I’m creating a new game with the tentative title of Drifter. Basically the plot revolves around this: Set in modern day, there exist three Cults which pretty much run the war. These cults each have a specialty, being Genetics, Advanced Tech, and Magic. Depending on the Cult you choose you end up on the run in different ways.
Now I have a question, I plan on having the character you would’ve played from the three Cults, be interconnected. For example the Genetics person was infiltrating the Magic group. While undercover, he makes friends with a Magic. The Genetics guy is then caught, escapes, but is now is kicked out of Genetics, he is now on the run. A drifter. When the Genetic was caught the Magic is also kicked, merely for being friends. He seeks revenge on the Genetic. If you choose the Magic Cult you play as the Magic.
I’m wondering whats the best way to do this, create stock characters for your playthrough, or have you choose the character when selecting your Cult, thus having no customization when it comes to age or gender.
So what do you suggest?
By the way getting kicked, merely means they keep you in some city, waiting to find a way to kill you.
I would write three separate intros from the perspective of each cult member. You can reuse things like setting and other peripheral characters but keep the main POV of a character of the reader’s creation.
It will be time consuming to write three intros, but it makes the intro more special, since it will not feel like I am taking over a character but playing as myself.
@JimD Well what I have so far is kind of like that basically after using the rest room, which determines gender. You see your dad talking to someone, he asks you your name. Then whispers something to your dad, from which you pick up some word, genetic, magic, or technology. After that the prologue splits.
By the way does anyone have suggestions for the names of the cults. Just a few rule they have to be able to be traced back in history. Also no illuminati, I find it’s a bit overused.
Ok names for magic to make it so people keep wondering I would go with something generic like the cult, for genetic maybe the changeling society, and for technology how about hydra ok I know it is from a cartoon but the history is all there and as for the other two the changeling society is a group of people who over the last fifty years have been recruiting people from every country, nationality, and religion. They have access to every medical record worldwide and that is also how they recruit people no one knows why they are recruiting people some think its for an army, some a evolution program, and other a new country made up of only people with the newly found xy2 strand in their dna. As for the cult I have nothing maybe you or someone else can come up with a history for them.
@omen I like the changeling society, but how about they’ve existed for far longer, and have been trying “evolve” mankind with “experiments” such as the black death. However fifty years ago they changed tactics, and began recruiting people and “evolving” them.
For Magic I’ll probably create some sort of group called the Order of Merlin or something.
As for Technology, I want to use some real life, historical society.
Ok I like your changes to the changeling society but if you want to change the idea at least make it that they’ve been evolving people by changing their dna by injecting a chemical that causes the mutation of a strand of dna turning it into the xy2 strand that causes unique and different mutations in each person similar but different than the xmen.
@omen Well see back then they wouldn’t have been able to do all that, but with the Black Death, all they had to do was inject Rats, and voila. Also your idea doesn’t work with what I have currently, rather they fill out forms for which abilities they wish to have increased such as Dexterity and what they would like gain such as Chameleon Skin, and then the DNA is modified to their specifications. (An easy way to fit in choice) Also over the course of the game I hope him to find more augmentations.
It’s a tabletop RPG from the Old World of Darkness line of products, the one with Vampire: The Masquerade.
It’s basically about a secret society of mages with various cults. One of these cults is a technology cult (yes they are considered some form of mage) which has pretty much declared war on the supernatural.
Regarding names, well, that depends. Are the cults internation or based on a specific region or tradition?
@ScarletGeisha Well Cults each control different regions, I’ll make a map at some point. Magic is the oldest but not as large, numbers have been thinned by events such as Salem. Technology is in the middle and largest. Genetics is the youngest and smallest, but the fastest growing.
Hey I thought of an old group for technology that might fit into your plans for the game have you ever heard of the templar they where once one of the strongest military forces controlled by the catholic’s they where similar but not the same as the illuminati. The templar where the leading force used to control the growth of knowledge and technology and they did it well and not always with force and most of the time with out anyone ever knowing they where there some people believe that the templar’s where disbanded but some people believe was just a cover up so that the church could take control of almost every knowledge and technology distribution agency world wide.
I’m assuming the technology cult would be European because of the Renaissance. But I don’t know what you have planned, but if it is indeed Renaissance then something in latin. Another assumption I would make is that because the Islamic World were the center of science before the Renaissance, it could originate for Turks and Arabs and thus be named in Arabic.
The Genetics Cult should be named in English.
As for magic, pretty much the same with my concerns about the tech cult.
@omen Yeah I know of the Templars I’m actually a bit of a crusades buff. I’m assuming you’re getting of this from Assassin’s Creed which is the main reason I’m not going delve heavily in the Templars. I want this to be original, however I may reference them as having been a branch which split and attacked another branch the Saracens. The rest is history they were defeated and that’s that.
Ok so I’m going hold a little vote for the regions I want you all to select countries you want each cult to hold. Also try and support your choices. These are the ones I’ve already decided.
USA is Genetic formerly Tech.
Russia Tech
England Tech
Japan Genetic
China Magic
Ireland Magic reason for Northern Ireland spliting.
Egypt is split between Genetic and Magic now, under Mubarak it was Tech
India Pakistan And Bangladesh all have different cults, I need help deciding which country is which cult.
Europe and the Middle East need to be mostly Tech
The rest is up to you.
Oh and please ask around seeing if anyone else will vote.
India should be magic, due to thousands of years of development in mysticism, and a myraid of mystic traditions. Most of them are likely to be ascetics, so they would not have a centralised authority, at least one which does not exercise power regularly.
I would say Bangladesh is genetic. Because Bangladesh is very disaster-prone, and it has the lowest standard of living compared to India and Pakistan, they are expected to be a hardy people. The genetic could could have been born with the loft goal of improving the lives of the lower class.
Pakistan being a Muslim region would not be likely to consider genetics as it is seen as playing god, if the cult are devout Muslims. They would not go magic because of tense relationships with India, and reject it purely out of reactionary reasons.
As for Southeast Asia, Indonesia would be magic. My reason will be silly for skeptics, but for people believing in magic, Indonesia is known to be home to many potent masters of black magic. Singapore would go tech because of sociological reasons, and Malaysia is likely to follow. Thailand is likely magic because the belief is still prevalent in many parts of the country.
Will have to think the rest of the African continent and South America.
@ScarletGeisha My parents being from Pakistan I understand what you mean by Pakistan rejecting India. They don’t have to be devout Muslims they’ll reject it because it’s India. That’s how intense the rivalry is. As for not being Genetics it wouldn’t br because it is seen as playing god since many Muslims are open to things such as stem cell research. Still I agree with it being Tech I only need to find a good reason.
Also a friend of mine suggested that Swiss should be magic.
I have been following the conversation Toa, but not a lot that I can say to help further the project. I like the direction you are taking it, holds great promise and I hope to see something up soon that I can read. I would like to add one bit, Ireland should be the magic. Even when working on updates I keep tabs on the boards, so as soon as I see something I can help with or read and give feedback I will.
