[Omniverse] Setting Discussion

[Super Buu]

Decided it's finally time to post this since I'm now working on the storyline elements and, considering it's an RPG that's supposed to represent every medium and I don't claim to be an expert on everything ever, it'd be good to see if other people have some ideas for characters and such. Omniverse is a working title but probably the one I'm gonna go with - I was thinking 'Crossoverse' a while back because it instantly tells people what the RPG is, but I think Omniverse does much the same and sounds much snappier.

It's a spiritual successor to AD, with some key differences. I felt a problem with AD was that the setting was TOO open. It was assumed that a lot of characters had just been around in that universe forever, which made combining all of the different canons difficult. It required including all of the locations and various Earths from their respective universes, which made a gigantic setting of planets you could visit, which were impossible to all integrate into the central plot of the war.

So this new universe has a plot and setting that itself is tied very closely to the hook of the RPG, which is that a bunch of dudes from different worlds are in the same place. Right now, I'm building this plot, so it's all subject to change except for the key details:

Omnilium is the novum of the story. It's everything-matter. It can be used to bring anything that ever was, into existence in the Omniverse. It's also the main 'currency/XP' of the RPG. With enough Omnilium, time, and the idea/memory, one can create weapons, people, cities, land, water - you get the idea.

Now for the tentative stuff. Story-wise, when the first arrivers people woke up in the Omniverse, it was empty (besides breathable air, and light) and they had no idea where it was except that it was not home. Omnilium allowed them to create the world as they saw fit. Folks like Emperor Palpatine, who I plan to be the ruler of a hi-tech Metropolis than forms the sci-fi side of the two major factions. He broke off his timeline into the Omniverse before his scarring in the movies, and so is still very much a diplomat as opposed to a dictator.

On the other side, I haven't yet decided, but I'm thinking probably the best-known fantasy king is Aragorn, who would probably serve as a good foil to Palpatine's evilness. Not to say that everyone will respect him or consider him good, he'd probably get a lot of shit which would be fun to play against "good guy Palpatine".

The map is going to be an odd shape, designed to encourage travel along particular avenues. Draw a * and you've got a good start. The middle is the 'nexus'. On one side is the fantasy city, on the other is the sci-fi city.

At each of the other points, there are other environments, some populated and some not.

On the fantasy side, there's an ocean and a 'Monster Isle', who I'm thinking may be ruled by Bowser (who is actually not that bad a guy and mostly just likes to be seen as the boss), populated by many non-humans who find themselves feeling out-of-place elsewhere. This is your tropical Jungle environment. On the other side of the fantasy city is your more typical Forest, which is massive and home to some hidden settlements of anime ninjas and elves. The kingdom itself is huge and has a large castle town with some smaller villages outside. There is a mage guild formed of wizards from various worlds who the king often calls upon for advice, and a gladiator arena where the best fighters, mages and weirdos compete in popular tournaments.

On the scifi side, the metropolis is enormous and comprised of many people's dreams. The centre is reminiscent of Coruscant, with dense hovercar traffic and numerous skyscrapers. Palpatine maintains that having an empire instead of a democracy is for the safety of the nation, and he uses this logic to 'keep the peace'. That said, it's not the worst place to live, and the F-Zero inspired Death Circuits allow anyone with a vehicle to compete in high-speed races where the rules on killing your opponents are very lax.

The outskirts of the city on the south side are home to much seedier areas, the 'lowtown' which is reminiscent of FF7's Midgar. This leads to a swampier area where the land is Dead, possibly due to factories and pollution where ghosts and such are often seen. I was thinking of putting some quaint little hamlets here so that they can be constantly terrified of the undead, or just abandoned settlements, or maybe both. On the north side of the metropolis is a Desert, home to some small communities that don't like dem outsiders.

At the very north and south of the map are your fire and ice areas. There are the most treacherous and difficult-to-reach areas, and the only ones with no direct route from the Nexus at the centre of the map. The only way to reach the Ice mountains is to go through the Dead lands or the Forest. At the peak of the ice mountain range I was considering putting either some kind of Valhalla-esque place which is super rewarding to get to, or Arthas so he can sit on top of his frozen throne and be all brooding evil.

To reach the volcano lands, you have to cross the Desert or sail across from Monster Isle, across the Deep Dark where TERRIBLE SEA MONSTERS BE LURKIN.. As I've thought about this more I've considered making it a more cavernous area where you go deeper into the earth, to make it a nice foil to the Ice mountains. Either way there's gonna be lava pools all over this bitch. I was thinking of putting Ragnaros here or some other good evil fire dude, which is also dependent on whether I use Arthas or not for the ice mountains (don't wanna have two dudes from Warcraft be owning both the north AND south). Sauron crossed my mind, but for the same reason I'm not sure if using both him and Aragorn as big characters would be good. Here you see the limitations of my feeble mind, and why I'm now opening the table to input.

The Nexus will probably be where everyone starts, allowing them the option of getting a ride to either city. I'm considering turning it into some kind of place where scenery is constantly changing, to reflect the unstable nature of the world and possibly to give weekly advantages to certain types of character in certain areas (a system I could easily implement since I've considered such things with the stat system). I'm thinking 5-10 years will have passed from the time the first people arrived in the Omniverse to when the storyline begins from the player's perspective.

The scope of this world is huge, so all contributions - from little details to big changes - will be read and appreciated. Character contributions and ideas for people to put in the desert/wild west area, Monster Isle, and so on would be greatly appreciated. Remember that in this style of RPG, folks that are unlikely to be claimed themselves as characters are best (ie, putting Spider-Man in charge of a city would be dumb).

Also feel free to come up with organisations, corporations and such. These can be original creations with original characters, or using existing ones. I am totally probably going to have one called Fast Food EXPRESS which was founded by a connoisseur of fatty foods who couldn't bear to go without his favourite brands and so founded a company that reproduces them.

[Super Buu]

New considerations: to rep the comics universe more, I was considering putting Mephisto at the fire place as an outright evil character. Because having physically imposing bad dudes is nice too, I was also considering Deathwing, because I probably won't be putting Arthas in the Ice lands (though possibly in the Dead lands which would make sense). Deathwing would also make a good Outverse NPC (see below about the Outverse).

I decided that having a Valhalla-esque place at the peak of the ice lands would be nice, and in fact I want to have it as the seat of Omni, the 'God' of this whole place who will introduce himself to everyone he brings to the Omniverse. He prefers just to set up the pieces, then sit back and watch. However I thought it'd be nice if instead of just being this untouchable, unreachable figure, someone with enough determination can make it to him.

Another aspect I forgot to mention is the Outverse. Because death in the Omniverse isn't permanent, the inhabitants have come up with their own way of getting rid of persistent troublemakers who are too troublesome to keep in conventional prisons. The Outverse is very difficult and expensive to open a portal to, so it's saved for mass murderers, city destroyers, and so on. Mostly in regards to the main cities, as Palpatine for example doesn't care too much if some rednecks are getting murdered as long as it's not hurting his enterprises.

It's also perilous to open portals because nobody ever knows what is waiting on the other side. Only the strongest and most ruthless go to the Outverse. However unlike a traditional 'afterlife' system, people can't go here for just getting unlucky and dying. Chances are if you do, you're probably not roleplaying with other people in the co-operative sense anyway. Which is not to say that I want to punish people for trying to change the world, in fact it's awesome, and I want to allow people to eventually become powerful enough to do that. But because there's no permanent death, there needs to be some way to stop people just respawning and kamikazi-ing again. Getting banished to the Outverse is essentially a matter of pissing off one of the big guys enough that they're willing to do it. It will of course be possible to escape the Outverse, but it won't be easy.

[Master Krakish]

After our talk yesterday, I've been thinking about a few things. First, I'm thinking the Forest Verse should be inside the Kingdom. When I think of Fantasy style areas, vast forests and castles spring to mind. With that said, the place where the Forest Verse resides could be replaced with a Floating Island Verse. There are a lot of games, movies, and other media which have a sky island theme, such as Skyward Sword, Final Fantasy, and Avatar.

On the flip side, you could place a sort of modern day area within the Sci Fi zone, far from the capital of Coruscant. These would be places where the technological advancement of Palpatine hasn't reached and people live much like they do in our own world.

I would also place the Floating Islands and the Ocean Verses beside the Ice Verse, if only to make a bit more sense with the mountains and the basic cold/water theme they'll have. The Desert and Deadlands would, of course, be closer to the Fire Verse. This would necessitate the rearranging on the Verses, of course. Clockwise from the North, I would place them thusly: Ice, Ocean, Kingdom/Forest, Deadlands, Fire, Desert, Sci-fi/Modern, Floating Islands. This would also give both Palpatine and Aragorn access to a "badlands" area and an "island" area.

I think we discussed a lot more over AIM yesterday, so I won't get into it here unless you've forgotten. Let me know what you think thus far.

[Master Krakish]

After our talk earlier, I got to thinking about some stuff. First off was the layout of the Omniverse. The main thing that bugged me was how detached the areas were from the Nexus, aside from the main two. I couldn't think of a good way as to how this could be in a story perspective. As such, I'd like to introduce six sub-Verses. This would be between the Nexus and the northern and southern areas of the Omniverse.

The thing about them would be that the world would be connected in a better way while still closing those areas off from the Nexus through the challenge these sub-Verses would present. You'll see what I mean when I post the area descriptions I typed up.

The descriptions for the sub-Verses come after the descriptions of the Verses they attach too.

I also did up some NPC stuff, very basic. And that Dream Verse I thought was neat. Of course, all of this is tentative and easy to change. So, without further ado...

(I don't know how to do the spoiler thing to keep this hidden. Sorry)

Starting from the top going clockwise

Ocean Verse: A realm of water and islands. Mewtwo is head of a village of misfits and outcasts on one of the larger islands and many of the islands sport idyllic scenery. There is quite a few tropical jungles dotted across this Verse as well.

Sargasso Doldrums: Bordering the Nexus and the Ocean Verse, this sub-Verse is a maze of seaweed with no wind. While not impassable, the passage will be rough and much more difficult than simply going around. A clear passage through for one vessel is unlikely to remain for the next, as the seaweed moves constantly. In addition, navigation equipment appears to be useless and compasses spin and the sun remains at its peak regardless of the time. For those seeking an aerial passage, the flocks of gulls, most flesh-eaters, will make passage near impossible as they block sight and attack everything in the air. In addition, rumor has it that a Kraken lives in these waters, blending into the natural scenery and attacking those who would seek to pass through unmolested.

Ice Verse: A mountainous region of snow, ice, and rock, as inhospitable to life as the name suggests. Jack Frost makes his home in these peaks and does not take kindly to outsiders.

Iceberg Battlefield: Close to the border to the Nexus, the Iceberg Battlefield is an ever-changing landscape of ice and freezing waters. The ice stretches up to unimaginable heights and frosty geysers make attempts to fly over this region nigh impossible. Shiva, the ice apparition, patrols this area. While not evil in nature, she was tasked by Frost to keep intruders out and will use violence if necessary to do so.

Forest Verse: As the name implies, this verse is dominated by trees and natural creatures. The elves make their homes here and there are even several villages of humanoids dotted through the Verse.

The Bog: A marshy landscape between the Nexus and Forest. It is said that those who set foot here will never exit again. Sink holes are everywhere and nearly impossible to pick out from the safe passages. For those seeking an aerial route, a miasma floats over the swamp, reducing visibility and causing sickness and even death to those who breathe in its fumes. A creature is said to protect this region, made from the very essence of the sub-Verse. While not aggressive to peaceful travelers, those who cause damage to the Bog will be attacked by this Swamp Thing.

Kingdom Verse: The land of Aragorn, this is a Verse of magic and medieval combat. Farms and villages spread out across the plains here and feudal lords govern their areas in accordance to the law of the land. Many other fiefdoms exist in this realm as well, such as the Mushroom Kingdom towards the north and the Death Watch to the south.

Dead Lands: A place of graveyards, bones, and death, the Dead Lands is lorded over by Count Dracula. Here he seeks to increase his army of the undead and begin his conquest of the other verses. Fortunately for the living, the Death Watch to the north keeps his army in check and the realm of fire to the west turns his minions to ash.

Petrified Forest: Another nearly impassable sub-Verse, the Petrified Forest is just that; a forest of death. The canopy above is impassable, the leaves of stone forming a wall. As such, there are no aerial routes through this land. Even those who start their journey outside the Forest find that the canopy stretches up beyond imagination and cannot be flown over. Inside the forest, the darkness prevails and navigation equipment is useless because of the magical nature of the area. Old Tree-Beard, once a benevolent Ent guards passage through this realm. When his forest turned to stone, he did as well. His heart now reflects the stone around him and he attacks any who would come through his domain.

Fire Verse: Deep underground, the Fire Verse is a realm of molten pools and flame. Only the hardiest of travelers seek passage through here. Volvagia, a cunning and ruthless dragon, rules this realm and turns all those who enter to ash.

The Far Lands: Bordering the Fire Verse and the Nexus, the Far Lands are a labyrinth of tunnels and caves. As the Fire Verse is completely underground, so too does this borderland exist. Most tunnels lead to bad ends from which there is no return and the mutable effect of the Nexus means that those safe tunnels constantly change. Lolth, the Spider Queen, makes her home in these catacombs, seeking to ensnare any who would enter and feast upon them.

Desert Verse: As the name implies, the Desert Verse has little to no vegetation. Instead sand is the main feature of the landscape and the people who live here are as harsh as the climate. The Sunabouzu has taken command of the desert tribes through use of his cunning and intellect. For the moment, he is content to solidify his power, but perhaps a time will come when he strikes out for better lands.

The Dunes of Time: In this sub-Verse, time and space has become warped. A person’s destination always appears to be just over the next dune and people have been driven mad by mirages and lack of water. No oases exist here, just sand and death. The sky is in a constant sandstorm, making aerial travel difficult at the best. A being exists here which has no name. However, it is said that it seeks those who cheat death and that only water can bring it to bay.

Empire Verse: The technological gem of the Omniverse and home of Palpatine. His capital of Coruscant is a testament to the ingenuity and intellect of the human race, though the further one gets from the capital, the less technologically advanced the areas are. At least half the verse is no more advanced than our modern day society.

The Nexus: The center of the Omniverse is known as the Nexus. It is highly mutable and is also where new arrivals first set foot and where those who die are reconstituted.

Asgard: Floating high above the Nexus and inaccessible through normal means, this is the home of Omni.

Outside the Verses: As one travels towards the far ends of the main verses, things begin to get foggy and the color drains from the landscape. Soon enough, one finds themselves in a completely white area. There is no ground and no air. Simply nothing exists beyond that point. This is a glimpse of what the Omniverse first looked like, prior to the arrival of Palpatine and Aragorn.

Outworld: This hard-to-get to Verse seems like a hellish copy of the rest of the world. Forests are twisted and monstrous, the oceans boil with black tar, and fire and ice clash in the heavens above. Diablo calls this plane his home and takes delight in torturing those who are sent there.

Void Verse: Both a part of and apart from the Verses is the Void. There is no one description for this Verse. It instead tailors itself to provide challenges to those who would enter. Time moves differently in this Verse, meaning that to travel its ways could bring a person to their destination much more quickly than on foot. However, the challenges that await are nothing to scoff at and in many cases it may simply be easier to use traditional methods to travel.

Dream Verse: Not a Verse in the traditional sense, this is the realm that all dreamers touch upon when they sleep. However, for those skilled enough to do so, one may enter this realm physically. Here, they’ll likely be driven mad by the ever-changing landscape that embodies this Verse. But, there is a benefit: time moves much more slowly in the Dream Verse and someone can train much more quickly, in reality’s view, than they could otherwise. Also, the mutable nature of the Verse makes infinite possibilities for training are possible. Perhaps one could even change something as drastic as one’s very nature.

Hoping I wasn't too presumptuous, Jeff.

[Super Buu]

It's interesting that a lot of the ideas you've come up with independently mirror mine. I actually had the whole time dilation effect from the Dream Verse to be present in the Voidverse. I still think it's better to just use those two as the same - like I said, I wanna consolidate where possible.

Basically, the way I envisioned 'ease of travel' was easiest between the East and West Kingdom and Empire (why'd you tilt it 90 degrees, by the way =P) since there are actually good roads from them to the Nexus, possibly even with trams and stuff taking you to and from the Nexus to those two points. I had simply planned to have other roads going to those 'diagonal' verses, albeit walking roads. There's also some areas of the map I planned to have simply 'voided off', to funnel people into narrower routes.

I do like pretty much all the ideas you've got for sub-areas, though for roleplaying purposes I think they should be areas within the 8 'actual' verses. I don't want the verses to be homogenous as you've probably seen from the stuff I have shown you. Like, I also want the desert verse to have some areas of canyons and rocky bits that are less 'complete wasteland' and more 'wild west'. The ocean verse is probably the most innately diverse since it's separated into islands and you can have tropical zones or even volcanos there (I was probably gonna put one or two since the fire verse is planned to be more of an underground feel, think magma caverns from Metroid or Mario, that way it also contrasts the 'highgrounds' of the ice verse). For the deadlands I want some of it to have that feeling of 'gothic peasantry' where the villages are fairly normal just rightfully superstitious, with the lands that then extend into fully dangerous areas completely taken over by the undead with ruined soil and so on.

I planned to have the 'dangerous' areas inbetween the 'diagonal verses' and the fire/ice verses, the point being that those north/south points are challenges to get to that can't be accessed directly from the nexus. So the 'Dunes of Time' for example could border the firelands, blocking entry.

To add some other challenges to the world, I was also gonna chuck some world bosses in. For example, in the desert I'm totally putting Jhen Mohran as a horrific thing that just eats people when it likes and could only be killed by some dedicated party. The firelands and icelands I want to be treacherous period - particularly the firelands. Kraid FTW.

I don't know why I didn't already think of putting Diablo in this game. This is why I need you Jeff. =P

[Master Krakish]

Oh, the map I threw up was mainly so I could put on paper what was in my head. And, for some reason, the larger areas ended up on the diagonals, and since the cardinal points are the main areas and Paint sucks at 45* rotations, I had to tilt it. Lol!

I've got a better feel for what you want now. I could throw up a map that reflects what you just said tomorrow, though I doubt it'll look any better than that. Lol! Those sub-verses, as you might have noticed, reflected a lot on the Verse they were bordering, so moving them is no big deal.

Also, I had an issue trying to think up a good "boss" for the Petrified Forest. I know we're already representing LoTR. I'll need to scope out the internet for a baddie I remember from the Sword of Truth novels.

But, yeah. I get your gradual change thing, though it does make clearly defined Verses a bit difficult. Then again, we want this to be as realistic as possible, so why not? Course, my map-making skills aren't quite up to snuff for that sort of thing. Heh...

No biggy on consolidating. This is your show, broyo. I'm just the feedback guy. I'm just glad my ideas are being used. I would like a better explanation on the "voided off" areas. Would these be areas that are either treacherous to navigate or have dangerous enemies? As in, to the point where simply going around is an easier plan? Or would they be like magically/technologically warded areas that are impregnable?

Edit: Found him! Uhl Belk

[Super Buu]

They are places in which there is simply nothing - no land, no atmosphere, there's just nothing there. Basically IC-wise, there are places at which the verses cross over, and there are places where they don't, 'gaps' in space.

[Master Krakish]

Ah. I gotcha.