Pre-NinNES III: Planning and World-Building Stage

[Nintz]

Separating for notability.

I may or my not have made this clear, but this NES will be driven much off the creativity and imaginations of the players, within a realm of plausibility. There are no rules that say "you CANNOT do this" so long as it doesn't conflict with something else within the world or game. If you can justify something existing, then you may implement it within the game. And while I will reject some ideas from time to time based off of impracticality or implausibility, if you are really dedicated to something it is almost a guarantee that you can find a way to implement it. Be warned however, that your creations will not be exclusive just because. Unless you justify something being a secret or non-repeatable or some reason, your creations MAY be used against you. This things will give you an advantage only for short periods of time, until someone finds something better.

 

[Blaze Injun]

Hey,

Something like this. Which could be built with materials from at least 1500 years ago.
And it Flys. Interesting it could fly because of the kind of smoke it used. It closed the pores in the balloon sealing them air tight.

Just not any smoke will do.

Nazca Hot Air Balloon: http://www.nott.com/Pages/projects.php


Blaze Injun

 

[Nintz]

That's pretty cool. And would be the kinda justification I'm looking for in regards to particularly odd ideas. Though a written explanation would also work if there is no realistic equivalent to something you are trying to do.

 

[Blaze Injun]

Hey,

there is alot of stuff to creating. Do the players know each other. City-States, nations, clans?. Then is there a trade system. Search for and work Resources or assume trade goods with Trade treaties. Build a mine or farming sytem or build one mine or clear fields. Trade treaties are a game time saver.

I like the idea of Magic pionts asigned to hero types. Maybe they give a attack or defensive bonus based on rare magics. Magic schools can be used in this Hero system. Common magic is good for lore and storylines. Everyone can create sparks with a snap of thier fingers but not everyone can create a small 1/2 inch flame. How does magic work? Inner power or world resource tapped into by the peoples of the world. Go Naruto-type and have both?

Name:
Race:
Capita:l
Bank:
Trade:
Buildings: if we are building individual structures.
Magic: Types & points assigned. Once assigned can not be changed.
Heroes:
Military:
Great Works: Like the Great Trade Markets of Such & Such.
Colonies:

Random ruins!

I like your idea about the players building the world but it seems a little guidance for us with your ideas or a list of ideas you want to use might help. Even with the players building its your Baby.

A little lore.
The Osoponi Elves claim that 4 godlings set them on the path to greatness.
1. Fin Ni, Male. Godling of Godlings, Skymatser & Fire Creator. Builder & Metal Twister.
2. Mi Obi. The female Godling of the Hunt. The Blade Dancer. The Blood Painter. Giver of Art.
3. Su Cubi. Female Godling of Love & Nature & Perfumes. Plantmaster. Lustgiver & Lifetaker. Gardens & Illustions.
4. Pin Ni. Female Godling of all Knowledge. Medicine, writing, numbers, math & magic all come from her.

If acceptable. It will have no effect what so ever on the game. They are 4 characters from another NES. Say a inside joke.
Unknown to the Orn Elves is that the 4 are time travellers on a expediton/ vacation setting up camp. They stayed for a few months. Through interaction between the 2 groups the Elves learned many things and have expanded that knowledge.


Blaze Injun

 

[Nintz]

I like your idea about the players building the world but it seems a little guidance for us with your ideas or a list of ideas you want to use might help. Even with the players building its your Baby.

True enough I suppose. I am still hesitant to share ALL of my ideas as I would like to hear from potential players, but I can fill in some guidelines regarding the situation. Especially when asked for specifics like this.


- City-State era most likely, perhaps some very primitive nations, but we have moved past the eras of "clans" being common, though there could be exceptions.

- Trade I am going to create when I work on an economic system. Suffice to say that general trade treaties will work, but the extent to how effective they will be is highly reliant on which nations are in place and what they actually have to gain from trade. A literal resource system for trade will be too unwieldy I fear, as that generally sends the game into spreadsheet territory. Though if people want to create a nation-level specific trade of strategic goods, that might offer distinct and separate benefits. Acquiring mounts when your people have none for example would greatly increase your options militarily early on.

- I will be working in "systems" rather than individual steps. Build a mining complex, as opposed to just a mine shaft. Ease of access pretty much.

- Magic I am highly debating on and have no real preference either way in regards to origin thereof. Adding "mana" as a resource that is necessary for mages, a la Fall From Heaven, would increase the statistical side of things, while making it an innate, or perhaps god-driven ability would add virtually nothing statistically, but potentially a fair bit to the narrative of the world. I am LEANING towards making magic some sort of natural/divine element, given that having EVERYONE use mana would be unwieldy at best, but we could make mana work if people wanted to.



If nobody posts anything else I will write up an "official" world creation story sometime tomorrow, and we can tweak it accordingly.

 

[Ailedhoo]

Will our world like have Master of Magic style link to another world? Not directly go there though like MoM but something that creatures like beholders and imps may be native of, as well as allow for possible beings in the rift between including links to a demonic realm.

 

[Nintz]

Would make sense given the likely existence of gods. Having demonic factions within the world proper would be somewhat difficult to justify on the basis of the creator(s) would probably not want such creatures in their world naturally.

 

[Blaze Injun]

Hey,

Could not the Godlings themselves have demon or devil looks and actions? Such as the Greek Gods had? I say Greek because they seemed to be more emotional in dealing with man. Or the Norse gods. Loki is a perfect example. He was a tricker and master of illusions. Even Lucifer is a angel acting on emotions. I don't believe he had horns when in Heaven.

Just saying that would the creator destory a Godling living evil ways? If Godlings created the animals and planets would they not create predators & prey. Beholders and Imps are just Godling creations.


Blaze Injun

 

[Nintz]

Just saying that would the creator destory a Godling living evil ways? If Godlings created the animals and planets would they not create predators & prey. Beholders and Imps are just Godling creations.

This is a good point. My thought is that the god/godlings are not perfect. They are of a higher caliber than mortals as we know them, but they are still not truly divine in nature in this world, a status held solely by the creator himself. Therefore, I have the thought that perhaps the various demonic creatures are perhaps failed creations of the godlings in this world. And while they cannot bring themselves to destroy their miscreations, they take the step of imprisoning them in their own plane of existence. The prison is not solid however, and these creatures often can escape to our world, especially when one erodes the barriers, such as when directly summoning a demon.

That's one potential possibility. It is also possible that demons aren't a failed creation but are instead the predators of civilization itself, and would accordingly control fairly large portions of the world if we were to go that route.

It is also possible that these demonic creatures could be the creations of a godling of chaos, evil, or something along those lines. And that their creations in particular conflict with the others'. This would make the most sense if we wanted to have these things be a semi-civilized race within the world.

Also, on the subject of godlings' appearance, I see no reason why they could not have demonic features to some degree. Though they will be vaguely humanoid and consistent, it would not surprise me if they had the power to change their appearance to better suit their personalities.

Writing the opening story atm, should be up soon-ish.

 

[Kinich-Ahau]

Would the evolutionary history of this world play out more or less identically to that of Earth, or are we going full originality, with no/few Earth species?

 

[Nintz]

Would the evolutionary history of this world play out more or less identically to that of Earth, or are we going full originality, with no/few Earth species?

I expect some similarities to Earth in pretty much everything, but all lore/etc I personally create will be different. In terms of non-civilized life forms, expecting rough similarities to Earth would be more or less correct, though not all Earth species may be present, and not all species would be from Earth. Additionally, a large number might have slight differences but not major ones. Giant Rats being the most notorious example in many fantasy settings. (I will avoid Giant Rats unless someone else adds them or the opportunity is just too rich to pass up )

While I would love to create a new biological environment, that is itself a full NES effort, such as in NESLife VI. I leave modding those games to people that better understand the subject matter, and choose to focus on the empires and people of the world instead.

 

[Nintz]

Tal-Nah was the first. He was not a corporeal being, his essence was not of this plane of existence. His spirit came to us at the beginning of all existence. When Tal-Nah saw our world, he saw nothing. Everything was dark. Black. Nothing. When he gazed out, he saw everything that could be. All the possibilities of the world. He smiled. For while he knew that much pain and anguish could plague the world, he saw all of the kindness, joy, and peace within the universe in a single moment. He reached out and drew upon his very essence to manifest itself in this world. From his body streamed light in all directions. Everywhere the light went was changed. As his essence flew through the universe, it left behind the makings of a galaxy. Planets and stars formed in his wake. When you look up into the night sky, you see the very essence of Tal-Nah. You see the creator of all.

When the light finally subsided, Tal-Nah gazed again into the world. He saw things. But not people. Not animals, nor plants. Life was nonexistent. Tal-Nah did not have the energy to finish his creations however. His essence had been depleted in making the universe itself, and he had little left to play. Then, he made a decision. Tal-Nah saw that for life to flourish, life must first be given. He accepted this reality. He split his body into 3 parts. Strength, Life, and Soul. His body he gave to plants. Their vitality, fortitude, and determination to survive through the worst potential terrors of the world. To animals he granted his life. With it came all the energy left in his body. These beings of fur and scales were electrified. While they lacked intelligence, they were in every other way similar to Tal-Nah. And then all that was left was his soul. With it, he created his final creations. His greatest, yet most flawed creation. The Ya-en’nal. Gods. Each had intelligence, and powers within the universe. They were elements of Tal-Nah’s being, each a different facet of his life.

When they awoke and saw their creator dissolving into the sky he left behind for them, there was much confusion. They knew not that what they were witnessing was the creator’s death. They did not process the reality at hand. They were confused, and lost. Within less than an hour, the creator’s remnants in the sky had dissipated, and all gods had awoken to see the final moments of the creator. The gods we know of all were together at the time of The Sundering, the name given to Tal-Nah’s death. They were on a planet, though the name of which has been long lost to time. It is possible that other planets held, or still hold, gods different from the ones we know of. But it is empty conjecture at best.

What we do know is that these gods lived as we do now for a time. Carefree, in harmony with each other and the nature of their planet. Eventually however, conflicts erupted. With each other at first, then with the planet that they lived on. In time, their conflicts spread throughout the stars. For while they traversed the entire galaxy, they never strayed too far from each for fear of losing the only remnant of their past. So the universe felt every reverberations caused by their wailing, by their weapons clashing, by the weeping and tears of their people. While they do not die of natural causes, they were quite capable of killing each other. Many gods have been lost to the stream of time this way.

Eventually, one of their kind came upon our world. At this time, they themselves saw unto this world what Tal-Nah saw unto the universe. They saw all the untapped potential of our world. And chose to exploit it. They created us, from every walk of life. Some were simply beasts given soul, others summoned here from other worlds, and pieced together on this planet. This world. Our home. Such as it is. These gods of ours did not have the body of Tal-Nah to support their drive, their ambition. They always wanted more than they had, for they desired all the power of Tal-Nah himself for each and every one of them. And when we were created, it was to serve them; our goal was to increase their power and wealth. We were not made to be free. That did not stop some of our number however...

 

[Nintz]

Feedback appreciated and welcome. All up to change, but barring major disputes that's the lore opening I'll use.

 

[Ailedhoo]

I have taken the liberty of taking some species I had in Intrigue of Magic and considering if you may want to take notice of any possible application into this world; they could be founded way into this game if fancy or the ideas from it can be set in great aid indeed.

Spoiler some species ideas from Intrigue of Magic :

Fairies: a native arcane species. Tiny humanoids with wings, rainbow barrage of skin colors and bizarre faces that only the alien humans seem to share features with. They are not of technology; instead they “keep in one with nature” and use their magic to keep in comfort. Infamous for stories of trickery and abduction of other species.

Garuda: a brightly colorful species of large bird like humanoids that can take flight.

Ghouls: a “naturally born undead” species of tall, thin figures. Their physical power is underdeveloped but their agility is strong and they have the uncanny ability to harvest organic material to use it to heal their damage tissue… leading to their infamous feasting of the dead of other species. Instead of reproducing ghouls can convert other species (sometimes the still living) into ghouls viva a virus found in the ghouls back fangs that violently mutates a figure into a ghoul; how they came to being is a mystery. Whatever the case they are of no sexual characteristics and in fact can be regarded as a no gender biological species.

Goblins: small, multicolored creatures that breed like rabbits and have taken to huge clans. Although fearsome their id has ensured that organized chaos dominates their planning. Shorter live spam than a human.

Imps: a alien species from a world engulfed in a deep arcane chasm. Despite sharing the look of a mixture of a goblin and a demon the truth is that imps are arcane creatures, not demons or goblins made demons. These arcane creatures tend to be favored by warlocks and demons as familiars. Many imps resent the fact they are regarded as pets, although others like it or even take advantage of it. Imps are to magic as food and water is to other beings. Physically not as imposing but their natural metaphysical abilities are to be underestimated at ones peril.

Ogres: large, “mini-giants” that weight in both muscle and fat. Among the most meat consuming of species and very primal in rage, they also surprising are quite arcane connective as a species as demonstrated by the common sighting of ogre magi.

Orcs: muscled boar like creatures with lots of testosterone; results in lots of muscle and aggression. Could promote both warmonger powers and martial honored societies with possibility of channeling aggression in more peaceful means like sport.

Tlaloc: large reptile humanoids with natural arcane connection to elemental magic.

Trolls: tall, (literally) stone skinned and hairy. Slow both physically and in reproduction. Could be among the oldest intelligent species with structures dated and originated by trollish kingdoms. Longer live spam than a human.

If humans are to be in this game (but it may be a idea to have this a humanless game if fancy) consider their presence as aliens bought through some short of arcane storm or warp storm or something, perhaps becoming minorities in certain societies.

 

[Nintz]

A quick note that I'm still working on this just have been busy the past week, so haven't put anything else in here.

In response to Ailedhoo, I like the ideas you posted. Some tweaking might be necessary, but for the most part we should be able to throw that entire list into the game as-is. I like how you take a bunch of common fantasy creatures and change them up to a point that they're interesting again, at least in some cases.

 

[Blaze Injun]

Hey,

I like the others summoned here from other worlds part.


Blaze Injun

 

[Nintz]

I wonder if we can expand upon that? Or if instead it would be better suited as a smaller set of references?

 

[mrrandomplayer]

I wonder if we can expand upon that? Or if instead it would be better suited as a smaller set of references?

I think that the species should be pretty open to whatever the players want, as long as they don't power game.

 

[Ailedhoo]

I think that the species should be pretty open to whatever the players want, as long as they don't power game.

I think it is now a good time to consider the species, as a means of world building. It will first be needed to know the species of the actors of this play. Once we achieved this we could consider from there the societies and nations.

That said we will need to consider some set of rules, such as banning the cliched "all evil race" thing.

 

[mrrandomplayer]

I think it is now a good time to consider the species, as a means of world building. It will first be needed to know the species of the actors of this play. Once we achieved this we could consider from there the societies and nations.

That said we will need to consider some set of rules, such as banning the cliched "all evil race" thing.

I get what you're saying, but can't we just start with the species that the players making their first claims want and build backwards from there?