Doing a plot in the past?

[phacon]

Hey,

A while back on of the ideas Fay shared with me was the possibility of doing an plot that occurred in the past.

So.... I was think about making some pre-YE30 weapons ....

However, I wasn't sure what kind of Era people would most enjoy RPing?

Would people want to do a Steampunk Azorea or maybe a Middle Ages Azorea?

What kind of technology shouldn't we do in a past rp? I know thinks like warp drive but I was curious what else you think should be out....

Is their any technology you would like to see developed?

 

[Wes]

I think past technology might be approved but it's always tricky because the obvious question is "if this was already around, why didn't it appear/why aren't we already using it".

I think a past plot would be okay as long as it doesn't create issues for the SARP "present" (eg you can not affect current history, only experience it and build on it).

 

[phacon]

I think past technology might be approved but it's always tricky because the obvious question is "if this was already around, why didn't it appear/why aren't we already using it".

I think a past plot would be okay as long as it doesn't create issues for the SARP "present" (eg you can not affect current history, only experience it and build on it).

hmm...

Well, I don't think their would much of a possiblity of creating issues with SARP "present", since in the plot there would be no mishu or Yams(*), only different citystates of Azoreans. This is because the plot would occur either 35-38 years before or 132 years before Azorea's first contact. (I cannot remember if Fay wanted to do 5 years or a 100 years before YE 00).

Presently, its not much a big deal since we have a lot of time to debate while waiting for people to get back.


However, you raise a good point about "if this was already around, why didn't it appear/why aren't we already using it", especially involving the Azoreans themselves and any close neighbors

Hmmm....

Well on way we could justify this "why not" that it is already around but not used is poor interspecies communication.

Maybe there could be more than one reason of the instead? Like weaker weapons? Or maybe something else? What do you guys think? Any suggestions?

Also, I was curious about what kind of "Era" to people would most like to RP. Originally I was think like an Industrial revolution/western, but what kind of Era would appeal most to you guys?

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(*)I am not sure about Neplesians or other species, as I really cannot comment on something that would not be my decision. After all, adding other species would be something more Fay would decide and naturally ask the Nepleslian or another species GM's permission first for. I am trying to get feel for wait people like so I can make better tech. That includes any technological restrictions which is the purpose of this thread.

 

[Zack]

Why is it that you want to do a plot in the past?

After all if you're just looking for a steampunk or fantasy style setting with a SARP theme I think it would be far easier to just have a low tech world. The easiest thing I can think of would be another world colonized by humans back in Pre-Sarp times that has regressed to primitive technology levels (that hasn't been discovered by anyone IC yet of course).

Or 'that part in the D&D dungeon master's handbook where they talk about spaceships and rayguns.

 

[phacon]

Why is it that you want to do a plot in the past?

Uso... if I may be bold let me rephrase that...

Why is it that I would want to do a plot, created by Fay, in the past?

Well first off, I think that the novality of it speaks for itself. Afterall, we don't a plot where we would intentionally restrict ourselves to primitive weapons and even more primitive means of transportation. I see that as a true challenge to test characters on how they interact and work with each other.

Second,
Its the first plot that presents Azoreans natural enemy of themselves, without threatening the home planet. This way Azorean players don't have to rely on timing of where the mishu are in order to start a plot. This solves a major problem that I think Azorean had in the past.

Third,
I trying to find something useful to work on and working on technology for this seemed as much as a good idea as any other.

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Back to the point:

After all if you're just looking for a steampunk or fantasy style setting with a SARP theme I think it would be far easier to just have a low tech world. The easiest thing I can think of would be another world colonized by humans back in Pre-Sarp times that has regressed to primitive technology levels (that hasn't been discovered by anyone IC yet of course).

Or 'that part in the D&D dungeon master's handbook where they talk about spaceships and rayguns.

They have a part in D&D where they talk about spaceships!? :shock: :shock:

....
....
Ok seriously, that took me of guard a little bit. Also, I just gave the idea of "steampunk" as a possibility. I was more looking into other people would want to do without have to ask for a survey.

So does anyone have any suggestions about what "Era" the would like to see roleplayed in the past?

 

[SentientRace]

While I don't see anything wrong with it, I also kind of don't see the point either. I mean, Azorea in itself is extremely unique, technology or not. If it's a means explore how Azorea developed over the years, I guess that makes sense, but the way I see it it's best to just think about it thoroughly and then just set in all the pre-existing technology for the planet to have for a present plot.

I was thinking of some current pathways across the city. Seeing as they live in water, currents could be used as modes of transportation within the city by simply having large tubes where within a current is flown through and citizens can just get in or out depending on where they want to go... dunno, just thought I'd mention it here.

In any case, I guess an RP about the Great War would be ok...
...can I first submit my Azorean megacorp before we start the plot? It kinda has to do a lot with the setting (if it gets accepted).

 

[Scot]

Can't make past weapons that no one hardly uses anymore? I mean if it's far back enough the weapons could be kept in museums and such, or is considered 1 or 2 points lower on the DR scale in present than during it's time period making it logical that it wouldn't see common usage in the present. It represents the danger of the weapon when compared to modern times I would think.

I like the idea, I'm a bit too join though.

 

[Doshii Jun]

"Why do a plot?"

I realize this question has been somewhat answered, but I admit curiosity, too. So let me pose this question back to you, Dusk:

"Why not summarize what happened in the past via the Azoreans' wiki, and if that already is done ... why bother at all?"

You're looking for ends to justify your need to work. I recommend you don't if for no other reason than it's unnecessary. Find work that actually is useful. Maybe asking Fay if you can GM a plot, or —

Here's an idea! Ask Fay if you can write out a "storytime" scenario showcasing a part of Azorea's past. The story can be in the past, but it's told from the perspective of someone in the present. Like a teacher instructing students or something.

 

[SentientRace]

What Doshii said is kind of what I meant in my first post. What I think the Azoreans lack is a means to properly convey how their civilization progressed and what technologies they have adapted to their unique lifestyle.

An advanced underwater society isn't easy to think up of, I realize, but that's why we should get together and brainstorm further (by that I mean you [dusk], me and Fay, as we've done once or twice before). We have to come up with a progress tree for the Azoreans so that we can clearly identify how Azorean society lives.

I understand that making a Role Play in history would probably make it easier to picture, but we're still going to come up with nearly everything before we RP, regardless at what point in time we RP the Azoreans, because a society of a water-breathing population is radically different to a terrestrial society regardless of what point in time we focus on.

Everything changes. The most rudimentary things like writing, metallurgy, waste disposal (that's right, I'm talking about what comes out your rear end), hygiene, become impractical and/or impossible and you've got to take that into account. In fact, one could say the further into the Azorean past you go, the more radically different it is from a terrestrial society's culture of the 'same technological level'.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To make a long story short, my point is that before you make a plot in the past, you've got to make quite a bit of background work anyway. So if you're going to use the plot to set up a ground upon which to work for future plots, you've still got a shitton of work ahead of you, and the further into Azorea's past you go, the more different it will be from a terrestrial civilization. The more different an alien culture is from a culture you're used to, the harder it is to Role Play that alien culture (I should know; playing Iroma and Freespacers is a challenge).

So I think making a plot about the past is a bit impractical, and while it's understandable that you want the Azoreans to have an enemy to face in the plot, it doesn't have to be in the past just because you want it to be in the same planet. A present plot doesn't have to focus on space, after all (example: Land of Dreamers).

 

[phacon]

Can't make past weapons that no one hardly uses anymore? I mean if it's far back enough the weapons could be kept in museums and such, or is considered 1 or 2 points lower on the DR scale in present than during it's time period making it logical that it wouldn't see common usage in the present. It represents the danger of the weapon when compared to modern times I would think.

I like the idea, I'm a bit too join though.

Thanks ;3. I make sure Fay at least knows that people are receptive to the idea, when he comes back.

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"Why not summarize what happened in the past via the Azoreans' wiki, and if that already is done ... why bother at all?"

You're looking for ends to justify your need to work. I recommend you don't if for no other reason than it's unnecessary. Find work that actually is useful. Maybe asking Fay if you can GM a plot, or —

Here's an idea! Ask Fay if you can write out a "storytime" scenario showcasing a part of Azorea's past. The story can be in the past, but it's told from the perspective of someone in the present. Like a teacher instructing students or something.

Thanks for the reply, to be honest I am not 100% sure how to answer that Doshii, other than you have given me something to think about. I tried writing plots before and showed Fay them once or twice, but I am just not confident in my writing abilities yet.

Also, this was also an idea Fay threw at me that I thought was interesting enough to share with you guys. I did mention that right?. This aside, you do make a good point about how the setting of the plot really should affect what I work on. In fact, that last point about "why not summarize what happened in the past" is what I am mainly thinking about right now.

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What Doshii said is kind of what I meant in my first post. What I think the Azoreans lack is a means to properly convey how their civilization progressed and what technologies they have adapted to their unique lifestyle.

Oh... I didn't even realize that was your point at first SentientRace XD .

Originally, I was going to say that you know we probably have a lot of time to work on this right. Don't feel rush to create you corporation, as I am sure factored it in.

Yeah, brainstorming and going more into depth with Fay about that might be nice but I rather roleplay it, if that is what Fay. It be like an adventure. However, Doshii did point about still needing a background and other things does that have me thinking... Still I would be nice to brainstorm ;3

 

[phacon]

Speaking of brainstorming....

I was thinking of some current pathways across the city. Seeing as they live in water, currents could be used as modes of transportation within the city by simply having large tubes where within a current is flown through and citizens can just get in or out depending on where they want to go... dunno, just thought I'd mention it here.

I was wondering what do you think about some of those tubes based at least partially on something well living? There was this move that Nashoba suggested where their were these underwater intelligent creatures that turned could create created giant water-spouts(*) with their bodies. We can talk more on IRC if you want.

(*)water-spouts are tornadoes above water.

What do you think?
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Also my main focus right now, in technology is working on using Sonofin for weapons that I can submit along with it, so GM's have a better idea of how it works. Any suggestions on projectile weapons? Here is some of the idea I thought up.

I mean I thought of a primitive use for Sonofin would simply be either a strong alloy; however, dependent on how far one goes back it would be used in explosive weaponary.

Azorea in a Prehistoric/"Bronze Age"

• One idea I had for primative "drone or torpedo" could have simply been strapping to piece of sonofin to small electric eels trained to hunt/attack for enemies when they are near. By adjusting the resistance, one could set the desired frequency to either lets say to create a shock-wave or break bone. Alternatively, instead of a weapon maybe the electric catfish could be put inside a lamp like cage with Sonofin. It could serve like a primative underwater communication device, like tribal americans used smoke.
• The first grenade or explosive might be combining Sonofin with a Baghdad Battery to provide power.
• Speaking of Prehistoric Era, Azoreans would probably first projectile tool would have been the blown gun, nets, and throwing net. This is primarily because ranged weapons we normally consider primitive like Atlatl, bows, throwing spear would have been not as effective underwater; however simple pressurized weapons, traps, and explosives would. Their is also the fact that Azorean's may have developed their symbiosis with nature during this era.

Azorea during Industrial Revolution

• Explosive would have probably be refined more in this era so several varieties of acoustic explosives.
• This would probably be the beginning of pistols and guns. I am kinda of drawing a blank right now with Industrial revolution projectile weapons, especially related Sonofin which is one of the reasons I wanted to get people's input. I still think of doing dart guns, but I am somewhat drawing a blank right now on how to create darts that use Sonofin. I mean I though about rocket propelled darts, and tracer darts, but I feel like their should be something more. Any suggestions would be helpful...

P.S. Know I know some of these ideas are probably kind of crazy especially the prehistoric drone one. Now, you know while I didn't say them right away <-<;;

 

[Wes]

How did this go from a plot to tech?

 

[phacon]

Well... that last post was more about wrapping things up for myself, so I had a little concise footnote to talk about with Sentient Race and Fay on IRC later .... way down the road.

I sometimes do that <-<;;

Sorry XD