Still Waters
Overview:
This project - I’m not sure if game or story is a more accurate way to refer to it - will be a character-and-story driven one. Players will create a character - one who ties into the existing world in some manner - and play as that character. You do not (inherently) lead a political party, corporation, military faction, or anything else as such - you are simply your character. That being said, part of the point in creating such an elaborate world for this project is to free up a broad range of interesting characters to play as. Nothing is stopping you from being the leader of a minor corporation, a military higher-up, or a prominent politician from one of the main parties - just as nothing is stopping you from playing a guest worker struggling to get by, or an average citizen caught in the machinery of the setting and ways in which others drive the plot. I have spent - and will continue to spend, up until launch - a considerable amount of effort in the backstory of this setting, but there is no established plotline moving forwards - simply a few ideas on different ways the opening can be pushed, and a desire to see how players interact with and alter the world I have built. You are not necessarily expected to read the entire backstory, but you are expected to respect it - in other words, at least read the bare minimum for you character to fit into their niche.
The purpose of this thread is two-fold; one is as a pre-thread - I would love to see players start to shape their characters here as I put the finishing details on the setting, and I am open to hearing what you as players or observers are interested in learning about the backstory that is not already present (some have already done so - see information on LGBT & gender issues on the country, foreign interactions, and my notes to return to the domestic transport once the districts are individually fleshed out). Again, my goal here is to build a detailed world for you all to interact with, so I am willing to address your interests to make that easier and more compelling for you. Once the game begins, I also hope to see this used as a place for all OOC discussion and any questions you may have for me (or others, OOC) as well, so that the main thread can serve as an entirely in-universe look at this world.
One last note - this is not a CityIOT. While of course this is a game, and meant to be enjoyable, it’s very much meant to be more serious and individually character-driven than many CityIOTs have been (Core, for those of you from NES, might be a better analogue), and I’ve tried to make this world more realistic than many I’ve done in the past (though again, not so much so as to make it mundane or unpleasant to interact with).
I hope you all join me in this project, and that it stays enjoyable for all. Now, onto the background.
Everything in the OP of this thread was designed in this Google doc. Personally, I think it's much easier to read there, but I'm providing it below as well for those who don't like that medium.
The IC game thread can be found here