Larian Studios

[color:"white"]Welcome to the Manatopia Commentary thread![/color]

Post ideas, chatter, criticism, suggestions, compliments, and anything else related to the RPG that isn't part of the other threads. If you need to plan new parts of the story with another participant, use either this thread or PM. It may be worth posting drafts of anything intended for The World thread for public opinion.

The other threads for Manatopia are:

The Story: This is where all final writing of the story goes. Everything must be in character and part of the story. No off-topic!

The World: Post your character here. If we can see who you think you are, then we can react to you better in the story. You don't need to give your darkest secrets, though it may help if you state your "mysterious nature". This will give people time to get in an interesting position and be part of the story. Final drafts of new Manatopia rules, culture information, and geographical information should be posted here.

Still working out my char, Will post on it soon.

Hope others do so to.


BTW, the introduction post is wellwritten, original and interesting. Good Job.

Hey uh, seth. Your character sounds more like a sort of divine infinity, you were a real person, got transporter to new world kinda thing.

Possibly... I actually had one idea for a character: A dream from the Dreamland just happens to manifest due to the extreme mana levels. I can't come up with the rest of the character though. I don't think that's who I want to be, anyway.

Looks like it...
I got my idea from King.
I just wanted to get things started. It's just a guy.
But if you complain already...
Sorry HEF... But that's just what I expected.
You're a great guy and put a lot into this. Not sure if the forum deserves you?
Why I sugested I wouldn't take part and only keep an eye out.

No, no, no! I am not asking anyone to leave, I am just asking if that is how you intended it. Stay in <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Sheesh.

No! There's no complaints! I was just juggling some ideas of my own. Play whatever character you like that suits the story. You don't have to be overly active if you don't have the time, but there's no reason to exclude yourself completely.

Dammit.

I haven't been here for alot of the time, and was asking for clarification if that is how we are doing it, because I didn't want to be off from the rest of the people, if I join.

I'm not talking about you, bro - HEF.
You know. I'm sure. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
But remember our pm's when you started this?
I felt like that already.

let not the rupture in the tectonic plates of manatopia be of the same in relationships among old friends here. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

Seth, i hope u're ok.

back on topic;

since nobody has started yet, i think i still have time to do some more write-up on the nations of Manatopia. still i wish someone (Al? Seth? Elliot Kane? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> plus some more <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> ) may come up with something interesting for the european group of city states & provinces -> EMC. doesn't have to be detailed, just enough for any players to start inhabiting the place. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

currently working with La Fille on Karatunga's Land (or Land of the Red People) background info.. so i hope that will be up soon. Fille is most impressive with her deep knowledge & understanding of amerindians.

for any future players, feel free to create the kinds of characters; remember. this isn't a game so it's not about winning, it's about having fun. so go let your imagination loose; u can play as a school child learning about his/her surrounding (innocent observer), or a law enforcer (maybe one who is close to age of retirement) who feels that Leadheads are too much, or a member of a spiritual & magic-based tribe who feels that his/her tribe needs change so he/she tries to convince & make his/her people see the 'inevitable change'.

HEF, not sure how u'll handle this but; i have this idea on introducing certain nation/kingdom by playing a role or even relationship. relationship means 2 people who have almost the same 'airtime' but definitely one is the dominant in the whole story telling. this is my thought;

student & teacher-monk. this is just a suggestion on my part of course to help in ushering SoF especially on its relationship with other kingdoms/nation prior to the tectonic shift up to the disaster. this one won't go places, rather receives news of places.

what do u think?

Janggut, that sounds like a good idea, especially for the region you've selected. Perhaps play the student primarily and let the teacher be in the story through dialouge and interaction. I'm sure you could write for the teacher in some points too without abusing power. Given the inner-magi abilities of the race, they could interact with the rest of the world meta-physically from the comfort of their icy-cold-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-with-only-a-goat-for-a-companion monistary. ( <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> )

for my char I'm thinking something disgruntled ex-scioneer tries to educate himself in mana. Due to the quakes, radiumdevice he worked on, was the cause of many dead. So sworn not to touch anything with radium again he looks to be become a magi, something he would in the end have complete controll of.

HandEFood has gone into a lot of trouble in creating a structure; it's worth to be respected imho. (see 1st paragraph of 'The World' thread - it could have avoided this 1st issue of misunderstanding?)

Until the author group finds and establishes itself, and gets to know each other, I can only recommend from dire experience to

- be specific and explicit in any comments or questions;
- not go off like a land mine with a sensitive trigger on any single comment prone to interpretation.

Question!

How much time after the disaster described in the starting post do you envision the story to be set?

Ah, by the way, only humans, or other races as well, like Elves, Dwarves etc. ?

Mutants: due to he vast experimenting with radium, accidents happened. Deadly, damage, illness and in rarely mutation. Altho mutation sometimes isn't noticable even by the person himself or the effects are hidden. In some societies these mutants are shunned and slightly feared. In some very rare occasions mutation occured that had an efect on the persons mana "abilities" that magi need years to develop, but most mutations are from the physical kind, some gave special abilities as enhanced vision.

If you like my idea, my char will be one of those don't know it mutants and will discover it trough the story.

And (if they're generally feared) why not havew some kind of orginasation hunting mutants down? One not of the forgiving kind, if you catch my meaning? Souds like something that would appear in rl if something like this happened (and it was generally feared).

Übereil

They are not that feared, just the unknown part of them are, they live amongst poeple but are generally ignored, mistreaded, "go away freak" kinda stuff. Mutation isn't a daily thing, mutants are rare like say 1/500.

There are some mutant-colonies, mostly in the woods, they live a ranger/hunter life (deer etc).

I'm happy for your first post to be during the earthquake, if not slightly before. I imagine there will be a little bit of "temporal distortion" (Yeah, that sounds like a good excuse. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> ) in the start of the story until we all catch up to each other.

Other races and monters are fine so long as you justify their exsitance. A mutant race caused by a radium experiment failure (eg. Chernobyl) is a fair enough reason. If you want, bounty hunters could be hired by the government or other private organisation to cover up the blunder.

Another way could be to have a tribe or Magi that evolved their natural senses and appearence to assist with their local way of life. They may or may not be known of by neighbouring tribes or cities.

Hm, I thought about the setting a bit ... rather Fantasy or reather "real" ? I mean that in Arcanum even Elves, Dwarves, even Orcs and Orgres are "allowed", althought it's a rather "realistic setting. On the other hand, if Manatopia is modelled rather after our "real world", then there would only be humans (and Mutants, maybe) .

it partly has to do with my character; I'm outlining it now.