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Health Update, Mood and Musings
13 years ago
So I've got an angioplasty lined up for Oct. 18th. Last week the doctors did the angiogram and found the exact spot I'm having trouble; one of the major arteries on the top-front of my heart has a nice buildup of plaque blocking it to the point of near-uselessness. Apparently the placement of it right before a bifurcation made the situation a little more complex, so they put me on some blood thinners instead of taking care of the blockage right then and there. Should be a relatively easy procedure, and my relatively young age limits the number of possible complications. Things are lookin up.
As for my mental state, things were lookin pretty bleak. I was already in rough shape, and Cooper left for a few days to Toronto to hang with friends, leaving me alone, frustrated, depressed and in general a complete wreck (She'd had it planned for a while, I just happened to be in a shitty place when she left). But strangely, I perked up a bit after she left. My muse started rollin again on a couple things. And when I actually start having ideas, I tend to snap out of depression. Without creativity I tend to feel like I lack purpose, get frustrated, and the frustration tends to make it worse.
One of the things my brain started working on again was my little sci fi setting (if you haven't already read them, look back through my journals to my "Mindbaby" series of journals. I'm told I have a gift). While I'd already made a setting, full of neato cultures and groovy tech stuff, I hadn't really given the setting much of a flavor. One could be forgiven for taking it as "yet another dry, bland sci-fi setting", because it more or less is, to a degree (except with the transhumanism ramped up and use of synthetic ecology, i.e. robot steaks made from robot cows that graze dumps and landfills full of robot parts). I was lacking that certain something, y'know? that draw, that thing that appeals to an observer, that draws them in, gets them fantasizing. A decent hook.
So, I got to thinking (after taking in some DCAU material, and spending a fair chunk of time at TVTropes) that the ideal hook would be characters that are elevated above the common man. Star Wars has their Jedi, 40K has their Space Marines, Girl Genius has their Sparks, y'know, stuff like that. so, what kind of person could occur in my setting? Well, I used the stuff I'd developed for my backstory for my own fursona; ex-military, runs his own little company that builds ships and power armor for individual customers, and goes out from time to time to fight in battles where believes in the cause. Hm. he wouldnt be the only guy doing that, would he? Fuck no.
Well, let's roll with that idea. Maybe with the advances in communication and transportation technologies, individuals or small groups might weigh in on the battlefields of the far future with increasing regularity. Motivations vary. Some are genuine heroes who go in because they feel it's the right thing to do. Some might be PMC's going in to make some money. I imagine a lot of people would come in to provide refugee support and evacuation, guys with their own little frigates and cargo vessels. Hell, there would probably be a fair number of pirates swooping in to scavenge, and sadistic monsters who just go in for the thrill of the kill. Some would be heavily augmented cyborgs or even sentient vehicles, some would be minimally augmented but strongly heroic or malevolent. But they'd all be far from normal, and in a sense, elevated above the common man.
I honestly can't think of a suitable name for these individuals. I'll have to do some research, and flesh it out a bit more. They wouldn't be too far separate in organization and metafictional importance to superheroes, just without the weird superpowers and tights. They'd be hero-level characters. It'd be the position you'd want to put yourself in when you're fantasizing about being in the setting.
Flavor, man.
COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge ones)
1/ Aryte (66.7% completed)
2/ Rogern (inked, colouring)
3/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
4/ Mechaman
5/ Chazore x2
6/ Suntatoowolf
7/ Artica (restart, inking. Learning wet fur tricks)
8/ Sandalf
9/ Roaming_Shadow
10/ daswuetend
11/ yutrah
12/ rageki
13/ Twitch The Dragon
14/ dragonfireny
15/ Kipeo
16/ Opeoaslam
As for my mental state, things were lookin pretty bleak. I was already in rough shape, and Cooper left for a few days to Toronto to hang with friends, leaving me alone, frustrated, depressed and in general a complete wreck (She'd had it planned for a while, I just happened to be in a shitty place when she left). But strangely, I perked up a bit after she left. My muse started rollin again on a couple things. And when I actually start having ideas, I tend to snap out of depression. Without creativity I tend to feel like I lack purpose, get frustrated, and the frustration tends to make it worse.
One of the things my brain started working on again was my little sci fi setting (if you haven't already read them, look back through my journals to my "Mindbaby" series of journals. I'm told I have a gift). While I'd already made a setting, full of neato cultures and groovy tech stuff, I hadn't really given the setting much of a flavor. One could be forgiven for taking it as "yet another dry, bland sci-fi setting", because it more or less is, to a degree (except with the transhumanism ramped up and use of synthetic ecology, i.e. robot steaks made from robot cows that graze dumps and landfills full of robot parts). I was lacking that certain something, y'know? that draw, that thing that appeals to an observer, that draws them in, gets them fantasizing. A decent hook.
So, I got to thinking (after taking in some DCAU material, and spending a fair chunk of time at TVTropes) that the ideal hook would be characters that are elevated above the common man. Star Wars has their Jedi, 40K has their Space Marines, Girl Genius has their Sparks, y'know, stuff like that. so, what kind of person could occur in my setting? Well, I used the stuff I'd developed for my backstory for my own fursona; ex-military, runs his own little company that builds ships and power armor for individual customers, and goes out from time to time to fight in battles where believes in the cause. Hm. he wouldnt be the only guy doing that, would he? Fuck no.
Well, let's roll with that idea. Maybe with the advances in communication and transportation technologies, individuals or small groups might weigh in on the battlefields of the far future with increasing regularity. Motivations vary. Some are genuine heroes who go in because they feel it's the right thing to do. Some might be PMC's going in to make some money. I imagine a lot of people would come in to provide refugee support and evacuation, guys with their own little frigates and cargo vessels. Hell, there would probably be a fair number of pirates swooping in to scavenge, and sadistic monsters who just go in for the thrill of the kill. Some would be heavily augmented cyborgs or even sentient vehicles, some would be minimally augmented but strongly heroic or malevolent. But they'd all be far from normal, and in a sense, elevated above the common man.
I honestly can't think of a suitable name for these individuals. I'll have to do some research, and flesh it out a bit more. They wouldn't be too far separate in organization and metafictional importance to superheroes, just without the weird superpowers and tights. They'd be hero-level characters. It'd be the position you'd want to put yourself in when you're fantasizing about being in the setting.
Flavor, man.
COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge ones)
1/ Aryte (66.7% completed)
2/ Rogern (inked, colouring)
3/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
4/ Mechaman
5/ Chazore x2
6/ Suntatoowolf
7/ Artica (restart, inking. Learning wet fur tricks)
8/ Sandalf
9/ Roaming_Shadow
10/ daswuetend
11/ yutrah
12/ rageki
13/ Twitch The Dragon
14/ dragonfireny
15/ Kipeo
16/ Opeoaslam
The setting sounds great, wherein PMCs and military organizations can hold more power than actual nations and goverments. I couldn't help but be reminded of MGS4 and the War Economy which was stated there, which in honesty it could actually be true. Also the fact that augmentations and cyborgs seem to be the norm there, we could simply see everyday people go about their lives in a militarized zone without having the constant paranoia of being blown to bits, aside from the refugees that is.
I might just have to go back and read those older journals of yours because it sounds like a good read.
You know, once you get you're universe fleshed out more, I think it would be a good setting for a book. :)
Also your setting is turning out pretty interesting. It would be mad cool if you ever managed to get a job at something that allowed you to tell the world more about it. Maybe if you ever come across the free time you could try working with some people to write a small book? Or hell, make it a tabletop RPG setting since you enjoy roleplaying.
Likely your main character would get involved in something because a buddy comes by to get some work done, mentions going somewhere to do something, and it appeals enough to drag him along.
Not sure what to call them. John Robb might talk about super-enpowerment, where due to politics or technology, a small group or even a single individual could make drastic impacts. You might find some inspiration in his work--
http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/
Good luck on the surgery. At least they're not splitting you open stem to stern yet.
As for this idea you're talking about, gotta say that it sounds interesting adn I look forward to seeing what you come up with. If I can help in any way please let me know =3
-hugs- good luck with everything man.
Man, that'd be a strange relationship to explore.
I wholeheartedly approve of this fictional setting, by the way, sounds totally rad. The only name I can come up with, if they're really that similar to superheroes, is "Champions".
The Unusual Suspects.
Glad to hear that the ol' ticker's being taken care of, and better to open it back up than thin you out.
You said you were 29. That is still young. :P
The guy is a business savvy tech-head. Ends up with a nice big cruiser w/ really good automated targeting systems, and system repair robots.
Comes to a warzone - drops off, lets say, 100 war-cyborgs (so cybered up they've lost that spark of humanity - and thus do not need to be paid), 50 light automated vehicles (varying purposes. Some are hunter-killers, others are mine-layers or even civilian rescue-busses), and 10 sentient tanks. Programs it all "Meet back up here in 1 week."
Tosses out an indeterminate number of floating hover repair drones to watch over his stuff....and then goes back to his ship, kicks back, and watches the money roll into his account and eat a cup-o-soup.
Long time back, way before it was a big thing, before the holos and glamor, it was just guys. Sometimes gals, but mostly guys, pushin the envelope and livin on the edge, literal as often as not. You freelanced when you were desperate, driven, disaffected...any of a thousand reasons. Life's hard when you aren't sure you'll have air to breathe in the mornin--or what passes for morning in the deep--but a good score could give one man a king's ransom or a whole colony comfortable living.
When the last big bust hit years ago--whether you call it the Collapse or not--seemed to be damn near everyone was a freelancer, and colony folk had to watch their backs. That's when they stopped always bein small-time groups, and when some started makin a formal presence for themselves. It's also when the "free" fell off and they were just Lancers.
Don't often cause much trouble these days; that is, they get into more than their fair share, but usually they join a ruckus in progress, rather than start it. But you can be damn sure, when Lancers get involved, things change. For better or for worse, they change. That's why the highest bidders and the lowest beggars know where, and who, to ask for help.
Lancers.
Glad to hear the health issues seem manageable; good luck with the angioplasty!
stay on track Strype! Keep the train going, you still have many places to go :)
I can see as part of the history of the setting that when this "weighing in" first started, governments tried to control it, until eventually this "private sector" proved more capable than they were, though smaller in scale in a sense, and they realized it was a loosing battle to try and control them. Some still try, but it's mostly a futile effort. Now most militaries treat them as a "known unknown" when formulating battle plans; there's always a possibility that one or more may show up, for any reason.
A name for such people is tricky, as it's not a group, but a loose classification. Part of this classifications defining features is that, for the most part, their actions likely tip the scales of conflict in some way, directly or indirectly. Perhaps look for a name that, even loosely, thematically harkens to that element. I'm not good with such "symbolic" naming (I'm often too literal minded), but it's at least a place to start searching for a title.
Anyway, good to here that creative spark of yours is kindling a flame again. My problem at the moment is I've got the creativity, but can't seem to focus on anything creative long enough to make progress. I start working and my brain goes "eh, I don't want to work on this anymore". My muse is beside himself trying to get everything in order and pin these things down.
Would They be an actual organization with a Roster and such (thinking Justice League without the Moral high ground). Or would they be sort of a random collection of people aligned by unspoken agreements? I can imagine Strype is the kind of guy who would enter the fray among the first, and hang out afterwards to casually knock out anyone who gets.. overzealous in lootiing
I miss musing with you, talking about your ideas, gleaning creative juices from you. I miss you man. We need to catch up.
Funnily enough 'Hero' is a word that is going to be used in one of my story settings (The Fenrisians/Prince of Ice) to describe the Alpha Commando's, men and women who are basically genetic throw-backs to a less civilised and more dangerous time. They don't play well with others, they are often arrogant, confrontational and have various deviant quirks that come with having a brain telling you to be top of the pecking order.
They also make exceptional soldiers, second only to the 'trained from a young age and psychically powerful' Royal Guard.
The Xerisii, another race in the Empire, call the Alpha's 'Heroes'. 'Hero' in Xerisiian basically translates as 'One who is like a force of nature, nearly impossible to control and answering to few people, if any. Powerful and dangerous in equal measure.'
And, despite being a very clique, love-or-hate group, the Alpha's are nearly exclusively found where the fighting is thickest, pulling off the missions that no one else could, doing insane things that only work thanks to their never-say-never attitude, gung-ho nature and sheer arrogance mixed in with a healthy (for them) dose of skill, talent and brute strength.
Having high quality personalise arms and armour never hurt, either.
(/Ramble)
Great to hear you're feeling a bit better and that the op shouldn't be too fraught. I, for one, look forward to hearing more about your creations. They sound like win.
Unorths? From unorthodox.
Sovers? From sovereign.
Anom? From anomalous.
It's great that you're getting better, both mentally and physically. I am quite interested as to what this project turns out to be!
For some reason, I can't think of a better name for your bad-ass rank guys than the obvious. After all, you're the creator of some of the best examples of these characters I've ever seen.
Why not call them "Strypes?"
I think you deserve to have something named after you, after all you've been through lately.
Get better-er dude.
Strype, I'm not gonna pretend we're good friends, because we've rarely talked directly if ever, but this I'm good at. I've got trillions of ideas for scifi settings, half of which are fully original, and I'd love to assist with this. It seems to me that you've got your setting, well and in full. You can see it in your art, in that little bit of text you put so much heart into (shut up, peanut gallery). All you seem to be looking for is an actual, interesting storyline inside that universe you've created. Gonna be square with you, I love this idea, and I wish I'd thought of it first. But since I didn't, I want to help :)
May the angioplasty work to heal you and let you get stronger.
I hope you remembered to pack a lunch on your wiki-walk... or maybe even a tent and 3 days worth of microwave pizzas.