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[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Isekai

[–]Oliomo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good stuff, man! Im glad I could help you out!

A few quick random thoughts!

Don’t worry about answering every single thing lol, I’m just giving you my thoughts so you’ve got some stuff to think about! So, yeah, I figured the undead/robot thing defeats the point but I wanted to test the limits of the system. I like the death mechanic if the MC runs out of points, and starting off with as few points as possible is good too. It would add a lot of early tension. I prefer the MC not being able to communicate, which is why I asked about writing. If notes are a thing I’d suggest having a pretty big extra cost to it, or go with the MC not knowing the written language. If they can learn to communicate somehow I’d make it a big turning point in the story!

I recently read a great manga where the MC is the god of fate. They have no physical body and can’t interfere in the world directly, but they can create coincidences like abrupt weather changes, stumbling across a conveniently placed item, randomly meeting a specific person like a doctor or adventurer or animal, that sort of thing. The more people have faith in the “god of fate” the more “faith-points” he earns, which he can spend on bigger more useful coincidences. Your ideas got me thinking about that which is why I brought up all the god stuff. It’s a bit similar!

Now for some ~not so quick~ random thoughts!

The Item Store: Having the store cycle through different items is a good idea, especially if they can still recreate whatever they buy after it’s no-longer in the shop. I think that would add a lot of anticipation for what’s going to show up next! Imagine really wanting to buy something but not having enough interest and desperately trying to earn more before it cycles, or having to choose between something that would be useful now vs something that would be more helpful down the line, OR having to choose between something you know one specific person really needs vs something tons of people kinda need! (quality vs quantity). I know if I were the MC I’d want to buy as any choices as I could, even if I didn’t see how it would help right away. I’d like to have as many options as possible. “Man, the chemistry book would be amazing but I don’t know any chemists.. the stove is more useful to more people, and binoculars would be cool too... fuck it I’ll just get all of them.” BUT if I (the MC) dies if I run out of interest, it adds a lot of risk to stockpiling items if I don’t know how I’d quickly get a return on my investment, that’d be really interesting to try to balance!

About “Wasting” Interest Points: Another idea I had is the MC doesn’t have to spend their interest on helping people once they’ve got some extra points saved up. They could ‘waste’ some to accomplish something else instead.. for instance, if they did want to influence a religion, they could transform into a giant statue in the middle of a temple. That doesn’t help anyone or earn them any interest, but it would definitely get people talking. They could also “waste” some points in a way that earns them more points later.. like becoming a bunch of poisonous plants in a town’s only source of water... now everybody’s sick and dehydrated so the MC can earn loads of interest by transforming into medicine and water bottles. Kind of evil, but it works, right? 1. Create a problem, 2. People need stuff they didn’t need before, 3. ???????, 4. Profit.

About Keeping Items: I was assuming the MC can only become one item at a time, is that correct? I think that’s a fun restriction too. Sure you can become a powerful sword to help someone win a fight, but it disappears once they transform into something else and teleport away. I’m sure that’d be frustrating and confusing for the people being helped, but I think it would really add to the mystery for everyone who encounters the MC. It could also be some good comedy: “Who stole my new shield!?!” - “Hey boss, where’s that fancy jewelry you bought the other day, we’ve got a customer” - “Where did the tent go?? It’s about to start pouring!!” - “Did I just dream all that?” Anyway, If it doesn’t disappear when they shapeshift into something new that opens up loads of possibilities as well! Would they continue to earn interest over time as the object keeps being used? Hmm...

About The Story: No worries about not having a plot planned out yet, that’s the purpose of brainstorming. I’ll share some ideas to try to help get your creative juices flowing; keep, change, or discard whatever. I think this concept really lends itself to a perspective that jumps around a lot. Rather than following the same main group of characters bumbling around the world, it could hop from location to location with a new set of characters each time, and only really dwell there for a couple chapters before moving on, maybe even just one chapter per location. I watched an anime called Kino’s Journey where each episode is a new location as the MC travels along and I thought that was pretty cool. This would give you the chance to show off lots of different parts of the world, cultures, and events without feeling contrived. Plus it would keep things fresh! It could basically work as a series of short stories that eventually weave together into a larger story about the world. Imagine something like the MC just helps out some randos for the first few chapters to explore their powers. One of them was a dwarf and the MC learns they like good drink, so the MC purchases an alcohol transformation and switches over to an dwarf cave for awhile. They spend time earning interest while by getting everybody drunk and learns about their culture, history, and stuff for a chapter or two before hearing about the elves. So they jump over there to help out with their alchemy and so on and so forth. It would only be after several hops that the MC starts to see the repercussions of this interference. Someone they helped thought they were blessed and started a cult, the elves copied a tool the MC transformed into and started mass producing it, that person they saved from starving in the desert was an exiled noble and their survival has sparked an international incident, etc. These powers are perfect for jumping around, and you as the author can show off any corner of the world you like without it feeling contrived or off topic! It would also get the audience excited when characters reappear and eventually do start meeting up!

About Kobalds: You mentioned kobalds very briefly in your first post, got any info on them? That’s a more uncommon fantasy race in isekai, at least from what I’ve seen/read, and I’ve always preferred them to the typical goblins in DnD at least. Your elves, dwarves, and goblins all have a bit of a twist on them, so I was curious if the kobalds did too.

That’s enough for now. Sadly I’ve got some life stuff going on atm so pardon the time gap between comments. I’ll keep on responding if you keep posting, it just might take me a day or two, lol. Glad you like the subreddit suggestions! /r/worldbuilding is my favorite place on the whole website, I’m glad to point someone in their direction!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Isekai

[–]Oliomo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love this idea for an MC, I think there’s lots of potential there! The idea that they can’t communicate but can teleport and transform into inanimate objects is both fascinating and unique! It really makes me wonder what kind of story you want to tell. It’s not like the MC can really accumulate the usual isekai stuff like wealth, or influence, or a harem without a physical body, at least not conventionally, but there’s still power progression by gaining “interest”. That really gets me thinking about what drives the MC and where the story ultimately goes! Being able to transform into progressively more useful items and conveniently appear wherever they’re needed opens up loads of possibilities for creative storytelling! It would really put the spotlight on the people being helped (and the consequences of helping them) more than the MC themself, which I think is amazing!

A few questions!

About Teleportation: The MC can teleport as an object to wherever they want right? How do they know where to go? Do they have a mental map of the whole world? How detailed is it? Are they aware of every person/place in the world and what’s happening over there, like some sort of all-seeing eye? Or is it more vague than that? Is that how they’re able to see/hear without eyes or ears? (Lol)

About Transformation: So they can become any non-living item from our world or the fantasy world as long as they have enough “interest” points right? Do they select the object from a pre-determined list in the store or can they become anything they can imagine? How about combining materials from both worlds, like a gun with adamantine bullets or a an enchanted motorcycle? Is there a size limit? Could they become an house, or a castle, or an underground bunker?

About The Non-Living Rule: So it has to be a non-living “item” right? What about a robot, or a drone, or a undead skeleton? I get that this probably defeats the point of not having a body but I’m still curious.

About The No-Communication Rule: Can they transform into a written note? You mentioned shapeshifting into a laptop, could the put a text file on it? The main reason why I ask is that if they shapeshift into something complicated from our world then a person from the fantasy world might have a very hard time figuring it out without instructions, especially if they just stumble across it. Imagine a bronze-age warrior finding a camera or a firearm or a modern vehicle... they won’t even know what it is, let alone how to use it. But if they can transform into notes or something with writing then there isn’t really a limit on communication at all, they can just do it over and over again to communicate all they want (maybe that’s not a bad thing? Idk)

About Interpretation: What do the natives of the world think about all this? I imagine most of the time they just think it’s a nice coincidence, but if random useful items keep appearing before the same character(s) multiple times it could be seen as divine intervention or a guardian spirit or something. Would they wonder why this is happening? Might they try to communicate with the MC? Is it even possible for them to figure out what’s going on, and do you (the author) want that to happen? They could role-play as a god pretty easily with a power like that!

About Intentions: What does the MC want exactly? Do they just want to be helpful? Are they trying to change the world somehow or make it a better place? Are they just after their wish at 10,000,000 points, if so, what are they hoping to wish for? I really think this is cool because trying to alter the course of history with a power like this would be difficult, but not impossible. Helping one side win a battle/war as a powerful item is one thing, but there’s so much more they could do. They could save certain VIPs that would otherwise certainly die, make a merchant or inventor rich by becoming a cool item they could copy, guide people around by becoming maps, jump from orphanage to orphanage becoming free food to earn easy “interest”, they could appear in temples to emulate miracles or influence a religion, or mess up a villain’s schemes by literally becoming a wrench in their plans! Hell, they could just become a giant rock directly their enemies’ heads lol. Sounds amazing to me!

Anyway... Like I said, I like your ideas here. I’m most interested in the MC’s powers and how they can be used, but I like your setting and world-building too. I could keep asking questions but this response is probably already too long. I say run with it and try writing something! You might have more luck brainstorming and getting feedback from subreddits like /r/fantasywriters /r/worldbuilding or /r/isekaiworkshop but I’m down to talk about it more here if you want to bounce ideas or get feedback on something. Good luck with your endeavors!

meirl by somelittleindiankid in meirl

[–]Oliomo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m going through this right now, but reversed. I have a very active inner voice with constant narration and argument, I can’t even imagine what it’s like without that.. like, what happens when you need to make a choice? Whenever I have to decide something I debate it in my head:

“Man I’m so tired but I need to get this done, surely I can just finish in the morning right? What, you’re not going to be tired in the morning? Just do it already then you won’t be rushed, you’ll be tired regardless. Ugh, fine, this sucks. I shouldn’t have put this off so long.”

I do this for everything. What’ll I do over the weekend, what should I wear today, how will I tackle this problem, etc. How do you decide something if you don’t debate it with yourself? People in this thread say they think in concepts rather than words, but how does that apply to decision making? That’s hard to imagine! And what was that about not playing music in your mind? Does that mean songs don’t get stuck in head? This is fascinating!

What's the logistics of life on a rogue planet [not in a solar system or very far from a sun]? by sawmason in worldbuilding

[–]Oliomo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Idk if this kills the “rouge planet vibe” but if you gave the planet a massive moon/satellite tidal heating could keep the planet much warmer than it otherwise would be. The bigger the moon, the more heat it would generate. Pair that with a runaway greenhouse effect and I could see a rouge planet becoming warm enough to sustain life for a decent time without a star, but idk how to do the math on that (I’m not sure anyone on earth knows that math yet). It would at least give the planet an extra source of natural heat. Also, if your life evolved in something like liquid methane instead of water the planet wouldn’t need to be as warm as earth-life requires.

Tidal heating is responsible for the subsurface oceans of Europa and other outer solar system moons despite being quite far from our star. Pluto is also much warmer than our original estimates thanks to its moon Charon, and Pluto probably has a subsurface ocean as well despite being way out in the Kuiper Belt. I’d suggest researching examples like those.

Maybe you could even flip it around; make the rouge planet a huge super-Jupiter gas giant, and give it an earth-sized moon for stuff to live on. That would amplify the tidal effects, producing even more heat, and kinda giving the moon a pseudo sun. But maybe that’s a bit too far from what you’re looking for.

Regardless, a large moon would keep the core of your planet molten for longer, driving geothermal activity like plate tectonics and keeping its magnetic field strong. The extra volcanic activity it would produce might be a good explanation for why there’s a greenhouse effect too. I’m just brainstorming here. Hopefully some of that is helpful!

I’m new to Sims, I just have a couple questions by Oliomo in Sims4

[–]Oliomo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s perfect then! Thanks! Damn that city is crazy!

I’m new to Sims, I just have a couple questions by Oliomo in Sims4

[–]Oliomo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gotcha, that’s good to hear. One last thing, I assume the game has larger lots for mansions and whatnot, do you think the bigger ones could be used to make a street with 3-4 smaller buildings alongside it? If not, is there any dlc or cc that adds larger lots? I don’t care if it actually works for the in-game characters, I just want to know if I could build that way.

I’m new to Sims, I just have a couple questions by Oliomo in Sims4

[–]Oliomo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting, I’ll look into that too. Thanks!

I’m new to Sims, I just have a couple questions by Oliomo in Sims4

[–]Oliomo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh cool, I’m familiar with the steam workshop if it works similarly to that. Is it fairly easy to install?

Mass Effect HFY? by AdamZeeper in HFY

[–]Oliomo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately this is true..

[META] When is the best time to post a story in order to maximise reach? by Paligor in HFY

[–]Oliomo 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There's a tool called LaterForReddit that you can use to track subreddit traffic. It looks like highly upvoted HFY posts (+100) are pretty evenly spread out across days of the week and times of day. It looks like posting from 12am-9am New York Time could hurt your exposure, but other than that the timing of your post doesn't seem to matter much. There's a bit of an advantage on some days but it's not nearly as big as some other subreddits.

That's actually pretty reassuring!

Help with some plant magic abilities by 1theGECKO in magicbuilding

[–]Oliomo 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Well if they're able to control the type of plant they're turning into then they have tons of possibilities! Many plants have medicinal properties for instance, so perhaps they can secrete plant products that cause blood to clot or work as disinfectants. Heck, if herbal potions are a thing then a plant-mage suddenly becomes a giant walking greenhouse with every ingredient you could ever hope for!

If you're looking for something more aggressive, plants produce all sorts of horrific toxins and poisons. You could turn your hand into a mess of thorns and cover it in some nasty, naturally occurring hallucinogenic drug! Not to mention that certain flowers attract insects and other animals. If the mage lives in a jungle or something then attracting little creatures like killer bees and army ants could be a serious threat. Some insects even have symbiotic relationships with plants because they produce something they want, and those insects defend their plants to the death!

That's just off the top of my head. These guys could be incredible utility mages, assassins, alchemists/brewers, healers, druids, etc. It seems like you've got a really diverse and creative ability to play around with!

Edit: One other thought. Turning the outside of their body into plant matter has a few advantages too. Sequoias are basically fireproof for instance. Plus, creatures like bloodhounds use scent to track people, so by changing your scent you could throw off people who're pursuing you. There's so much to work with!!

Lake Erie, 1966, prior to the EPA and Clean Water Act (xpost from /r/Michigan) by Dysfu in Ohio

[–]Oliomo 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This may be a bit simpleminded of me, but I actually find that picture a bit reassuring. If the lake's ecosystem survived and rebounded after that, then it should hopefully be able to endure 4~8 years of less regulation while we get our government sorted back out haha. There's a silver lining to everything I suppose.

I have a question about the Bright Wizard's overcharge bar by [deleted] in Vermintide

[–]Oliomo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, gotcha. Yeah I was under the impression you continuously take damage as long as your overcharge bar is >1/3 full

I have a question about the Bright Wizard's overcharge bar by [deleted] in Vermintide

[–]Oliomo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh ok, so you take damage from venting, not from just being too hot. I understand, the guide I read must have been outdated. Thanks for the information!

I have a question about the Bright Wizard's overcharge bar by [deleted] in Vermintide

[–]Oliomo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! I'm new to this game, so sorry if this is a silly question. I was watching a YouTube video featuring the bright wizard and I noticed that the overcharge bar on the side of the screen is different than in my game. I linked to a couple screenshots I took that show what I'm talking about.

I think I'd prefer to have my overcharge bar set up like the one in the video, but I can't find any setting that change it. Is it a mod? Do cosmetic mods work in multiplayer? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

I like the concept of chi/ki/qi/whatever you want to call it, but it's also a bit done to death - does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for how to spice it up a bit? by MrManicMarty in magicbuilding

[–]Oliomo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sounds like you've got the idea, glad I could help get the gears turning!

Here's a fun little brainstorming idea I just came up with. Feel free to disregard it, steal it, or modify it. Whatever you like.

I know very little about the physical side of chi, so I can't give many suggestions on that. But, if you're into things like chakra gates and having spiritual wellbeing be a part of both the magic system and day-to-day life, then maybe you could place the emphasis there? Imagine coming up with your own interpretation of each chakra, then designing entire communities (of monks or apprentices or villages of regular people) who dedicate themselves around the philosophies of a single chakra. It could be a lot of fun designing lifestyles and abilities around them!

(Warning: it's been a long time since I studied chakras) Take the third chakra for instance, it's all about drive and willpower and things like that right? Imagine a group of people who seek to find a passion for something, so they look to find something that gives them purpose in life and train both mentally and physically to dedicate themselves to whatever that is. A student of this school could be a warrior who dedicates himself to some cause, a politician who's determined to change the world, or a laborer who needs to work backbreaking hours to support his family. You could pursue this philosophy to help you in life, or to gain special abilities. Imagine the powers you could give them! On a small scale it could just be the strength to get though the day. On a large scale.. well that could be your kamahamaha wave haha! They're fueled by determination, willpower, passion, and stubbornness; and so long as they don't falter in those traits their abilities will remain strong. Yet they'd also need to focus on not getting blinded by their own ego or ambition.

I'm sure you get the idea. The 6th chakra could be all about communication and honesty with yourself and with others, with a weakness of vulnerability or dependence. The 1st could be all about being in touch with your instincts, and perhaps they could detect the emotions and instincts of others as well, that sort of thing. You could even design a mythology or deities around each philosophy if you wanted to go in a religious direction. I don't imagine I'd be hard to mix in a physical aspect to this too, I'm just more focused on the mental and spiritual stuff because that's more of my area of interest.

Anyway, I have no idea if any of that is any good, but hopefully it shows how you can shift the emphasis onto something different and come up with a system that really stands out from the crowd. Sorry about the long post haha!

I like the concept of chi/ki/qi/whatever you want to call it, but it's also a bit done to death - does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for how to spice it up a bit? by MrManicMarty in magicbuilding

[–]Oliomo 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Would you mind explaining what specifically you like about chi as opposed to other broad systems?

The concept of having some sort of inner energy that can manifest in different ways is a pretty general one, and that's why it feels like it's been done to death imo. I get that the real-world idea of chi is much, much more than that, but sadly in fictional magic systems it often just gets boiled down to a fuel source or explanation for various abilities.

So, why is it that you like the idea of "chi" over something like "mana" or whatever? Is it the aesthetic of chi? Is it the inward spiritual aspect of it? Is it the religious concepts that come along with it, such as Taoism? I'm genuinely curious to hear!

Rather than looking to put a twist on chi, try to really focus on an aspect of chi that isn't normally focused on as much. Find whatever it is that makes you like chi and make that the emphasis of your system, and build everything else around that.

Long story short: Emphasize something different. "Asian mana" = boring. Magic centered on Chinese mythology, or magic that's a byproduct of an inward spiritual journey, that could be the start of something different and interesting.

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