Sci-Fi Setting Discussion

[BardGallant]

I’m with Strawberry and PC! An all purpose Stars End channel, an homage and nod to the historical setting everyone knew and loved, to test run would be great! If interest picks up and we see it used enough, maybe then expand to a whole category with more specific channels. I don’t think we have enough activity to support multiple channels right out the gate.

[Bailey Raptis]

Not to be a Buzz Killington on the Star's End stuff, but do we even have the rights to use that? I think it's a different situation than the Pharos Station setting that used to be on the old site (which, if memory serves me right, was also NOT tied to RhyDin anyways),since that was specifically created for RDI by RDI management and Star's End was originally an AOL creation (I believe) but I'd rather not poke the bear in using something we don't actually have the rights to.

[Jake]

Not to be a Buzz Killington on the Star's End stuff, but do we even have the rights to use that? I think it's a different situation than the Pharos Station setting that used to be on the old site (which, if memory serves me right, was also NOT tied to RhyDin anyways),since that was specifically created for RDI by RDI management and Star's End was originally an AOL creation (I believe) but I'd rather not poke the bear in using something we don't actually have the rights to.

If AOL hasn't come after us for the RDI or the duels, I don't think we have any risk with regard to Star's End. Also, a pretty reasonable argument can be made that Star's End isn't an original creation. (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Han_So ... ars%27_End) Star's End Bar & Grill might be arguable, but Star's End should be pretty safe.

[PrlUnicorn]

Not to be a Buzz Killington on the Star's End stuff, but do we even have the rights to use that? I think it's a different situation than the Pharos Station setting that used to be on the old site (which, if memory serves me right, was also NOT tied to RhyDin anyways),since that was specifically created for RDI by RDI management and Star's End was originally an AOL creation (I believe) but I'd rather not poke the bear in using something we don't actually have the rights to.

Jake already clarified the possible copyright issues.

As to the location, speaking as someone that hosted SEB for a couple years, Stars End Spaceport has always been located outside the city of Rhydin. Dragonsmark's Stars End Spaceport page also has it noted this way: Across the mountains many miles west of Rhydin City, the Star's End Spaceport can be found nestled in a long, shallow, and landlocked valley. At one point, it was described as being near Fools Luck Bay rather than in a valley.

I found this map, possibly one of Bellum's, from Dec 1999 (Original date on the file in my archive.) Rhydin Towne (as some have called it) and the spaceport are on here.



I know the map shows the port as east of the city and the description shows west. Differences like this just show why keeping track of lore makes a difference.

[Jake]

My personal interpretation is that Star's End is south of our current city map.

Someplace along the coast, or near it, much like the way that current NASA installations are near water (Florida as opposed to the middle of Nevada). Just in case a large vehicle needs to make a softer emergency landing.

[Jake]

I found this map, possibly one of Bellum's, from Dec 1999 (Original date on the file in my archive.) Rhydin Towne (as some have called it) and the spaceport are on here.



I know the map shows the port as east of the city and the description shows west. Differences like this just show why keeping track of lore makes a difference.

That map has a very different layout than the Bellum ones I am familiar with. I would guess it was somebody else's interpretation.

[Kira Adia]

I’ve been reading along and considering everything. As it stands, I definitely understand the desire to stick with an established setting to be added to the community. I’m all for it! Anything that sparks more stories and a chance to have a bit of sci fi in our community is a win for me.

I’d not be doing my job if I didn’t advocate for Yggdrasil. I have every intention of developing it further and adding more districts and specific locations to work with. I have plenty of ideas for story hooks to build into the setting. And I’ll go ahead and say that I have no qualms with giving up control of the setting to the staff and the community. I wrote it in a moment of inspiration thanks to discussions in the Discord and I want it to be used by anyone who wants it.

I’d personally enjoy seeing both Star’s End and Yggdrasil incorporated in some way. Both are locations outside the city, and either one alone can provide more diversity to the play areas available. And part of my intention behind highlighting specific areas in my own setting writing is to allow someone to have plenty of places to go and things to do even if it’s only a single channel. It’s a toy box to be shared and filled.

[Jake]

I’d personally enjoy seeing both Star’s End and Yggdrasil incorporated in some way. Both are locations outside the city, and either one alone can provide more diversity to the play areas available. And part of my intention behind highlighting specific areas in my own setting writing is to allow someone to have plenty of places to go and things to do even if it’s only a single channel. It’s a toy box to be shared and filled.

I feel like there's room for both. Yggdrasil is a space elevator, which rare in storytelling, and makes a lot of sense for large space-faring ships that can't land on a planet. Star's End could be for smaller shuttles and planet-to-space ferrying/taxiing.

No ideas are off the table as yet!

[Jake]

One other thought on the proximity of Stars End to Rhydin proper.

It's always been my thought that Stars End does have some distance from Rhydin.

1. Because everyone always hates to live next to the airport.
2. Because Rhydin is the epicenter of where the nexus touches and would have the greatest incidence of anomalies (read magic-type events) that would make it less than ideal for a spaceport where engineers would want the most consistent/stable environment for the safety of spacecraft landing and taking off. -- Like finding a location where stormy weather isn't always going to delay your flight.

"Shuttle Echo 4 Niner, your launch has been delayed by a cloud of vampires having a turf war with an ancient red dragon. Please stand by for new launch window."

[Kira Adia]

Bouncing off of Jake’s comments, Mal mentioned to me in conversation once that Star’s End was situated on Fool’s Luck Bay. We mused about the idea of having that be the case, some distance south of RhyDin proper, and have Mimisportr and Yggdrasil on the horizon or in the bay nearby. I mentioned the same justification Jake made about needing infrastructure for reentry craft as an idea for it. I agree with Mal that it’s an interesting and striking way to incorporate both into the current lore that still maintains some aspect of existing lore.

[PrlUnicorn]

That map has a very different layout than the Bellum ones I am familiar with. I would guess it was somebody else's interpretation.

The others in that series center around Eldicor, which is well outside the city. Bellum had done a few maps for Teleperien's setting.
You're probably used to the format below ( c.1997) from him. He worked with a lot of art mediums including Corel; I think he used that to produce the DoF ring and DoM spell images.



To get back on track, moving the port away from Fools Luck Bay as the description showed in the late 1990's never made sense to me and goes along with what Jake says here about needing to make soft/emergency landings in water.

My personal interpretation is that Star's End is south of our current city map.

Someplace along the coast, or near it, much like the way that current NASA installations are near water (Florida as opposed to the middle of Nevada). Just in case a large vehicle needs to make a softer emergency landing.

One other thought on the proximity of Stars End to Rhydin proper.

It's always been my thought that Stars End does have some distance from Rhydin.

1. Because everyone always hates to live next to the airport.
2. Because Rhydin is the epicenter of where the nexus touches and would have the greatest incidence of anomalies (read magic-type events) that would make it less than ideal for a spaceport where engineers would want the most consistent/stable environment for the safety of spacecraft landing and taking off. -- Like finding a location where stormy weather isn't always going to delay your flight.

"Shuttle Echo 4 Niner, your launch has been delayed by a cloud of vampires having a turf war with an ancient red dragon. Please stand by for new launch window."

Dude, I really need to not be drinking anything when reading your posts!
Bailey's original comment was regarding whether or not the Stars End area was Rhydin related. As has been noted here, it was outside the city and long accepted as a part of the world of Rhydin. I agree with your points here about having the Port and/or the space elevator away from the city.

Bouncing off of Jake’s comments, Mal mentioned to me in conversation once that Star’s End was situated on Fool’s Luck Bay. We mused about the idea of having that be the case, some distance south of RhyDin proper, and have Mimisportr and Yggdrasil on the horizon or in the bay nearby. I mentioned the same justification Jake made about needing infrastructure for reentry craft as an idea for it. I agree with Mal that it’s an interesting and striking way to incorporate both into the current lore that still maintains some aspect of existing lore.

Much like Karma's suggestion, this works for me as a compromise. Incorporate the new ideas without destroying the old.

[Strawberry]

Do we have an accepted direction for where Cadentia is in regards to the city? I think past descriptions have put it far south. I think I've also seen SE written as both "far west" as well as "southwest" of the city. Or is it something we want to leave more vague so as to keep the space outside of the city up to interpretation? Me, I like being able to orient between various points, but that's me.

[Mallory]

Do we have an accepted direction for where Cadentia is in regards to the city? I think past descriptions have put it far south. I think I've also seen SE written as both "far west" as well as "southwest" of the city. Or is it something we want to leave more vague so as to keep the space outside of the city up to interpretation? Me, I like being able to orient between various points, but that's me.

It looks like not technically, re: Cadentia? Maybe it mentioned direction in my first draft, but it doesn't currently. I've always assumed it's far to the south, though, and I think I've indicated direction in event posts and the like.

[Jake]

When I drew up the initial draft of the current Rhydin map, with the sea to the west, I confess I was imagining a place along the coast much like San Diego. So to me, the west is sea/ocean.

[Strawberry]

When I drew up the initial draft of the current Rhydin map, with the sea to the west, I confess I was imagining a place along the coast much like San Diego. So to me, the west is sea/ocean.

That's how I've seen it too. "Far west" doesn't make a lot of sense in my head spatially since it's the sea (and then far continents/islands beyond that I assume). Somewhere along the coast up past Seaside or down past Dockside would make most sense with our current map.