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Can I jumpstart Shared World Interest?


Rurik

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Ouch! I hope this is not true. My original plans were to support it from this site and make it an ongoing thing. There was a lot that I wanted to put into the Green that I had to cut out to bring the page count down. The whole process of editing and formating about wiped me out though. Those parts took me waaay longer than simply writing the thing. Heck, for all I know Chaosium may reject it. They have had the manuscript for weeks now and I have not heard that they even recieved it.

I think the monograph deal only gives Chaosium the right to publish 500 copies of it. I doubt they "own" it, reading the submission guidelines. And as other people allready said, many authors continue to support their monograph after its released.

When did you submit it to Chaosium (what month?)? Time to update the index page! :)

Hmmm, just playing with ideas here, but what if the world was divided up by say misty seas that are hard to navigate. Long ago someone mentioned the shared world having different islands, like Earthsea. After all, in the real world, navigation was not very easy and cultures developed pretty much independently and least until the age of exploration.

It's a good idea. No need to map the islands relative to eachother either, as the GM then could game the islands in the order he wanted. I also still like the sky mountain idea though, with huge icycles hanging at the edge of the world. The sun could move up and down, going into the mountain at night, to got the normal day and night cycle going.

SGL.

Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub!
b1.gif 116/420. High Priest.

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I think the monograph deal only gives Chaosium the right to publish 500 copies of it. I doubt they "own" it, reading the submission guidelines. And as other people allready said, many authors continue to support their monograph after its released.

That is how I understood it. All the legal stuff on other threads has my head spinning. The thing is why would they not want me to support it and drum up interest?

When did you submit it to Chaosium (what month?)? Time to update the index page!

I just recieved word from Dustin yesterday. Chaosium does have the manuscript. He said it should be out sometime in January. :thumb:

By the way could I send you a new picture for the update?

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I just recieved word from Dustin yesterday. Chaosium does have the manuscript. He said it should be out sometime in January. :thumb:

By the way could I send you a new picture for the update?

Yes please! :) But what month did you submit it?

SGL.

Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub!
b1.gif 116/420. High Priest.

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Just couple of thoughts:

The various setting could all be on different "planes", "dimensions" or what not. One possible way to Map them would be something like in Time Bandits with maps of portals that link different settings. Note that what maps that do exist would be incomplete, so that GMs could limit how much the PCs are aware of.

Certain areas could be "hubs" with gateways to multiple worlds. Such hubs could be (or have been) major centers for trade and commerce. If some sort of calamity resulted in a break down on the system in years past, we could have "gate magic" or "gate tehcnology" at various states of use in different campaign areas-allowing us to tailor the amount of impact this would have or any given setting. Some places could be like a multi-gate European Union with a common currency and lots of trade. Others could be completely unaware of the gates.

Perhaps some cultures have even developed vehicles that can cross the aether without the need for a portal.

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

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Just couple of thoughts:

The various setting could all be on different "planes", "dimensions" or what not. One possible way to Map them would be something like in Time Bandits with maps of portals that link different settings. Note that what maps that do exist would be incomplete, so that GMs could limit how much the PCs are aware of.

Certain areas could be "hubs" with gateways to multiple worlds. Such hubs could be (or have been) major centers for trade and commerce. If some sort of calamity resulted in a break down on the system in years past, we could have "gate magic" or "gate tehcnology" at various states of use in different campaign areas-allowing us to tailor the amount of impact this would have or any given setting. Some places could be like a multi-gate European Union with a common currency and lots of trade. Others could be completely unaware of the gates.

Perhaps some cultures have even developed vehicles that can cross the aether without the need for a portal.

I love this idea. To me, as BRP is a multi-genre book, it would be nice if the shared world setting could make use of this facet of the game. Each separate setting should be designed as a standalone world for those that just want to play fantasy, scifi, etc. But still be tied together with one (or more) unifying threads.

TORG from West End Games made the Earth a war-torn multi-genre battlefield, but you could travel through the gates to different realities that were normal (non-mixed) settings. Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Horror, etc.

Of course Rifts did this as well.

The best example for BRP however would be GURPS, a universal system very much like BRP, and one of the first settings they release is an alternate worlds setting that can tie all their world books together (forget the actual title right now).

Just tossing around some ideas.

Rod

Join my Mythras/RuneQuest 6: Classic Fantasy Yahoo Group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RQCF/info

"D100 - Exactly 5 times better than D20"

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Back in the prehistoric days of the 80's when I started gaming, Judges Guild had something similiar to this with a series of D & D modules called the Portals series : Portals of Torsh etc etc.

That said if you're going to do that why bother with a shared world ? In effect you've got several worlds. My idea of a shared world is something that has a common base or start line with different people tackling different parts of the same world, not lots of different worlds.

I still reckon Judges Guild 'Wilderlands ' setting would make for a good gritty BRP setting. :D

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That said if you're going to do that why bother with a shared world ? In effect you've got several worlds. My idea of a shared world is something that has a common base or start line with different people tackling different parts of the same world, not lots of different worlds.

Yeah, I was thinking that as I was writing it but was on a roll and couldn't stop. :)

Something multi genre would be nice as a way of showcasing BRPs capabilities, even if it takes place in one world or reality. For instance if it's just fantasy, it might as well be a RQ shared world. Of course if that is the direction it takes that won't make it any less useful as a setting, and as I don't really have the time to contribute that I would like, I will just be eagerly lurking anyway.

I still reckon Judges Guild 'Wilderlands ' setting would make for a good gritty BRP setting. :D

I agree, I own some of the original stuff as well as the version updated a couple years ago. It's a massive setting with enough detail to keep it interesting and vast amounts of area for the individual gamemaster to make it his own.

Rod

Join my Mythras/RuneQuest 6: Classic Fantasy Yahoo Group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RQCF/info

"D100 - Exactly 5 times better than D20"

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I love this idea. To me, as BRP is a multi-genre book, it would be nice if the shared world setting could make use of this facet of the game. Each separate setting should be designed as a standalone world for those that just want to play fantasy, scifi, etc. But still be tied together with one (or more) unifying threads.

Yes, I think mutiple-planes/dimensions is a good idea - it's the way to go. And it can be used to play to BRP's multi-genre strength. But set up so GMs wouldn't be forced into multi-genre stuff.

That needs to be carefully done. Likewise, the plane-crossing mechanisms (spells, portals, aether-ships, faerie mists, whatever) must be set up so they only work when it suits the GM. Players should not be able to use them reliably, to predictable destinations, or frequently (unless the GM wants them to), otherwise GM's could be steam-rollered into swapping campaign worlds (and a load more work), genre's they didn't like, and naughty players might cause mayhem if they knew they could always escape justice...

TORG... Rifts... GURPS...

..and Judges Guild Portals. OK, the idea's been done before. It would be nice to get a different 'take' on it for SharedWorld. I don't know those others - would anyone be so kind as to give us a brief run-down on them, please?

PS: And, of course, Worlds of Wonder. So it has a fine BRP pedigree, that'd be good to build on. Mine's still in the post, tho'... :)

PPS: Ta for the #1000 smileys! (And this was a good subject for Post #1001...)

Edited by frogspawner
PS's

Britain has been infiltrated by soviet agents to the highest levels. They control the BBC, the main political party leaderships, NHS & local council executives, much of the police, most newspapers and the utility companies. Of course the EU is theirs, through-and-through. And they are among us - a pervasive evil, like Stasi.

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I've been lurking but not had the time to post this weekend. I still see there being two approaches (that are not at all incompatible mind you) - a shared world where the participants work together on pieces of one setting, and a common universe where contributors can link their worlds together. The latest posts seem to have a strong preference for the later approach.

In fact the original project allowed for both with the gates being an integral part of the world design. I must admit I like the mists idea, with my preference being that they are mystical mists where one can actually crosses to different worlds (this allows for round worlds and flat worlds and worlds with stationary suns and worlds with two suns and so on to be linked, as well as different genres).

I personally still want to work on Sky Mountain with other contributors, and like the icicles hanging off the edge of the world and the sky mountain itself. Part of the reason is that I am focusing on a very small part of the world, a city state and it's immediate surroundings. I am totally open to others defining other parts of the world - gaming is a hobby I do in my sometimes sparse free time - a whole world is a lot of work. I also like the idea of collaborating with others, the exchange of ideas is exciting, and already the ideas others have put forth have given me ideas I would never have come up with on my own. However if no one else wants to also work on Sky Mountain too I suppose I am shit out of luck. :D

I can see the mists working with Sky Mountain's flat world with icicles at the edges by there being an sea (or seas) of mists in the world where sometimes ships disappear, occasionally returning with tales of strange worlds beyond - but usually just never being heard from again. At other times strange peoples or creatures come out of the mists from alien places. There could even be swamps with the same mystical mists. Rather than opening a gate that led to the demon invasion that almost destroyed them the Asherayne could have attempted to create their own mystical marsh mist through a massive effort of engineering and magic - and succeeded - if you count opening the doors to hell a 'success'. The eastern side of the city is still a cursed ruin on the edge of their failed experiment while the mystical mists remain.

I hope others still want to work on Sky Mountain. I have started working on a town that is smaller than Portal called Southbridge Fort (a small town and fortress controlled by Portal) because I think I can have a smaller town finished sooner (I am also learning the City Designer 3 software and smaller is good at first - trust me). I have elements of the Sky Mountain as described in the Wiki built into the towns and have a couple of neighborhoods that depend on the stationary sun (Darktown and Shadeside are parts of Portal and Southbridge Fort that are always in shadow - literally the shady parts of town).

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I hope others still want to work on Sky Mountain. I have started working on a town that is smaller than Portal called Southbridge Fort (a small town and fortress controlled by Portal) because I think I can have a smaller town finished sooner (I am also learning the City Designer 3 software and smaller is good at first - trust me). I have elements of the Sky Mountain as described in the Wiki built into the towns and have a couple of neighborhoods that depend on the stationary sun (Darktown and Shadeside are parts of Portal and Southbridge Fort that are always in shadow - literally the shady parts of town).

I too hope to see something come of this, the setting really sounds interesting. So whether it ends up being THE sharedworld project or just one of many possible universes, I hope to be able to read more about it.

Join my Mythras/RuneQuest 6: Classic Fantasy Yahoo Group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RQCF/info

"D100 - Exactly 5 times better than D20"

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That said if you're going to do that why bother with a shared world ? In effect you've got several worlds. My idea of a shared world is something that has a common base or start line with different people tackling different parts of the same world, not lots of different worlds.

I see your point. It is one of the reasons why I don;'t think the "each GM make his own area" approach is a good one. I think for it to be a shared world the countries (technology, religion, etc.) would need to be worked out by committee so that we could have the lands interacting with each other.

I like Sky Mountain, it's very RQ2/Glorantha-ish. But it isn't going to work out well if every other land is completely different. At least it won't be much of a "shared world" if everyone just goes off into a corner, makes something up and just tacks it onto the project.

A Worlds of Wonder/multiverse concept can also work, but again there is very little "shared" about it. Unless we make it shared.

Whatever concept we go with, I'd like to see it become a truly shared setting with a lot of interaction between the various sub-settings, rather than a bunch of setting that have nothing to do with each other.

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

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I still see there being two approaches (that are not at all incompatible mind you) - a shared world where the participants work together on pieces of one setting, and a common universe where contributors can link their worlds together. The latest posts seem to have a strong preference for the later approach. ... I also like the idea of collaborating with others, the exchange of ideas is exciting, and already the ideas others have put forth have given me ideas I would never have come up with on my own.

... I don;'t think the "each GM make his own area" approach is a good one. I think for it to be a shared world the countries (technology, religion, etc.) would need to be worked out by committee so that we could have the lands interacting with each other. ... Whatever concept we go with, I'd like to see it become a truly shared setting with a lot of interaction between the various sub-settings, rather than a bunch of setting that have nothing to do with each other.

Absolutely. We want both the freedom of multiple worlds AND the synergy of collaboration.

What I suggest is multiple worlds which are virtually identical. The idea of parallel worlds with only slight differences is well-known. By default, all contributions would go into the main SharedWorld. So in the main we'd have collaboration. Ideas that didn't gain widespread acceptance would not be wasted - they would effectively just be on a parallel, otherwise-similar world. We wouldn't need a 'Committee of Ideas' telling people their stuff was bad, or deciding what would be 'exiled' to a parallel: later contributions would decide. All contributions would be included - and either built-upon by later contributors, or not. No idea is wasted. Everything is true.

Britain has been infiltrated by soviet agents to the highest levels. They control the BBC, the main political party leaderships, NHS & local council executives, much of the police, most newspapers and the utility companies. Of course the EU is theirs, through-and-through. And they are among us - a pervasive evil, like Stasi.

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I agree, I own some of the original stuff as well as the version updated a couple years ago. It's a massive setting with enough detail to keep it interesting and vast amounts of area for the individual gamemaster to make it his own.

Rod

So then, the 'Wilderlands' setting licensed for use with Classic Fantasy, mmmm......

Anybody got Judges Guild phone number ? :D

Ah well, it's a nice idea.

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