Pastel Community Game project and discussion

[Ancient Crystal]

Yes, that is a most prominent problem with the whole futurism idea. Wich is why I suggest we have it within an unspecified but implied to be <10 amount of years in the future. I don't mind using an alternate reality to justify why we don't notice this big space-time rift in the Antarctic, but other than that the universe in which it is all set should be as present-day and as similar to ours as possible. A few years into the future at most.

As for the weapon, it should be mental and have effects on reality-bending scales. As for the how, I belive Vortex took some interest in that, but the three approaches I would suggest would be a) some effect that neural networks have on reality, thanks to their magnetic field and unique predictive properties. a.5) some higgish particle with a fundamental function in the machanics of our universe(the omnion?) again only/mainly affected by neural networks due to their properties, and b) something deeper, like reality being a product of our minds rather than the other way around. I'm too tired to get into that right now,

And the conspiracy. Well, I suppose we've all said all there is about this topic. We tried to vote, but having more alternatives than voters threw that out the window. For the sake of formality, I'll just restate that I would prefer this conspiracy to be something ancient and with origins in one or more gouvernments. I do have some ideas for a merge on this front, but again, I'm far to tired to get into details.

[Babylon]

So, you're saying the game should be set in the very near future? That's fine with me as long as we don't have any super advanced technology, because it doesn't sit right with me that the government or whatever group is behind it would have technology of a greatly advanced level and no one else does.
Also, I don't think we need an alternate universe to justify no one finding the space time rift. Antarctica is a big place, and it would be unlikely someone would accidentally come across it. (Then again, how big are we talking? The size of a bus, the size of a cruise ship, the size of switzerland etc.)

[Boingo]

I think I know why this isn't going anywhere. We are all trying to get someone else to finally give in and accept someone else's idea.
The other is that we can't seem to settle on a few major points, so we try to do the setting instead. But to settle that, we need to settle the main points...*groan*
Vortex ('he who shrugs noncommitally') needs to state his opinion.
And this forum silence is not helping...all our old volunteers have vamoosed.

What do we do?

Let's settle this point. Which is more important, the weapon, or the conspiracy? Or does the conspiracy revolve around the weapon? (Yes, methinks)

And...the rift. I don't mean to be blunt, but the idea starts getting rather abstract in the matters of science. And you were just saying we need to make this as streamlined to reality as possible...

[gil2455526]

Changing the topic a bit, how is the engine development going?

[Boingo]

Ask dva.
Where ever he is, anyway.
But I think he would prefer to know that this game is going to get to that stage before he does anything.

[Ancient Crystal]

The rift was somewhat of an example. I don't say that we should get streamlined, but that we got a little too broad. And yes, the consiracy should revolve around the weapon. Which I had time to say anything more, but I don't.

[Boingo]

Okay.

I'm going offline now.

[Babylon]

Let's settle this point. Which is more important, the weapon, or the conspiracy? Or does the conspiracy revolve around the weapon? (Yes, methinks)

Now, I think the conspiracy is the most important to the storyline. The weapon, the source, doesn't really matter, because it can be abstract. It's, if you'll allow the phrase, the Macguffin. What it is isn't that important, only that everyone is driven to obtain it.

TV Tropes on Macguffins:

MacGuffin (a.k.a. McGuffin or maguffin) is a term for a motivating element in a story that is used to drive the plot. It actually serves no further purpose. It won't pop up again later, it won't explain the ending, it won't actually do anything except possibly distract you while you try to figure out its significance. In some cases, it won't even be shown. It is usually a mysterious package/artifact/superweapon that everyone in the story is chasing.

Anyone seen the movie 'Mission: Impossible 3'? In that movie, it's never explained what the 'Rabbit's Foot' is, or why it's so important to the villain, but it drives the story, because obtaining it is the villain's main objective.

So, in conclusion, I think the weapon (At least for now) can be left in ambiguity, because the plot driven by the Macguffin is much more important to the game. We need to figure out who wants the weapon, why, what they will do to get it and, most importantly, how this effects our character.

Anyway, that's my two cents on that question.

[Vortex]

but if we allow for the main character to use that weapon in the game, as in Sublevel's story, it can lead to an interesting gameplay and become more central to the game, not?
now that we're choosing a story with many cliches (big conspiracy, mental powers, powerful organization, experiment goes wrong, accident with few survivors, etc.), at least that would be a deviation to what most pnc games (that I have played) allow for.

[Boingo]

That's a good idea Babylon. It just needs to be quite strong in the game, and i think it might work

You know how i suggested the first game be centred more around the weapon, the second for the conspiracy?

If the player finds out about the source in the first game and the conspiracy later...
In the first game, they would have the opinion that the information is to be told to the world for its own good.
In the second though, the outcome of this would be so different that the player’s stance would change greatly, and different action would be needed. (Because if they did tell, the pact would come crashing down anyway, and the world would settle into carnage. Maybe the player might never get the word out, just leaving the Rogue to suddenly realise that all their research was ruined, and the decades of work was wasted. What else could they do? Nothing, and the pact would be safe. Maybe like Covert Front the player disappears for their own safety, and to keep the information safe forever.)

Just wondering...you think this might be able to be incorporated into that line of thought? Just change that to: "In the first game, they would find out about the 'secret' weapon, but mainly more about the war crimes."

After all, the war crimes are a important point. They feed the conspiracy.