What about the lower animals? Dragons and weird creatures are almost inevitable, but what about bears and wolves? Will there be real-world creatures, or at least things similar to them?
There should be. Those things are necessary, and unless someone really feels the need to build a completely alien ecosystem for an entire planet, there's really no reason to abandon these things.
And re: Talonrazor and 'only humans is dumb and boring' - the only thing foreign races really add are different cultures, yes? Unless you really make use of different physical structures, there's no reason to have the good Northern Humans and the vile Yuan-ti instead of the good Northern Humans and the vile Southern Humans.
Not that I'm saying Let's Disallow Other Races. They can be fun, and they can add to the setting, but let's not have ten-legged-tentacle-monkeys just because it's CREATIVE AND OUT THERE!
One thing to consider if things are done in stages is to kind of work it Greek myth style, where one set of gods controls each phase. You have the elder gods responsible for building the world, the middle gods supplant them and create the mortal inhabitants, and then the youngest gods push them out of the way and rule from on high.
I consider race variety to be pretty important. I actually liked that there were no humans in the last one, although I suppose it might hurt someone trying to run it as a D&D game or something.
This makes me want to make a race of solar/steam, humanoid, hermaphroditic, techno-organic constructs.
Other races do contribute more than simply a different culture of humans. Their sexual reproductive organs alone can make for huge culture shifts that wouldn't make any sense with humans. Likewise something that eats a different kind of food, lets say igneous rock for example, would live in entirely different regions and build their society around entirely different actions than any human society could reasonably be expected to do. There are some cultures you simply cannot create with humans, they would make no sense and have no practical reason for being.
AcidSerra on
0
Options
INeedNoSaltwith blood on my teethRegistered Userregular
This makes me want to make a race of solar/steam, humanoid, hermaphroditic, techno-organic constructs.
Other races do contribute more than simply a different culture of humans. Their sexual reproductive organs alone can make for huge culture shifts that wouldn't make any sense with humans. Likewise something that eats a different kind of food, lets say igneous rock for example, would live in entirely different regions and build their society around entirely different actions than any human society could reasonably be expected to do. There are some cultures you simply cannot create with humans, they would make no sense and have no practical reason for being.
A race that would starve to death if they didn't carry around a ton of rocks with them everywhere wouldn't have any practical reason for being, either.
This makes me want to make a race of solar/steam, humanoid, hermaphroditic, techno-organic constructs.
Other races do contribute more than simply a different culture of humans. Their sexual reproductive organs alone can make for huge culture shifts that wouldn't make any sense with humans. Likewise something that eats a different kind of food, lets say igneous rock for example, would live in entirely different regions and build their society around entirely different actions than any human society could reasonably be expected to do. There are some cultures you simply cannot create with humans, they would make no sense and have no practical reason for being.
A race that would starve to death if they didn't carry around a ton of rocks with them everywhere wouldn't have any practical reason for being, either.
If you assume that they are comparable in strength to the average human, perhaps. Their food bags would be heavier, but not terribly so, igneous rock is very porous so it's a lighter weight of rock. Being outside of the rest of the food chain they would in fact thrive more likely than die off because they have no competition for food supply.
Having a farming technique, mining, that results in resources valuable for trade being found on a regular basis would make a strong foundation for a trading empire. Trade posts would keep the majority of the dead weight rock and travellers would only need what it took to get from pont a to point b. If they ran out of food in their pack it wouldn't be much different having to forage for rocks than for plants, your boned either way if there isn't anything edible in the area.
Don't be so quick to assume something is impractical. When things are taken in moderation, what you see as a curse may be a great blessing.
AcidSerra on
0
Options
INeedNoSaltwith blood on my teethRegistered Userregular
This makes me want to make a race of solar/steam, humanoid, hermaphroditic, techno-organic constructs.
Other races do contribute more than simply a different culture of humans. Their sexual reproductive organs alone can make for huge culture shifts that wouldn't make any sense with humans. Likewise something that eats a different kind of food, lets say igneous rock for example, would live in entirely different regions and build their society around entirely different actions than any human society could reasonably be expected to do. There are some cultures you simply cannot create with humans, they would make no sense and have no practical reason for being.
A race that would starve to death if they didn't carry around a ton of rocks with them everywhere wouldn't have any practical reason for being, either.
If you assume that they are comparable in strength to the average human, perhaps. Their food bags would be heavier, but not terribly so, igneous rock is very porous so it's a lighter weight of rock. Being outside of the rest of the food chain they would in fact thrive more likely than die off because they have no competition for food supply.
Except for, y'no, except by big fiery things, igneous rock isn't all that common. People can thrive when they travel 'cause they can live off the land - folks who only eat lava rocks only thrive around lava rocks.
And having people who are strong enough to lug around tons of rocks on them puts them outside of the same playable league as humans.
One advantage of humans is that there is a vast amount of inspiration to draw upon for the design of different cultures within the race - you can modify and mix and match parts of historical cultures and new ideas of your own to produce many, many different and new and innovative cultures without too much work. You're unlikely to see near as much variety amongst a race of igneous rock eaters as you can work into human societies, even if the race itself is quite unique. They'd be better off existing alongside humans, not on their own, where the inter-race variety would offset their less developed internal variety.
What about technology? Some people have mentioned steampunk. I definitely don't think we should see that kind of technology until phase 4.
Phase 4 at the earliest for steampunk style technology, but it'll all depend on the nature of the world created in the earlier stages. If we decide, say, that technology (and more specifically mechanical devices) require a "ghost in the machine" or god of machines to work, then without such a god, relatively high technology simply won't be possible.
If everyone is satisfied with these guidelines, I'll begin the actual game thread. Guidelines
If something isn't strictly according to the guidelines but the narrative would benefit from it, go ahead and do it. They're called "guidelines" for a reason.
Phase 1 – Creation
Birth of the gods, initial creation of the world. Any important paraphernalia – the sun, the stars, clouds, etc should be created during this phase. Plant and unintelligent animal life can start to be created now. The homes or servants of the gods may be created now or later. Continents and globally significant geographical features (like climate) can be vaguely described now or left unspecified.
Phase 2 – Genesis
Creation of the first intelligent and free-willed life. Racial characteristics, "gifts from the gods" or curses etc bestowed onto races.
Races may be settled wherever, taught particular crafts or abilities, reared up in competition of each other and otherwise raised from primitives to advanced beings. Peoples may be influenced to settle particular areas, build particular settlements, go to war, or do anything else on a scale of nations, all at the behest of the gods.
Phase 3 – Myth
Gods create heroes out of individuals and guide these heroes. Specific beasts, monsters or demons might be created to ravish kingdoms. Wars and trade and suchlike take precedence over settlement and development. Nations as a whole can still be influenced and things still occur on a similar scale, but more focus is on the great heroes and rulers rather than the bodies of people, and some players might take on the role of heroes influencing events rather than gods.
Phase 4 – Legend
Players now all take on the roles of mortal heroes and rulers, and the gods have only an indirect role in affairs. Scale is more on the great affairs and endeavours of individuals rather than those of societies. Players create legends for future ages.
Phase 5 – Age of Now
Roll up some PCs and go adventuring.
General Guidelines
Vagueness and specifics
Specifics should become more detailed as the phases progress. In general, things should be left vague at first, unless they are something on which a god lavishes special attention, to allow more wiggle room later.
For example: In phase 1, gods might create specific animals and describe their features while leaving geography vaguely defined at best. By phase 2, it would be necessary to describe large scale geography ("I settle my people in a rocky place beneath the mountains, devoid of trees"), and by phase 3 we'd be into specifics for some areas ("The army met the enemy at a narrow mountain pass surrounded by hot springs")
Moving godly cheese
You can mess around with other gods' stuff, but keep it relevant to your own god – a sky deity would not send earthquakes, for example – and be sensitive to other players. Don't override people, but seek compromise. Where necessary, the judge will intervene to settle disputes.
Picking domains
Try not to be too specific when you're picking your domains. A god of wintergreen scented candles not only will rarely have anything to do inside of his or her domain, but will also have more difficulty relating other things he or she wants to do back to candles. Likewise, try not to be too far ranging and push out other players for choices, or seize multiple domains and try and affect everything at once.
A narrow domain can be fine, so long as you aren't afraid to use it creatively. A god of sleep might seem useless, but you could put entire armies to sleep, send people visions in the night or make dreams flesh.
Creating Races
Typically, major races should be relatively humanoid – that is, humanoid to make into a player character. Actual humans will probably be created at some point, so bear them in mind as a point of comparison so as not to make other races too weak or powerful. Minor and "monstrous" races can be as non-humanoid as you like.
All gods may create life of some sort, unless they choose to give up that right.
Yeah, sleep wasn't a very good choice of domain. This time around, try to pick something more flexible, but if you do end up with something of that sort, don't be afraid to use it - put entire nations to sleep, send people visions in their dreams, let loose nightmares to run around the real world.
In fact, I'm putting that in the guidelines.
Yeah, me too. I missed the last one, but not this one!
GrimmyTOA on
0
Options
INeedNoSaltwith blood on my teethRegistered Userregular
edited March 2007
I'm liking the sound of it. Now I'm hoping the thread doesn't go up until some time while I'm at my computer (so my domain of choice is not nabbed :P )
Let's keep this thread around as an OOC chatter, huh? The way we handled it last time worked pretty well, but if we keep the OOC chatter and the IC chatter seperate entirely, it might make it easier to keep track of things (although I suggest we stick with the bolding of the important parts.)
Also, since the idea is to have everyone working together as players (although not necessarily as characters), figured I'd pitch this out there before I go gettin' all happity.
What would thoughts be on the whole 'parallel plane' sort of thing? Something akin to say, the Emerald Dream of WarCraft, although less a-big-terrifying-natural-world and more like a parallel dreamscape? Might work for the deity I'm considering, but I won't bother if it'd be a waste of time/nobody likes the idea/it never gets used.
I'm liking the sound of it. Now I'm hoping the thread doesn't go up until some time while I'm at my computer (so my domain of choice is not nabbed :P )
I'm the same. If you nab mine I'm going to pick the domain most appropriate to grief you for the duration of the game.
I'm liking the sound of it. Now I'm hoping the thread doesn't go up until some time while I'm at my computer (so my domain of choice is not nabbed :P )
I'm the same. If you nab mine I'm going to pick the domain most appropriate to grief you for the duration of the game.
Or, you know, I may do that anyway.
Hell I'll put my first thought out there right away, because honestly, I have a serious doubt anyone else is gonna want to play a faerie god. :P
And yes, that's my first thought. Cable, the Faerie Queen. Beyond that, I've considered bring Salt back, or using a Plant god.
With their not being any sentients to begin with, ideas like god of war or knowledge, etc. aren't really feasable are they? I'm just saying since that kind of thing is more my spin. I kind of also would like to play a night-god though (moon or darkness if I have to be less specific).
JacquesCousteau on
0
Options
INeedNoSaltwith blood on my teethRegistered Userregular
With their not being any sentients to begin with, ideas like god of war or knowledge, etc. aren't really feasable are they? I'm just saying since that kind of thing is more my spin. I kind of also would like to play a night-god though (moon or darkness if I have to be less specific).
They might be feasible, they just wouldn't have much to do. They'd probably be more relevant in the phase 2 of things.
Well with the phases system one could always switch around. You could be a primal earth god in the first round but then later leave that because you've made all the mountains and canyons you wanted to and "reroll" as a War god in the pantheon of the squid people or something.
The phase system allows for far more flexibility and makes it easier for people to jump in and out of roles, not to mention people entering the game late.
With their not being any sentients to begin with, ideas like god of war or knowledge, etc. aren't really feasable are they? I'm just saying since that kind of thing is more my spin. I kind of also would like to play a night-god though (moon or darkness if I have to be less specific).
If, instead of a God of War, you went with a God of Violence, you'd have lots to do. You could run around making meteors and supernovae and whatnot in phase one, typhoons and earthquakes in phase two, and get down to the warring thereafter.
Just a thought.
P.S. INNS -- your God sounds like it could be cool. I promise not to try to poach it when you aren't looking.
No comprendo salto. What do you mean "plane lain-on-top-of the main world"?
Like uhm. I used the Emerald Dream as an example earlier; something akin to DND or Shadowrun's Astral plane, something like the Shadowlands in World of Darkness. Basically, a second 'world' that's sort of a mirror image of the basic world, except with some major difference.
The Emerald Dream is Azeroth as it would have been if it were feral and had never been touched by sentient hands, the Astral Plane in DND or Shadowrun is just a magical 'layer' over the normal world, the Shadowlands is the world as it would be if everything died.
And I'm thinking of I go with a faerie god, maybe she'd make something of a dreamscape overlay of the normal world. But I wouldn't bother with it if it's not the right flavor or everyone thinks it's stupid or whatnot.
I think it might be extremely cool as an RP conceit -- would this other plane be the realm of the gods, or your own playground/the font/expression of your powers?
Depending on what spheres are left when I manage to choose mine, I might or might not make use of such a world.
GrimmyTOA on
0
Options
INeedNoSaltwith blood on my teethRegistered Userregular
I think it might be extremely cool as an RP conceit -- would this other plane be the realm of the gods, or your own playground/the font/expression of your powers?
Depending on what spheres are left when I manage to choose mine, I might or might not make use of such a world.
It'd probably be the homeplace of Cable and her faerie people. It wouldn't be like an open place for deities to chill out, although I don't suppose it would exactly be cut off to other deities or that they'd be unwelcome.
What I'm kind of thinking of, ideally, is that it would be a parallel kind of dimension where everything is the same, except amplified by the thoughts and imaginings of the people on the normal side of things.
It'd also be smaller in a strange metaphysical sense, so people who are in good with the faeries could get around quick-like. :P
Also, I'm just trying to make sure I'm not yanking things in a direction people don't want to go. "There's a world just beyond sight where the faeries play..." would be a major part of the setting.
Sweet ideas, INNS. Just make sure you play a vicious, insane god again. I was a big fan of Salt, God of the Earth.
Faeries aren't insane or vicious. >>
And because I'm not sure if I've said it or not yet, after we run through four stages (which I suppose will take two or three months?), if everything turns out well and I don't decide the whole setting is lame, I expect to run a game using our setting. Probably d20.
Posts
There should be. Those things are necessary, and unless someone really feels the need to build a completely alien ecosystem for an entire planet, there's really no reason to abandon these things.
And re: Talonrazor and 'only humans is dumb and boring' - the only thing foreign races really add are different cultures, yes? Unless you really make use of different physical structures, there's no reason to have the good Northern Humans and the vile Yuan-ti instead of the good Northern Humans and the vile Southern Humans.
Not that I'm saying Let's Disallow Other Races. They can be fun, and they can add to the setting, but let's not have ten-legged-tentacle-monkeys just because it's CREATIVE AND OUT THERE!
I agree with Scooter as well.
This makes me want to make a race of solar/steam, humanoid, hermaphroditic, techno-organic constructs.
Other races do contribute more than simply a different culture of humans. Their sexual reproductive organs alone can make for huge culture shifts that wouldn't make any sense with humans. Likewise something that eats a different kind of food, lets say igneous rock for example, would live in entirely different regions and build their society around entirely different actions than any human society could reasonably be expected to do. There are some cultures you simply cannot create with humans, they would make no sense and have no practical reason for being.
A race that would starve to death if they didn't carry around a ton of rocks with them everywhere wouldn't have any practical reason for being, either.
If you assume that they are comparable in strength to the average human, perhaps. Their food bags would be heavier, but not terribly so, igneous rock is very porous so it's a lighter weight of rock. Being outside of the rest of the food chain they would in fact thrive more likely than die off because they have no competition for food supply.
Having a farming technique, mining, that results in resources valuable for trade being found on a regular basis would make a strong foundation for a trading empire. Trade posts would keep the majority of the dead weight rock and travellers would only need what it took to get from pont a to point b. If they ran out of food in their pack it wouldn't be much different having to forage for rocks than for plants, your boned either way if there isn't anything edible in the area.
Don't be so quick to assume something is impractical. When things are taken in moderation, what you see as a curse may be a great blessing.
Except for, y'no, except by big fiery things, igneous rock isn't all that common. People can thrive when they travel 'cause they can live off the land - folks who only eat lava rocks only thrive around lava rocks.
And having people who are strong enough to lug around tons of rocks on them puts them outside of the same playable league as humans.
And if they do, it's good. My point was that adding in six-armed-tentacle-monkies just 'cuz is not a good reason to include a non-human race.
What about technology? Some people have mentioned steampunk. I definitely don't think we should see that kind of technology until phase 4.
Guidelines
If something isn't strictly according to the guidelines but the narrative would benefit from it, go ahead and do it. They're called "guidelines" for a reason.
Phase 1 – Creation
Birth of the gods, initial creation of the world. Any important paraphernalia – the sun, the stars, clouds, etc should be created during this phase. Plant and unintelligent animal life can start to be created now. The homes or servants of the gods may be created now or later. Continents and globally significant geographical features (like climate) can be vaguely described now or left unspecified.
Phase 2 – Genesis
Creation of the first intelligent and free-willed life. Racial characteristics, "gifts from the gods" or curses etc bestowed onto races.
Races may be settled wherever, taught particular crafts or abilities, reared up in competition of each other and otherwise raised from primitives to advanced beings. Peoples may be influenced to settle particular areas, build particular settlements, go to war, or do anything else on a scale of nations, all at the behest of the gods.
Phase 3 – Myth
Gods create heroes out of individuals and guide these heroes. Specific beasts, monsters or demons might be created to ravish kingdoms. Wars and trade and suchlike take precedence over settlement and development. Nations as a whole can still be influenced and things still occur on a similar scale, but more focus is on the great heroes and rulers rather than the bodies of people, and some players might take on the role of heroes influencing events rather than gods.
Phase 4 – Legend
Players now all take on the roles of mortal heroes and rulers, and the gods have only an indirect role in affairs. Scale is more on the great affairs and endeavours of individuals rather than those of societies. Players create legends for future ages.
Phase 5 – Age of Now
Roll up some PCs and go adventuring.
General Guidelines
Vagueness and specifics
Specifics should become more detailed as the phases progress. In general, things should be left vague at first, unless they are something on which a god lavishes special attention, to allow more wiggle room later.
For example: In phase 1, gods might create specific animals and describe their features while leaving geography vaguely defined at best. By phase 2, it would be necessary to describe large scale geography ("I settle my people in a rocky place beneath the mountains, devoid of trees"), and by phase 3 we'd be into specifics for some areas ("The army met the enemy at a narrow mountain pass surrounded by hot springs")
Moving godly cheese
You can mess around with other gods' stuff, but keep it relevant to your own god – a sky deity would not send earthquakes, for example – and be sensitive to other players. Don't override people, but seek compromise. Where necessary, the judge will intervene to settle disputes.
Picking domains
Try not to be too specific when you're picking your domains. A god of wintergreen scented candles not only will rarely have anything to do inside of his or her domain, but will also have more difficulty relating other things he or she wants to do back to candles. Likewise, try not to be too far ranging and push out other players for choices, or seize multiple domains and try and affect everything at once.
A narrow domain can be fine, so long as you aren't afraid to use it creatively. A god of sleep might seem useless, but you could put entire armies to sleep, send people visions in the night or make dreams flesh.
Creating Races
Typically, major races should be relatively humanoid – that is, humanoid to make into a player character. Actual humans will probably be created at some point, so bear them in mind as a point of comparison so as not to make other races too weak or powerful. Minor and "monstrous" races can be as non-humanoid as you like.
All gods may create life of some sort, unless they choose to give up that right.
In fact, I'm putting that in the guidelines.
SoogaGames Blog
Let's keep this thread around as an OOC chatter, huh? The way we handled it last time worked pretty well, but if we keep the OOC chatter and the IC chatter seperate entirely, it might make it easier to keep track of things (although I suggest we stick with the bolding of the important parts.)
Also, since the idea is to have everyone working together as players (although not necessarily as characters), figured I'd pitch this out there before I go gettin' all happity.
What would thoughts be on the whole 'parallel plane' sort of thing? Something akin to say, the Emerald Dream of WarCraft, although less a-big-terrifying-natural-world and more like a parallel dreamscape? Might work for the deity I'm considering, but I won't bother if it'd be a waste of time/nobody likes the idea/it never gets used.
Or, you know, I may do that anyway.
SoogaGames Blog
Hell I'll put my first thought out there right away, because honestly, I have a serious doubt anyone else is gonna want to play a faerie god. :P
And yes, that's my first thought. Cable, the Faerie Queen. Beyond that, I've considered bring Salt back, or using a Plant god.
SoogaGames Blog
They might be feasible, they just wouldn't have much to do. They'd probably be more relevant in the phase 2 of things.
The phase system allows for far more flexibility and makes it easier for people to jump in and out of roles, not to mention people entering the game late.
That's how I see it anyway.
If, instead of a God of War, you went with a God of Violence, you'd have lots to do. You could run around making meteors and supernovae and whatnot in phase one, typhoons and earthquakes in phase two, and get down to the warring thereafter.
Just a thought.
P.S. INNS -- your God sounds like it could be cool. I promise not to try to poach it when you aren't looking.
SoogaGames Blog
I'd appreciate some input on the idea of a plane lain-on-top-of the main world though. >>
The Emerald Dream is Azeroth as it would have been if it were feral and had never been touched by sentient hands, the Astral Plane in DND or Shadowrun is just a magical 'layer' over the normal world, the Shadowlands is the world as it would be if everything died.
And I'm thinking of I go with a faerie god, maybe she'd make something of a dreamscape overlay of the normal world. But I wouldn't bother with it if it's not the right flavor or everyone thinks it's stupid or whatnot.
Depending on what spheres are left when I manage to choose mine, I might or might not make use of such a world.
It'd probably be the homeplace of Cable and her faerie people. It wouldn't be like an open place for deities to chill out, although I don't suppose it would exactly be cut off to other deities or that they'd be unwelcome.
What I'm kind of thinking of, ideally, is that it would be a parallel kind of dimension where everything is the same, except amplified by the thoughts and imaginings of the people on the normal side of things.
It'd also be smaller in a strange metaphysical sense, so people who are in good with the faeries could get around quick-like. :P
Sounds good though, Salt.
SoogaGames Blog
I'm anxious to start.
Also, I'm just trying to make sure I'm not yanking things in a direction people don't want to go. "There's a world just beyond sight where the faeries play..." would be a major part of the setting.
SoogaGames Blog
Faeries aren't insane or vicious. >>
And because I'm not sure if I've said it or not yet, after we run through four stages (which I suppose will take two or three months?), if everything turns out well and I don't decide the whole setting is lame, I expect to run a game using our setting. Probably d20.