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Author Topic: [SPOILERS] Pseudo-Endgame Idea: The Great Destroyer  (Read 684 times)

ArchimedesWojak

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[SPOILERS] Pseudo-Endgame Idea: The Great Destroyer
« on: December 01, 2020, 12:30:14 pm »

At some point during the game

"The Sky Turns 50 Shades Of Red And Goblins Are Amassing At [WORLD_REGION]"

This message will appear in Fortress and Adventurer mode Dwarves will have an unhappy thought and there will be increased Goblin activity in the specified region

After an unspecified amount of time

"Goblins Have Created The Great Destroyer A Dark Spire Acting As A Gateway To The Underworld, A Beam Of Energy Is Coming From The Top Tearing The Fabric Of The Universe, This Is A Dark Time For [WORLD_NAME]"

Demons will appear in the world as normal animals would, a fortress militia or adventurer will be able to assault the spire in an attempt to reach the core.

Once the militia or adventurer fought though the hordes of Goblins to reach the core they will have to perform "The Ultimate Sacrifice" once performed the militia or adventurer will automatically die and become (a) deity(s) they're spheres depends on their values and skills, The Great Destroyer will be abandoned and all Goblin Civs will go to war with every Civ until Goblins go extinct also all demons will be banished back to the underworld.
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Sky-Streamer

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Re: [SPOILERS] Pseudo-Endgame Idea: The Great Destroyer
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2020, 12:59:34 pm »

I don't think that this would be a very good addition as it currently stands. Allow me to explain why...

"The Sky turns 50 shades of Red" doesn't fit well in Dwarf Fortress' writing style. Not only that, but the fact that this would be via an announcement wouldn't make all that much sense. Being able to hear about it from news upon a map would be a very reasonable alternative, however, similarly to how you can view attacks on other settlements.

Also, using "Goblins" is too general; I think that using the civilization or the leader would be better. The name "The Great Destroyer" would also have to be substituted with a randomly generated alternative. Perhaps using multiple terms, while keeping the same pattern. (For example, The Great/Monstrous/Corrupted Destroyer/Spire/Peak.) You wouldn't really know that it is a gateway to the underworld, either.

However, "A beam of energy is coming from the top, tearing the fabric of the universe, this is a dark time for WORLD_NAME" doesn't fit DF's writing style as well, and the idea of the fabric of the universe tearing is a bit generic. I would substitute it for the following;

"From atop [TOWER_NAME], a beam of [Synonym of Corruption, Evil, Darkness, Etc] rises to the skies. Shadows turn darker, and clouds stir in the sky."

Then, the "Demons appearing in place of animals" point. I think that a better idea would be for hordes of demons to periodically appear high above the sky, with the amount of occurances coorelating with distance to the tower of darkness.

And, with raids, you should be able to enter the tower. However, the goal should not to find some sort of core and perform a sacrifice. Rather, the goal should be to seal off the entrance to the underworld that was created.

Also; There is a problem with this idea that I have as a whole. What would the goblins' motivation be? I only really have one idea; To create a greater opening to the underworld, and allow for more demons to exit the underworld. So, I'd imagine the new goal is to seal the gateway, and the reward being - not with the other dwarves becoming gods - but of the demon raids stopping. The remaining demons, lacking a proper portal to the underworld, I'd imagine, would become something similar to Night Trolls, periodically raiding sites in packs.

After the gate is sealed, the idea that all goblin civs would attack every other civ would be too extreme. The Tower would be destroyed or reappropriated, as the civ who conquered it would desire, and the goblin civs may try to take it back. They're pretty much 'at war' with all civs at the get-go anyhow, so that wouldn't change much.

I'd imagine, after the gate is sealed, the goblins would focus themselves almost completely upon the people who tried to take the Gate. '

So, in summary; This idea has potential for a possible event that could be done by large goblin civilizations. However, it is worded poorly, and quite a few things do not make sense. But the idea is still fairly decent on its own. So, good job.
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ArchimedesWojak

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Re: [SPOILERS] Pseudo-Endgame Idea: The Great Destroyer
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2020, 01:04:42 pm »

I don't think that this would be a very good addition as it currently stands. Allow me to explain why...

"The Sky turns 50 shades of Red" doesn't fit well in Dwarf Fortress' writing style. Not only that, but the fact that this would be via an announcement wouldn't make all that much sense. Being able to hear about it from news upon a map would be a very reasonable alternative, however, similarly to how you can view attacks on other settlements.

Also, using "Goblins" is too general; I think that using the civilization or the leader would be better. The name "The Great Destroyer" would also have to be substituted with a randomly generated alternative. Perhaps using multiple terms, while keeping the same pattern. (For example, The Great/Monstrous/Corrupted Destroyer/Spire/Peak.) You wouldn't really know that it is a gateway to the underworld, either.

However, "A beam of energy is coming from the top, tearing the fabric of the universe, this is a dark time for WORLD_NAME" doesn't fit DF's writing style as well, and the idea of the fabric of the universe tearing is a bit generic. I would substitute it for the following;

"From atop [TOWER_NAME], a beam of [Synonym of Corruption, Evil, Darkness, Etc] rises to the skies. Shadows turn darker, and clouds stir in the sky."

Then, the "Demons appearing in place of animals" point. I think that a better idea would be for hordes of demons to periodically appear high above the sky, with the amount of occurances coorelating with distance to the tower of darkness.

And, with raids, you should be able to enter the tower. However, the goal should not to find some sort of core and perform a sacrifice. Rather, the goal should be to seal off the entrance to the underworld that was created.

Also; There is a problem with this idea that I have as a whole. What would the goblins' motivation be? I only really have one idea; To create a greater opening to the underworld, and allow for more demons to exit the underworld. So, I'd imagine the new goal is to seal the gateway, and the reward being - not with the other dwarves becoming gods - but of the demon raids stopping. The remaining demons, lacking a proper portal to the underworld, I'd imagine, would become something similar to Night Trolls, periodically raiding sites in packs.

After the gate is sealed, the idea that all goblin civs would attack every other civ would be too extreme. The Tower would be destroyed or reappropriated, as the civ who conquered it would desire, and the goblin civs may try to take it back. They're pretty much 'at war' with all civs at the get-go anyhow, so that wouldn't change much.

I'd imagine, after the gate is sealed, the goblins would focus themselves almost completely upon the people who tried to take the Gate. '

So, in summary; This idea has potential for a possible event that could be done by large goblin civilizations. However, it is worded poorly, and quite a few things do not make sense. But the idea is still fairly decent on its own. So, good job.

ya i understand

i am running on two hours of sleep so sorry for the poor wording and awful writing style
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Sky-Streamer

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Re: [SPOILERS] Pseudo-Endgame Idea: The Great Destroyer
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2020, 01:58:19 pm »

Heh, it's alright. Get some sleep, aite?
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Pillbo

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Re: [SPOILERS] Pseudo-Endgame Idea: The Great Destroyer
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2020, 03:39:18 pm »

Also, using "Goblins" is too general; I think that using the civilization or the leader would be better.

It could be cool. Goblin civs follow demon leaders, but who's to say those demons don't have their own leaders, or band together into apocalyptic empires? This is a specific description of an idea, but the basic idea could be pretty interesting. Maybe you'd like it better if it was "The armies/forces of goblin-kind are amassing in [some region]"?

There is a problem with this idea that I have as a whole. What would the goblins' motivation be?

This just seems like a basic fiction writing problem, not an issue with the idea.  These type of scenarios are everywhere, tropes alone could create a lot of reasons that seem in character: "world domination", "world destruction", "promises of reward from greater demons", etc.  Goblins are created by demons, or maybe released from hell by them, how much motivation do they really need to do evil stuff?
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Azerty

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Re: [SPOILERS] Pseudo-Endgame Idea: The Great Destroyer
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2020, 05:23:34 pm »

I think eschatology should depend of the universe: in some universes, maybe regular cycles of cataclysms and rebirth could happen, other universes could have a single apocalypse and still others might not have them.
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