Reference Interest Measurement Thread

I don't think the Consort is or was ever meant to be a true prophet, merely (1) very well informed, and (2) very very good at reading people. Then again, I suppose the question then becomes, what is a 'true prophet' anyway: if someone correctly predicts the future by extrapolating from known information, is that functionally different from someone who gets dreams of magical origin? Then there's the feeling I have always had that prophecies are all inherently self-fulfilling - a lot of stories with prophecies involve characters actively trying to fulfil the tenets of said prophecy. If you believe something is so, you'll make it so.

... er, I digress.

My point is that to me the ME universe is very much science fiction and not fantasy-in-space like Star Wars (don't get me wrong, I do love SW, but the Force is basically magic complete with prophetic visions) and so this sort of mystical prophecy thing doesn't really fit. Or I'm just the cynical sort that facepalms every time a character says "BUT IT'S MEANT TO BE"

 

It is true Mass Effect is meant to feel more science fiction and realistic than a Star Wars type setting. The only form of visions we have are the ones from the Prothean beacons from ME1 and the one from the Blue Sun excavation site in ME2.

These were taken with a very big grain of salt from the rest of the beings of the galaxy by and large. That being said, they are also clearly explained later on by Vigil on Ilos.


However, I wouldn't stray away from seeing an asari offer something along the lines of prophecies etc. given their species' natural ability to channel dark energy. It could be something along the lines of her "reading" the currents of the energy itself as they connect with and interact with certain individuals and events, etc. You could still have the prophecy-feel from something like the beacons from Mass Effect 1 and also explain it using as much in-universe science as possible.

 

Well you know, now that I think about it (and, admittedly, I'm going through a second playthrough on ME1 right now too so I'm also being reminded of certain points), the beacon wasn't a prophecy but a warning to society at large that happened to live on through time. It was the cyclical nature of the Reapers' plan that caused it to be a prophecy of sorts. So I think a large picture "prophecy" could, as you suggest, wind up having an explanation behind it later. Makes me think of Scooby Doo where everything initially seems creepy, but then Velma explains it all at the end.

And, let's face it, when she took that sweater off, who wouldn't want to listen to Velma?

[image=http://us.ent3.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/warner_brothers/scooby_doo/_group_photos/linda_cardellini8.jpg]

 

Actually might be a little late to get into this discussion. But as I am a fan of ME2 and been playing around with the ideas of prophecys myself I wanted to give my two cents. Feel free to ignore, if you want.

I think Mass Effect, as brilliant as it is, actually lives from the danger of history repeating. An inevitable event, calculated to happen (extermination by the hands of the reapers) and opposed to that a band of suborn individuals who do not believe things can not be changed and who fight the future.

Fight the Future, the old X-Files tagline for the first movie would have been a great title for ME, too. It really IS the same concept (Mulder tried to stop the Alien invasion, which seemed inevitable) and it works perfectly fine. Prophecy seems to have little room in it, though. I think. Except you stage it as an science vs. faith concept. Which might work. Because the prophecy made would then be "in question" and might even work as something to fight against.

Well, my ideas.

 

On whether the beacons can be seen as actual prophetic devices: they definitely are. Shepard in ME1 is your standard character with alarming visions of the future in his head, and it drives major points in the story. We find out that it was actually an ancient warning downloaded into his mind and he can't decipher it because of a 50,000 year language barrier. So its given a technical explanation in the game, but for all intents and purposes they're prophetic visions.

The more I think about it though, Mass Effect is more or less the struggle against overwhelmingly inconceivable odds, and maybe a predestination assumption of any kind might be out of place, other than a basic "we're probably going to fail" atmosphere.

And then again it also has everything to do with what the plot will focus on. If it's about the "Beings of light created at the dawn of time to protect organic life against the machine devils," then you're kind of obliged to work within that.

 

2 new concepts from the mind of yours truly:

1. A Transformers roleplay, set in the movie verse with one big difference: Sam dies at the end of the first film freeing us from his whining and sheer stupidity.

2. A Marvel Universe RP made in vein of the X-Men story arc "Days of Future Past". In this, the Sentinels have taken control of the world and are hunting down mutants. Several things will be different: most of the X-Men have died, some other of Marvel's best will have passed on. Sample introduction:

The world is in ruin, human and mutant alike and hunted like animals by artificially intelligent robots known as Sentinels. Few humans are regarded as a threat, but the Sentinels hunt mutant mercilessly, killing them or capturing them and placing them in termination camps for subsequent execution. Some cower out of sight, believing if they hide, the Sentinels will never find them. Others have taken up arms to combat their would-be-killers. Which side will you choose?

Had a few twists in mind: one being Frank Castle wearing the War Machine armor. The rest I shall keep to myself

 

I was thinking of a Terminator/Transformers crossover, but really it seems more suited to the realm of fanfic. A Transformers reboot would be a cool game; I've been toying with the idea but it's now time for me to write dreaded term papers...

 

A think a Terminator/Transformers crossover would be pretty bad ass. Maybe Sector 7's research on Megatron could've lead to the creation of SkyNet.

 

A while back a few ideas had been kicked around that included hsorter formats, linked toegether. So I wonder what everybody think. would an episodic structure work in RPs? With shorter time-spans in which games take place? Let´s say a month? Mor like the chapters some GMs used?

I think it would be worth a try, actually.

 

Considering the fairly quiet state of the RPFs as a whole, it's entirely possible that shorter, episodic games could be the next big thing.

On the other hand, though, we've got big long running games that draw in many players.

 

I think you should look into developing that Transformers/Terminator game man. Could have serious potential

 

How about a game, taking place within the Harry Potter universe, about a rash of killings in New York City that may be linked to a skinhead group that seeks to emulate the Death Eaters...

 

Hmm... copy-cat killers yes, I rather like it; but neo-Nazi angle I gotta go with no. That topic is... uh... sensitive, if I recall my RPF history correctly.

 

Well I guess I didn't literally mean skinheads, but the Death Eaters killings are ideological...

 

I guess, to be clear, the intention is that these aren't Death Eaters but a group that uses the Dark Mark and idolizes Voldemort and what he stood for, perhaps even considering themselves Death Eaters, perhaps believing that his death at Hogwarts wasn't final. (Though...it was lol)

 

As far as Potter is concerned, I like the idea a lot. One of the better ones around.

And Neonazis? Hm, I don´t see a problem there. If the "Sturmstaffel" incicdent is what you recall as "a problem" that were some German-jewish players with a problem that guy seemed to admire the SS in REAL LIFE. Never was a problem in a game, I believe. But maybe you mean some other incident.

Then again, Death Eaters really are more like Satanists or Cultists than Neo-Nazis. The interesting thing is Voldi never had any great background for his evil. No tradition to really build on. He just is.

 

I dunno. He seems to be building on a rather deeply ingrained disdain for Muggles and Muggle blood built into many old pure blood families. Even Grindelwald wanted Muggles to serve Wizard-kind.

 

Hmm. I myself think this is a strange issue. I would not be comfortable with seeing a game with neo-Nazi characters. Similarly, I think an allegorical tale is walking a fine line. That's my personal opinion; I'd have to think anything over when it comes to an actual game.

 

Neonazies? Barely work well in fiction. Too complex and primitve the same time. I tried them once, but the raw stupidity is hard to catch and fear. Well, I think it might be too "real-wordly", when put into a game. Or you wash them down.

And despite ethnic cleansing (and actually we hear a lot about it, but the real target of Voldemort are always the mages opposing him in the books. Considering he himself is half muggle, no surprise) there is little about them that is similiar to death eaters. Considering the usual social and intellectual background of those guys, I´d say death Eaters are quite the opposite, as they are sophisticated and choose evil. None of them seems to be seduced to anything . . . they are just power hungry folks.

So actually I think the typical Neo-Nazi wouldn´t have the spiritual power to cast spells . . .

My idea of death eaters is actually more that they are cultists. Death eaters are a cult. Masks, rites, personalized evil leader, black robes, cemetaries to meet on and of course . . . their own forbidden practices. Ideology is more like something they struggle with. as they more or less kill only blue blooded mages, while talking a lot about muggle-borns . . . Now that I think of, that seems to be pretty true and pretty strange . . .

 

No. Neo-Death Eaters.

I made a mistake in referring to them as "skinheads," and for that I'm sorry. It's clouding what I was suggesting.

Actually, a number of them seem to be serving Voldemort out of fear. Also, power is seductive, so the power hungry are easily seduced, but that's neither here nor there, as the idea is more that there are bigoted, ignorant wizards out there that believe they're carrying on the Death Eaters' work, seeking to emulate them.

Crabbe and Goyle cast spells, as do Tom Riddle's scary, Deliverance-like Grandpa and Uncle.

Well most of the main characters are "blue blooded mages" but in the exposition we're told the Death Eaters target - and more importantly, targetted back in the eighties, the first time around - half bloods, squibs, and muggles, and, well, their enemies. And you're right, they're a cult, with an idolized leader, rituals, masks...actually in the books, they don't wear masks. They wear pointed hoods. On top of their robes. Sound familiar?

The Death Eaters have a very clearly defined ideology in the books. The movies, too. It's an ideology that we're told goes all the way back to Slytherin, if not farther, and there has been at least one other wizard that has taken action to bring this idea to life - Albus Dumbledore helped him before renouncing him - but none so successfully (or at least so destructively) as Lord Voldemort. It's enough of a fixture in Wizarding society that Hogwarts has to work actively against it, that it's something Hermione must contend with constantly, that it causes old families to very carefully record their pedigrees, and that makes other Wizards worry about seeming less like a Wizard than other Wizards.

 

(...)

 

(Whoops.)

 

(Dagnabbit.)

 

Quad-post! Woo!

Anyways, yeah, it's cult-like, but so was the historical Nazi regime.

 

They do wear masks in the books, IIRC. They're just all identical white (?) masks instead of the personalized ones they use in the movies.

As for the original premise: that sounds pretty interesting. Definitely one of the most original premises for a HP game I've seen.