Setting ideas...

1. Setting ideas...

   #1

   Setting ideas... Please note that I like the phrase "terrible gods of Outer Space" right now.
   
   What do you guys think of these ideas:
   
   -A swashbuckling Edgar Rice Burroughs-style Barsoom-ish space adventure, with a barbarian warrior Mars with dying civilizations and a hot swampy jungles of Venus, populated by huge monsters, the terrible gods of Outer Space, invaders from Jupiter, and so on. Warlords of the Asteroid Belt, the ice-masters of Pluto... Need I go on?
   
   -A Dying Earth setting, with a chill red sun, melancholy humans armed with the "magic" of elder days, monsters created both by the ancient sciences and by the terrible gods of Outer Space, and so on.
   
   -A Space Opera Galactic-Empire-style setting, a la Traveler and Twilight Imperium, with high-tech soft sci fi, and so on. (Possibly with the terrible gods of Outer Space? ;) )

2. Re: Setting ideas...

   #2

   
   A swashbuckling Edgar Rice Burroughs-style Barsoom-ish space adventure, with a barbarian warrior Mars with dying civilizations and a hot swampy jungles of Venus, populated by huge monsters, the terrible gods of Outer Space, invaders from Jupiter, and so on. Warlords of the Asteroid Belt, the ice-masters of Pluto... Need I go on?

   
   Umm. so you are just copying information out of JC of Mars, Lin Carter books, and maybe ripping off a small bit of Flash Gordon? What makes this more than a hodge podge of ideas taken from some greath pulpish authors?
   
   

   -A Dying Earth setting, with a chill red sun, melancholy humans armed with the "magic" of elder days, monsters created both by the ancient sciences and by the terrible gods of Outer Space, and so on.

   
   Been there, seen that, someone else already did it.
   http://www.dyingearth.com/
   What would make yours different or better than Vance's?
   
   
   

   -A Space Opera Galactic-Empire-style setting, a la Traveler and Twilight Imperium, with high-tech soft sci fi, and so on. (Possibly with the terrible gods of Outer Space? ;) )

   
   Of the bunch, this is the only one really worth doing. Of course, the write up is so vague, it is hard to find something to say No to. It is Fading Suns really, but hey... maybe you can salvage it.

3. Ah, of course- the counsel of MoonHunter

   #3

   I'm hurt, Moon. You cut me deep. Do you seriously think I would suggest these without considering how I could make them my own? :???:
   
   I think you would be satisfied to know that I do, indeed, have my own conception of a Dying Earth style world, one more influenced by the works of Gene Wolfe and Clarke Ashton Smith than Jack Vance's, though Vance was basically the creator of the genre.
   
   As for the space fantasy... I just like it. Is that a crime? I'm fairly sure I could come up with something original, if you would give it a chance.
   
   But in any case, your opinion is duly noted. I have some good ideas for a Galactic Empire which I've been wanting to use. And, yes, the write-up is vague, because I believe it needs the least explanation.

4. Not to be vindictive, but...

   #4

   I would note that Kerren (though undoubtedly a good setting, trust me) is extremely similar to Pern, to my eye; a cursory examination by somebody unfamiliar with you would probably lead to the conclusion that it's a rip-off of the books with all the names changed.
   
   Now you and I know differently. Kerren is a setting in which you have taken a lovely concept which has been thoroughly trod by a famous author (Dragonriders of Pern) and given it your own special twist. It has a strong flavour of MoonHunter.
   What makes you think that you can take Dragonriders of Pern and make your own something out of it, but I cannot take John Carter of Mars or Dying Earth and make my own something out of it?
   
   Damn, I'm feeling bitchy today. :)

5. Re: Setting ideas...

   #5

   Setting ideas... Please note that I like the phrase "terrible gods of Outer Space" right now.

   
   I thought it was "The Terrible Secret of Space."
   
   PAK CHOOIE UNF

6. Setting ideas...

   #6

   What makes you think that you can take Dragonriders of Pern and make your own something out of it, but I cannot take John Carter of Mars or Dying Earth and make my own something out of it?

   
   
   Ummm. I've seen what you posted? :)
   
   I know you might have an interesting idea or two, but from the write up you blurbbed had none of that. Sure none of these are unique, never been done before, virgin territory. (Neither is Kerren, but Kerren's blurb
   
   Ryders with their Dragons defend their world from Zhan. The Colonist struggle to adapt to this wild Saurian world. A Swords and Planet World in the Borrough's tradition.
   
   shows the differences). It is rare to find fresh powder in the gaming or action genre. So far you found less plowed land with your various Howard-esk worlds. However, it would of been both nice AND productive if you included some inkling of your planned idea for said setting. I mean, it is territory that we have seen done many times, so what makes yours worthy of our attention, (other than your own colorful personality). So there was nothing there for us to say "yes" to.
   
   And why do you need endorsement for a setting you want to do? It is always the first few posts about a setting that makes or breaks it anyways. So even if we vote for a setting, if you put up some suckish first few posts that don't inspire us to join in, it will die a slow and lingering death - unless you go on and post like a trooper to it - then it will just be you and you will be writing to your own satisfaction. Even if we claim interest, if you don't capture our attention in the first couple of posts, it is just going to be you. (We voted for steampunk, and you saw the overwhelming response (We like making races... but what else happened?)) So write up all three, or the one you want, and see if you can lure your audience (and our assistance) in.

7. Setting ideas...

   #7

   Wow.
   
   Um.
   
   Really though, not sure how such pointed criticism could come from a few sentences of ideas. We all know CP's capabilities so couldn't figure out why the unoriginality comments were thrown. I saw that he was just looking for a general direction to go in. Not that he needs our blessing, but we all know CP is always looking for a new challenge so there is no harm voting, after all, we all win whenever he starts a new project. Might be nice if he paid attention to some of his older settings and occassionaly revitalized them though. ;)
   
   The critique might have been more applicable if it was made after he had actually started on his campaign, but I still think it would have been innappropriate considering the tone. There are nicer ways of saying "been there done that." After all, you could probably pick about any thread in any fantasy/SF site and pick out a part that reminds you of something else. The statements made, in themselves, are not telling us something new, we all know it has been done before...but do we have to bring it up like that?
   
   Many of us aren't even familiar with some of the authors/books that were brought up so even if it is a creative exercise, that would be enough for me and still new to me...and probably to many others. I am not one to snuff out creativity at any level, even if it is just a rehash of an old story....what isn't, but I think this was a little overly critical for a simple idea vote.

8. Setting ideas...

   #8

   All of this is beside the point.
   I just can't decide on which kind of setting to make, so I'm looking for help making the decision from my adoring fans (just kidding, just kidding ;) ).

9. Setting ideas...

   #9

   I'd go with Space Opera if I were you. That has endless possibilities in my opinion.

10. Setting ideas...

    #10

    Hell, anything with Terrible Gods of Outer Space is A-OK in my books. My personal preference would be the first, simply because you included the word "swashbuckling". What a word.
    
    Back on topic. Um. I agree with Maggot that the Space Opera opens up more possibilities. That said, I'm still voting for Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Plutonian Ice-Masters simply because I love settings like that, and you could do great things with it.

11. Setting ideas...

    #11

    Any other opinions?
    I have some good ideas I recently came up with for the galactic empire setting, which I could combine with some older ones... So I'm thinking that if there aren't any other opinions I would do that'n.

12. Setting ideas...

    #12

    Finish Ageratos. Period. :p
    
    I did not like any of the the three options. Sorry. Don't mean to step on your toes or anything, but I know you can do better :)
    
    As for originality... We all walk on trodden ground, heh, even Tolkien did. IMHO we should at least change 50-75% of what we are inspired by though, plus we should mention our sources of inspiration.
    
    Good luck Captain. If you do not go back to Ageratos (with some cool new ideas), I hope you prove me wrong in my assumptions about either one of those three settings. (Change the names though)

13. Setting ideas...

    #13

    I have posted a little stuff for Ageratos. It flies under people's radar because I post it in other threads, kinda' like Moon, whose Arth must be enormous by now, but we haven't noticed because all his posts are in Idea Scroll and so on.
    
    Anyway, I'll see what I can do on the Ageratos score.
    And just so Moon doesn't get all pissed off, yes, I will put some more time into Centas. But I contest that nothing has occured in it- what about the Howler? I'm establishing a history which I am satisfied with. I have a lot of material for it, off-site.
    
    But all of this is immaterial. I promise to work on my old settings. Except for Armorican Kingdoms, and Deadspace. God, those suck. :)
    
    Anyway, I have too many irons in the fire already. One more can't hurt, eh?

14. Setting ideas...

    #14

    Ageratos score. I am one with him. I liked that setting. A great deal.
    
    Centas- Nobody said it was done and you haven't worked on it. Would like to see more. If you have content offline, then put it online. :)
    
    Armorican Kingdoms. Another setting I liked. It is fairly complete, so even though you have abandoned it... it is usable by others.
    
    (Speaking of that, I should edit the Eternal Ring a bit more to be more than a really cool idea... but I want to finish my existing projects first).
    
    Just I would like to know more about these new projects, so we know which one we want to send you to do.

15. Setting ideas...

    #15

    Drat. I was really looking forward to a swashbuckling Pusher Robot shoving a monstrous grandma down the stairs & out the airlock.
    
    PAK CHOOIE UNF

16. Setting ideas...

    #16

    Drat. I was really looking forward to a swashbuckling Pusher Robot shoving a monstrous grandma down the stairs & out the airlock.
    
    PAK CHOOIE UNF

    
    
    HUH??????
    
    Okay, did I miss something. Where did that come from? Did I miss a reference? I am confused. Help me Norman. Coordinate. Coordinate.
    
    Find the reference and win the kewpie doll.
    
    PS: What does PAK CHOOIE UNF mean?

17. Setting ideas...

    #17

    Learn all about the Pusher and Shover Robots and discover The Terrible Secret of Space.
    
    http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=287

18. Setting ideas...

    #18

    No, my swashbuckling would be nothing like that.

19. Setting ideas...

    #19

    But then, who would shove grandma down the stairs & start fires?

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