Parallel Fantasy Worlds and Avernum
| Author | Topic: Parallel Fantasy Worlds and Avernum |
|---|---|
|
Agent
Member # 2210
|
written Sunday, October 10 2004 07:24
Profile
Hello all, There are a number of different fantasy settings which Avernum seems to pull from. Some of the ideas which seem to come from other fantasy settings are. Quickfire very much reminds me of clingfire from Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series. Hopefully someone will introduce another terror from Darkover-- bonewater dust -- a kind of magical poison which causes permanent damage to land like the Avernite plagues. There are also cat people in Darkover. Another parallel which I can draw from Marion Zimmer Bradley is the sliths, one of her early works is called the Survivors which includes saurians with a strong philosophical bent. It could also be from other sources. Robert J. Sawyer has a book called Far Seer which recently came out concerning a sauroid race. The Nephilim are interesting. The Kzinti from Larry Niven's universe are cat like but nothing like the Nephilim. However, there could be some interesting parallels. I am interested in finding out where some of the ideas in fantasy writing are drawn from which have been used in Avernum. I find it a relief that many of the ideas are not Tolkienesque. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 1425
|
written Sunday, October 10 2004 13:09
Profile
In Exile the world felt very Medi-Evil and typicall fantasy. However after Nethergate, Avernum seemed to mix a Roman feel in with the Medi-Evil. Also in Heroes of Might and Magic one of the sides (I forgot their name) has lizard people and cat/dog like people. Nephilim is a biblical name and besides the obviouse like Dragons and Goblins, many of the other creatures have roots in real Myth. [ Sunday, October 10, 2004 13:12: Message edited by: Akeipas ] Posts: 190 | Registered: Wednesday, July 3 2002 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 1425
|
written Sunday, October 10 2004 13:10
Profile
Whoops! [ Sunday, October 10, 2004 13:13: Message edited by: Akeipas ] Posts: 190 | Registered: Wednesday, July 3 2002 07:00 |
|
Apprentice
Member # 4763
|
written Sunday, October 10 2004 13:14
Profile
Homepage
Maybe they just made a bunch of stuff up? Just because similar things have been done before doesn't always mean the ideas are based on or borrowed from another source. I'm pretty sure there were lizard men in Johnny Quest. Unless those were just guys wearing lizard suits... -------------------- I once killed a man for his teeth. Posts: 25 | Registered: Thursday, July 22 2004 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 3870
|
written Monday, October 11 2004 02:41
Profile
Homepage
quote:I thought I was the only one to notice that. :P Btw, what about 'Atlantean'/'Greek' Fire from mythology? I think it is rather similar. -------------------- "Toleration is not the opposite of intoleration, but is the counterfeit of it. Both are despotisms. The one assumes to itself the right of withholding liberty of conscience, and the other of granting it." ---Thomas Paine Posts: 156 | Registered: Thursday, January 8 2004 08:00 |
|
Agent
Member # 2210
|
written Monday, October 11 2004 04:18
Profile
Greek fire is most likely petroleum- crude oil mixed with something else to change its viscosity. It reads like napalm. Another thought. A parallel world not fantasy but science fiction might be C.J. Cherryh's Pride of Chanurh. There are cat people, humans, and lizard people. It would be interesting if Nephilim had a system of Pride's where the most capable nephilim got to breed kind of like Lions. It would follow from A Perfect Forest. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
|
Infiltrator
Member # 148
|
written Tuesday, October 12 2004 20:20
Profile
The idea of Intelligent Lizard Men (and Women!) has been around Sci-Fi alot. I remember stories from then 1930's that explored this concept (The Saurian Age!). Cat people... David Weber, Larry Niven, and others. Personally, I'd go with Weber. "On Death Ground", "The Shiva Option", "Crusade", and "Insurrection". I believe they are based on "Starfire". What Patricia Wrede? I think I have the right author, but she goes with Forest Dwelling Intelligent Nature Loving Cats. I remember someone did the Cat/Japanese culture. Anyone know? -------------------- My ego is bigger than yours. Posts: 480 | Registered: Thursday, October 11 2001 07:00 |
|
Apprentice
Member # 5085
|
written Wednesday, October 13 2004 07:35
Profile
Aaah! The word is "medieval," it's not like it's "Half-evil" which is what "Medi-evil" seems like :D Just your friendly neighborhood lurking grammar/spelling nazi ;) quote: Posts: 2 | Registered: Wednesday, October 13 2004 07:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 5086
|
written Wednesday, October 13 2004 15:20
Profile
Homepage
Why is it that just because you find one author with similarities it automatically has to be copied or at least inspired from there? I sincerely hope you knew before you ever posted this that lizard men, cat people, fire that kills everything, and the like has been used for decades. Before Jeff Vogel, before Tolkien's crap. These are not new concepts, and I doubt the people who thought of them are less then 150 years dead at least. [ Wednesday, October 13, 2004 15:21: Message edited by: Rabid Pigs Eating A Wolf ] -------------------- I love stupid people acting smart... Posts: 53 | Registered: Wednesday, October 13 2004 07:00 |
|
Agent
Member # 2210
|
written Wednesday, October 13 2004 15:47
Profile
So what. This has nothing to do with originality. It has to do with finding out if people have read anything enjoyable or interesting about cat people, lizard people, and other things which might be applicable in a loose way to the Avernum setting. What they have liked and disliked, etc. It has nothing to do with bizarre philosophical rants. Going back to a recent scenario in Avernum, A Perfect Forest, I wonder what the ship is based on. I like to read a comic called A Distant Soil by Colleen Doran. One of the technologies there is giant crystalline ships run by psionics very similar to magic. I think it is a neat concept. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
|
Warrior
Member # 720
|
written Wednesday, October 13 2004 17:16
Profile
quote:The cat/dog people of which you spoke are gnolls, in fact. :D -------------------- -Daravon Posts: 104 | Registered: Friday, March 8 2002 08:00 |
|
Apprentice
Member # 4763
|
written Thursday, October 14 2004 08:05
Profile
Homepage
quote:But the first thing you said was that the Avernum setting seemed to 'pull from' these assorted fantasy works... There was absolutely no philisophical ranting, some of us just disagree with you outright. I suppose I could also point out that the BoA forum isn't the best place to be asking people, but I don't want to seem too argumentative... -------------------- I once killed a man for his teeth. Posts: 25 | Registered: Thursday, July 22 2004 07:00 |
|
Agent
Member # 2210
|
written Thursday, October 14 2004 08:57
Profile
Looked through the interviews to see what influenced Jeff Vogel. Pulled out a few quotes. Pretty surprised to see that Harlan Ellison and Robert Silverberg seem to be two strongest written influences. In computer games Ultima and Wizardry are the two most mentioned. Mentions in passsing Baldurs Gate 2, and Planescape Torment. Gamezone Interview Spidweb 2: Harlan Ellison is God. Let me repeat, t clear all ambiguity. Harlan Ellison, while personally sometimes a wee bit of a jerk, is God. I love the emotionally impacting way he writes and often let it influence the way I design my stories. Though I'm influenced by many other writers as well. Anyone who's read a lot of Silverberg will see a lot of his ideas have influence my stories. And, of course, there are many others. I'm influenced a huge amount by SF authors Gamespot/ Gamepen Plus, I hate the whole Tolkien thing of the standard human/elf/half- elf/dwarf/halfling/gnome/whatever thing, where there's allthese races and you don't know who any of them are. This was the first thing I decided when writing Exile: NO ELVES. Vault Network Jeff Vogel: Iâve been more influenced by the mid-range Ultimas (IV-VI) than any other series of games. How could you not be? Just for the stories alone, these are probably the best and most influential rpgs ever. Mac Gamers Ledge How'd you come up with the name "Slithzerikai"? Was the idea for the race inspired by anything? I just made it up, and the idea was pretty much my own. I thought them up for the first time in junior high, as part of a D&D campaign I never made up. Eboredom: JEFF VOGEL: Well, Phantasie and Wizard's Crown were good titles, but Wizardry and Ultima had the combination of ingenuity and good, solid design that makes a winner. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |