Week 15
[note=Got an Topic Idea?]Send me a PM. Remember, we are discussing any topic relating to world design (but not system design), so fire away.[/note]
[ic=Philosophy Archive]
Week 1 - The Cost of Magic (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?70759)
Week 2 - Villains (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?71232)
Week 3 - Genre Conventions (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?71697)
Week 4 - Design Method (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?72101)
Week 5 - Characters (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?72445)
Week 6 - Theme (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?72962)
Week 7 - PCs in the World (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?73123)
Week 8 - Politics (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?73352)
Week 9 - Government (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?73505.last)
Week 10 - Alignment (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?73709.last)
Week 11 - Magic Items (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?73886.last)
Week 12 - Philosophy (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?74200.last)
Week 13 - Races & Ethnicity (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?74353.0)
Week 14 - Tone (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?74586.0)
Week 15 - Content (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?74876.last)
[/ic]
Content
If your campaign or setting was rated like a movie, how would it be rated? What kinds of content are off limits? Are there taboo topics? Do you believe your setting needs mature themes to be enjoyable?
On the subject of content, does your setting allow half-breed races? How do people feel about these? Are gender roles rigid? Do you have sensitive situations like slavery or religious persecution?
Quote from: PhoenixIf your campaign or setting was rated like a movie, how would it be rated?
Given that I don't really understand how movie rating systems are decided (who gives a cr*p about language?) there's no way I can answer this straight. I can say that I have views on things like sexuality free enough that I don't even think I could get a movie release.
Quote from: PhoenixWhat kinds of content are off limits? Are there taboo topics?
No. I just find certain conflicts in the human condition so obviously stupid that if I'm going to approach them at all this needs to be made clear through the medium of comdedy.
Quote from: PhoenixDo you believe your setting needs mature themes to be enjoyable?
Absolutely not. The majority of the best stuff I've ever encountered has been of a supposed "non-mature" variety.
Quote from: PhoenixOn the subject of content, does your setting allow half-breed races?
And then some. ;)
Quote from: PhoenixHow do people feel about these?
It ranges based on what two parents are breeding and what the society is like.
Quote from: PhoenixAre gender roles rigid?
Only if I want a character to have something to fight against. Even then I'd probably limit the rigid part to one small part of the society (i.e. rigid gender roles for royalty or special priest(esses)).
Quote from: PhoenixDo you have sensitive situations like slavery or religious persecution?
Not unless I want to create unambiguous bad-guys. (Well, okay, for slavery it can be a bit gray, but that really means that the slave owner(s) in question aren't really being "ownerish".)
QuoteIf your campaign or setting was rated like a movie, how would it be rated?
Savage Age, the way it currently exists in the murky depths of my mind, would probably be banned for minors in most places and banned altogether in some others. Then again, this would likely be the case with "Real World: The Movie" also...
QuoteWhat kinds of content are off limits? Are there taboo topics?
As long as we're talking about SA as only a
setting, nothing's off limits. Whether or not some content should have a place in a story or a game set in SA is another question entirely.
QuoteDo you believe your setting needs mature themes to be enjoyable?
I think Savage Age needs "mature" content in some measure to be what I envision it to be. That doesn't mean it couldn't be enjoyable without this, it just wouldn't be true to it's nature then.
QuoteOn the subject of content, does your setting allow half-breed races?
Short answer: generally not.
Long answer: cross-breeding is featured in the myths and folklore of various peoples, explaining the existence of some monsters. Generally these alleged events took place in distant past and involved beings of divine or magical nature. There are even races that attribute their creation to such myths.
And then there are beings that are actually capable of creating 100% pureblooded offspring with another race. An example of this are the Satyrs, who are a race made up of male individuals only, that breed by inpregnating human women.
QuoteAre gender roles rigid?
This depends on the values and ways of the society. Savage age does not have a society. It has
societies (note the plural form). Hundreds of them, infact - and that's just counting the human ones. Thus gender roles vary.
But generalisations are useful, and generally speaking one will find that gender roles are rather rigid throughout the world.
QuoteDo you have sensitive situations like slavery or religious persecution?
Slavery is a common and taken-for-granted feature of most cultures. Hardly anyone questions it; even the slaves themselves would be unlikely to abolish slavery - they'd just rather be the master instead of the slave. Those peoples that lack slavery usually have in place some other means of exploiting the shit out of their fellow man.
Religious persecution is less common but it exists, and may even be a major theme in particular regions.
Quote from: PhoenixIf your campaign or setting was rated like a movie, how would it be rated?
5 Stars! :P
No, in all seriousness Aelond would probably be rated PG-13 expressly because there is (some) talk of whores and inter-species breeding.
Quote from: PhoenixWhat kinds of content are off limits? Are there taboo topics?
Nothing is off limits save for things that are truly taboo in our world.
Quote from: PhoenixDo you believe your setting needs mature themes to be enjoyable?
Hell no. I love Shrek and it's hardly mature (though there are a lot of jokes that rely on innuendo). A setting can be enjoyable no matter the content, all that matters is the player.
Quote from: PhoenixOn the subject of content, does your setting allow half-breed races?
Yes and no. Originally the God-Lord Liffrea had no opinion on the subject, until a large number of Molochs were birthed from the unions of Dragons and Humans. It was then the God-Lord but a Divine Prohibition on the birthing of inter-species children. Some would say in the modern age this has had a disastrous effect on society as Elves often seek to immerse themselves in earthly pleasure, thus the streets of Redport, Blackport amd many another town are littered with half naked elves who seek only the ecstasy of the moment and fear no earthly consequences (save a quick end by a Paldadin's blade). Indeed, with out fear of bastards many a noble has an Elven concubine (or three) whose job it is to do nothing save please their lord. The church has a strict policy against such actions, though it is rumored the Faeder of Greenport, Cynric I, has the largest Harem in the whole of Aeolond...
Quote from: PhoenixHow do people feel about these?
Many people in Aeolond want to lift the Divine Prohibition, especially the King of the Midlands (whose loving queen is an Elf). However, in general most people are content with the Prohibition as that is the way life has been since long into the First Empire.
Quote from: PhoenixAre gender roles rigid?
In Aeolond, gender roles aren't nearly as well defined as say they were in medieval Europe. However, women are expected to have as many children as possible and to raise their children in a proper, god fearing manner. There are many female bureaucrats and warrios through out Aeolond. Indubitably their need for a male relation is just as easily satiated as a man's. It is not uncommon for there to be just as many male elven whores as females in the seedier parts of the continent. Even still, the land is majority ruled by men and defended (principally) by men...
Quote from: PhoenixDo you have sensitive situations like slavery or religious persecution?
Slavery does not exist per se. Indentured servitude is common, especially for those seeking a new life in the Northlands (and who are too timid to take up a sword). Indentured servitude lasts for 7 back breaking years but after that the servant is free to do as s/he wishes as a free wo/man.
Religious persecution is a very common theme as the continent has recently been divided by a religious reformation. The Reformed seek a closer relationship with God and the removal of the Church, which is viewed as a militant kingdom seeking it's own wealth and glory. The Orthodox see the Reformed as a small group of heretics unwilling to devote their whole self to the church and to it's destiny.
Quote from: PhoenixIf your campaign or setting was rated like a movie, how would it be rated? What kinds of content are off limits? Are there taboo topics? Do you believe your setting needs mature themes to be enjoyable?
On the subject of content, does your setting allow half-breed races? How do people feel about these? Are gender roles rigid? Do you have sensitive situations like slavery or religious persecution?
Movie Rating: PG 13 - courtesans, brothels, human form spirit beings having children with humans. Kabuki actors may or may not be male prostitutes (I do avoid that subject however)
Japan features homosexuality and pedophilia as part of historical society, Kaidan does not.
Tabboo Topics: it seems many of the "free world" view any kind of social class system especially one that imposes a bottom caste as wrong, many consider these as to be slaves, though Kaidan has no slaves per se. The Hinin class is the bottom - consisting of those who touch dead animals for occupations, those who touch dead humans as occupations, those who practice merchant skills, members of the Yakuza.
Religious persecution is at the heart of Kaidan, as the state religion, Zao favors the Wheel of Life construct; the damned endless reincarnation cycle. While other religions exist, even a few the promote the idea of escaping the wheel through enlightenment, these are the highest forms of heresy and rigorously watched for and eliminated when discovered.
GP
Quote from: SilvercatMoonpawGiven that I don't really understand how movie rating systems are decided (who gives a cr*p about language?)
Given that you censored your own language while talking about "who gives a crap about language," I can't help but find this extremely comical. Maybe that's what you meant to happen?
Sorry about the interruption, please continue with our regularly scheduled subject.
QuoteIf your campaign or setting was rated like a movie, how would it be rated?
The Cadaverous Earth could be anywhere from PG-13 to NC-17, depending on the specifics of an individual campaign.
QuoteWhat kinds of content are off limits? Are there taboo topics?
No content is explicitly off-limits, and in fact CE is partly about the breakdown of social norms and taboos as societies degenerate into anarchy or totalitarianism.
QuoteDo you believe your setting needs mature themes to be enjoyable?
My setting definitely does need "mature" themes to be enjoyable: it's specifically styled as a dark, grotesque, morally repulsive sort of place, full of all manner of deviancy and abhorrent behavior, and removing that element would really detract from the setting.
QuoteOn the subject of content, does your setting allow half-breed races? How do people feel about these?
No half-breed races, though eidolons (a type of all-male undead incubus creature who drain youth via sexual intercourse in order to sustain their glamers) do impregnate human women to reproduce.
QuoteAre gender roles rigid?
Gender roles are very rigid in Dolmen (a matriarchy of spiderfolk), and there's probably quite a bit of patriarchy out there as well. The hagmen have very rigid gender roles but can also change their gender at will, so while the roles themselves are bound in layers of tradition individuals cannot be oppressed because of their gender, since they can simply change it if dissatisfied with their current role. Some creatures - notably the leechkin - are totally hermaphroditic and so lack not only gender roles but sexes/genders altogether.
QuoteDo you have sensitive situations like slavery or religious persecution?
Slavery is fairly commonplace and is most prominent in Somnambulon (where living humans are raised in silent Nurseries till they're adults, then turned into zombie factory workers) and in Dolmen. Human slavery is explicitly outlawed in Skein, but the noble class (the magisters and magistra) all possess demonic slaves as pets/bodyguards/status-symbols, bound by warded silver chains.
Religion is fairly amorphous except in a few of the more authoritarian states; in Dolmen there is a state religion and any other belief would be condemned as heretical, while in Skein religion is forbidden completely, though petty shrines may crop up about the fringes. There are also cults which worship gods or god-like entities generally held to be evil, notably Hirud the Ravager-Worm, the sinister Chained Ones, and the brooding Beast Gods of the Fevered Ocean; it's quite possible that well-meaning adventuring types would seek to put an end to such cults, though more likely they'd have to be economic motivations for doing so (i.e. the cults need to be destroyed because they're kidnapping people for sacrifices and have thus accrued a bounty, or something similar).
I think a lot of this has far more to do with how the setting is played rather than what the setting "is." GMs have a wide degree of latitude, as we all know - just because you imagine your setting as R or PG doesn't mean it will be played that way if you're not the one playing it.
There are limits to this, of course. If your setting revolves around a ubiquitous system of brutal slavery, anybody who runs a game in it really isn't going to be able to avoid that without some major setting modifications. Wherever such things are marginal or incidental, however, they can be downplayed or emphasized as necessary. I consider some amount of flexibility in this regard to be a very good thing, because it allows you to customize a campaign for your players, whose tastes may differ in terms of content.
CJ has plenty of "mature" themes. Slavery, racism, and genocide stand out, but there are some moderately oppressive gender roles as well. Sometimes these are connected with clearly villainous characters and entities, but just as often these are just facts of a hard life in the wilderness. It's entirely possible, however, to tweak or work around these themes if you don't want to deal with them as I've imagined them. It would make the campaign world something other than what I'd originally intended, but that's not something I'm concerned about.
I'm not exactly sure how having half-breed races makes something adult content. I mean, it could, but they could also be just as innocuous as full-breed races. The implication here seems to be that half-breed races are, or tend to be, products of rape, but I don't see any reason that is necessarily true. Personally, I consider that to be the only subject I absolutely won't tackle in a campaign world or adventure; I know people who have been the victims of sexual violence and still have traumatic experiences when people talk about it (or, worse, give it some ham-fisted treatment as a plot device in a game).
I'm...in some trouble here. Celtricia has had some rated pg-13 games, but gratuitous and graphic violence (in all seriousness) is pretty regular, and there have certainly been some...umm...'art-house' theater sessions...
QuoteI'm not exactly sure how having half-breed races makes something adult content.
made[/i] (the subject of FFP). And I think what content you choose to use when doing setting write ups, snippets, histories, and the like ties in nicely with last week's popular Tone topic.
Quote from: PhoenixWhat kinds of content are off limits? Are there taboo topics? Do you believe your setting needs mature themes to be enjoyable?
Are gender roles rigid?
[/quote]
Do you have sensitive situations like slavery or religious persecution?
[/quote]
Oh heck yes, that is one of the primary driving forces behind Mare Eternus, the setting is rife with such sensitive topics.
Quote from: IshmaylGiven that you censored your own language while talking about "who gives a crap about language," I can't help but find this extremely comical. Maybe that's what you meant to happen?
Exactly.
Thing is I
don't see why people care about language. But I
love bleeping it out. It's got nothing to do with offensiveness, I just find they have more meaning that way. Unbleeped they're just words, and not very interesting ones at that. Bleeped they mean something.
From the tavern:
Quote from: Steerpikedepends on the players and the specifics of the campaign, but I doubt I've ever had anything worse than might be encountered in a video game.
mine are simple... anything goes as long as maturity is maintained[/quote]my short answer is "it depends," and my long answer is too long for the tavern. I will be happy to elaborate, though, if you want to move this (back?) to a thread.[/quote]Taboo? Nothing. Not for my game. But that is not the right answer for everyone.[/quote]
For me, it depends very much on the campaign and its nature, as well as on the players.