Gates?

[soltakss]

What do people think about Gates between worlds or between parts of a world?

If you have gates that connect worlds, what's to stop people invading one world from another?

Are gates magical/technologically difficult/controlled by a superior force? Is it difficult to use gates? Are they only suitable for small numbers of people to use?

Do you see the gates as something like Stargate, something like the magical pools that connect Narnia with other worlds, the magical portals of the Slipstrasse (sp?) or something entirely different?

Although gates are a staple of many Fantasy/SciFi/SciFantasy stories, I'm not sure how much use they would be if they were easy to use and common.

[tzunder]

We have Smoking Mirrors in Gwenthia to allow vast travel by players and also cros cultural contact. These almost definitely go between worlds. This is a very sensible option for a shared world, mixed culture project. Everway used it well, and so did Shadow World for Rolemaster.

[rust]

There is one Gate ("Transmitter") on Pharos IV. It is in a flooded cavern in a
deep sea trench, it is damaged and prone to malfunctions, it leads to another
water world - and the players have not yet discovered it.

Gates are an interesting plot device, but I think they should be used sparing-
ly: Difficult to find, dangerous to use, no routine affair at all.

[drohem]

There's all kinds of things you could do with the Gates:

They are one-way into our shared world.

They are relics of some unknown ancient culture, and how to operate them is lost to the sands of time.

There is no predictability to their operations.

They are currently 'dead' or inert.

It takes great engery to power and use them.

Etc, etc...

[frogspawner]

Originally Posted by soltakss

What do people think about Gates between worlds or between parts of a world?

Well I think it's a great idea!

If you have gates that connect worlds, what's to stop people invading one world from another?

Only whatever the two Authors (or the GM using their worlds) says there is to stop them. Possibly nothing.

Are gates magical/technologically difficult/controlled by a superior force? Is it difficult to use gates? Are they only suitable for small numbers of people to use? Do you see the gates as something like Stargate, something like the magical pools that connect Narnia with other worlds, the magical portals of the Slipstrasse (sp?) or something entirely different?

Whatever the Author of the world it's in says (or the GM, if he wants to change what the Author wrote). For my world I'd say magical/difficult/small (probably spells as well as some physical objects, usually not fixed geographically).

Although gates are a staple of many Fantasy/SciFi/SciFantasy stories, I'm not sure how much use they would be if they were easy to use and common.

Well, they're purely a device to allow Authors authority* over their entire world/universe - but still allow GMs to have characters move between settings. (*No-one disputes they should have that, I trust? )

Originally Posted by tzunder

We have Smoking Mirrors in Gwenthia to allow vast travel by players and also cros cultural contact. These almost definitely go between worlds. This is a very sensible option for a shared world, mixed culture project. Everway used it well, and so did Shadow World for Rolemaster.

That's nice to hear. Most people seemed quite down on the gates idea.

Originally Posted by rust

There is one Gate ("Transmitter") on Pharos IV. It is in a flooded cavern in a
deep sea trench, it is damaged and prone to malfunctions, it leads to another
water world - and the players have not yet discovered it.

Flooded? That's nasty.

Gates are an interesting plot device, but I think they should be used sparing-
ly: Difficult to find, dangerous to use, no routine affair at all.

Absolutely. Every time the players used one, it'd be an act of faith in their GM. That could make their use pretty rare!

[Trifletraxor]

Originally Posted by drohem

There's all kinds of things you could do with the Gates:

They are one-way into our shared world.

They are relics of some unknown ancient culture, and how to operate them is lost to the sands of time.

There is no predictability to their operations.

They are currently 'dead' or inert.

It takes great engery to power and use them.

Etc, etc...

With some of these factor calculated in (unless the individual authors of two worlds agree to have open communications between their worlds), I think the gate function will work great.

SGL.

[Trifletraxor]

Originally Posted by frogspawner

Well, they're purely a device to allow Authors authority* over their entire world/universe - but still allow GMs to have characters move between settings. (*No-one disputes they should have that, I trust? )

Straight on the button!

SGL.