the structures are going to age. If they just keep moving the old ones they're just going to end up with an ever-growing dead spot. Like a bruise on a piece of fruit. Doesn't it make more sense to magically repair them, or at least recycle them? Oh yeah, I fully intend for the "graveyard" to be salvaged for parts. Recycle the timber and brick whenever they need to. Though not magically. The only "magic" I want in the book is what makes the city tick. But I actually want that bruise. Essentially, the novel is taking place where the city is actively to shake itself up because its feeling oppressed. The city used to be constantly shifting, moving around, recycling as much as possible. And then the Conservators came along, restrained the "magic", kept things in place in order to better serve a select group of people, and the city is beginning to crack. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2015 12:53:33 GMT -5
I want to write something dark, that wrestles with theodicy and themes of civilization v. savagery. I am leaning toward setting something during Charles Taylor's rise in Liberia, but if not that, than make up something similar in a fictional country, including the ridiculous warlord names and warbands with gimmicks.
I am thinking it would be from the perspective of a child soldier, an older brother who is perhaps a bit more "aware" of the whole thing and can be introspective about it, and a younger brother who is more "into" the slaughter and the drugs. The older brother is trying to keep them alive, and get them to their grandparents in a neighbouring country or a safe city or something.
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Post by The Counter Cultist(Sawyer) on Sept 28, 2015 17:56:46 GMT -5
Idea One is also going to be the toughest to write -well-. Which I think is good; it gives you more room to improve. This is more true than you think. Toughest part so far is trying to work out how I'm going to write the fantasy portions. I was thinking about a OOTS esque type narrative where the characters are semi aware they're in a game. but that doesn't seem like it'd work well in a dramatic setting and it could get too comical really quick. Starting it was rough too. Started off writing out the Protagonist's suicide attempt, but that got real uncomfortable. So the I decided to go with them wakingup in a hospital, but that seemed too vague. So now I'm trying yo work out a decent prplogue to segue into the hospital scene. Having fun with it though. Really excited to see how this turns out. |
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Post by ASGetty ((Zovo)) on Sept 28, 2015 19:02:16 GMT -5
Idea One is also going to be the toughest to write -well-. Which I think is good; it gives you more room to improve. This is more true than you think. Toughest part so far is trying to work out how I'm going to write the fantasy portions. I was thinking about a OOTS esque type narrative where the characters are semi aware they're in a game. but that doesn't seem like it'd work well in a dramatic setting and it could get too comical really quick. Starting it was rough too. Started off writing out the Protagonist's suicide attempt, but that got real uncomfortable. So the I decided to go with them wakingup in a hospital, but that seemed too vague. So now I'm trying yo work out a decent prplogue to segue into the hospital scene. Having fun with it though. Really excited to see how this turns out. Write the fantasy portions like a straight forward fantasy story. Use the beginning of the chapters to establish some sort of context in a real-world setting. Maybe in a different font or something. CHAPTER ONEThis portion of the Chapter will just be a short blurb or dialogue exchange between the player's establishing some real-world context for the goings on in their lives, ie: "Alright crew, since Jim is in the hospital we're going to be running without him tonight." "What are we going to do with him?" "I dunno, just say he's got a bad hangover."This part of the Chapter will be just a straight up fantasy story, no tongue in cheek game references, maybe the occasional reference to the above dialogue; ie: Thoridar saddled up to the bar, "Where's the elf?" he asked of Celindra. Celindra smiled a coy smile, "I think the local drink got the better of him, he's sleeping it off." I can see it in my head, but I don't feel like I'm explaining it well. |
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Post by James on Sept 28, 2015 19:42:40 GMT -5
This is more true than you think. Toughest part so far is trying to work out how I'm going to write the fantasy portions. I was thinking about a OOTS esque type narrative where the characters are semi aware they're in a game. but that doesn't seem like it'd work well in a dramatic setting and it could get too comical really quick. Starting it was rough too. Started off writing out the Protagonist's suicide attempt, but that got real uncomfortable. So the I decided to go with them wakingup in a hospital, but that seemed too vague. So now I'm trying yo work out a decent prplogue to segue into the hospital scene. Having fun with it though. Really excited to see how this turns out. Write the fantasy portions like a straight forward fantasy story. Use the beginning of the chapters to establish some sort of context in a real-world setting. Maybe in a different font or something. CHAPTER ONEThis portion of the Chapter will just be a short blurb or dialogue exchange between the player's establishing some real-world context for the goings on in their lives, ie: "Alright crew, since Jim is in the hospital we're going to be running without him tonight." "What are we going to do with him?" "I dunno, just say he's got a bad hangover."This part of the Chapter will be just a straight up fantasy story, no tongue in cheek game references, maybe the occasional reference to the above dialogue; ie: Thoridar saddled up to the bar, "Where's the elf?" he asked of Celindra. Celindra smiled a coy smile, "I think the local drink got the better of him, he's sleeping it off." I can see it in my head, but I don't feel like I'm explaining it well. I like that idea. Essentially, gives each chapter a preamble which is set in the real world, and then have the rest of the chapter a straight up fantasy story. Tell a real-life story through the preamble. Tell a fantasy story through the chapters. Have the two stories interact with each other at a thematic, meta level, without ever really breaking the wall between. |
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Post by ASGetty ((Zovo)) on Sept 28, 2015 20:06:43 GMT -5
Write the fantasy portions like a straight forward fantasy story. Use the beginning of the chapters to establish some sort of context in a real-world setting. Maybe in a different font or something. CHAPTER ONEThis portion of the Chapter will just be a short blurb or dialogue exchange between the player's establishing some real-world context for the goings on in their lives, ie: "Alright crew, since Jim is in the hospital we're going to be running without him tonight." "What are we going to do with him?" "I dunno, just say he's got a bad hangover."This part of the Chapter will be just a straight up fantasy story, no tongue in cheek game references, maybe the occasional reference to the above dialogue; ie: Thoridar saddled up to the bar, "Where's the elf?" he asked of Celindra. Celindra smiled a coy smile, "I think the local drink got the better of him, he's sleeping it off." I can see it in my head, but I don't feel like I'm explaining it well. I like that idea. Essentially, gives each chapter a preamble which is set in the real world, and then have the rest of the chapter a straight up fantasy story. Tell a real-life story through the preamble. Tell a fantasy story through the chapters. Have the two stories interact with each other at a thematic, meta level, without ever really breaking the wall between. Yeah, that. |
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Post by Kaez on Sept 28, 2015 21:54:45 GMT -5
I'm starting to get really quite excited.
This idea is coming together.
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Post by The Counter Cultist(Sawyer) on Sept 29, 2015 18:36:01 GMT -5
This is more true than you think. Toughest part so far is trying to work out how I'm going to write the fantasy portions. I was thinking about a OOTS esque type narrative where the characters are semi aware they're in a game. but that doesn't seem like it'd work well in a dramatic setting and it could get too comical really quick. Starting it was rough too. Started off writing out the Protagonist's suicide attempt, but that got real uncomfortable. So the I decided to go with them wakingup in a hospital, but that seemed too vague. So now I'm trying yo work out a decent prplogue to segue into the hospital scene. Having fun with it though. Really excited to see how this turns out. Write the fantasy portions like a straight forward fantasy story. Use the beginning of the chapters to establish some sort of context in a real-world setting. Maybe in a different font or something. CHAPTER ONEThis portion of the Chapter will just be a short blurb or dialogue exchange between the player's establishing some real-world context for the goings on in their lives, ie: "Alright crew, since Jim is in the hospital we're going to be running without him tonight." "What are we going to do with him?" "I dunno, just say he's got a bad hangover."This part of the Chapter will be just a straight up fantasy story, no tongue in cheek game references, maybe the occasional reference to the above dialogue; ie: Thoridar saddled up to the bar, "Where's the elf?" he asked of Celindra. Celindra smiled a coy smile, "I think the local drink got the better of him, he's sleeping it off." I can see it in my head, but I don't feel like I'm explaining it well. I also like this. But it brings up another question. Should I just have it jump straight into the game itself and then hint at the events that led up to it, or keep those purely real life chapters in the beginning that show the DM getting the old crew back together? |
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Post by James on Oct 4, 2015 15:53:30 GMT -5
I've been thinking about your novel, Sawyer. One of the things you could look at is having the politics of the dungeon master reflect the situation of the game. So if they're a neocon, the Orcs the party go up against are all one dimensional killers, and if they're a liberal, the Orcs are misunderstood and oppressed.
And have other people in the party call that out.
You can essentially act out our generation post 9-11 lives without ever having to explicitly refer to it.
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Post by Jenny (Reffy) on Oct 7, 2015 4:04:20 GMT -5
Have zero ideas ... YAY!
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Post by ASGetty ((Zovo)) on Oct 7, 2015 4:47:34 GMT -5
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Post by Jenny (Reffy) on Oct 9, 2015 4:01:49 GMT -5
Kinda feeling a Deadlands-esque story. Cowboys, saloon girls, shoot outs, etc. Maybe with paranormal aspects ... maybe not Thulu-esque though? Overrated. |
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