• Welcome to The Campaign Builder's Guild.
 

Science Fantasy - Need some inspiration

Started by Eilathen, December 26, 2014, 08:01:10 AM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages 1 2
User actions

sparkletwist

#15
December 28, 2014, 12:53:25 PM
Quote from: EilathenI really like the hindu/india kind of flavor of your setting. It reminds me a lot of Exalted in it's basic idea-structure and the Prana (=Essence) fueled powers etc. . Are there any maps for the different worlds and continents?
WoD and Exalted were definite influences-- the whole "players are distinct supernatural factions with pretty symbols" thing is straight out of White Wolf too.

I have a map on my old computer. I'll try to dig it up. :)

Humabout

#16
January 01, 2015, 01:10:06 PM
If you can't describe what you're even trying to do, then yes. Yes, defining terms is necessary. Obviously you're just doing fantasy with a futuristic facade. I, as have others, have already given you some examples you can draw on. Calling anything you're doing "science" is just a joke, however. But whatever. Doesn't seem like you're interested in anything more nuanced than Spelljammer, so I'm done with this thread.
`\ o _,
....)
.< .\.
Starfall:  On the Edge of Oblivion

Review Badges:

Hibou

#17
January 01, 2015, 06:53:50 PM Last Edit: January 01, 2015, 07:21:29 PM by Space Hoers
Quote from: Humabout
If you can't describe what you're even trying to do, then yes. Yes, defining terms is necessary. Obviously you're just doing fantasy with a futuristic facade. I, as have others, have already given you some examples you can draw on. Calling anything you're doing "science" is just a joke, however. But whatever. Doesn't seem like you're interested in anything more nuanced than Spelljammer, so I'm done with this thread.

This is neither a constructive nor a mature response, and neither was your previous post. Regardless as to whether or not Eliathen has the definitions and themes of the genre correct, it adds nothing to the conversation. Being rude and condescending when conveying information will not help you get your point across. A more effective method might be to take part in a general discussion of genres and thematic elements where people can collectively discuss the ins and outs of design (something I think the CBG happens to be well-equipped for), rather than hijacking a specific thread.

Eliathen, since you are looking for ideas, you might try the TVTropes page on Science Fantasy at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScienceFantasy . It has a pretty comprehensive list and might be a good starting place for further inspiration.
[spoiler=GitHub]https://github.com/threexc[/spoiler]

Eilathen

#18
March 29, 2015, 09:31:19 AM
Thanks, Space Hoers, i see it the same way you do. Although i still want to apologize to Humabout...my last post was also kind of needlessly provokative. And that does not help anyone.

I know it is almost thread necromancy as the thread was dormant for a while. I hope you guys and gals don't mind.

And thanks i will check out the tvtropes link you posted.
If anyone wants to add to this thread, feel free to do so. I will be reading more regularly again.

@sparkletwist - Ah, good to know my "radar" was not totally off ^^ Oh and i hope you'll find that map. I'm a sucker for maps. Btw, do you have a pdf (or any other file form) of the collected work somewhere? It would be nice to have your setting in one place and local :)
I\'m trapped in Darkness<br />Still I reach out for the Stars

Lmns Crn

#19
March 29, 2015, 02:54:35 PM
I'm glad you necroed the thread; I missed it the first time, and I generally enjoy this sort of discussion. I'll give it a thorough read-through later in the afternoon.

Welcome, and thanks for dropping back by!
I move quick: I'm gonna try my trick one last time--
you know it's possible to vaguely define my outline
when dust move in the sunshine

Xathan

#20
March 30, 2015, 01:41:11 PM
Quotehave some basic ideas: i want the look to be mostly fantasy with some dashing of science and when i say science i mainly mean magi-tech and "technology" in form of magically powered stuff. My big visional inspiration is, i guess, the parts of the marvel cinematic universe (i'm too much a newb in the marvel comic department) that look very fantasy-ish. For example Thor's Asgard but also some portions of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie (i loved that the blue-skinned bady had a Hammer as a weapon and not a lasergun or some such).

Since you're going for this, Marvel Unlimited lets you access a huge number of marvel's backlog of comics, and would be a great source of inspiration. I'd particularly recommend Captain Marvel's most recent comic, as well as the older Captain marvel comics, and the Guardians of the Galaxy Comic, and particularly the entire event Annihilation, which covers kind of what you're going for it seems.

QuoteI am considering having stuff like powered armor, flying ships (that are maybe even capable of interstellar flight *), huge sprawling cities, living artifical creatures and so on.

All of these things are some of my favorite things, so I really look forward to what comes from this.

Quote* i am picturing the setting as a couple of inhabited planets at the moment...maybe even in different solar systems. Not sure how the travel through space will go, maybe it is through portals or "wormholes" or maybe even "normal" spacetravel (FTL, Slipstream, Hyperspace, whatever you want to call it).

If you're keeping it small, one option would be setting the game on moons of Jovian planets. There's several examples in our own solar system of the sheer tidal forces keeping moons of Jovian planets, and I think a setting entirely on gas-giant moons would be interesting. (I actually had a setting like that once that never got very far, designed to be science fantasy of the "Elves in SPAAAACE!!" variety more than the star wars/marvel variety. I should dust that off at some point, because I don't have enough projects as it is.) By keeping it on the moons of gas giants, you also solve the interstellar travel problem, while still having a huge number of possible "planets," not to mention cloud cities actually in the atmosphere of the giants.

If you want to keep it realistic, the inhabited moons should not get any smaller than Titan, because that's the smallest we know for a fact can support an atmosphere (so long as it's far enough from its star to avoid solar radiation stripping the atmosphere, or close enough to its parent planet where it can hide inside the "parent's" magnetosphere). Bigger moons can be where ever in relation to their host planet, so long as they can generate their own magnetosphere.
AnIndex of My Work

Quote from: Sparkletwist
It's llitul and the brain, llitul and the brain, one is a genius and the other's insane
Proud Receiver of a Golden Dorito
[spoiler=SRD AND OGC AND LEGAL JUNK]UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED IN THE POST, NONE OF THE ABOVE CONTENT IS CONSIDERED OGC, EXCEPT FOR MATERIALS ALREADY MADE OGC BY PRIOR PUBLISHERS
Appendix I: Open Game License Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.
1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.
3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.
5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.
6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.
10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.
12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Fudge 10th Anniversary Edition Copyright 2005, Grey Ghost Press, Inc.; Authors Steffan O'Sullivan and Ann Dupuis, with additional material by Jonathan Benn, Peter Bonney, Deird'Re Brooks, Reimer Behrends, Don Bisdorf, Carl Cravens, Shawn Garbett, Steven Hammond, Ed Heil, Bernard Hsiung, J.M. "Thijs" Krijger, Sedge Lewis, Shawn Lockard, Gordon McCormick, Kent Matthewson, Peter Mikelsons, Robb Neumann, Anthony Roberson, Andy Skinner, William Stoddard, Stephan Szabo, John Ughrin, Alex Weldon, Duke York, Dmitri Zagidulin
System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Modern System Reference Doument Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Walker.

Unearthed Arcana Copyright 2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, Rich Redman.

Mutants and Masterminds Second Edition Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing; Steve Kenson
Fate (Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment) Copyright 2003 by Evil Hat Productions, LLC. Authors Robert Donoghue and Fred Hicks.
Spirit of the Century Copyright 2006 by Evil Hat Productions, LLC. Authors Robert Donoghue, Fred Hicks, and Leonard Balsera
Xathan's forum posts at http://www.thecbg.org Copyright 2006-2011, J.A. Raizman.
[/spoiler]

Tangential

#21
March 30, 2015, 04:34:11 PM
Settings I\'ve Designed: Mandria, Veil, Nordgard, Earyhuza, Yrcacia, Twin Lands<br /><br />Settings I\'ve Developed: Danthos, the Aspects Cosmos, Solus, Cyrillia, DIcefreaks\' Great Wheel, Genesis, Illios, Vale, Golarion, Untime, Meta-Earth, Lands of Rhyme
Print
Go Up Pages 1 2
User actions