Decisions, Decisions

[soltakss]

Originally Posted by tedopon

So, in closing, I submit to all of you that we should spend less time:

A) Saying how much we like or dislike another person's ideas

I dislike that idea straight away

Actually I don't, it makes a lot of sense.

The problem is, nothing has actually been done yet, so people tend to flap around a bit.

There's not much point writing background in a world where the background will conflict with everything else, so I guess that people are waiting to see whether any consensus may be reached before they spend a lot of time writing things up.

For example I'm from a heavy-Gloranthan background and I like myths, cults and history. That means that I'd write myths, cults and history for any shared world. Based on Triff's Sky Mountain World, I've already thought of 20 or so myth fragments that I think would fit. However, there's no point writing them down if the world is a Sci Fi world or uses a different fantasy setting. Similarly, there's no point writing up a race of planet-hopping gypsies for a single-world fantasy setting.

Certainly, if people start to create content around the same setting then more poeple will use that setting. For instance, I like the reverse map for Sky Mountain World and the premise behind Sky Mountain World, especially as it could include something like The Green fairly easily. Given some time, I will start writing things for this, but at the moment I don't have a lot of free time available as I am under pressure to limit my PC use at the weekends and in the evenings.

[tedopon]

Originally Posted by soltakss

For example I'm from a heavy-Gloranthan background and I like myths, cults and history. That means that I'd write myths, cults and history for any shared world. Based on Triff's Sky Mountain World, I've already thought of 20 or so myth fragments that I think would fit. However, there's no point writing them down if the world is a Sci Fi world or uses a different fantasy setting. Similarly, there's no point writing up a race of planet-hopping gypsies for a single-world fantasy setting.

I thought there already two separate plans cooking. I thought the idea was a fantasy world and a separate primarily sci fi universe. I've been going on the assumption that this was the case and developing a world that would fit into the sci fi galaxy. After I get that rolling, I thought I would contribute a few things for the fantasy world.

[rust]

Originally Posted by tedopon

I thought the idea was a fantasy world and a separate primarily sci fi universe.

That was my impression, too. Currently I am working on my science fiction
world almost daily, and I planned to start to translate the basic informations
into English as soon as the shared universe begins to take shape and I have
the time and energy for the translation.

[Atgxtg]

My impression was that there was some thought on combining the two into a single setting, and/or some confusion over which setting would have the gates.

I'm a bit hesitant to start creating something without some parameters, as depending on what it ultimately decided upon any concept could easily be incompatible.

I suspect that if we just create and "worry about formatting and organization once we have real content to format and organize", we are probably going to be going on in as many different directions as we are now.

I'm not griping either. I just think that with so many different authors and the realtively slow rate that these thing hash out in posts, as opposed to live communications, it is just something that is going to take time. It's just the nature of this sort of thing combined with the slow speed of posts.



Or, we can bite the bullet come to some form or agreement, either by voting or a decision from a "senior supervisor" and move on.


I've got a half dozen or so different ideas that I could explore but am waiting to see where we end of heading so I can see which one to develop.


I've seen several good ideas, not all of which are compatible and am willing to work with any of them.

[soltakss]

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[rust]

Originally Posted by soltakss

a race of planet-hopping gypsies

This is something I would very much like to see in a shared universe.

[Trifletraxor]

Finally, my computer is up and running again after the temporary move! Now, back to SharedWorld & SharedUniverse:

Originally Posted by soltakss

Veto won't work as Fantasy lovers will veto hard Sci Fi stuff and vice versa.

I believe Sky Mtn. World should be developed as a clear fantasy world - with fantasy mythos, and a flat geography (icecycles at the edge etc.).

Developing this SharedWorld as a fantasy world does not hinder people using it in a Sci Fi setting though. An sci-fi explanation for Sky Mtn. World's perceived mythos, magic and geography can be made, f.ex. the Dyson Sphere & special breeding for psionic genes done by the ancients. This can easily be made as an add-on for those who wants to use the SharedWorld in a sci-fi setting.

A gate (or more gates) should be added to Sky Mtn. World, but should probably be mainly inactive. Demons and other races can have passed thru earlier, but not being so active that it will be regular trade going on. This way people can come in to the world thru the gates at the GMs descretion, but without having a continious effect on the world.

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

I'd think Triff would be the one to make the final decision, and be "Supervising Editor" or some such.

Polls can be helpful, but can be flawed, both in terms of "skewed" results, and in skewed options.

We can have open polls, were the names of those voting can be seen, could do the trick.

Originally Posted by frogspawner

Well, one of the first votes might very well be whether to have a separate SharedWorld (galaxy?) for Sci-Fi, like someone suggested. And if we do, that shouldn't be a problem. But maybe just Yes/No's would be simpler. After all, what if a "sort of" option won the poll?

I think GatesWorlds / SharedUniverse would do best with a sci-fi background. In fantasy worlds, who set up the gates might not be important, and they may be more or less inactive, just a way to let GMs move their players from world to world if they so like. For Sci-Fi settings, the gates works stargates. The biggest thing here is which sci-fi settings that want to have relations together (which world creators want to cooperate in creating a "common known universe".

I also hope that we will get lots of different ideas (even conflicting ones) - and can build up a rich background/mythology to reconcile them all...

I fully agree with this. The more suggestions we have in the wiki the better!

Originally Posted by tedopon

I thought there already two separate plans cooking. I thought the idea was a fantasy world and a separate primarily sci fi universe. I've been going on the assumption that this was the case and developing a world that would fit into the sci fi galaxy. After I get that rolling, I thought I would contribute a few things for the fantasy world.

Way to go!

Originally Posted by rust

That was my impression, too. Currently I am working on my science fiction world almost daily, and I planned to start to translate the basic informations into English as soon as the shared universe begins to take shape and I have the time and energy for the translation.

Very good!

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

My impression was that there was some thought on combining the two into a single setting, and/or some confusion over which setting would have the gates.

I think the SharedUniverse should be made in such a way that ShareWorld can be included, maybe with a sci-fi add-on explanation, but that SharedWorld should be developed without having to adjust to the shared universe. It's easier to just create an add-on explanation that would explain the magic and mythos in scientific terms, that could be used if someone wanted to use it for sci-fi.

That's my suggestion at least!

SGL.