Quote: Have you played White Wolf's TableTop RPG called Wraith: The Oblivion? It is about, well, dead people's souls living as phantoms (or fantoms? Ghosts, for easier comprehension.) The surroundings react to the actions of the wandering souls (aka the players) The only serious difference with what I see here, is that, well, it's NOT a video game. But I can understand why it has such appeal.

Maybe you could read Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, too...

Hey, I actually havn't heard about either of those. Oh, and the phantoms don't represent the dead, they represent our souls. I am a christian and am trying to subtly add my beliefs of life and metaphysical philosophy and the meaning of existence and all that jazz into it, so naturally when a person dies their phantom or soul leaves the earth.

hmm... I've actually never played a table top rpg before now that I think about it. But I will try and find that book if you think it's applicable.

Quote: It's spelled schizophrenic.

Don't forget to add the part where loved ones commit suicide by driving a kitchen knife through their eye sockets until their frontal lobe stops working, and they eventually bleed out on the kitchen floor because their nervous system won't allow them to get up and dial 911.

Also, my favourite is when images of dead laughing animals float across the person's field of view.

Seriously, I don't think this is an exploitable topic unless you continue to handle it very delicately, as you seem to be doing now.

Edit: I really love the idea of colour representing vibrance and success. I'd be interested in playing your game some day. :)

hmm... I really should log in, but darnit I'm to lazy.

Okay so you think I should do this crazy extremely bloody gory thing with the story... or is that a joke playing off of schizophrenia (thanks for the spelling by the way)? Either way, I'm not afraid of exploring topics like drugs and suicide, but I'm going to stay far far away from the sadistic.

Quote:

Quote: Have you played White Wolf's TableTop RPG called Wraith: The Oblivion? It is about, well, dead people's souls living as phantoms (or fantoms? Ghosts, for easier comprehension.) The surroundings react to the actions of the wandering souls (aka the players) The only serious difference with what I see here, is that, well, it's NOT a video game. But I can understand why it has such appeal.

Maybe you could read Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, too...

Hey, I actually havn't heard about either of those. Oh, and the phantoms don't represent the dead, they represent our souls. I am a christian and am trying to subtly add my beliefs of life and metaphysical philosophy and the meaning of existence and all that jazz into it, so naturally when a person dies their phantom or soul leaves the earth.

hmm... I've actually never played a table top rpg before now that I think about it. But I will try and find that book if you think it's applicable.

Maybe you could read that comic book, "Midnight Nation", scenario by J. Michael Straczinsky (Rising Stars, Babylon 5) and drawings by Gary Frank (The Hulk), edited by Top Cow, just to get the feel about that second "soul" world you were talking about...

Quote: Original post by Anonymous Poster

Quote: It's spelled schizophrenic.

Don't forget to add the part where loved ones commit suicide by driving a kitchen knife through their eye sockets until their frontal lobe stops working, and they eventually bleed out on the kitchen floor because their nervous system won't allow them to get up and dial 911.

Also, my favourite is when images of dead laughing animals float across the person's field of view.

Seriously, I don't think this is an exploitable topic unless you continue to handle it very delicately, as you seem to be doing now.

Edit: I really love the idea of colour representing vibrance and success. I'd be interested in playing your game some day. :)

hmm... I really should log in, but darnit I'm to lazy.

Okay so you think I should do this crazy extremely bloody gory thing with the story... or is that a joke playing off of schizophrenia (thanks for the spelling by the way)? Either way, I'm not afraid of exploring topics like drugs and suicide, but I'm going to stay far far away from the sadistic.

These are actual cases of people with schizophrenia. If it's sadistic, take it up with God.

http://www.savweb.com/schizophrenia/discussions/ is a message board which you can use for researching all types of symptoms and experiences that schizophrenia sufferers go through every day.

Quote: These are actual cases of people with schizophrenia. If it's sadistic, take it up with God.

http://www.savweb.com/schizophrenia/discussions/ is a message board which you can use for researching all types of symptoms and experiences that schizophrenia sufferers go through every day.

The story isn't about schizophrenia at all, and my earlier responce wasn't meant to make fun of you or light of your comments, sorry if it came off that way. It was actually a serious question. And I understand that schizophrenia has symptoms such as you described, I know much about the disease, I just don't want my story to have such sadistic in nature content, weather someone actually had those halucinations or not. I was using the word schizophrenia in the title to describe the nature of the story... but um, sorry if I confused you.

If everyone is in limited but constant and unavoidable telepathic contact with anyone nearby there are immediate consequences: for example, it is easy to perceive guilt (much, much reduced crime), love and lack thereof (straightforward, happy and boring engagements), schizophrenia and other types of major mental illness (no psychotic monster can remain undetected), violent intentions (much reduced surprise attacks), and other strong emotions.
A protagonist becoming mad would do so in plain sight; without contrived obstacles he woud get psychiatric treatment before things get interesting.

Something important but unclear in the description is the variance between passive projections in "a kind of spiritual world we can't always see but we can feel" and "an etherial version of themselves" who has to be more like a person if "they communicate with each other through song".
Are people able to consciously affect their ethereal projections? If it is possible, how? Are projections autonomous? If they are, what are their powers and motivations?

Quote: Original post by jelly_donut

Quote: These are actual cases of people with schizophrenia. If it's sadistic, take it up with God.

http://www.savweb.com/schizophrenia/discussions/ is a message board which you can use for researching all types of symptoms and experiences that schizophrenia sufferers go through every day.

The story isn't about schizophrenia at all, and my earlier responce wasn't meant to make fun of you or light of your comments, sorry if it came off that way. It was actually a serious question. And I understand that schizophrenia has symptoms such as you described, I know much about the disease, I just don't want my story to have such sadistic in nature content, weather someone actually had those halucinations or not. I was using the word schizophrenia in the title to describe the nature of the story... but um, sorry if I confused you.

I wasn't offended, sorry that I came off that way. You'd probably catch heck if you had used LSD instead of schizophrenia. :)

Quote: I wasn't offended, sorry that I came off that way. You'd probably catch heck if you had used LSD instead of schizophrenia. :)

lol, then we're good, no offense both ways. And I so should have used LSD... um... you know what I mean. "My story is SO freaking LSD"

Quote: If everyone is in limited but constant and unavoidable telepathic contact with anyone nearby there are immediate consequences: for example, it is easy to perceive guilt (much, much reduced crime), love and lack thereof (straightforward, happy and boring engagements), schizophrenia and other types of major mental illness (no psychotic monster can remain undetected), violent intentions (much reduced surprise attacks), and other strong emotions.
A protagonist becoming mad would do so in plain sight; without contrived obstacles he woud get psychiatric treatment before things get interesting.

Something important but unclear in the description is the variance between passive projections in "a kind of spiritual world we can't always see but we can feel" and "an etherial version of themselves" who has to be more like a person if "they communicate with each other through song".
Are people able to consciously affect their ethereal projections? If it is possible, how? Are projections autonomous? If they are, what are their powers and motivations?

Great points, but I don't actually think the telepathy is going to harm anything, mostly because it isn't really telepathy, not solidly anyway. I can feel how people are feeling, I can sense it when I'm around them, I thought was a common thing. Not like I know what they are thinking, but I pick up on weather they are hiding something or not, if they are lonely, or feeling depressed. I think thought I pick up on subtly facial expressions, tones of voice, and movements. Unfortunately even if everyone could pick up on that kind of thing to a more hightened degree than what I described, it still wouldn't reduce crime or anything, reason being it's not substantial enough evidence.

and in answere to your questions - No they are not, reason being their projections are simply images of who they are inside. I guess they could if they changed who they were... but not through commands. Mostly because no one can see that spiritual world. The only way it would be possible is if they changed themselves, causing the projection to sing a different song.

are they autonomous... hmm... that's something I really need to think about, what a great question. Do they have free will? Are they aware of their own existence? I'm thinking they are the person, kind of like a sub-conscience. So the answere is possible yes, but only so long as they are connected to the individual, because they are that individual. But I need to think more on that, thanks so much for asking that question.