Subject: World views (Was: Between darkness and light)
From: Ari Miettinen (emiettin@hytti.uku.fi)
Date: Sat Jul 03 1999 - 15:53:35 EEST
Following text is based on Beregar's questions to Namhas, english in it sucks
but who cares? The comments beginning with Asterix (*) are made by me (Aluna)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is Majik's current map only another side of the world (for example like
america is in another side and europe in another side)?
- I don't know
* Other side?
Do the both continents reach all the way either to the north or to the
south?
- No
* No comment.
How far is it to the most northern or southern part of majik?
- The distance is immense, but people don't know it, they just
think that world ends there (when the map ends).
* There is a problem with distances in majik - or rather the size
of the known world and the number of species in that small area.
Imho we should have fewer races in the known world than we currently
have (10 or so species at the moment? I have lost count.) If we later
wish new species, they could move in from unknown parts of majik or
the people would learn about existence of other parts of majik. I
believe that the first option is easier to create/code.
Is Majik a globe
- I think it is
* I find this question meaningless, but even so, I would prefer some other
shape than globe. A flat disk-like world would be better in my opinion..
If we ever need more space, there could be more
disks floating around and the players may find portals / learn magic
to these other disks. .. and before you start talking about oceans
and why they don't run dry... the god of rain collects all the water
which flows over the edge and lets it rain back to the disk. The lower
side of the disk could be the world of the dead, the world of the
upsidedowners or just uninhabited. .. or Maybe the world is a cube >:)
It would offer possibility for five extra maps if we run out of space.
Or maybe the world of Majik is a triangle.. or a mass of slowly changing
flesh of Namhas' pet Ferrogulom? The shape is meaningless, but we just
need to know it. Old globe would be boring, so please do not choose that
shape.
Does majik rotate like earth?
- Why should majik rotate? Though, sun rotates around majik be
cause of balance between Sinister and Aluna.
* Rotation is not necessary. Sun goes up and down and gives light and warmth
to the areas it shines on. Occasionally Aluna, who lives in the sun, becomes
too curious about some place that she brings her home closer to that location
for a better look. This can mean drought in that area and cold weather in other
areas. As you can see, imho there is no need for any realistic models. Magic
and Gods exist and the laws of physics are their toys.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Beregar wrote--
I asked these questions because I'm making weather descs and it would be
nice to make them realistic (well, as realistic as I can make with my meager knowledge of weather).
Those were just part of the questions which I was going to ask but then
I got a idea which I presented to Namhas. It's nothing unique but I sug
gested that instead of normal days and seasons, we could have one large
"day". Because sun would circle majik once in a year, this would mean we
had about 6 month darkness in whole majik and 6 month light (well not ac
tually, since there would be completely dark only in midwinter and vise
versa) which would mean 2rl months darkness and 2rl months daylight. (re
member 1 rl month is 3 months in majik..if I just remembered right by
myself :P ).
--Aluna wrote--
* I don't like that 6 months / 6 months division. One problem is, as others
have pointed out, temperature. The other is, that the species with dark
vision would gain enormous advantage from their vision and the species
without dark vision would either be repressed or extinct very soon.
(And if all species see in the dark, whole illumination loses meaning.)
* Option: The period of darkness should be considerably shorter than
the period of light. It might work and give the evil / dark loving
races their chance to dominate the world. Maybe like this:
1 month of night, 5 months of day and night, 1 month of day, 5 months of day and night
--Beregar wrote--
I think it would be cool to have those dark periods. Mages could create
artificial suns to light towns. It could be also time when evil creatures would
walk around the Majik and people stay inside their cities shuddering in fear.
This also would somewhat ease my weather work and as far as I know there
is no such system in any other game, right? So give me your opinion about
this subject.
- Beregar (Beregar@majik.netti.fi)
--------------------------------------------------------
Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards,
for they are subtle and quick to anger.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
--------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b25 : Tue Feb 12 2002 - 00:03:24 EET