What if AoD is successful?

[Slylandro]

What if AoD is successful? I don't know what you would personally qualify as successful either in terms of the game quality or the profit, but assuming AoD is, what would you do next? Make a sequel? Develop another game? Die of surprise? Etc. I think this question may have been asked before but I couldn't find it.

 

[Vault Dweller]

My personal preference is a sci-fi game. A sequel, set either on another continent (Aztec-ish culture) or in the wastelands, is possible too (easier & faster to make). Depends on a lot of factors.

 

[Slylandro]

A sci-fi game would be awesome. Would you go the SR2/SC2 route with players being represented by their spaceships, or are you aiming for a different kind of game, like KOTOR-esque except isometric, TB, etc with the focus not being on space but in exploring different worlds closeup on land? A mixture? Something else?

 

[Jason]

sci-fi game

Yes

A sequel, set either on another continent (Aztec-ish culture)

Yes

players being represented by their spaceships

No. That sort of thing can often kill any emotional connection I have with a game. I don't have that issue with mechs, probably because of their anthropomorphic design.

 

[Vault Dweller]

A sci-fi game would be awesome. Would you go the SR2/SC2 route with players being represented by their spaceships, or are you aiming for a different kind of game, like KOTOR-esque except isometric, TB, etc with the focus not being on space but in exploring different worlds closeup on land? A mixture? Something else?

No, not the SR2 stuff. I always loved stories about big-ass colony ships flying for hundreds of years toward some very distant star system. There are mutinies or natural disasters, raditions leaks, mutations, different factions, loss of knowledge and purpose, while the ship itself hasn't lost any, etc - the works.

 

[Slylandro]

That sounds awesome, reminiscent of Star Trek and Homeworld.

 

[Shagnak]

I always loved stories about big-ass colony ships flying for hundreds of years toward some very distant star system. There are mutinies or natural disasters, raditions leaks, mutations, different factions, loss of knowledge and purpose, while the ship itself hasn't lost any, etc - the works.

I also have a thing for that sort of subject matter. Especially ones where the protaganists are ignorant of their precarious existence until some wonderful revelatory part later in the book (i.e. woah, we're in frickin space mang!).

Have you read "Non-Stop" by Aldiss?
I recommend it.

Also "Captive Universe" by Harry Harrison, which has a nice "encapsulated Aztec society as an experiment" in it.

 

[whatusername]

I'd rather have VD die of surprise.

 

[spacemoose]

No, not the SR2 stuff. I always loved stories about big-ass colony ships flying for hundreds of years toward some very distant star system. There are mutinies or natural disasters, raditions leaks, mutations, different factions, loss of knowledge and purpose, while the ship itself hasn't lost any, etc - the works.

OMG IDEA STEALER!

I distinctly remember making a post here in a thread about setting ideas with essentially the same stuff you described above. I can't find it for some reason though, mysterious. Anyway, I would love to see this get made, and I agree that its a great setting for an rpg.


I recommend reading "Orphans of the Sky" by Heinlein for inspiration. (I believe its the first story of this type - 1951. its also very good)

 

[Bradylama]

Reminds me of the pretext for the faction split prior to the beginning of Alpha Centauri.

A wasteland sequel would be neat. I imagine people living in a wasteland would be more inclined to adapt old tech and machina in order to survive as opposed to hoarding it or selling it off. It'd be an interesting contrast.

 

[Timur]

My personal preference is a sci-fi game. A sequel, set either on another continent (Aztec-ish culture) or in the wastelands, is possible too (easier & faster to make). Depends on a lot of factors.

Hell, why not all three? Orson Scott Card wrote a book (Past Watch I think) exploring the idea if the Europeans had held off exploring the Atlantic and instead the Aztecs landed in Europe/Africa say....25 years later. The book was shit, but that little premise/twist was interesting.

Have it take place in an Aztec Dominated Europe/Africa/America with a rich alt history.....only have it in the future, like 500 years after the fact....maybe during an industrial revolution. It would give you a hell of a lot of creative licence, and you could easily draw up the politics, guilds, factions, etc.

 

[suibhne]

Have you read "Non-Stop" by Aldiss?
I recommend it.

Also "Captive Universe" by Harry Harrison, which has a nice "encapsulated Aztec society as an experiment" in it.

In a similar vein, try out Barrington Bayley's "Escape from City 6" (or whatever it's called - I can't check the table of contents because Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk have both been down for the last 30 minutes :shock: ). It's the 3rd or 4th story in the recent compilation Knights of the Limits.

 

[Gambler]

A sequel, set either on another continent (Aztec-ish culture)

How about another planet and marsian-ish culture? That would be almost as good from standpoint of alternate history and good taste.

 

[Shagnak]

In a similar vein, try out Barrington Bayley's "Escape from City 6" (or whatever it's called - I can't check the table of contents because Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk have both been down for the last 30 minutes :shock: ). It's the 3rd or 4th story in the recent compilation Knights of the Limits.

Hey, yeah, I have that book. Procured it relatively recently at a a charity book sale. Don't know about "recent" though - my copy was printed in 1978!

Haven't read it yet, but will levitate it closer to the top of my reading pile on this recommendation.

(Also, what an under-appreciated author! Pity; though a lot of his fiction is an acquired taste he is rather good at taking an idea to the limits )

 

[Bradylama]

Have it take place in an Aztec Dominated Europe/Africa/America with a rich alt history.....only have it in the future, like 500 years after the fact....maybe during an industrial revolution. It would give you a hell of a lot of creative licence, and you could easily draw up the politics, guilds, factions, etc.

The problem with alternate histories is that they have to be reasonably realistic. The Aztecs dominating Europe with metalworking hardly more advanced than goldsmithy isn't realistic in the least, regardless of the amount of time they're allotted. The Europeans also had the Aztecs sorely beat in terms of numbers (population wise).

It'd have to be an entirely fictional property.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

The whole point of an alternate history is exactly that. Instead of being "just goldsmithy's", they'd have their alien spaceship masters give them laser guns so they could conquer all and all could worship the great and mighty Technowhatsadoodletec.

As for what VD should do if AoD is successful, I vote for making an expansion pack which isn't so much an expansion as it is a patch that replaces all the graphics and makes them suck less. Much less.

 

[Seboss]

My personal preference is a sci-fi game...

Hmm, a "Traveller: New Era"-style setting would surely make me happy.

 

[Astromarine]

My suggestion involves coke and whores.

 

[Timur]

Have it take place in an Aztec Dominated Europe/Africa/America with a rich alt history.....only have it in the future, like 500 years after the fact....maybe during an industrial revolution. It would give you a hell of a lot of creative licence, and you could easily draw up the politics, guilds, factions, etc.

The problem with alternate histories is that they have to be reasonably realistic. The Aztecs dominating Europe with metalworking hardly more advanced than goldsmithy isn't realistic in the least, regardless of the amount of time they're allotted. The Europeans also had the Aztecs sorely beat in terms of numbers (population wise).

It'd have to be an entirely fictional property.

That's the beauty of it, just make shit up. It doesn’t have to be accurate or realistic as long as it’s plausible. Have one of Zheng He’s massive treasure boats blow off course and land in Mexico. The 1000 or so Chinese land and make expeditions inland, come in contact an early Aztec city state, and allow the cultural and technological diffusion of the Chinese and Aztecs to take place. From there, the Aztecs (with the enforcement of the new Chinese oligarchy) are able to build massive Ming style ships larger then the combined fleet of De’Gama, both in crew and general size. Not to mention they would have more then a 70 year head start.

Have couple of those babies even anchor in Europe, and the Europeans would be pissing themselves.

 

[AMDG]

That was described by Poul Anderson in Guardians of Time.

Have it take place in an Aztec Dominated Europe/Africa/America with a rich alt history.....only have it in the future, like 500 years after the fact....maybe during an industrial revolution. It would give you a hell of a lot of creative licence, and you could easily draw up the politics, guilds, factions, etc.

The problem with alternate histories is that they have to be reasonably realistic. The Aztecs dominating Europe with metalworking hardly more advanced than goldsmithy isn't realistic in the least, regardless of the amount of time they're allotted. The Europeans also had the Aztecs sorely beat in terms of numbers (population wise).

It'd have to be an entirely fictional property.

That's the beauty of it, just make shit up. It doesn’t have to be accurate or realistic as long as it’s plausible. Have one of Zheng He’s massive treasure boats blow off course and land in Mexico. The 1000 or so Chinese land and make expeditions inland, come in contact an early Aztec city state, and allow the cultural and technological diffusion of the Chinese and Aztecs to take place. From there, the Aztecs (with the enforcement of the new Chinese oligarchy) are able to build massive Ming style ships larger then the combined fleet of De’Gama, both in crew and general size. Not to mention they would have more then a 70 year head start.

Have couple of those babies even anchor in Europe, and the Europeans would be pissing themselves.

 

[AMDG]

Survivors in the Glowing Desert ? Or Rise-of-Legends / Stargate type aliens posing as false gods ?

My personal preference is a sci-fi game. A sequel, set either on another continent (Aztec-ish culture) or in the wastelands, is possible too (easier & faster to make). Depends on a lot of factors.

 

[Timur]

That was described by Poul Anderson in Guardians of Time.

Which part?

 

[Bradylama]

Have couple of those babies even anchor in Europe, and the Europeans would be pissing themselves.

That is a good idea. Though, there also needs to be a reason for the Aztecs to sail East instead of towards China. I mean, Columbus was a retard and didn't get the circumference of the world right. I guess the same could happen to the Aztecs.

 

[John Yossarian]

Have couple of those babies even anchor in Europe, and the Europeans would be pissing themselves.

That is a good idea. Though, there also needs to be a reason for the Aztecs to sail East instead of towards China. I mean, Columbus was a retard and didn't get the circumference of the world right. I guess the same could happen to the Aztecs.

How could getting the circumference right tell you there is a continent in between? Maybe he wouldnt have done it if he knew how far it was, but the land trip was dangerous so who knows.

 

[Timur]

Have couple of those babies even anchor in Europe, and the Europeans would be pissing themselves.

That is a good idea. Though, there also needs to be a reason for the Aztecs to sail East instead of towards China. I mean, Columbus was a retard and didn't get the circumference of the world right. I guess the same could happen to the Aztecs.

Granted, that is a problem as they had a much greater knowledge of geography then the Europeans. But why would the Chinese oligarches even want to get back home? To surrender their sovereignty? The sailors, architects, soldiers, artisans, ect would have to be inherently curious and unorthodox to leave the middle kingdom on a giant floating town in the first place. Their initial “discovery” of Europe could be simple wanderlust.