My favorite bit of not commonly known Forgotten Realms lore is that their fantasy version of Egypt was populated by actual Egyptians.
Like, human Egyptians from Earth who had just been randomly teleported there one day.
There is lots of that in Faerun; portals opened up all over the world that people just kind of walked through at one point or another. The original race there? Psionic dinosaur-people.
I shit you not.
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Let's play Mario Kart or something...
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
I do remember reading a fantasy novel many moons ago that managed to eject me from the immersion I was innocently enjoying not once but twice, as character in whatever made-up world it was referred to someone getting carte blanche and a room being spartan.
Take some medieval European country, add feudal Japan honor culture and a crapton of made-up words for their weapons, armor, individual pieces of armor, and combat styles.
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JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
I do remember reading a fantasy novel many moons ago that managed to eject me from the immersion I was innocently enjoying not once but twice, as character in whatever made-up world it was referred to someone getting carte blanche and a room being spartan.
This is one of my constant problems when posting in PBPs. I never know where to draw the line as all of our language is rooted somewhere.
Mojo_Jojo on
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
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JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
I do remember reading a fantasy novel many moons ago that managed to eject me from the immersion I was innocently enjoying not once but twice, as character in whatever made-up world it was referred to someone getting carte blanche and a room being spartan.
Where do you draw the line, though? I mean, our language is made up entirely of words from other languages. How recent does the loanword have to be to break immersion?
I do remember reading a fantasy novel many moons ago that managed to eject me from the immersion I was innocently enjoying not once but twice, as character in whatever made-up world it was referred to someone getting carte blanche and a room being spartan.
This is one of my constant problems when posting in PBPs. I never know where to draw the line as all of our language is rooted somewhere.
This is true. I don't know exactly where the line is, but I'm know when someone leaps across it by having a guard exclaim 'zut alors!' or similar.
I do remember reading a fantasy novel many moons ago that managed to eject me from the immersion I was innocently enjoying not once but twice, as character in whatever made-up world it was referred to someone getting carte blanche and a room being spartan.
This is one of my constant problems when posting in PBPs. I never know where to draw the line as all of our language is rooted somewhere.
This is true. I don't know exactly where the line is, but I'm know when someone leaps across it by having a guard exclaim 'zut alors!' or similar.
Unless it's a foreign guard from a culture clearly based on France?
Mojo_Jojo on
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
I do remember reading a fantasy novel many moons ago that managed to eject me from the immersion I was innocently enjoying not once but twice, as character in whatever made-up world it was referred to someone getting carte blanche and a room being spartan.
This is basically impossible to avoid in fantasy fiction writing, and accounts for why so much of fantasy fiction is dry and boring.
Modern english is full of loanwords, historical references, and coined phrases with very specific origins.
When they are used by fantasy characters in their made-up fantasy world, it can yank you out of the story hard, especially when the phrase or word itself originates in a time that is very much after the medieval period in Europe and might have a very well-known and modern origin.
As a fantasy writer, you have three choices:
1. Establish a very firm cultural origin for all the language used (say, England and English) and stick only to phrases, idioms, and words appropriate to the period and culture you are emulating.
2. Not give a shit, and use whatever phrase is appropriate.
3. Stop writing medieval fantasy because it's fucking terrible and you should be ashamed of yourself.
I hope more writers choose 3.
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ThomamelasOnly one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered Userregular
You think George Lucas is bad for suddenly shitting all over novel writers and stuff with random, arbitrary changes to the lore?
Lucas ain't got shit on Greenwood.
Elminster follows a power curve that fits with the increasing popularity of Drizzit. There was a very unpleasant usenet discussion when Greenwood found the D&D group and we were trying to figure out how to kill Eliminster. Greenwood swore he could be killed but wouldn't tell us how. We couldn't figure out a way to do it that didn't require a massive team of wizards and psionists.
Kaiserreich needs more expansionist events for Poland. My options right now are Conquer Galicia --> Unite with Lithuania.
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JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
edited April 2010
I actually think it would be kind of cool if a fantasy writer just used translated versions of all our borrowed phrases and so on. Like the carte blanche example, the writer could say "he had white card to do whatever he wished." Gives it a bit of a different flavor, like the world has its own lingo.
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ThomamelasOnly one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered Userregular
I am conflicted. Perhaps if someone were to send me copies of each game I could try them all. Won't someone help a brother out?
Ah, well the campaign of MW2 is a tad silly, and the mutiplayer for 'realistic' combat isn't nearly as fun as BC2/hilariously broken. With BC2 you've got a faux class system letting you take different roles and the vehicles are implemented really well.
ODST is at the end of a day an expansion pack, and you'll find it hard to get anyone to do the ODST specific multiplayer.
I genuinely dislike the vast majority of fantasy fiction and find it unbelievable I read so much of it as a youth.
It's so bad.
I look at fantasy fiction the way a guy might look back at a high school picture of him with a mullet and think "Jesus, what was I thinking? Why on Earth did I think that was good?"
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KageraImitating the worst people. Since 2004Registered Userregular
edited April 2010
Oh man, I want to write a medieval fantasy story using cultural references like 'blogging' and Legos.
Kagera on
My neck, my back, my FUPA and my crack.
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HonkHonk is this poster.Registered User, __BANNED USERSregular
edited April 2010
I have gotten in the mood to try Braid. It should be basically free now.
This is true. I don't know exactly where the line is, but I'm know when someone leaps across it by having a guard exclaim 'zut alors!' or similar.
Unless it's a foreign guard from a culture clearly based on France?
I'm talking more about having it pop up in an established world like Faerun, though. Also, are you about on Bank Holiday Monday next week? I may well be down in your neck of the woods visiting friends and so forth. A cup of coffee and much hearty banter may be possible if you're about.
This is true. I don't know exactly where the line is, but I'm know when someone leaps across it by having a guard exclaim 'zut alors!' or similar.
Unless it's a foreign guard from a culture clearly based on France?
I'm talking more about having it pop up in an established world like Faerun, though. Also, are you about on Bank Holiday Monday next week? I may well be down in your neck of the woods visiting friends and so forth. A cup of coffee and much hearty banter may be possible if you're about.
I may be at work, but I'll be able to pop out and drink coffee. You have my number, right?
Mojo_Jojo on
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ElldrenIs a woman dammitceterum censeoRegistered Userregular
This is true. I don't know exactly where the line is, but I'm know when someone leaps across it by having a guard exclaim 'zut alors!' or similar.
Unless it's a foreign guard from a culture clearly based on France?
I'm talking more about having it pop up in an established world like Faerun, though. Also, are you about on Bank Holiday Monday next week? I may well be down in your neck of the woods visiting friends and so forth. A cup of coffee and much hearty banter may be possible if you're about.
that exchange ripped me completely out of your fantasy setting
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
edited April 2010
hrmm, it seems that after really being on an immersive XXth century listening schedule, Mozart seems really, really boring. It's so rhythmically simple.
hrmm, it seems that after really being on an immersive XXth century listening schedule, Mozart seems really, really boring. It's so rhythmically simple.
One of the worst things I sometimes run into playing Dungeons & Dragons with random people are DMs who have their own lovingly crafted homebrew settings.
This is true. I don't know exactly where the line is, but I'm know when someone leaps across it by having a guard exclaim 'zut alors!' or similar.
Unless it's a foreign guard from a culture clearly based on France?
I'm talking more about having it pop up in an established world like Faerun, though. Also, are you about on Bank Holiday Monday next week? I may well be down in your neck of the woods visiting friends and so forth. A cup of coffee and much hearty banter may be possible if you're about.
I may be at work, but I'll be able to pop out and drink coffee. You have my number, right?
Don't think so. I would pm you mine but without my top-up card I have no idea what it actually is.
One of the worst things I sometimes run into playing Dungeons & Dragons with random people are DMs who have their own lovingly crafted homebrew settings.
Holy christ, is that ever a recipe for disaster.
I mostly DM in homebrew settings, but generally, I have my concept and then I just let the players go nuts on filling out the various bits and pieces as they see fit.
Mojo_Jojo on
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
Posts
Through the stargate.
There is lots of that in Faerun; portals opened up all over the world that people just kind of walked through at one point or another. The original race there? Psionic dinosaur-people.
I shit you not.
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
BC2 or ODST if you don't have Halo 3.
I seem to recall that it wasn't so much that they were teleported there but they arrived via Spelljamer Ships.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Well, it's Ed Greenwood, the setting's creator.
You think George Lucas is bad for suddenly shitting all over novel writers and stuff with random, arbitrary changes to the lore?
Lucas ain't got shit on Greenwood.
Take some medieval European country, add feudal Japan honor culture and a crapton of made-up words for their weapons, armor, individual pieces of armor, and combat styles.
it attempts to tithe 10% to the local orphanage; tragedy ensues
Followed by 4 days in Arizona for a wedding.
So it's kind of a wash.
This is one of my constant problems when posting in PBPs. I never know where to draw the line as all of our language is rooted somewhere.
That's even better!
I have Halo 3.
I am conflicted. Perhaps if someone were to send me copies of each game I could try them all. Won't someone help a brother out?
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Where do you draw the line, though? I mean, our language is made up entirely of words from other languages. How recent does the loanword have to be to break immersion?
well
will, nerd, mikeman, gonmun, preach, and i have BC2
This is true. I don't know exactly where the line is, but I'm know when someone leaps across it by having a guard exclaim 'zut alors!' or similar.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
That is awesome.
You are awesome for that thing you just thought up.
Give yourself a pat on the back.
Unless it's a foreign guard from a culture clearly based on France?
This is basically impossible to avoid in fantasy fiction writing, and accounts for why so much of fantasy fiction is dry and boring.
Modern english is full of loanwords, historical references, and coined phrases with very specific origins.
When they are used by fantasy characters in their made-up fantasy world, it can yank you out of the story hard, especially when the phrase or word itself originates in a time that is very much after the medieval period in Europe and might have a very well-known and modern origin.
As a fantasy writer, you have three choices:
1. Establish a very firm cultural origin for all the language used (say, England and English) and stick only to phrases, idioms, and words appropriate to the period and culture you are emulating.
2. Not give a shit, and use whatever phrase is appropriate.
3. Stop writing medieval fantasy because it's fucking terrible and you should be ashamed of yourself.
I hope more writers choose 3.
Elminster follows a power curve that fits with the increasing popularity of Drizzit. There was a very unpleasant usenet discussion when Greenwood found the D&D group and we were trying to figure out how to kill Eliminster. Greenwood swore he could be killed but wouldn't tell us how. We couldn't figure out a way to do it that didn't require a massive team of wizards and psionists.
So one of you could send me the game? That's very generous 'Chu.
To be honest, I'll probably pick up ODST and BC2 because I love me some Halo and BC2 is what everybody appears to be playing.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Golden.
Spelljammer was a terrible setting that was so bad that it became awesome.
Exception: If they are a Time Lord.
Ah, well the campaign of MW2 is a tad silly, and the mutiplayer for 'realistic' combat isn't nearly as fun as BC2/hilariously broken. With BC2 you've got a faux class system letting you take different roles and the vehicles are implemented really well.
ODST is at the end of a day an expansion pack, and you'll find it hard to get anyone to do the ODST specific multiplayer.
urijah faber
your chin is hilarious
It's so bad.
I look at fantasy fiction the way a guy might look back at a high school picture of him with a mullet and think "Jesus, what was I thinking? Why on Earth did I think that was good?"
I'm talking more about having it pop up in an established world like Faerun, though. Also, are you about on Bank Holiday Monday next week? I may well be down in your neck of the woods visiting friends and so forth. A cup of coffee and much hearty banter may be possible if you're about.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
I may be at work, but I'll be able to pop out and drink coffee. You have my number, right?
that exchange ripped me completely out of your fantasy setting
rhythm hadn't been invented yet
Holy christ, is that ever a recipe for disaster.
Don't think so. I would pm you mine but without my top-up card I have no idea what it actually is.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
I mostly DM in homebrew settings, but generally, I have my concept and then I just let the players go nuts on filling out the various bits and pieces as they see fit.
i should try and get back into it