The game itself is a turn-based board game that I would like to have a Shadowrun kind of feel where anything is possible thru magic or technology. Below is the first draft I wrote to start explaining why everyone was there, but I didn't like it and wrote a new one which I liked even less. The bottom line is that I'm having a hard time coming up with a)a name for the game (probably going to be the planet name) and b)explaining why/how all these races with all these abilities keep showing up here to beat each other down. "Nobody knows how long it has been there; only the Progenitors would know that. After all, they are the ones that built it. Known only as the Nexus, it is a world where warriors from around the universe congregate to fight for the ultimate prize, Eä. It is this essence gathered from each fallen foe that transforms mortals into gods. It fuels the evolution of a species to transcendence and alters their destinies forever. The Nexxus is a large planet-sized object that literally hangs in space. Fabricated eons ago by an unknown race, it orbits nothing and somehow seems to defy the laws of physics. The various flora and fauna that have been brought to this place by countless alien races have reshaped the planet's suface. An odd ecology if the universe ever saw one, knit from the technology and magical energies of its denizens. Many believe that the planet itself is sentient." [edit - here is the one I dislike even more] The Adyan are the first documented race to have discovered the Nexxus. They were a peaceful and intelligent race that used its wormholes to travel the universe and explore. Many of their travels brought new life and new technology back to the Nexxus. This culture existed for eons before they encountered the Sil. The Sil were a devious and cunning race that sought to control the power of the Adyan and the Nexxus. Taking advantage of the Adyan’s generosity, the physically superior Sil were able to overpower the Adyan and all but destroyed them in the initial onslaught. "The Sil journeyed to the Nexxus where they began a war that was fought for centuries before the Sil eventually emerged victorious. The Adyan’s city, [Avilon], was destroyed and a new order took control of the Nexxus. The Adyan were driven into exile and the Nexxus was used to travel to distant worlds where the Sil enslaved other races and stole anything that would make their empire more powerful. The Sil continued this quest for ultimate power until one day traveling to [The Abyss]. Here they encountered a race far superior to their own that literally wiped out the entire Sil’s existence on their world. The far-reaching wormholes of the Nexxus were disabled, trapping all those on it forever. When word spread of this defeat, the Sil’s slaves revolted and this time it was the Sil who were slain and forced into exile. With no government and such a wide assortment of races, chaos ensued as new clans were formed. The entire landscape of the Nexxus had been changed over the years with the introduction of new organisms assimilated from each conquered world. This was the land that the clans sought to attain for themselves. Some only wanted peace while others had much higher aspirations. Which brings us to the present day Nexxus only a few centuries later. New territories have been created and entire governments established. The Sil made sure not to bring too many of any one race so each nation is its own melting pot of races of varying intelligence and abilities." Here is where we start making new races, clans, and stories that guide exactly how the world is shaped. We can reveal the motivations and intricacies of the various nations and individual characters to obtain information. Using this information we will generate a game design that allows our players to create characters that interact in this diverse environment. Things to consider in the future: 1. Why were Adyan defeated so easily by the Sil? a. Too pacified? b. Physically inferior? c. Why not smart enough to put measures in place to prevent? d. Too few of them? (Many had wandered off never to return) 2. Who exactly was the race in [The Abyss]? a. How did they shut off the Nexxus? 3. When will it be discovered that the Nexxus wormholes were temporal as well? 4. When will the Nexxus wormholes be “turned back on”? [Edited by - darkpegasus on October 7, 2007 6:17:53 AM]

Sounds like a fun concept. I like the first one better because it's simpler. The second one doesn't seem to help with the game.

I'd love to throw some ideas out there, but need more information on the game mechanics and whether you have an idea for an ending and if you know how you want to get to it.

One way you could go about this is to say the Adyan BUILT the Nexxus.

The Sil could be a nomadic race who explored space through worm holes looking for planets with resources to mine and weaker species to enslave. You could say that they came across the Nexxus by chance while on a typical scouting mission. They conquer the Adyan and inhabit the Nexxus, not fully knowing exactly what it is or what its capabilities are.

I started re-formatting the rules here. So that hopefully starts to give you an idea. You can also see some screenshots of what I'm working on by looking at my journal.

I don't really have a plan for an ending since I'm trying to come up with something open enough to allow for story expansion, additional game mechanics, etc.

I'm not big on the Adyan having been the race that created it because to do so would be such a feat that I don't see how any other race could beat them technology-wise.

I like the first one better, but I think it would help to present it in a mysterious way with an emphasis on the player's place in it. Are the players born on this planet, or are they summoned or kidnapped to it or do they journey there on their own to participate in this great struggle?

Going with the assumption that they are born on the planet, are there distinct races, or is it more like with divinity in everything or magic everywhere lots of mutants are born, or phantasms created by the collective unconscious become real, or all animals tend to become sentient and crossbreed a lot, or what?

Now presenting it from the player's point of view: You awake from a journey or transformation, or are called, or decide... for whatever motive you want/need to participate in this fighting to gather Ea and protect yourself from those who want to steal yours, and you think that gaining power will unable you to find out some of the world's mysteries (why are you here, who is really in charge, what is this Ea stuff, do you really become a god if you collect enough, is it really ethical to take it from others...?)

Quote: Are the players born on this planet, or are they summoned or kidnapped to it or do they journey there on their own to participate in this great struggle?

I think it's open-ended enough that any of the above could hold true for storylines following individual characters.

There are definitely distinct races. Each race has different attributes and abilities that they can unlock as the game progresses, making each path a more distinct one over time.

Quote: ...is it really ethical to take it from others?

ARRGGG! I keep struggling with this. I would love to incorporate something like karma into the game system but I think it makes it more confusing than it needs to be. I thought about there being "bad" guys that would manipulate the Ea of their minions which gave them strong abilities but bad karma. Then karma resources (now called singularities) would randomly come up that did bad things to bad players. I've tried to make the rules less complicated so someone can pick it up quickly and games are shorter but it's still open enough that I can still switch it up later.