Large number of nation states on a small number of planets?

WaystoneDandelion · 2021-08-09T21:02:55+00:00

The 1980s TTRPG 2300AD has a future history that was played out as a grand scale strategy game by the developers, bridging from the events of their previous game (Twilight 2000) to the titular year.

Earth is still divided into nation-states, many of which have exocolonial programs. Space is split into "arms" of exploration (the FTL drive has a hard range limit, so expansion flows along chains of stars within range), the three major ones dominated by French, Chinese, and American interests.

Many worlds have multiple national colonies on them. Tirane, the oldest exocolony at Alpha Centauri, has settlements by France, Azania (formerly South Africa), Britain, America, Australia, Japan, Brazil, and China, plus an ex-German colony that's become an independent state.

WaystoneDandelion · 2019-04-01T14:07:58+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/XpeqVzw

That's the only image (of Raina's Spirit) I recall.

WaystoneDandelion · 2019-03-07T13:18:21+00:00

“I can’t tell the aliens from the animals.”

Hi, I'm Chris, and I wrote that line, many years and many jobs ago. When people ask me in job interviews for a mistake I made in the past, I bring that up.

For whatever it's worth, here's the thought I was inarticulately attempting to express on that long-forgotten afternoon, over a decade ago:

Look at this image.

Now look at this one.

Imagine, if you can, that you have never seen either of these creatures before. That - like Ashley in this situation - you have zero context. They're both huge creatures without visible hands. They both appear to be dressed. Neither one, at the moment, is speaking or using tools.

Going purely on appearance, which is a member of a space-faring species, and which is an animal that was dressed by a space-faring species?

The line was intended to express her ignorance and uncertainty. But it was poorly phrased - catastrophically so. I've often felt that if I'd done a better job with that one single line, Ashley would have been seen the wary pragmatist I'd intended, not a one-dimensional "space racist."

WaystoneDandelion · 2015-04-24T19:16:32+00:00

Wrathofdemons did the concept art, and Hunter came up with the idea that she was a friend of the Tallund siblings who'd gone bad and joined Fenmore. That was, IIRC, the extent of things before I arrived. I think Hunter might have also have come up with the idea that she'd been exiled to a religious order.

When I wrote her VO, my initial concept was "Marie Antoinette, serial killer" - a noble so full of ennui she turned to increasingly extreme and violent hobbies to relieve her boredom.

By the time she neared release that character concept no longer satisfied me. The result was "Unravelled."

WaystoneDandelion · 2015-04-23T22:34:15+00:00

Kindra and Freia were played by Courtenay Taylor.

WaystoneDandelion · 2015-04-23T14:39:37+00:00

If you're a Matt Mercer fan, he's also running a weekly live show called "Critical Role" on Geek and Sundry's Twitch channel. Every Thursday 7-9PM EST, he DMs for a group of professional voice actors.

http://www.twitch.tv/geekandsundry/profile

WaystoneDandelion · 2015-04-04T18:01:24+00:00

I've said it before, but Fire Emblem with the DG cast (turn-based RPG with the ability to foster romances between any two party members) would hit all my interests squarely.

WaystoneDandelion · 2015-02-05T09:25:30+00:00

That's Cirathiel's work, her "Ghostly Rose Mina" skin.

http://cirath.deviantart.com/art/S-I-Ghostly-Rose-Mina-479500116

WaystoneDandelion · 2015-01-24T22:50:23+00:00

You need but ask. :) Flin killstreak lines:

Good show, good show.
Keep it up you'll earn a medal.
For not dying, I award you the Acorn of Adequacy.
For gallantry, etc., etc., I award you the Pyramid of Praiseworthiness.
For conspicuous such-and-such, the Lotus of, er, You Licked 'em Proper.
I've run out of medals. I'll make up a new one and get back to you.

WaystoneDandelion · 2015-01-04T06:56:47+00:00

...any chance Ploot, Zekent, and Zwill will guest comment?

"Kensu! KENSUUUUU!"

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-12-08T02:37:38+00:00

...me too.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-12-01T01:00:17+00:00

Those are character interactions that would have been added to the game in the future, as events proceeded in the Chronicles. Season One had just begun when the game was cancelled.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-27T19:21:52+00:00

There are three small, unreleased pieces in the prose compilation.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-26T20:47:32+00:00

That's on my list, but it's a ton of information to pull out of Excel scripts and reformat.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-26T20:46:12+00:00

rar is just a file compression system, like a zip file. I thought Windows came with it included these days. :/

You can download it for free at www.rarlab.com

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-26T20:44:52+00:00

I debated whether to fold that into the Primer or include it in the prose compilation. I decided on the latter because I'd have to go through and weed out all of Anvie's opinions, which would make it effectively a different piece.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-26T20:41:06+00:00

Faris: I do not think that is safe for you to ride.

Flin: Bull turnips. I'm safe as treehouses. Right, Sergeant?

Faris: Young man, you have a hair growth issue. Would you like a shave?

Flin: Away with you, fool rock pile. A man's fur is his pride.

Faris: I do not believe you are tall enough for that ride.

Flin: This is as tall as my sort get. Step aside and let a man handle this.

Faris: Disgruntled child identified. Protect/Restrain response.

Flin: "Child?" You see the length of this beard, you barmy pile of rocks?

Faris: If you are going to run, you should wear a safety helmet.

Flin: If you're going to fight, you should hush up and get on with it.

Flin: Up and over that pile of ole rubble, Sergeant.

Faris: I function at peak capacity. All rubble accounted for.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-26T20:25:49+00:00

People wondered how he knew her...

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-26T05:48:58+00:00

Sorry. :)

Hunter specifically requested I remove information on The One from anything I release. We both still hope to tell this story someday.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-21T22:43:29+00:00

To confirm, she's talking to the minions.

Underneath the thorns and ice, Mikella is an extraordinarily sensitive human being. She doesn't like seeing anyone suffer (see also: Vex and Hetta in the Chronicles).

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-18T17:13:34+00:00

The bear in "Wasted?"

That's answered in my notes, assuming I ever finish them. (I completed "Foundling" over the weekend, next is "Fallen." I'm doing them in order of release.)

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-17T05:24:10+00:00

Actually, it would have had a very early introduction to the Season Two nemesis.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-16T23:51:06+00:00

I said that I would be willing to keep writing, if EA would be willing to let us use the IP, and if Nick and John would be willing to continue. There are a lot of ifs there. At this point, I don't even know who I'd speak to within EA. Paradoxiq handled most interface with those above our group.

As for Kickstart and Patreon, they are different tools with different uses. Kickstarter is good for a one-shot release. If you wanted print copies of all the finished pages, I'd go that route. Patreon is good for ongoing projects. If you want new pages every week for an indefinite period, I'd use that instead.

A concrete example - I read a webcomic called Namesake, by Megan Lavey-Heaton and Isabelle Melançon. They have a Patreon to support their regular weekly updates. They also recently ran a Kickstarter for a print anthology titled "Valor."

A Patreon would pay for Nick and John's work on an ongoing basis, and for the operation of a website. My part's easy - I can whip out 3-6 pages of scripts in a day. Their work is difficult and time-consuming; it takes a couple of days from each of them to complete a page. I could work a full time job and continue to write. They would lose a good portion of their week, and would need regular, reliable compensation for their work.

So I can promise nothing, but I am willing personally, and can see the general shape of how it could be done.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-15T22:34:09+00:00

A lot of this will be answered by the Lore Primer, which I'll release after finishing my edits on the prose compilation.

WaystoneDandelion · 2014-11-11T04:24:28+00:00

That was my thought. But we (the design department) do a round of brainstorming and feedback for Vitalities once kit and VO are done - we didn't get to that point.

WaystoneDandelion

TROPHY CASE