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Author Topic: Through Hell  (Read 5267 times)

Supermikhail

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2010, 02:26:57 pm »

Hey, I remember it!
Hasn't the tone changed drastically from the previous version?
If I remember that one correctly, I like the change very much.
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abculatter_2

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #16 on: April 26, 2010, 05:06:15 pm »

Hey, I remember it!
Hasn't the tone changed drastically from the previous version?
If I remember that one correctly, I like the change very much.

Yes, it has. And I like the change too.

Also, YAY POST!

Also also, Update!
« Last Edit: April 26, 2010, 06:15:57 pm by abculatter_2 »
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Supermikhail

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #17 on: April 27, 2010, 10:00:38 am »

Ow! Talking heads. :(
Just after making a point about the characters' inability to tell time even as far as "day and night", it's "after a few hours of walking." :)
Also, mysteries!
I'd like to ask a question. Is this all original, or to some degree takes from some source, like book or game universe? A guy here said about the first version that he knew the plot twist, but I had no idea. I suspect I'm missing some more or less popular reference.
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abculatter_2

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #18 on: April 27, 2010, 02:39:40 pm »

Ow! Talking heads. :(
Just after making a point about the characters' inability to tell time even as far as "day and night", it's "after a few hours of walking." :)
Also, mysteries!
I'd like to ask a question. Is this all original, or to some degree takes from some source, like book or game universe? A guy here said about the first version that he knew the plot twist, but I had no idea. I suspect I'm missing some more or less popular reference.

Talking heads? Uh oh, better get to proofreading...
As for the point about the inability to tell time, didn't think about it but you're right. EDIT: Just read the part you were talking about. Yeah, oops.
Mysteries indeed.
All of this is original, though I can't claim to not have been influenced by other works (particularly the Fall from Heaven 2 mod for Civilizations IV, which gave the original inspiration for this idea, Warhammer, and 40K). That guy... I have no idea what the hell he was talking about.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2010, 03:39:25 pm by abculatter_2 »
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Don't think of it as being besieged by thralls/husks, think of it as having your own personal moat of life hating mutilated menaces

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abculatter_2

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #19 on: May 21, 2010, 09:47:14 pm »

This is going nowhere fast... I haven't forgotten this, though I always seem more interested in developing the world behind this story then actually writing it (it's not that I don't enjoy writing, mainly just procrastination and, "but... but... video games!"). So why not use this thread to put my ideas out there and maybe you guys can help make it better. So, where to start...

Warning: long post is looooooooooong. And not proofread.

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Don't think of it as being besieged by thralls/husks, think of it as having your own personal moat of life hating mutilated menaces

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Supermikhail

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #20 on: May 22, 2010, 02:12:16 am »

Well, that goes to show that the idea of a protagonist sacrificing his soul at the end of the journey is not so unique...
I'm not a big fan of gods, but your approach probably puts you closer to Tolkien. Also, it kind of looks like your thought processes are influenced by video games. All these creature descriptions are good, but remember that we are mainly going to be meeting personalities, not looks.
Also, why do other universes' gods need to invade this one? Don't they have their own domains to take care of?... It looks like the mythology is this-universe-centered.

On a different note, if you keep developing your world (a.k.a. procrastinating) and the story, mentally, you risk never writing it. I know, Tolkien took 20 years with LOTR but developing the world (but mostly languages) was his main goal, so he got a kick out of it. I believe your goal is a complete story, so you'd be wise to hold off on non-essential elements, and put more into the story itself.
For example, think about how is one able to sacrifice one's soul to destroy something? One cannot kill oneself because it would just release the soul? Is it some kind of a ritual?
You want to think about a plan of what the army does on their journey across the plane. It's good to talk about their slow movement and constant losses, but when you come to the writing, you'll have a hard time devising your next turn of events (possibly for a simple reason of not knowing which character you can afford to kill heroically in the following battle, and which character can be useful later).
In short, keep your priorities straight.
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abculatter_2

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #21 on: May 22, 2010, 01:06:08 pm »

I do get a kick out of thinking this stuff up, though you're right that I should write, not just think. As for the soul sacrificing part, my idea for magic in this story has been thus:

Magic is, in this world, a form of mysterious, latent energy found almost exclusively in the stuff of souls, which are mysterious beings made entirely of this energy and produce it in near infinite quantities. The soul is linked with life in a way not fully understood by any of the races, loosing it almost always means death or becoming little more then a traumatized vegetable, with only the most primal needs to guide you. they are also known to be immortal and it is thought that they sometimes reincarnate in a different body, though the soul itself carries no memories nor sentience.

 Long ago, the humans and elves had a common ancestor, which had either evolved or been created with the ability to manipulate this energy. This practice is magic as the humans and elves know it. Also, the ability to perform magic is inherited and genetic, so not all humans and elves can perform magic equally (some can't do it at all, though elves almost always have some magical ability). It was also soon learned that a soul, although immortal, is breakable if the wrong processes within it are disrupted. When this happens, the soul essentially explodes in a massive outburst of all the 'magic' energy it is currently able to produce.

The protagonist was originally born without the ability to perform magic, though is greatly interested in it and studied it in his free time. When he is eventually corrupted into a half-demon, he gains several abilities and afflictions, one of which is the ability to manipulate magic.


Also, I do have personalities and backgrounds for some of the characters, I just didn't cover them in the other post.


As for why the gods are all trying to take this universe; because the gods which own it are weak, or were weak. Plus, they could be drifters, kicked out their own universe for whatever reason or accidentally destroying their own, or they could just want a bigger universe.


I can't deny that I'm heavily influenced by video games, I'm a teenager in the age of technology who's spent far too much of his youth sitting in front of a computer.


Also, most of the characters die horribly, suddenly, and seemingly entirely in vain as the ground erupts into a giant mouth and swallows them whole or some giant cloud of invisible threads weaves one into their brain and yanks their head off or some other ridiculously, gratuitously grotesque fate.


On an off-topic note, I really need to read Lord of the Rings...
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Don't think of it as being besieged by thralls/husks, think of it as having your own personal moat of life hating mutilated menaces

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Supermikhail

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #22 on: May 22, 2010, 01:43:46 pm »

AAAARGH!!! BLASPHEMY!!! INFIDELS!!! BOOZE AND CARP!!!

You seriously need to reconsider your goals in life if you haven't read the Lord of the Rings yet. I... pff... it's...
PREPOSTEROUS!!

Alright, with that out of the way, I still find a flaw with the system.
So, you say that gods are innately connected with a universe, I understand, sort of like yolk and white of an egg. Still, they roam to and fro, get forced out and destroyed, or move into other universes. I should think that if the gods left a universe, the equilibrium would be disrupted, and the universe would have a high chance of having a premature doomsday, and that, in turn, would make the gods feel not cozy at all... Right?

Now, about the kick. Tolkien's world was basically the work of his life, and what helped was that it was connected very closely with his main occupation (he taught English, iirc... that is, languages were in his daily routines), so, I'd say the kick was quite constant. Plus, he was deep into religion, or so I've heard... So, see if you have that kind of drive about this world, or, maybe, it's just the sense of awesome an inspiration among many?
« Last Edit: May 22, 2010, 01:46:36 pm by Supermikhail »
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abculatter_2

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Re: Through Hell
« Reply #23 on: May 22, 2010, 06:12:35 pm »

For the gods, the thing that's special about the Elder Gods is that they're not just extremely powerful beings, like most of the other gods, but are a part of something even more immortal then a god; a universe. Although this makes them much more difficult to destroy, it also means that they can not leave their universe without severing their bond with it, thus becoming less immortal.


About the kick, I'd like to get a job in the video game industry, preferably as a game designer (look it up on google/wikipedia for more info on what a game designer does) and I'd like to have this story adapted into a video game (an RPG was actually what this story was originally for, though as it rattled about in my head for a few years it gradually grew into this). Also, I really like thinking about and fleshing out stories like this. It's just fun to me.


So, I should get to writing about now...
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Don't think of it as being besieged by thralls/husks, think of it as having your own personal moat of life hating mutilated menaces

Now wall yourself in quickly
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