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The World and the Tower; Throwing out ideas for comment or opposition
Topic Started: Aug 29 2012, 10:45 PM (388 Views)
Merior
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I've been trying to imagine what this world is like beyond the introduction already given and a few ideas have come to mind so far. These are just what I'm throwing out as possibilities so comments, or alternatives, would be welcome.
"Biigoh wrote:"
 
There are relics, ruins... and a single transcendent tower that is, as the D&D players say 'Dungeon Time'... dimensionally transcendent... ie the tower is the only way to other realities the only problem lies in that there are monsters and such in said tower that don't leave it. And not every one will end up as a 'super character'... think of those who ended up as absolutely normal people.

Think a tower that is several miles wide, and an uncalculatable height (literally, it keeps shifting... within a set amount... but it changes
Bomb wrote that in one of the messages and it looks like a good place to start. In my minds eye I'm imagining people waking up scattered far and wide, sometimes in groups and sometimes not, with often significant distances from them to the Tower. Yet the tower is something which stands out while still being obscured, which divinations, psychic powers, or sensors would determine is doing 'odd things' but the details are nigh impossible to determine. People, knowingly or not, are often drawn towards the tower and various forms of determining direct will generally point towards it.

Generally things wander into the Tower through doors to other worlds within it, ones which open and close erratically, but at other times the Tower draws things in a less controlled fashion. Items, beasts, plants, or people can be found appearing in the Tower or even in the regions close to it. Setting up a lasting residence too close to the Tower risks waking up one day to find, say, hell wasps have appeared in your bedroom.

In the larger world there signs of previous habitation, but bar the tower the most recent is ruins at best. The land is untouched by human, or unhuman, hand and the wildlife varies from almost normal to somewhat monstrous due to things which came from the tower managing to find a niche for themselves. It would be a lush and dangerous place, something which is not going to help the more normal people who appeared in this world.


Anyone else got a view on this?
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biigoh
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Dakkan Sall
Sep 13 2012, 04:30 AM
Of course, not all shipwrecks would be like that. Some would likely be just the hull or otherwise, gutted from either time or previous scavengers. Some may actually be resistant (actively or not) to any attempts to get inside. And some may be composed of some sort of tech base that, while long-lasting, is totally alien to anyone present and so more or less worthless as no one knows how to turn it on/convert it/use it for parts.
The only question is... is there a Tony Stark type person or a Girl Genius type Spark... because if there are... the tech might not be as worthless as it seems. ^_^
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Glorfindel
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biigoh
Sep 13 2012, 05:31 AM
The only question is... is there a Tony Stark type person or a Girl Genius type Spark... because if there are... the tech might not be as worthless as it seems. ^_^
Spaceships could also be good sources of replacement parts for robot or cyborg characters, if they are lucky enough to find one matching their make... It would be a shame to have a Motoko Kusanagi (or whoever) die because she can't get maintenance. Degraded performance due to limited supplies/improvised equipment is still an option of course, when convenient for reasons of plot.

One request with regard to super-gadgeteers and scavenged stuff: I like people starting out on a low tech level and gradually improving, so no instant industrialisation, please? Mind, I have no complaints if the technology curve starts ramping up eventually, or maybe skips a few steps due to scavenging or Tower expeditions, but let's make tech something that progresses during our stories.

Edit: Aaaaargh I am headless like Nathan??? Time to look into a custom avatar (your Elder Sign is pretty, Bomb).
Edited by Glorfindel, Sep 14 2012, 10:35 AM.
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biigoh
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The headless anon strikes! ^_^

Also, agreed on the no instant industrialization... At least outside of what people had on them at start...
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biigoh
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So, was talking to Nathan yesterday...

Quote:
 
Glorfindel says, "I am thinking of this:"
Summoning: A summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. When the spell ends or is dispelled, a summoned creature is instantly sent back to where it came from, but a summoned object is not sent back unless the spell description specifically indicates this. A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower, but it is not really dead. It takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it can't be summoned again. [spoofed by Glorfindel]
When the spell that summoned a creature ends and the creature disappears, all the spells it has cast expire. A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have. [spoofed by Glorfindel]
Biichan blinks...
Biichan asks, "Perhaps, you summon it for the time... but when it ends and when it's suppose to go back, it doesn't... it stays and is no longer under your control?"
Deimos says, "Which is going to be -dangerous- for someone."
Biichan nodnods
Glorfindel says, "To me, the above looks like it's trying to say something along the lines of 'basically, for the duration of the spell the world pretends the creatures is there, but it's not really'. But maybe I'm overthinking this."
Biichan asks, "That is always another possibility, you're creating a phantasm?"
Glorfindel asks, "Well, I ask because, do we really want the cleric to summon dozens of celestial critters that stick around?"
Deimos says, "Well, they wouldn't be happy with you about that so after the first set you might be more... reluctant."
Biichan says, "Kidnapping such creatures are... dangerous/bad"
Damian Crash says, "though there would be the fact that you wouldn't have known they'd get stuck... the first time, and maybe the second. after that, however..."
Biichan nodnods


Quote:
 
Glorfindel considers a 'rival' settlement, sort of a dark mirror of the one Deimos's earth mage is founding.
Deimos asks, "Someone how wishes more to rule or control?"
Biichan asks, "A guild town? as they say?"
Biichan asks, "With tax and tributes?"
Biichan asks, "for protection?"
"That's a nice place you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it." [spoofed by Damian_Crash]
Glorfindel nods. "Not blatantly evil at first, I think."
Deimos offers you a Thrallherd...
Glorfindel says, "I briefly considered 'New Brittania'."
Damian Crash says, "oh dear..."
Biichan asks, "Lelouch?"
Damian Crash says, "doubtful, as he only did so as a means to an end"
Glorfindel says, "Yes. But it's probably more interesting if the matter is more ambiguous, with people joining up who are not all that different from ours. It's just that over time unpleasant people assume leadership or an existing leader goes corrupt, and gradually the two settlements become very different."
Glorfindel asides, "Think of the sort of person who'd *want* to be be Lelouch."
http://randomc.net/image/Sword%20Art%20Online/Sword%20Art%20Online%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2030.jpg [spoofed by Bomb-chan]
Glorfindel says, "But anyway, a gradual 'polarisation' seems more interesting to me."
Glorfindel looks. "?"
Biichan asks, "An army being formed?"
Glorfindel nods, "Probably. Eventually."
Glorfindel eyes. "Especially if they are good with metal."
Biichan asks, "A metal bender? Or worse... a iron smith?"
Glorfindel asks, "A blacksmith is worse than a metal bender?"
Biichan asks, "Someone who knows how to work metal and teach others?"
Glorfindel nods, "Maybe so."
Damian Crash says, "metal bending can't actually refine metal, only work with it in whatever form. so, for instance, they can't make steel from iron"
Biichan says, "Earth bender what knows how to bend metal... can be scary in combat... but someone who can produce more metal equipment and get others to also make such..."
Glorfindel says, "And then Ironfort starts demanding tribute. For protection, yes."
Biichan says, "Especially when mosters and such start showing up"
Deimos asks, "What did you see as causing them to start to turn up?"
Biichan says, "The doors have opened"
Biichan says, "Also... perhaps... there are hmmm... low level monsters summoned by careless summoners"
Biichan says, "Who get used as point and forget weapons"
Glorfindel looks innocent.
Biichan says, "this is aside from those who get brought in as monsters... ie vampires, werewolves and such who've succumb to their body's urges... let alone their body's memories"


Quote:
 
Damian Crash asks, "hmm... just thought... what are the range of ages for people being dropped into the Tower world? not their body/personas, but the actual person underneath?"
Biichan asks, "a wide range?"
Biichan asks, "ie from low teens to the old man of the mountain type?"
Damian Crash hums... "ok. I was wondering because the idea of someone 4-10 or so being dropped into a character they like... somewhat grim, you can imagine, as they probably either wouldn't have the mental resistance to avoid falling into the persona completely, or be able to survive otherwise"
Biichan says, "That would be a bit grimdark"
Biichan says, "On the other hand, you can't tell with some people how old they are"
Damian Crash says, "I know. that's why I was asking OOC"
Biichan nodnods...
Biichan says, "Althou, there might be teens on the younger side... with OPed characters as their form"
Biichan asks, "I mean... you mean a pokemon trainer... but it's a character whose been played by a kid with lots of free time... can you imagine how scary that kid would be with his pokemon?"
Biichan says, "He knows exactly what they can do..."
Biichan says, "and how high level they are"
Damian Crash hehs. "so long as there aren't any outright mary-sue style ones, I'm more or less fine with that."
Biichan says, "For younger 'kids', I was thinking stuff like pokemon trainers and such running around"
Damian Crash nods
Damian Crash says, "hm... kids are likely to become animals as well (to whatever degree of anthropomorphizing), since a lot of kid shows have talking/intelligent ones. MLP, Sonic, "
Damian Crash says, "sesame street, Mickey Mouse..."


Quote:
 
Damian Crash says, "eh, just a thought. Dei would be helped with setting up if Applejack was around to join the inn/farm/town"
Biichan hehs
Biichan asks, "Applejack would be useful?"
Damian Crash says, "she's a farmpony"
Damian Crash says, "and supposedly in-series, Earth ponies in general are supposed to have the ability to make plants grow better"


Quote:
 
Biichan shakes head... "I should amen the 1000 or so castways to 1000 or so HUMAN castaways..."
Biichan says, "or at least shouldn't"
Damian Crash asks, "why not?"
Biichan says, "This would put me outside the 1000 numbering ^_-"
Damian Crash asks, "o...k? and you want to stick to that because?"
Biichan shakes head...
Biichan asks, "so a higher ratio of castaways?"
Biichan asks, "with a good number who've incarnated as something other than human?"
Biichan asks, "what # sounds good for the -total- of everyone? 2000? 3000? 4000+?"
Damian Crash shrugs. "I don't see why not. or why it has to be a round number. we were discussing that a bit before you showed up earlier (the transport itself, not the number of people)"
Damian Crash says, "mainly to the effect of whether everyone would speak english, have the same cultural backround, or even be all from the same universe. and whether the transport mechanism was 'natural' or somehow being directed by an outside force"
Biichan asks, "Out of character-wise or IC?"
Biichan says, "OOC-wise, I was thinking it's a mechanism of the tower itself"
Biichan says, "It's just that this time, it drew in people as their focus"
Damian Crash says, "OOC-wise. we were trying to work out 'ok, WHY is this happening, and why these people?'"
Biichan says, "as for the why these people, it's randomized"
Biichan says, "as for why... I was thinking that the tower acts in a way as a purging/lightning rod system... in that it draws in certain excesses from various realities"
Damian Crash nods. "though why it needs to do that would be interesting for later... we were just doing so as to figure out how/who various NPC characters would be, and if they'd be from out earth or another reality, or even from the same general area (i.e. english-speaking)"
Biichan says, "ie the 'level'/reality has build up too much of something (let's call it plotium), and the tower acts to draw it from the reality in the form of people/monsters/things..."
Damian Crash says, "ah"
Biichan says, "for the most part, it's not a lot... but every now and then... let's say an age or two... you get a massive build up and it drains in the form of a good number of people"
Damian Crash nods. "and otherwise is a small trickle of inanimate ships, buildings, and the like?"
Biichan says, "and now the mystery of why socks disappear in the wash... is now explained ^_-"
Biichan nods at Damian
Biichan says, "I suspect that the setting would resemble Myst in certain theme/aestatics"
Damian Crash says, "heh"
Damian Crash says, "only without the abundance of puzzles and object-fetching, I presume"
Biichan nodnods
Biichan says, "indeed"
Damian Crash asides, "at least in part due to everything being spread out so much..."
Biichan nodnods...
Biichan asks, "It's spread out.... but you could get fetch quests... like running a salvaging mission to the ship ruins?"
Biichan says, "or hunting for food..."
Biichan says, "or going out to sea and boarding that ancient air craft carrier..."
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Glorfindel
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Regarding summoning, I suppose I will restrain myself and not start summoning angelic hosts. I suspect there will be a celestial dog around though, who may now and then alert me and others to people in need, or guide them to safety by itself or the like.

Quote:
 
Glorfindel considers a 'rival' settlement, sort of a dark mirror of the one Deimos's earth mage is founding.

This was just me thinking out loud. I'll be happy if a dozen or so settlements simply coexist mostly peacefully, with most of their contact consisting of informal trade. There is enough war and tribalism/nationalism around IRL not to put up with it here.

On the other hand: The setting is very, very empty as it is, to the point that I am having trouble plotting beyond "um... I wander until someone builds a house and we meet". We better start thinking what to populate it with, starting with a handful of settlements that pop up in the first few months.

Quote:
 
Damian Crash shrugs. "I don't see why not. or why it has to be a round number. we were discussing that a bit before you showed up earlier (the transport itself, not the number of people)"
Damian Crash says, "mainly to the effect of whether everyone would speak english, have the same cultural backround, or even be all from the same universe. and whether the transport mechanism was 'natural' or somehow being directed by an outside force"

I.e. if everyone is from our world, speaks English and is immersed in western culture to an extent, this at least gives us a common frame of reference. Looking past someone's fictional persona will be difficult enough without the original person unable to speak any language you know.
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biigoh
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Or we could do the Doctor Who / Stargate /Star trek method and have some sort of universal translator effect going on?

As for stuff... to populate the place... we might want to do a more stuff starts showing up during or at least before arrival?
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biigoh
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Looking at the log of you guys today...

That's actually a good way to do things;

ie dimensional travelers bring their own "local" rules with them.
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Glorfindel
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I tried to expand on yesterday night's babblings, see the A Jedi, a channeler and a wizard walk into a bar thread.

I would really appreciate some feedback here to sort this out to everyone's satisfaction.
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biigoh
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I was going to go with it all being instant/same day that everyone woke up in the world... but a time period? Say a month or two with new arrivals popping up? Does that sound like it'd work?
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Dakkan Sall
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Obviously, considering my snip, it works for me. Also, having arrivals staggered somewhat seems more... natural? If it was all at the exact same moment, I would have to expect (IC or OOC) some sort of artificial trigger that initiated it. However, with a more gradual process, it would appear to be more... hm... like venting or something? Kind of the difference between popping a balloon and just opening it to empty (only in reverse, in this case).
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