I'm working on a dark science-fiction setting that's unabashedly inspired by the World of Darkness, but there's a question that keeps puzzling me: how much detail should I put into it? One of the core themes of the setting is that the galaxy is an enormous place, no authority extends beyond more than a handful of systems, and there's no discernible history. Obviously, I have to explain the major "races" and how they live and the sort of technologies the galaxy operates on, but how much further do you think should I go than that?
Hm. Sounds interesting. And welcome to the site!
How does it relate to Warhammer: Dark Heresy? You could look to that for some inspiration for how 'big to make something.
Sci-Fi is interesting; it has more expanse in a lot of ways than traditional fantasy, since that is at best isometric 2D (you have an underground area and an aboveground area); whereas space is definitely 3D with large open expanses of nothing.
Frankly, I would treat space like DnD designers treat "the underdark" although it can have layers of twisty tunnels, it's really just another flat plane. That is, you describe areas in "chunks". For the place that you want the players to adventure in, do that "cube" of culture. For later expansion, leave some terra incognita, and then you can work on those "cubes" of galactic history and culture.
Make an overarching theme or story for the whole galaxy so you have a touchstone that you can keep relating back to, though. (Like Mass Effect's Protheans).
Even Star Trek did things this way. Each series had its own 'plane' of interaction with the galaxy.
And in case you missed it, there is another new member who seems to be working on an interplanetary setting: http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?152242.last
Quote from: Light DragonHow does it relate to Warhammer: Dark Heresy? You could look to that for some inspiration for how 'big to make something.
Huh? It doesn't really relate to Dark Heresy and I'm not trying to make it. To be perfectly frank I think Warhammer is heavy-handed at best and sophomoric at worst with it's "grim darkness". I'm aiming for a slightly more subtle sort of horror.
Quote from: Light DragonFrankly, I would treat space like DnD designers treat "the underdark" although it can have layers of twisty tunnels, it's really just another flat plane. That is, you describe areas in "chunks". For the place that you want the players to adventure in, do that "cube" of culture. For later expansion, leave some terra incognita, and then you can work on those "cubes" of galactic history and culture.
This actually sounds like the best way to go about it, write-ups of the more important or interesting systems and worlds. I'll just have to make sure to avoid the classic pitfalls of entire civilizations built around a single idea and planets with only one monoculture.
Quote from: Light DragonMake an overarching theme or story for the whole galaxy so you have a touchstone that you can keep relating back to, though. (Like Mass Effect's Protheans).
I'm actually trying to avoid the whole "ancient forerunners who created all important technology" trope, because it's getting rather tired and it undermines the theme of the whole galaxy being fractured and chaotic. Likewise, there isn't a galactic story; there isn't even a real history. It just always was, as far as anyone can tell.
Quote from: Light DragonAnd in case you missed it, there is another new member who seems to be working on an interplanetary setting:
I saw it, but I think we're going for two completely different sorts of sci-fi.
I think Light Dragon was merely implying that Dark Heresy had about the same scope as your setting and thus their layout of planets and sectors might be inspirational. You can draw from their expertise and still take it all in a completely different direction.
Welcome to the site from me too, by the way. This sounds like a setting with potential. The horror you wish to inspire; you say you want it to be more subtle and draw from WoD. Are we talking low-level antagonists, infiltrators of humanity, or more otherworldy lovecraftian creatures?
Crow worded what I was trying to express better than I did-the Warhammer universe is simply gigantic. As far as gothic sci-fi, however, I would think that Warhammer also has some points where inspiration can be had. I am looking forward to seeing how your more subtle horror works out.
>>I'll just have to make sure to avoid the classic pitfalls of entire civilizations built around a single idea and planets with only one monoculture.
For versimmiltude, you're on the right track there... for manageability, I'd suggest trying to make some sort of table on the CBG or making an off-line excel spreadsheet or something just so that you can keep everything straight in how they interact.
A wiki may also be a good idea for organization, since it has the active hyperlinks that can interrelate the sites. We have a wiki accessible on our navigation menu above.
>>Likewise, there isn't a galactic story; there isn't even a real history. It just always was, as far as anyone can tell.
I can understand your aversion to utilizing specific tropes, but I would strongly consider assigning some themes to your universe. This helps with storytelling-even if the themes are just "gothic". Why is the world so gothic, for example? Why is there horror, for example? Is it because of the distance of the stars and the isolation of journey? the lack of communication, those sort of considerations. If at least the sectors themselves have a shared history INSIDE the sector if not with the rest of the galaxy, that will do a long way to making your design of unique sector politics a lot easier.
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Hm, although the other link wasn't appropriate for your situation; Steerpike did a space horror thread. See Link-->
http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?61798.post
That may be more along the lines of something that may be valuable as utilization for you.
Good luck!
My first question is: What part of the term 'Gothic' are you trying to emulate?
There are numerous kinds of 'Goth'. The term Gothic was originally used to describe of or pertaining to the Gothic people of northern Europe. Later, it's main use was in describing a particular architectural style. Thanks to the Gothic revival (Architecture), gothic fiction appeared, proving itself to be the forerunner to what we know as horror. More recently (the past few decades) we see the gothic music and subcultures (which are majorly diverse. Everything from black-clad emos to Steampunk attire can technically be called gothic). Which one were you more interested in using? That will help you get a good track on where to start.
If you want some true 'Gothic' inspiration, I suggest reading anything by Ambrose Bierce or Robert Stevenson, as they have perhaps the best examples, in my opinion, though they did come much later than some of the genre pioneers.
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As for Warhammer. I have this to say: There are far worse settings to write about. Admittedly, the 'official' fluff from the source books is often over-the-top grim-darkness, however, much of the supporting fiction is quite different (Anything by Dan Abnett and Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain books spring to mind first), and allows for individual figures to not just find hope in the darkness, but to actually make it and grant it to others. Or, in the case of the Eisenhorn trilogy, we are presented with a universe that is only as dark as humanity is capable of making it (a rather striking notion, in my opinion). In case it is not obvious, I am a fan of the setting (even if the game can take forever...), and so the critic in me rallies to its defense whenever I hear it disparaged without ample reason.
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As LD pointed out, much of the detail you seek is actually found within the broader strokes you want. Horror varies by what is actually scary, be they cosmic space-Cthulhus or psychological nightmares caused by the void of space. Or anything with death-rays. I agree fully with him on that, and most of his other comments.
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Since you are citing WoD as an inspiration, I have another query that could help you further define your setting: Is there supernatural, or just super-science?
For example, let's say you had Vampires and werewolves (a la WoD, naturally). Would you be more interesting in making up a quasi-scientific reason for their being (virus, disease, genetic species, etc.) or focusing on them as more mystical (in other words, more like the source material)? I'd ask about Changelings, but hey, I don't think anyone knows what to make of them at the best of times. Hmm. Mage works though-- would either/both the Traditions and the Technocracy have a place in your setting?
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Another bit that caught my eye was authority in systems. Did you mean as some kind of multi-species federation, or simply races sitting on their front porch with a shotgun and an angry scowl?
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Speaking as someone who reads a fair bit of science fiction, one of my pet peeves is when settings are too much 'left to the imagination'. I may be the minority in this, but I prefer more detail rather than less (though leaving some unknown chunks for later use is always welcome). Making the reader/player develop most of the detail is simply lazy. I personally believe it is far more effective to provide ample detail about anything noteworthy that any/every reader/player needs to know about. Major races. Military powers. Seats of government/authority. Method of space-travel. How trade works. Important historical facts (wars, invasions, cataclysmic events, species extinction, noteworthy planets blown up. Extra-galactic terrors). If someone doesn't like it, then they can just choose to ignore it. Simple as that.
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Also, tropes. Aside from the fact that it's impossible to avoid them, there's no reason to fear using them, especially in uncommon ways. Everyone knows there's a Giant Bug race out there-- but they're ugly, so they must be evil! So why not have them be the ugliest-- but perhaps the most beneficent species in known space? Lampshading tropes can be great fun. Same thing with 'creator' races. Look at the Oans from D.C-- they've been around since light existed in the universe (according to the Blackest Night series). Compare this to the long-dead Protheans (and before!) from Mass Effect. Or the Forerunners from Halo. Very different effects and uses of the same trope all around, and quite likely to influence just about everything, such as how most of these species have inter-stellar travel. Did they all just... figure it out on their own? Was there a nice race that went around and helped people out? Maybe they all found the tech of a long-dead (or diminished) race.
Like most things, the devil is in the details. A space opera is perhaps on the grandest scales to work on, and it can seem daunting to consider a great deal of information for everything, so I have an idea for how to make it more manageable. Instead of trying to force everything into some particular aspects of your setting, make some minor key details (perhaps flesh out your major races), then just ask yourself what you think they would do-- would they want trade partners? Would they want to find uninhabited systems to mine for resources? Would they go wage wars against stone-age civilizations? I find those kinds of exercises to feel much more organic than trying to fit everything onto an already-written time-line.
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I don't know if any of this is helpful (I know, I have an odd method of trying to be useful, but hey, everyone's got their quirks). But I hope it all works out! Just reminds me how lazy I'm being in getting anything written out for my own settings. Maybe I'll get to that after my travel season ends. Or maybe I'll just resume playing Dead Space some more...
~CC
Thank you for all of the input so far. Let me try and see if I can't explain myself more clearly now.
When I say "Gothic", I'm primarily referring to Gothic fiction and the sort of themes pioneered by the genre: death, decay, inescapable curses, madness, etc. That said, I plan to incorporate plenty of other sub-genres on a case-by-case basis, such as cyberpunk, biopunk, steampunk, and the like.
Humanity is the most common species in the galaxy, and by an enormous margin. Other alien races do exist, but they are few and far between and plenty of people have no idea that they are not alone in the universe. That said, what qualifies as "human" is somewhat of a loose term that here encompasses not only the many offshoots and adaptations but also the sorts of supernaturals that descend from them: vampires, werewolves, mages, changelings, prometheans, and sin-eaters, to name the most common. Speaking of which, the existences of such beings have since become common knowledge, at least as much as any knowledge is common in the galaxy.
All supernaturals are just that: supernatural. They may try to explain their origins scientifically or blend integrate their powers with technology, but at the end of the day, science still cannot explain them well enough for them to be classified as magic.
I certainly know what you mean by "grandest scale to work on". I'm already exhausted just thinking about writing all of this, but I promised myself I'd at least take a serious crack at this before I throw it on the back burner.
This may not be the place for this question, but what're the requirements for making a page on the wiki anyhow?
Quote from: EnigmaticSphynxThis may not be the place for this question, but what're the requirements for making a page on the wiki anyhow?
Just create an account on the wiki.
http://www.stardust-publications.com/WoFD/
this might be of use to you for some inspiration