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Aporia: Sci-Fi RPG

Started by Durakken Jun 20, 2011 at 2:30 AM 22 replies 6.8k views
Original Post
Durakken
Durakken
I am basically stuck at a plot point and don't know what happens to party A to work with party B
I also suck at names so if anyone has any ideas for alien race names and such or where I can find some help with that it would be much appreciated.

Basic idea and premise behind the game...
Seeing that the previous games ideas I've had are way too big for me to accomplish the way I want because I care too much about them and spending years on a single project with no hope of getting it done is worthless I decided to come up with an idea for a game that I am less attached to and can be more malleable about the direction this is what I've come up with.

#1. 2D RPG (I suck at 3D and am not that great with graphic programming as it is, but I at least know I can do everything I need to do in a 2d game)

#2. Segmental/episodic game. This allows me to work on a part of the story/game till it's complete and then release it. To this end I had to think of a setting which is naturally gated. This idea works. You'll see why when we get to the premise.

#3. One of the things I hate about games is that you are in a world you've lived all your life (in character) yet know nothing about it... That has always annoyed me so i considered that when I came up with the premise.


-So what is the premise?
You are mysteriously transported to either the galactic capital (or an alien ship who takes you there) and the galactic government uses you to spy on the confederated (allied, haven't finalized how the government works yet) worlds and to act as an agent that can't be linked back to them because humans are unknown in the galaxy. You work for them to try to get home.

That's it. This fixes #3 but saying whoever the player is is the character in the game. And while at first glance it may be large, when you take into account that you being someone untrusted and new to the scene you can have limited access to transportation and thus new places only open p by way of gaining trust which can only be done by playing other missions...in effect a gated experience which allows me time to develop the next episode which fits criteria 2. And it does fit an RPG mold enough to be made that way even though it probably lends itself more towards a more LA Noir / inFAMOUS / Mass Effect style of game play.

Back Story of the Game's Universe
Basically to do what I wanted to do I had to create a universe... and it's backstory and how things got to where they are, before I had to deal with them in the game as a set up of sorts. Don't have to go into much detail but enough to know how the universe evolved... The following is a timeline that is rough estimates and a generally layout of the evolution of the galaxy. One will notice Norse and Judeo-Christian type names...that's on purpose. One might also recognize a Mass Effect Influence as well as a Babylon 5 type thing going on a bit... that was intentional... and obviously this isn't complete.


~ 162,000 BCE : The first sentient life evolves and begins growing as a civilization.
~ 157,000 BCE : The first civilizations start meeting and going to war with each other
~ 152,000 BCE : By this time a single civilization has risen and to complete dominance, The Trinity of Shaddai
~ 147,000 BCE : The Shaddai creates the 18 jump gate hubs
~ 142,000 BCE : The Shaddai begin to leave the galaxy
~ 137,000 BCE : Those dominated civilizations try to form their own government, the Ahryv, but squables result in the space faring age coming to the end.
~ 132,000 BCE : By this time almost all the sentient races returned to a primitive state. The remaining Ahryv begine to do what they can to restore planet resources so the next generation can have a chance.
~ 122,000 BCE : The last of the Ahryv disappear from the galaxy and the sentiant races begin to grow again.
~ 117,000 BCE : The 2nd Age of civs begin meeting and warring with each other, however the jumpgates allow for a single race, The Jotnar, to dominate quickly by allowing them access to more space and resources.
~ 116,000 BCE : The Jotnar by this time has formed several confederated kingdoms around the Jumpgates.
~ 107,000 BCE : The Jotnar discover how the jumpgates work and the kingdoms wanting to secure their power more and extend it create networks of mini jumpgates around each of the Sheddai gates
~ 102,000 BCE : The Jotnar go to war with each other and cause great amounts of misery to all the subserviant races until many of the kingdoms are destroyed and mysteriously all the remaining Jotnar are forced to retreat to Yggdrasil. The sentient races begin to war with themselves as they savagely attempt to seize control in the power vacuum.
~ 097,000 BCE : The Jotnar retreat further to their homeplanet of Muspelheim which they then lock the gate out of the network. All sentient races have been reduced to very few in number and suffer nuclear winters
~ 082,000 BCE : The sentient races begin to recover, but only the Jotun are able to thrive and begin their civilization due to their large builds and love of the frost.
~ 077,000 BCE : The Jotuns civ reaches the point where they are able to leave their planet start exploring space and discover the jumpgate network and explore the galaxy.
~ 072,000 BCE : The Jotuns have decided to leave the other sentient races they have found alone. They also have solitary access to the history of the galaxy and the two previous ages
~ 067,000 BCE : Interested in the various other races in the universe they explore those planets and interact with them, but tend to stay uninvolved with them
~ 062,000 BCE : The majority of the Jotuns begin to leave the galaxy, but some wish to view the next age from afar so take the 18th Shaddai hub as a viewing post and lock it down, while other feel still connected to their home world and return to a simpler way of life.
~ 037,000 BCE : 4th age civilizations begin to develop
~ 032,000 BCE : Each of the Jump gate hubs form their own empires and no major power arises which leads to each hub becoming isolated in their own space.
~ 027,000 BCE : Some Jump gate empires form alliances and after the long isolation period which along with isolation leads other hubs to fall into in fighting.
~ 025,000 BCE : An alliance of the 16 hubs is finally formed and the capital of the alliance is the Sephirot Jumpgate Hub. The various races try to explore, but old anxieties cause feuds and blockades.
~ 022,000 BCE : The alliance has degraded and the hubs are isolationists again... The collapse however shows no sign of stopping at just the hub isolation though.
~ 017,000 BCE : Each of the hub empires show various signs of stability, rising and falling, but most have fallen back to their home worlds, content with watching their descendants rise up, or have been completely fallen to primitivity once more.
~ 012,000 BCE : The hubs continue to struggle with stability and a lack of resources which threatens a galactic wide war. Earth's high civilization reside in a Atlantis and are isolated from the primitive earthling. Other races from the Yggdrasil hub who have fallen and risen begin colonizing and enslaving earth civilizations. The Atlantians in their anger wage war on these aliens over the Earth and in a last ditch effort to save the human race they destroy the Yggdrasil hub and send a virus over the hub network to destroy their historical databases. This angers the conquorering races and they destroy Atlantis but due to alliances and lack of resources the alien civilizations are beaten and driven off while the alliances to save humanity watch over earth's next age civilizations from afar, remembered as gods and various other mythological beings. Also, the ice sheats of the planets around the galaxy that were in a nuclear winter triggered ice age melt, setting back their cultures to the beginning again.
~ 003,000 BCE : Age 5 civilizations begin to develop around the galaxy.
~ 001,200 CE : The first of the Age 5 civilizations start heavily exploring their solar systems



The Trinity of Shaddai : The triumvirate government that forms in the first generation of space faring civilizations, those who said enough to their world, often referred to as The Shaddai.

The Ahryv : A loose confederation of civilizations that were subserviant to the Shaddai that formed after the Shedia left the galaxy.

Jotnar : A race of giants that like the heat that dominated the galaxy during the 2nd age only to mysteriously retreat back to their home.

Jotuns : A rance of giants that like the cold that had the galaxy to themselves to explore in the 3rd age


Why 162,000 BCE? Basically, that's when modern humans first evolved on earth and I presume that is the earliest date civs could start given that evolution always favors itnelligence.(presumptions only vaguely supported by various facts of science...also doesn't take into account non-modern humans who might have been just as smart further back in time.

Why 12,000 BCE? Closest to the estimated time given by Plato of Atlantis. War between aliens comes from Mahbarata (probably spelled wrong)

Why 3000 BCE? just about all civilizations started around then

Why 1200 CE? Given that all civs grow at fairly the same speed as we did 1200 CE is roughly the amount of time it would take from 3100 BCE to get to modern tech without the dark ages.

Why 5 ages? Various cultures around the world mythologically always point to 5 ages...it just sorta works, but leaves a lot of time to be dealt with.


I have not gotten any history past 1200 CE but presumably it will be far denser packed and such than the rest so far.


Jumpgate Network Information



Name: Sephirot
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 00
Location: Center of the galaxy above the galactic bulge


System Name: Not Applicable
Inhabited World: Not applicable
Major Outposts: Sephirot
Other Information -
The Jumpgate is the only gate that is connected to all the other Shaddai Jumpgates other than Ashvattha.
The Station is also known as the Galactic Capital and is the home of a confederation made up of the dominant races of the 15 Shaddai Jumpgates. It is also home to thousands of citizens from the 165 Jumpgate worlds.


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 01
Location: North-North West of the Galactic Center 25,000 LY out



System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 2 Jotnar Jumpgates;
Gate 1:
Gate 2:


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 02
Location: North-North East of the Galactic Center 25,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 4 Jotnar Jumpgates;
Gate 1:
Gate 2:

Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 03
Location: North-East East of the Galactic Center 25,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 14 Jotnar Jumpgates;
Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:

Gate 9:
Gate 10:

Gate 11:
Gate 12:

Gate 13:
Gate 14:

Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 04
Location: South-East East of the Galactic Center 25,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 18 Jotnar Jumpgates;


Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:

Gate 9:
Gate 10:

Gate 11:
Gate 12:

Gate 13:
Gate 14:
Gate 15:
Gate 16:
Gate 17:
Gate 18:
Name: Yggdrasil
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 05
Location: South-South East of the Galactic Center 25,000 LY out

Yggdrasil was destroyed in 10,000 BCE by the Atlantians.
Yggdrasil's previous location was above Tiamat, destroyed also when Yggdrasil, which was the 5th planet in the Sol System, was.


System Name: Sol
Inhabited World: Earth/Midgard
Major Outposts: Glaosheim
Other Information -
The Sol System is encased in a shield which only allows Humans and Human-sent things through it
The shield was created by the group of aliens now called the Asgard which is made up of Atlantians, Vanir (Ishim and Grigori), and the Aesir (The Devas and Kami), all of which watch over and protect the Earth's current civilization from a place called Glaosheim

The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 8 Jotnar Jumpgates:
Gate 1: Muspelheim, home of the Jotnar
Gate 2: Jotunheim, home of the Jotun
[font="Arial"][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif]

Gate 3: [/font]Svartalfaheim, home of the Deva[/font]
Gate 4: Alfheim, home of the Alfar
Gate 5: Vanaheim, home of the Anunnaki, Ishim, and Grigori
Gate 6: Asaheim, home of Kami
Gate 7: Nidavellir, Home of the Dvegar
Gate 8: Niflheim, Home of he Nair


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 06
Location: South-South West of the Galactic Center 25,000 LY out



System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 8 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:





Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 07
Location: South-West West of the Galactic Center 25,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 18 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:

Gate 9:
Gate 10:

Gate 11:
Gate 12:

Gate 13:
Gate 14:
Gate 15:
Gate 16:
Gate 17:
Gate 18:



Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 08
Location: North-West West of the Galactic Center 25,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 14 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:

Gate 9:
Gate 10:

Gate 11:
Gate 12:

Gate 13:
Gate 14:


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 09
Location: North-North West of the Galactic Center 50,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 16 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:

Gate 9:
Gate 10:

Gate 11:
Gate 12:

Gate 13:
Gate 14:
Gate 15:
Gate 16:



Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 10
Location: North-North East of the Galactic Center 50,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 8 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 11
Location: North-East East of the Galactic Center 50,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 5 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 12
Location: South-East East of the Galactic Center 50,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 17 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:

Gate 9:
Gate 10:

Gate 11:
Gate 12:

Gate 13:
Gate 14:
Gate 15:
Gate 16:
Gate 17:


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 13
Location: South-South East of the Galactic Center 50,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 6 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 14
Location: South-South West of the Galactic Center 50,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 16 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:
Gate 6:

Gate 7:
Gate 8:

Gate 9:
Gate 10:

Gate 11:
Gate 12:

Gate 13:
Gate 14:
Gate 15:
Gate 16:


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 15
Location: South-West West of the Galactic Center 50,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 0 Jotnar Jumpgates;


Name:
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 16
Location: North-West West of the Galactic Center 50,000 LY out


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -


The Yggdrasil Hub Jumpgate connects to 5 Jotnar Jumpgates;




Gate 1:
Gate 2:
Gate 3:
Gate 4:

Gate 5:


Name: Ashvattha
Jumpgate Numeral Designation: 17
Location: Center of the galaxy below the galactic bulge


System Name:
Inhabited World:
Major Outposts:
Other Information -



So where does that leave me in the story?
The aliens all find you to be interesting because Yggdrasil and that missing hub has been a mystery to them
the "UN" council takes interest because the UN is formed of 15 representatives (1 from Each active hub... the Sephirot hub is in the center of the galaxy above the galactic disk thus noone claims it as "home" The other one like the Sephirot hub is locked down by the Jotuns and hidden while the Yggdrasil hub is destroyed) which are divided up into 6 reptillian reps, 5 mammalian reps, 2 Avian reps, 1 cephalapod rep, and 1 arthropod rep. (the hubs aren't exclusively those type races but they're the leaders of those hub areas thus their interests come firstt) this leads to a minute amount of racism and siding between the two large groups... reptillians and mammals. With the introduction of Yggdrasil's hub representative the current paradigm would shift and possibly throw the galaxy into civil war which some of the races want while others don't.
I have none of these representatives really defined yet, either as individuals or as races/governments so any ideas on that would also help.

Any input would be much appreciated.

JoeCooper
JoeCooper
About names; Deutschland is Deutschland, but we call it Germany and Poles call it Niemcy. Names are just tags, anyone can cal anything whatever they want.

If you don't plan to go into alien languages - and I recommend you don't if you want to keep this tight - you should use names that humans tag them with.

I'm doing this in a story I'm wrapping up right now. There's an alien race that humans call the "Strangers" because of the way they put their societies together.

It's dead simple and meaningful in-context. Zelda does this a lot, like "Dark Interlopers" (tribe of sorcerers) and the Tri-Force (three widgets) and Hyrule (duh, High Rule).

[color="#1C2837"]You are mysteriously transported to either the galactic capital ... the galactic government uses you to spy ... can't be linked back to them because humans are unknown ... h[color="#1C2837"]ave the council go "we should use this guy as an agent" instead of "let's kill him"[/quote]

[color="#1C2837"]So he winds up there for no particular reason, and as it happens they want him to do something, and you can't connect these things? You've almost got it. I'll pitch a solution for you.

[color="#1C2837"]They come to you. On Earth. They recruit you. They do so because humans are a sufficiently smart, capable species that happens to be within range of themselves but their enemies happen to not know of them.

[color="#1C2837"]They don't know of humans because it's 1200 CE. We don't even start serious work on space flight until the 1890s and as of 2010 do not know in principle how to go from one galaxy to another. Viewed from orbit, Earth is far less obviously industrialized because the cities are not so bright and there are far less aerosols. But it is blatantly alive to anyone within dozens of thousands of lightyears or more, so it might be found by some researchers... (Note that this implies the confederation or whoever likes to send researchers to places.)

[color="#1C2837"]You're a knight or ninja or something or whatever with projectile weapon skills. Aliens meet your king, trade some aluminum for a good recommendation and the king calls you in. You go because you'd be happy to do a five year tour of duty with the Sky Gods to bring riches to your kingdom.

[color="#1C2837"]Side note; [color="#1C2837"]it doesn't strictly matter what year it is, but having a pre-industrial, feudal person brought in may also makes the individual an outsider to the modern world altogether. Not familiar with industrialism, modern communication systems and probably lives with a whole lot less bureaucratics. He also doesn't have the pre-conceived notions of alien life that we do. The idea that Mars and Venus are worlds you can walk on is very old, but the idea that they're dead didn't settle in until we started perform spectrograph measurements in the 19th century and the idea that alien persons should be radically different (not human) wouldn't likely occur to someone who isn't familiar with darwinism and the origin of species.[color="#000000"] Finally, even if tortured he cannot begin to explain just where the heck he's from.

[color="#1C2837"][color="#000000"]You're set up for everything from hiring to formal training to being a fish out of water to being shipped home.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"][color="#000000"]You're also set up for being found out if the enemy also happens to send researchers, or found or stole exploration reports, and that could be used against you ("we'll nuke your home if you don't tell us blah blah!").
Durakken
Durakken

About names; Deutschland is Deutschland, but we call it Germany and Poles call it Niemcy. Names are just tags, anyone can cal anything whatever they want.

If you don't plan to go into alien languages - and I recommend you don't if you want to keep this tight - you should use names that humans tag them with.



The problem here being that everything the player knows would come from the aliens themselves so, doesn't quite work so well.



[color="#1C2837"]So he winds up there for no particular reason, and as it happens they want him to do something, and you can't connect these things? You've almost got it. I'll pitch a solution for you.

[color="#1C2837"]They come to you. On Earth. They recruit you. They do so because humans are a sufficiently smart, capable species that happens to be within range of themselves but their enemies happen to not know of them.

[color="#1C2837"]They don't know of humans because it's 1200 CE.
[/quote]

This is my fault. I was unclear.

The story happens in modern time. The 1200 CE date is the beginning point of shared history where all the sentient species start exploring space... so there is 800 years of history that each of the races have with each other at the point of the story. It's still early in the Age, considering that each little period in the broad background story is roughly 5,000 years.

So, it's modern day. You're "mysteriously" transported to the Galactic Capital. The reasons behind this transportation I haven't decided but it ranges from one of the ancient civs did it to an experiment on earth caused a brief connection to the jumpgate network and safety protocols just dumped you there... or similarly, just a freak event of nature.

The reason that the aliens don't know much about earth and the area is it (i didn't mention this...slipped my mind) #1 takes a long time to explore #2 even with the best FTL technology 25,000 lightyears is still fairly far away if we want the Jump gates to be worth anything and #3 they have tried to send expeditions in noticing that there was a missing hub, but none of the ships have ever come back... its' like a bermuda triangle... And I have been somewhat toying with the idea in my head that it's probably not a place that many people are brave enough to go considering that if they were able to recover data from the last few ages they'd know that the Jotuns and Jotnar are both likely still around and likely more advanced than them and not to mention they might know that humans are the ones who destroyed the hub and such and might consider them quite dangerous just for having that type of thinking that would allow them to conceive of doing that.

Basically it goes like this
Hero mysteriously gets thrown into having to work for alien government to get home
When hero finds a way to get home (if we say the quest to find a way is season 1 this is the cliff hanger to go into season 2...) he finds that a restored hub would not only bring the threat of the entire galaxy on earth, but also may bring a disaster upon the entire universe by unleashing 2 ancient, probably mad, races back onto the scene.
If we ever get this far we would have a reveal that it's another race far more powerful still that is influencing both sides into this war for some reason

Or if you know sci-fi series.... Far Scape turning into Babylon 5 which turns into Mass Effect.... eventually... and after all this epicness is over i'd love to just transform into a giant sandbox where I get to add more planets and explore how earth and those around it integrates into this society...


So the reason your solution doesn't work is because there is no connection route between the rest of the galaxy and Earth at the opening of the game.
JoeCooper
JoeCooper
[font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"]Writing is your job. I suggest you connect his transportation with his use. The simple, indisputable facts are that he did get there from Earth, regardless of what you want to do with that route, and he has something to do there. Simply decide who moved him, and make it so that this party had a task in mind for him. It doesn't have to be the galactic council. It's not my job to keep track of your details. I made a suggestion to connect two disparate but totally connectable facts, if and how you do that is up to you. I made a pitch simply to throw some ideas out in case you're short on them. You may take those or leave them at your discretion.[/font]
[font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"] [/font]
[font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"]Before I go on, none of this is to argue, it's just food for thought. I have another pitch at the end.

"[color="#1C2837"]The problem here being that everything the player knows would come from the aliens themselves so ..."[/font]

[color="#1C2837"]How are they communicating?

[color="#1C2837"]Decide that and you'll probably come up with something for many of your problems. If you don't want to use English terms for names, I'd suggest you make the spelling intuitive (avoid starting with Y) and keep it simple. Look at Stargate names; Goa'uld, Ori, Oma Desala, uhh, those other guys with those laser things, ...[color="#1C2837"] (But personally I'd recommend avoiding apostrophes in names.)
[size="4"] [color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]"Th[color="#1C2837"]e reason that the aliens don't know much about earth and the area is it (i didn't mention this...slipped my mind) #1 takes a long time to explore ..."

[color="#1C2837"]With technology we're bringing online IRL we can do absolutely massive surveys of stars in a way that lets us observe the chemical makeup of their atmospheres. The Kepler space telescope has found well over one thousand planets this past year and that's extremely primitive compared to any kind of galactic confederation. In principle, follow-up measurements can identify which planets are alive.

[color="#1C2837"]Granted, the data it is showing suggests there may be up to two billion terrestrial planets in "habitable zones" in the Milky Way, but we'll probably need another 20 years before we can estimate what % of those are living, so for now you can make up a conveniently low figure and it still jives with the data we have.

[color="#1C2837"]Point is, it is in principle possible to spot living planets from great distances and just look at those.

[color="#1C2837"]It's perfectly plausible that Earth was early on their list. Keep in mind you have a radically large timescale and we'll have probably found several living planets within the next decade or two. Once the technology gets going, this can go f-ing fast.

[color="#1C2837"]Just food for thought.

[color="#1C2837"]"... even with the best FTL technology 25,000 lightyears is still fairly far away"

[color="#1C2837"]We do not, in principle, know how to accomplish FTL, therefore the FTL is entirely your fiction, as are its constraints. Therefore you may do whatever is convenient.

[color="#1C2837"]And again, you have already decided that he goes from here to there.


"[color="#1C2837"]If we ever get this far we would have a reveal that it's another race far more powerful still that is influencing both sides ..."


[color="#1C2837"]I'll pitch one more connection idea for you.

[color="#1C2837"]He mysteriously goes from here to there, and someone there mysteriously had a vision of his arrival and knows what to do. He doesn't know how.

[color="#1C2837"]This leaves plenty blank, let's you jump in quickly and expand upon it later at your discretion. Shibby?
Durakken
Durakken

[font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"]Writing is your job.[/font]




Yes it is. It is imo, though, better to explain why an idea doesn't work than just ignore it saying thanks when you have someone that throws an idea your way because it leads them to pitching more ideas and you thinking an idea through and perhaps finding a better idea through that. Also I hate when people simply dismiss an idea as if I'm trying to help you and you just ignore me or dismiss the idea without saying why i don't learn anything, I don't know if you heard me, or i feel insulted as i spent time to try to help and am less likely to help in the future.


That is why any idea that someone comes up with to me if I like it I explain why and how it works in and if i don't I explain why and how it doesn't... helps me think and more likely to get better help ^.^




[font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"][/font]

[font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"]"[color="#1C2837"]The problem here being that everything the player knows would come from the aliens themselves so ..."[/font]

[color="#1C2837"]How are they communicating?

[color="#1C2837"]Decide that and you'll probably come up with something for many of your problems. If you don't want to use English terms for names, I'd suggest you make the spelling intuitive (avoid starting with Y) and keep it simple. Look at Stargate names; Goa'uld, Ori, Oma Desala, uhh, those other guys with those laser things, ...[color="#1C2837"] (But personally I'd recommend avoiding apostrophes in names.)
[color="#1C2837"] [/quote]

I was thinking of doing this funny thing where there is this sequence where you given a number of things to label and what you label changes a translation matrix translator thingy so that when you talk to people you would get really messed up sentences that would be supposedly english if you put the right answers in.



[color="#1C2837"]With technology we're bringing online IRL we can do absolutely massive surveys of stars in a way that lets us observe the chemical makeup of their atmospheres. The Kepler space telescope has found well over one thousand planets this past year and that's extremely primitive compared to any kind of galactic confederation. In principle, follow-up measurements can identify which planets are alive.

[color="#1C2837"]Granted, the data it is showing suggests there may be up to two billion terrestrial planets in "habitable zones" in the Milky Way, but we'll probably need another 20 years before we can estimate what % of those are living, so for now you can make up a conveniently low figure and it still jives with the data we have.

[color="#1C2837"]Point is, it is in principle possible to spot living planets from great distances and just look at those.
[/quote]

true, but once you find aliens it becomes less about finding them after that point and how you deal with them. And after a while meeting new ones isn't as exciting any more. Though, the fact of the matter is that the place the aliens in this universe are at is that they know there is something over there/here and their interested, but they just can't come over here due to plot contrivance ^.^



[color="#1C2837"]It's perfectly plausible that Earth was early on their list. Keep in mind you have a radically large timescale and we'll have probably found several living planets within the next decade or two. Once the technology gets going, this can go f-ing fast[color="#1C2837"].
[color="#1c2837"][/quote]

[color="#1c2837"]

[color="#1c2837"]The time scale thing has to do with I like mythology and i'm pretty much cramming a lot of mythology/ancient alien stuff in and making it more reasonable than it is >.> The large time scale is due to the age thing and trying to figure an explanation of civilization being natural and there being hundreds of thousands of non-civilization, but at the same time many groups saying there were. The time scale is wretchedly long compared to what I would think a civilization of these types would last, but whatever ^.^ Science fiction...well more science fantasy imo, but it fits more with the fiction genre as other people think it...
[color="#1c2837"]

[color="#1c2837"]

[color="#1C2837"]"... even with the best FTL technology 25,000 lightyears is still fairly far away"

[color="#1C2837"]We do not, in principle, know how to accomplish FTL, therefore the FTL is entirely your fiction, as are its constraints. Therefore you may do whatever is convenient.

[color="#1C2837"]And again, you have already decided that he goes from here to there.
[/quote]

Yes and no >.>
There are 4 types of travel in this universe...all sci-fi nerds should know them

Hyper-space - Uses a conventional drive in a realm of 4 or 5 dimensions essentially making the same distance covered in hyper space equal to some multiple greater in normal space. Limited in range by standard engines times the multiple and the length of time and depth into hyper space the ship can go....I haven't really thought of the numbers for equation yet. but i can make this unappealing for traveling 25k LY

Slip Stream - basically you create an area of low inertia allowing you to put less energy into moving faster... of course breaking then is extremely hard and puts lots of stress on those things so only small or massive ships can do it.

Warp - bubble that expands and contracts space around you... limited by the shearing resistance of the materials you use and the energy you can put into it even though theoretically it would have infinite speed. Traveling at high enough speeds is possible but not safe (same reason that Star Trek uses pretty much... while you can go beyond warp factor X your ship will fall apart)

Wormholes/jumpgates - instant point to point travel... this is pretty much the reason why the other travel methods are slower than they hypothetically could be... if they weren't they'd be useless... and given the needed length of the time line the technology for improving how fast the other methods are must be slow in coming...

Again the reasoning is more for plot than anything else ^.^


"[color="#1C2837"]If we ever get this far we would have a reveal that it's another race far more powerful still that is influencing both sides ..."


[color="#1C2837"]I'll pitch one more connection idea for you.

[color="#1C2837"]He mysteriously goes from here to there, and someone there mysteriously had a vision of his arrival and knows what to do. He doesn't know how.

[color="#1C2837"]This leaves plenty blank, let's you jump in quickly and expand upon it later at your discretion. Shibby?
[/quote]

I actually feel stupid for not connecting something like that within the last 24 hours >.> Someone influencing both sides would obviously have agents in the leadership of the galaxy so why wouldn't they use that influence and knowledge to start down that path...


On a side note, where does shibby come from I've heard it before...just can't remember where...
JoeCooper
JoeCooper
"[color=#1C2837][size=2]It is imo, though, better to explain why ..."
[color=#1C2837][size=2]

[color=#1C2837][size=2]That makes enough sense, I understand.
"[color="#1C2837"]all sci-fi nerds should know them"
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]I admit I'm a bit of a sci-fi muggle, but I do know that the methods in question IRL require too many times more energy than exists in the known universe so any story where someone is doing them is 100% fiction. Hence the saying; starships travel at the speed of plot.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]"[color="#1C2837"]the reasoning is more for plot than anything else"
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]Indubitably. Twas just a reminder that once you open the FTL can, you can do whatever you please.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]"[color="#1C2837"]The time scale is wretchedly long compared to what I would think a civilization of these types would last"
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]I think that's OK. Actually, Star Wars has a similar time scale if you look it up. Rummage around that Star Wars wiki some time; they talk about peoples spreading using sub-FTL and rifles and all kinds of crap in the history.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]It really gets the imagination going.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]Recently I've been thinking a civilization could go on for millions. A few species do when they really get on top of things; roaches and crocodilians are very f-ing old in roughly their current forms. They both survived the dinosaurs and while we almost did in the crocs, we elected to back off and it turns out the Floridian salties appreciate our nuclear power plant reservoirs.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]I always like to say that their longevity is cause they know how to chill. They don't hunt. They sit in pools and wait for food to walk by. Om nom nom.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]In principle I think we could do that. I can't imagine what it'd be like, though. The idea of peak technology scares me.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]In the story I'm wrapping up I had these pre-industrial people interacting with an explorer from a three million year old civilization, and there's some lines the explorer says I wanna throw in here (with some snippage):
[color="#1C2837"] [color="#1C2837"]
"We encountered, once, a civilization that could do things we could not. We never caught up to them. We’ve peaked, intellectually ... There are two profound shifts that occur in the life of a civilized species. The first is when they discover progress, and the second is when progress dies ... Progress dies slowly, starting with the malignant growth of apathy ...”


[color="#1C2837"]That's a really long statement though. ... I'll fix it on the second draft.
[color="#1C2837"]
I think some personality types wouldn't last. Did you see that Thor movie? They live on an Alderson disk with some kind of FTL teleporter, but they're all a bunch of drooling retards. Thor is all like "Raagghh smash" and his bro is more political. When their teleporter bones itself, they don't know what the hell to do and the best they came come up with is "durr maybe those Earthlings can figure it out". I think this is more prescient than it looks; I think they hit peak technology long ago and their science minded people killed themselves from boredom, leaving jocks and suckups.
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]"[color="#1C2837"]where does shibby come from"
[color="#1C2837"]
[color="#1C2837"]"Dude, Where's My Car?"
Durakken
Durakken


[color="#1C2837"]Recently I've been thinking a civilization could go on for millions. A few species do when they really get on top of things; roaches and crocodilians are very f-ing old in roughly their current forms. They both survived the dinosaurs and while we almost did in the crocs, we elected to back off and it turns out the Floridian salties appreciate our nuclear power plant reservoirs.

[color="#1C2837"]I always like to say that their longevity is cause they know how to chill. They don't hunt. They sit in pools and wait for food to walk by. Om nom nom.

[color="#1C2837"]In principle I think we could do that. I can't imagine what it'd be like, though. The idea of peak technology scares me.

[color="#1C2837"]In the story I'm wrapping up I had these pre-industrial people interacting with an explorer from a three million year old civilization, and there's some lines the explorer says I wanna throw in here (with some snippage):
[color="#1C2837"]
"We encountered, once, a civilization that could do things we could not. We never caught up to them. We’ve peaked, intellectually ... There are two profound shifts that occur in the life of a civilized species. The first is when they discover progress, and the second is when progress dies ... Progress dies slowly, starting with the malignant growth of apathy ...”
[color="#1C2837"][color=#000000]




Somewhat right to what I think...

I think star travel is largely science fantasy, not because we won't be able to do it, but rather by the time we can do it there won't be a point to doing it for most people.

I think the course of society will evolve into 3 classes eventually

Cyberhumans who have given up biological forms and have now become digital brains in a cloud computer of some sort that with links to some hard backs up somewhere...
Spliced humans who evolve their biology however they like and live immensely long lives but can no longer mate due to their genetic tampering and will eventually die out or become cyberhumans
normals who think the other 2 are abominations, fear most technology and stagnate and die when the planet can no longer support them

You'd think that Cyberhumans would be immortal for at least the life time of the universe, but in reality once we reach that point we'll be experiencing everything much faster and discovering things in digital worlds that eventually most people will start to unify and either wish death and delete themself, or stagnate into a living death of sorts... Only a few of this group imo will live on beyond... and the other 2 groups will have either died or regressed within the next century to millenia of our civilization. Those who don't will be in some sort of serfdom deal with the cyberhumans remaining.

So yeah, intelligence in my opinion is suicidal for most and civilizations (beyond just a few remnants) will only last maybe 5-6000 years from start to finish... and those who make it past this part will still likely take a long time to each a lot of stars, by our standards...

The interesting question that arises from this though is when these cyberorganisms meet. What their reaction will be and what if any civilization will theirs be like...

Of course this is all a moot point because I think there is a strong likely hood for trans-universalism, where in at least one sentient species eventually figures out how to control and create universes and using a mult-dimensional model simply brings everyone back to life after the "end of the universe" or in another universe...which if it is the case is already happening due to time weirdness.


So to refresh...

stage 1 Civs I think last only 5000 years and don't leave their solar system for the most part
Stage 2 civs if any get to this point and there are enough that do and meet up will likely live to the end of the universe, are likely loners, and create...
Stage 3 civs where they bring back everyone in a sorta heaven-esque type reality.either at the end of the universe or in another universe that last forever

When you have this view and are trying to create a timeline that is science fiction and the span of civs have to last 8 times as long as you think will likely last you have to go into fantasy and also slow down development...or find an excuse to do so like intergalactic war ^.^
JoeCooper
JoeCooper
I am thinking somewhere on these lines, but it is important to remember that a lot of people just don't think this way, and darwinistically there's a preference toward whoever bothers to make more of themselves.

The vast bulk of civilization just does whatever and would probably be happy to live and die. This idea about abominations is something that stems from change; it's something you'll hear now, not necessarily after subsequent generations of regular people are born in raised in a new reality.

I brought up the Thor example for that reason. Remember, humans went for hundreds of thousands of years with our kind of brains and no idea of progress, even if something did get invented here and there. No intellectual tools to do the thing we're talking about losing. And people today are happy sometimes not even knowing how their TVs work.

I would bet our descendants are going to be in that direction. If mister "I just wanna ride bikes and climb hills and read books" is OK with the fact that his ancestors used to do this thing called invention for a short, six or seven thousand year stint and that's why he can listen to rock music in the woods, I don't think he'll be too bummed.

Don't get me wrong, there is still a lot of work to do and ways to screw up, and some basic facts about human nature that seem to throw a wrench in everything, but then that's exactly the thing we'll have to develop next. Some folks will work on that and I see a non-zero chance of it being solved.

I can't tell you how to solve it, how to get beyond struggle or even how to be happy without it. Just that if our ancestors chickened out from solving the unsolvable, I wouldn't be using this device that stores data with quantum tunneling to send a message to you via trans-Atlantic fibre optic cable. Learning to live with it is just one more challenge. This is why I wrote the quote in that way, that the death of progress is an equally profound shift.


It's just a few of us that gotta be on some frontier, and maybe it's just that line of thought that'll have to die some day.


I guess I could write about this all day, but I'll spare you. I'll just close with this; don't feel intellectually dishonest throwing some ancient, post-war, post-scarcity Utopias in there, and maybe some dumber "n00b" civilization nuking them out of fear and jealousy, and maybe some biking hippies having to learn to war again, and who knows.
Durakken
Durakken
I'm not feeling intellectually dishonest... just when your mind goes "that is nearly impossible to occur due to how fast tech evolves..." you have to battle to figure out how to slow, stagnate, reverse, progress to a huge degree. and make it realistic enough that for others seems plausible is a kinda challenge... I mean that's what I'm doing... I'm using the ancient astronaut "theory" as a base which by doing something like creating this timeline exposes just how improbable it is ^.^
Ghostknight
Ghostknight
Interesting project you have here. Great job. When I first looked at it last night from just browsing the forums. The set up from the beginning made me think of Issac Asimov's story "The Naked Sun". I mention this because to me it sounded like a detective game from where the character was sent to a planet to undertsand the aliens motives during the process from learning from eachother all the while trying to get back to earth with your setup stoyrline. But then I realised it wasn't a detective storyline.

I really enjoyed that book. Even though I don't have it anymore. So is this something like a detective format or just to learn and figure out what is happening and why and get back to Earth?

Just to let everyone know that The Naked Sun doesn't involve someone going back to Earth in the book. The detective was hired to investigate a murder. His helper was an android. Visual and detailed. Anyways this is no way of the sorts of a sell out or whatever you want to call it. Just my observation of Durakken storyline to the book.
JoeCooper
JoeCooper

I'm not feeling intellectually dishonest...


Thay didn't come out right. It was super late. In any case, have fun with your project. Make it happen!
Durakken
Durakken

Interesting project you have here. Great job. When I first looked at it last night from just browsing the forums. The set up from the beginning made me think of Issac Asimov's story "The Naked Sun". I mention this because to me it sounded like a detective game from where the character was sent to a planet to undertsand the aliens motives during the process from learning from eachother all the while trying to get back to earth with your setup stoyrline. But then I realised it wasn't a detective storyline.

I really enjoyed that book. Even though I don't have it anymore. So is this something like a detective format or just to learn and figure out what is happening and why and get back to Earth?

Just to let everyone know that The Naked Sun doesn't involve someone going back to Earth in the book. The detective was hired to investigate a murder. His helper was an android. Visual and detailed. Anyways this is no way of the sorts of a sell out or whatever you want to call it. Just my observation of Durakken storyline to the book.



Is this a detective type game? ...well... not intentionally.

The premises I laid out for the creation of the game idea informed the creation of the "world building" back story...
The back story informs the idea that there is mystery and espionage that needs to be happening...
The fact that you need to get to the bottom of these mysteries to accomplish your goal creates a "detective" esque game.

You have to participate in an information gather endeavor to get home...and if not home, then to gain access to more of the universe. My first reaction to getting transported to another planet might be how do i get home, but once I'm told I'm not able to get directly home and that I'm surrounded by space faring civs my next reaction would likely be i want to explore and to explore this universe i just so happen to have to have to at the very least track down a procure ways on and off planets.

So is this a detective game? At the very least you are going to have to find ways to make money to buy a ship or ships and get information as to a way home... At the very most you are going to have to infiltrate several organizations, gain access to their knowledge, and bring them down OR join them and make once side the victor over another while looking for information on how to get home.

That somewhat answers whether it's going to have detective elements but not so much a clear example, because you could just be lead down that pathway by a FPS... that is more or less an on rails story with no thinking involved...

This game I am planning to make episodic... as in release an episode which advances the story and such while increasing the size of the universe. I plan to make it so that each episode is roughly 10 hours of gameplay, include at least 1 new planet, and that there should be at least 13 episodes in the season...and as pointed out above, at least 3 seasons... This makes for a 390 hour game if i create the entire thing. What does that have to do with anything? nothing...just pointing out that it's episodic and so i can lead into the plot i've come up with for the first episode and you can decide whether it has detective elements or not ^.^

I think this should cover 10 hours and is an ok tutorial for the rest of the game, but it's also the only episode i have planned out so far so easily changeable if there are problems with it.



Ep 01.
Hero is drawn to Sephirot.
Learns that the most likely way to get home is to work for the council.
The council denies him at first.
Various council members are told or coerced into changing this denial and the other members demand a showing of worth before they make him an agent.
Hero must go through training in departments of magic, martial arts, space combat, and intel
->Single character MA tutorial (MA = Martial arts)
->first dungeon = short MA only dungeon where hero recovers a scabbard.
->Hero sent to discover 2nd dungeon with another trainee and told the scabbard is a clue.
->second dungeon = medium length dungeon where a criminal is seen escaping with a sword
->Question people around the area to track the criminal down to the 4th dungeon
->At the fourth dungeon you find that it is sealed magically and you must learn magic
->You are told of Wizard who can help and where to find him
->At the Wizard you are tested on your detective skills by being challenged to look inside the wizard's house and then tell which of several people is the wizard
->The wizard instruct you that to learn magic you have to get a certain weapon inside a dungeon.
->Wizard sends apprentice with you
->3rd dungeon = medium length and forces you to answer several riddles and puzzles
->In the 3rd dungeon you find a device that allows you to use magic and the wizard gives you a tutorial
->You are then able to enter the 4th dungeon where the criminal is hiding out
->4th dungeon = Long, shifts between magic and MA only and makes you solve several puzzles
->At the end of the dungeon is a boss whom you are given the option to let them turn themselves in, but either way you are forced to fight and at the end of the battle you are given the option to kill them or simply arrest them.
-> When you take the criminal or after you try to kill him it is revealed he is your fighter instructor, you are to return the sword to the first trainer and then meet up at the docks
-> At the docks you are given a tutorial in travel around and between solar systems as well as intercepting signals and engaging in dog fights.
->the hero is given the opportunity to practice and are forced to pass a flight shooting course
->When you are done you are told to report to the main training facility.
-> Hero is told he is ready and gets a lecture or praising for how he dealt with the criminal situation as well as an evaluation of how he did in the dungeons.

Hero is contacted by council to report to the council room ASAP.
When the hero arrives he is given the final test
-> final test = A short Dungeon that ends with a boss fight where the boss flees to a shuttle where you are force to battle it and then prosefcute a case presenting facts against the right person.

upon completing the final test various council members will vote and depending on that vote you will be made a government agent or not.

If made a government agent you are given a salary, a basic uniform, some basic weapons. and made put under the command of a captain with a small crew.

If not, one of the representatives will contact you in secret and offer you a smaller sallery to work for them. They will provide you with a small salary, some sarting money to buy a ship, and some gear as well as point you in the direction of a pilot/captain that might be willing to help you

If you turn this down you can turn this guy in and be given what you would have if the vote had gone in your favor but also are given a smaller salary

if you turn this down and don't turn the guy in you when you return to your room you find yourself kicked out and must find some place to stay. Feeling bad for you the person who kicked you out tells you that there is a captain that is looking for some workers and might be willing to take you on.

Once you meet this captain you are offered a job as a worker on the ship as candidates for agents (which he shouldn't know you were) are always welcome on his ship...and you meet the other two characters that were with you during training.

You are told to prepare and wait for the call... End ep1

If however you dn't want to go with the captain you can try to get a job/room/board from elsewhere and work your way till you can afford a small ship, citizen documents, and a pass to use a jumpgate.

This scenario ends ep1 when you get the small ship and plan to take off "tomorrow" You can leave without the docs and pass, but each may lead to various scenarios. Also, at any time you can try to contact the representative that you turned down or meet the captain and join them...also if you were offered the agency position and turned it down you can go back and take it... further you can just ignore the training all together if you want to go the path of getting a job and getting a ship on your own.


So... any comments/critiques on that?



On a side note... Came up with an at least temporary name...

Orsa

Orsa means Beginning or Words, both work. I was thinking of some combination of Orsa and Mundus, but I'm bad at Latin, so even with translators i got either large amounts of text or texts that didn't quite work sound wise or translationally.... I like the way Orsa Mundus sounds but it doesn't work quite right imo translating to "The world beginning" according to google translator.
JoeCooper
JoeCooper
Sephirot is thaken.

EDIT:

Then again.

"My name is Sephirot."
"Hah, that's kinda like Sephiroth."
"Who is this... Sephiroth?"
"He tried to destroy the world by summoning a meteor, and he murdered Aeris."
"Sounds like quite the go-getter. Can you ask him to send me his resume?"

EDIT 2:

Not Mondus.
Durakken
Durakken
Sephiroth is Sephirot... it's one of several transliterations of a thing in Kabbalah... and of course it's taken ^.^ though i didn't like it as a name to begin with.
Mundus also doesn't sound right alone to me which is why it needs something else withit and nothing really sounds good and makes sense.
JoeCooper
JoeCooper
Something that's not taken....... ....... Pandora? Mongo? ... Earth? Is Earth taken?
Durakken
Durakken
I like Orsa because it means words and beginning.

It's the beginning of the 5th age
It's the beginning of you quest
it's the beginning of earth's interaction with aliens

My original idea for a name was Mythos Apokalipsi, or "the story revealed:" as in the myths and legends are revealed in their true form

I like the way Ragnarok Revelations sounds but not sure if it sounds right for genre and won't be mixed up with Ragnarok Online
JoeCooper
JoeCooper
Orsa sounds fine.

Little else matters. It has meaning to you but not to the audience.
Durakken
Durakken
I've decided on the title Aporia. It's a word I stumbled across that I've never heard of that is a philosophical concept. It has a lot of good meaning behind it so I'm going to use it.

2nd I'm gonna update this thread with more information and ideas... which is why I just changed the name of the thread ^.^ to repurpose it away from just that initial problem.
JoeCooper
JoeCooper
What do you think about Aphoria?

Aporia reminds me of pores.
Durakken
Durakken

What do you think about Aphoria?

Aporia reminds me of pores.


Because pores is to degree what it means... a pore is a passage, Aporia is without passage for a direct translation meaning
It has many meaning and applies well to the scenario/story so ^.^

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