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Oni2:Slaves of War/Story: Difference between revisions
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==Plot development== | ==Plot development== | ||
Make sure to provide '''twists and turns''' in the story. Perhaps use one of the alternate paths in the [[../Polylectiloquy|polylectiloquy]] or [[Oni2: | Make sure to provide '''twists and turns''' in the story. Perhaps use one of the alternate paths in the [[../Polylectiloquy|polylectiloquy]] or [[Oni2:A Storyline|Oni 2 Storyline thread]] as a red herring before revealing the truth. At some point I can order the alternatives from least to most interesting and consider how that would work in the story. For example, the Daodan could be something to resist at first, seeming as dangerous as Mukade makes it out to be in Oni. Then it might turn out that, depending on how/why a host gives in to it, the outcome varies. The Daomen could seem benevolent and in need of help at first, then turn sinister and cunning, or desperate and selfish.<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
The story should not feel “safe” or “inevitable”. There should be cliffhangers and near-death and '''near-failure moments''', the sort that down the road will allow fans to play “what if” games — “What if Mai didn’t spare this person?”, “What if so-and-so died there?”, etc.<br /> | The story should not feel “safe” or “inevitable”. There should be cliffhangers and near-death and '''near-failure moments''', the sort that down the road will allow fans to play “what if” games — “What if Mai didn’t spare this person?”, “What if so-and-so died there?”, etc.<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
Leave '''dangling threads'''. This can be a way of leaving room for multiple future story paths, or simply adding a bit of mystery for thoughtful players to chew on. One opportunity is the strange case of [[Bertram Navarre]] (see [[wp: | Leave '''dangling threads'''. This can be a way of leaving room for multiple future story paths, or simply adding a bit of mystery for thoughtful players to chew on. One opportunity is the strange case of [[Bertram Navarre]] (see [[wp:Unit 731|Unit 731]] for inspiration). One can also create a sense of foreboding by dropping a phrase that has an ill portent but not explaining it for a while, as the characters ponder what it means.<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
A certain '''pretense of agency''' can be enjoyable, even in a linear story. E.g., “Assemble a team from around the world to accomplish your mission”. Even if the player doesn’t get to choose where to go first, the phrasing suggests that the player is the one in the driver’s seat.<br /> | A certain '''pretense of agency''' can be enjoyable, even in a linear story. E.g., “Assemble a team from around the world to accomplish your mission”. Even if the player doesn’t get to choose where to go first, the phrasing suggests that the player is the one in the driver’s seat.<br /> | ||
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Who is Mai as a person? Bungie doesn’t give us much to go on in Oni, although that’s partly justified because Konoko is an identity constructed by the TCTF. She didn’t know anything except life at the TCTF, and whether through osmosis, or a fondness for justice, she might have wanted nothing more than to be a cop when she grew up. | Who is Mai as a person? Bungie doesn’t give us much to go on in Oni, although that’s partly justified because Konoko is an identity constructed by the TCTF. She didn’t know anything except life at the TCTF, and whether through osmosis, or a fondness for justice, she might have wanted nothing more than to be a cop when she grew up. | ||
She eventually is violently separated from that identity when her closest friend Shinatama is detonated in an attempt to kill her. I wrote [[ | She eventually is violently separated from that identity when her closest friend Shinatama is detonated in an attempt to kill her. I wrote [[CHAPTER 12 . SINS OF THE FATHER#Added Value|HERE]] that the game’s story can be broken into three acts, and Act 1, which has “Konoko” as the main character, ends with that event. | ||
Act 2 is about a “Konoko/Mai” who knows her real name but is adrift, uncertain what her past or future is. Her actions in going to Regional State are easy to predict, as Griffin says, because she is no longer much of a person with an identity; she needs information about herself in order to make decisions and function as a human being with free will. Temporarily lacking an identity, she encounters Mukade and rejects his offer of an identity based on violence (ironically, rejecting this using violence herself). | Act 2 is about a “Konoko/Mai” who knows her real name but is adrift, uncertain what her past or future is. Her actions in going to Regional State are easy to predict, as Griffin says, because she is no longer much of a person with an identity; she needs information about herself in order to make decisions and function as a human being with free will. Temporarily lacking an identity, she encounters Mukade and rejects his offer of an identity based on violence (ironically, rejecting this using violence herself). | ||
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====Before Oni==== | ====Before Oni==== | ||
[[Oni/ | [[Oni/Early Story|This early window]] into Konoko’s character, from before Hardy’s rewrite, is somewhat embarrassing, as it paints her as a generic “kick-ass chick”. These days the stereotype of a “strong independent woman” who is really just fan service has become [http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=311 something of a joke]. Thankfully Bungie had staff preventing them from going too far in that direction. | ||
One unanswered question from Oni: Where did Konoko get her name? No one at TCTF seems to be Japanese, but her father is.... If her name is supposed to mean “this child”, perhaps it was written by Hasegawa in a coded note to Kerr about taking care of Mai. | One unanswered question from Oni: Where did Konoko get her name? No one at TCTF seems to be Japanese, but her father is.... If her name is supposed to mean “this child”, perhaps it was written by Hasegawa in a coded note to Kerr about taking care of Mai. | ||
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==Technology== | ==Technology== | ||
We can’t ignore that there should be a lot more obviously advanced tech by the time of Oni than we see in the first game. We can show more of Oni's technological world in Oni 2. Perhaps the WCG dives into cutting-edge tech as a way to fight the Daodan, or deal with the BioCrisis without the Daodan and the ACCs. When this tech goes up against the Daodan, it will seem like an even match-up at first, but eventually the Daodan will win because it is more sophisticated and evolves faster. | We can’t ignore that there should be a lot more obviously advanced tech by the time of Oni than we see in the first game. We can show more of Oni's technological world in Oni 2. Perhaps the WCG dives into cutting-edge tech as a way to fight the Daodan, or deal with the [[BioCrisis]] without the Daodan and the ACCs. When this tech goes up against the Daodan, it will seem like an even match-up at first, but eventually the Daodan will win because it is more sophisticated and evolves faster. | ||
When will strong AI make any real advancement? Isn’t the Singularity predicted by Oni 2’s time? Might some large nation with the resources, like China, have a neural network that is being trained by surfing the Internet? This could serve as a nod to Oni’s erstwhile “constrained neural net” as well as to Ghost in the Shell’s Puppet Master. | When will strong AI make any real advancement? Isn’t the Singularity predicted by Oni 2’s time? Might some large nation with the resources, like China, have a neural network that is being trained by surfing the Internet? This could serve as a nod to Oni’s erstwhile “constrained neural net” as well as to Ghost in the Shell’s Puppet Master. | ||
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Also see: | Also see: | ||
*[[wp: | *[[wp:List of emerging technologies|List of emerging technologies]] (technology is always further along than we think it is) | ||
*[[wp: | *[[wp:Utility fog|Utility fog]] (this ties into Paradox's nanotech ideas) | ||
*The [https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0100289#pone-0100289-g006 Plastisphere] is coming | *The [https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0100289#pone-0100289-g006 Plastisphere] is coming | ||
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140701161055/http://envisioningtech.com/envisioning2012/ Envisioning Tech] | *[https://web.archive.org/web/20140701161055/http://envisioningtech.com/envisioning2012/ Envisioning Tech] | ||
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==Environments== | ==Environments== | ||
Remember that not all environments should be new and clean, or recently dirtied. Sometimes the most powerful environments are ones that have a lot of history. Perhaps an area is declining that once was beautiful or powerful; perhaps its eventual demise is fated (this fate can also be established in Oni 2 and then depicted in a later sequel), like the supposed example of the [[wp: | Remember that not all environments should be new and clean, or recently dirtied. Sometimes the most powerful environments are ones that have a lot of history. Perhaps an area is declining that once was beautiful or powerful; perhaps its eventual demise is fated (this fate can also be established in Oni 2 and then depicted in a later sequel), like the supposed example of the [[wp:Sideroxylon grandiflorum|dodo tree]]. The sense of something irreplaceable being lost can be very poignant. | ||
==Wilderness== | ==Wilderness== | ||
The Wilderness should be a frightening place, perhaps even for Daodan symbiotes. Maybe there are some advanced Imagoes making their homes out there, in trees, or huts with chicken legs. Various locales and moods and colors. Maybe more alien life lives there than just plants. | The Wilderness should be a frightening place, perhaps even for Daodan symbiotes. Maybe there are some advanced Imagoes making their homes out there, in trees, or huts with chicken legs. Various locales and moods and colors. Maybe more alien life lives there than just plants. | ||
Might Daodan symbiotes’ powers involve or be based on the genes of Wilderness life? This would mean that the Chrysalis is “downloading” data from the Wilderness to meet each new need (see Neo-Biology's [[ | Might Daodan symbiotes’ powers involve or be based on the genes of Wilderness life? This would mean that the Chrysalis is “downloading” data from the Wilderness to meet each new need (see Neo-Biology's [[../Neo-Biology#Strange life forms|Strange life forms]] section for inspiration). Perhaps some scientist is puzzling over the energy that is being sent through a phase portal from the Wilderness to a symbiote, wondering why there are complex patterns to it, when he recognizes the similarity to DNA information. | ||
What would have happened during the Bio-Crisis to the indigenous peoples still living in certain places in South America and Africa? One would expect that, without ACCs, they were wiped out, but what if they’ve adapted to the Wilderness somehow? | What would have happened during the Bio-Crisis to the indigenous peoples still living in certain places in South America and Africa? One would expect that, without ACCs, they were wiped out, but what if they’ve adapted to the Wilderness somehow? | ||
At the outset of the game, perhaps Mai herself is ensconced in the Wilderness as a feared tribal warlord, and the player controls another character who is on an expedition to find her, Heart of Darkness-style, in order to convince Mai to help the world again. This would probably make more sense as an opening to an Oni 3. | At the outset of the game, perhaps Mai herself is ensconced in the Wilderness as a feared tribal warlord, and the player controls another character who is on an expedition to find her, Heart of Darkness-style, in order to convince Mai to help the world again. This would probably make more sense as an opening to an Oni 3. | ||
==Pollution== | |||
The nature of the pollution in Oni's world which led to the BioCrisis is not stated. The only specific word used in reference to pollution is "[[wp:Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds|dioxin]]", which is a byproduct of making herbicide, and a product of burning waste, plastic, biomass and natural wildfires. Dioxins were a much-discussed pollutant in the '80s and '90s after it was discovered that they could cause cancer and birth defects, but environmental concentrations have massively decreased due to regulations on waste incineration and other industrial processes. Why would dioxins be increasing in Oni's world? Could it be that there is a large amount of biomass burning somewhere in the world? Perhaps it's from the WCG [[../Neo-Biology#Neo-Agriculture|incinerating the encroaching Wilderness]] or from making herbicide to fight the "alien" plants. Perhaps it's from the Daomen incinerating all the plastics that we've dumped into the sea in order to clean up their habitat! | |||
Besides dioxins, Oni's consoles only mention "atmospheric pollutants" and "airborne toxins", which are synonymous terms. According to my conception of the Wilderness as a center of Daodan-infused foreign life, these so-called toxins would actually be normal products of life from this other world. These toxins are advancing from class 2 to class 3 to class 4 because life in the Wilderness is becoming more advanced and climbing the [[wp:Trophic level|trophic ladder]]. | |||
==Daomen== | ==Daomen== | ||
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The main obstacle to a theoretical pre-human civilization is not the absence of archaeological evidence (Pangea was in existence at the P-Tr period discussed below, and later continental upheaval would probably deeply bury everything) but rather the fact that, if you go back far enough that archaeological evidence would be unlikely, we see only fossils of simpler life forms that showed no evidence of large brains. However, ocean life is often boneless, leaving fewer fossils, so there's more potential for surprises. Also, we know almost nothing about what’s buried on the ocean floor. Finally, it seems that no ocean floor is older than 170 [[wikt:Ma|Ma]] anyway due to plate tectonics. | The main obstacle to a theoretical pre-human civilization is not the absence of archaeological evidence (Pangea was in existence at the P-Tr period discussed below, and later continental upheaval would probably deeply bury everything) but rather the fact that, if you go back far enough that archaeological evidence would be unlikely, we see only fossils of simpler life forms that showed no evidence of large brains. However, ocean life is often boneless, leaving fewer fossils, so there's more potential for surprises. Also, we know almost nothing about what’s buried on the ocean floor. Finally, it seems that no ocean floor is older than 170 [[wikt:Ma|Ma]] anyway due to plate tectonics. | ||
See the [[wp: | See the [[wp:Permian–Triassic extinction event|Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) extinction event]], AKA the Great Dying, for a possibility. The P-Tr event happened about 252 [[wikt:Mya#English|Mya]], before the dinosaurs. Life was simpler, but there were large organisms on land and in the sea; insects, “sea scorpions”, and herbivores were all giant at the time (mammals and giant reptiles came in the following Mesozoic era). Further interesting points about the P-Tr event: the mysterious absence of coal in that layer, the staggering increase in atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> (and methane?), a great increase in acidity both on land (acid rain) and in sea that would dissolve fossils, the “reset” in body size, the beginning of the breakup of Pangea, the eruption of the Siberian Traps, and the unexplained marine extinction pattern that favored some life forms. | ||
Whatever form the Daomen take, it could turn out to be very anticlimactic to reveal them in entirety and then have them become regular actors later in the story, as if they are merely alien-looking human characters. Some sci-fi stories make this mistake. This would retroactively ruin the mystery or sense of danger from earlier in the story before their reveal (and images and footage from the later story where they interact normally with humans would become spoilers for newcomers by forestalling any suspense about what they look like and their ultimate disposition as allies/enemies). The best option might be to end the story with them trying to enter our “dimension” through a phase portal and being shut out. Maybe the only part of a Daoman that we see clearly is an enormous alien hand reaching through the veil, and perhaps causing chaos on this side before being shut out. Perhaps also a silhouette of a head with glowing eyes (how many?) on the other side. | Whatever form the Daomen take, it could turn out to be very anticlimactic to reveal them in entirety and then have them become regular actors later in the story, as if they are merely alien-looking human characters. Some sci-fi stories make this mistake. This would retroactively ruin the mystery or sense of danger from earlier in the story before their reveal (and images and footage from the later story where they interact normally with humans would become spoilers for newcomers by forestalling any suspense about what they look like and their ultimate disposition as allies/enemies). The best option might be to end the story with them trying to enter our “dimension” through a phase portal and being shut out. Maybe the only part of a Daoman that we see clearly is an enormous alien hand reaching through the veil, and perhaps causing chaos on this side before being shut out. Perhaps also a silhouette of a head with glowing eyes (how many?) on the other side. | ||
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It may turn out that the Daomen are aquatic, which would go along with the character of the P-Tr extinction event (see consumption of coal and massive spike in methanogens… for energy?). Perhaps when a portal is opened between our worlds at the game’s end, the area first fills with water. This would raise a gameplay question of how the player is supposed to fight them, but perhaps the fight is not directly with the Daomen but with whatever is powering or guarding the portal. | It may turn out that the Daomen are aquatic, which would go along with the character of the P-Tr extinction event (see consumption of coal and massive spike in methanogens… for energy?). Perhaps when a portal is opened between our worlds at the game’s end, the area first fills with water. This would raise a gameplay question of how the player is supposed to fight them, but perhaps the fight is not directly with the Daomen but with whatever is powering or guarding the portal. | ||
The Daomen (or Dao''man'', if there's a sole survivor) may have to use an assistant in our world, someone “possessed” by the Chrysalis or something similar, in order to accomplish his will. Perhaps a child, because they are easier to control and to alter with the Daodan. I’m picturing a dark-haired girl, impetuous and foul-tempered. She should be young enough that she can be revealed as [[ | The Daomen (or Dao''man'', if there's a sole survivor) may have to use an assistant in our world, someone “possessed” by the Chrysalis or something similar, in order to accomplish his will. Perhaps a child, because they are easier to control and to alter with the Daodan. I’m picturing a dark-haired girl, impetuous and foul-tempered. She should be young enough that she can be revealed as [[../Impressions#Muro's downfall|Muro’s daughter]] by some Fury. | ||
A final twist that I've been considering is that it turns out that the Daomen are already here, on Earth, in the present. The phase veil is a mere spatial translocation, and the Daomen were an oceanic race that lived millions of years ago and died out. The survivors (or lone survivor), perhaps having been placed in stasis when their civilization failed, are now working to make Earth more habitable for their ecosystem, and are using humans like Muro's daughter to spread the Wilderness. It's necessary to maintain the ruse that they are from another time so that the WCG doesn't go searching for them in the oceans before they're ready to make their move. Mai, who has generally been making intuitive leaps throughout the game, is caught flat-footed and only figures this out when it's too late, as they begin to traverse the phase veil from the bottom of the ocean to land.... | A final twist that I've been considering is that it turns out that the Daomen are already here, on Earth, in the present. The phase veil is a mere spatial translocation, and the Daomen were an oceanic race that lived millions of years ago and died out. The survivors (or lone survivor), perhaps having been placed in stasis when their civilization failed, are now working to make Earth more habitable for their ecosystem, and are using humans like Muro's daughter to spread the Wilderness. It's necessary to maintain the ruse that they are from another time so that the WCG doesn't go searching for them in the oceans before they're ready to make their move. Mai, who has generally been making intuitive leaps throughout the game, is caught flat-footed and only figures this out when it's too late, as they begin to traverse the phase veil from the bottom of the ocean to land.... | ||
==Daodan== | ==Daodan== | ||
One purpose of the Daodan could be to free its creators from evolutionary forces, allowing them to ascend to a higher consciousness than the animals. Or it could just be a cure-all. It could be an accidental mutation. During the P-Tr event mentioned above, “there is evidence of increased ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth causing the mutation of plant spores” according to Wikipedia. Also, a [[wp:Gamma- | One purpose of the Daodan could be to free its creators from evolutionary forces, allowing them to ascend to a higher consciousness than the animals. Or it could just be a cure-all. It could be an accidental mutation. During the P-Tr event mentioned above, “there is evidence of increased ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth causing the mutation of plant spores” according to Wikipedia. Also, a [[wp:Gamma-ray burst#Hypothetical effects on Earth in the past|gamma ray burst]] would cause accelerated mutations. Of course there is no need to propose a special reason for mutations since they happen constantly. Also, what if the radiation came from technology developed by the Daomen? | ||
If the Daodan was created deliberately, perhaps new life is moving into the Earth, and the Daodan is their xenoforming technology; or maybe the Daodan is how they will prevent humans from being wiped out by their alien biosphere like the American Indians were by the Europeans (and possibly the Neanderthals by humans). | If the Daodan was created deliberately, perhaps new life is moving into the Earth, and the Daodan is their xenoforming technology; or maybe the Daodan is how they will prevent humans from being wiped out by their alien biosphere like the American Indians were by the Europeans (and possibly the Neanderthals by humans). | ||
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==Name candidates== | ==Name candidates== | ||
[[wp: | [[wp:Axis mundi|Axis Mundi]] — for an enemy base? | ||
==Characterization== | ==Characterization== | ||
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====Real life==== | ====Real life==== | ||
See [[wp:List of female explorers and travelers|List of female adventurers]], [[wp:Women in the military#History|History of women in the military]], [[wp:Warrior woman|Women warriors]], [[wp: | See [[wp:List of female explorers and travelers|List of female adventurers]], [[wp:Women in the military#History|History of women in the military]], [[wp:Warrior woman|Women warriors]], [[wp:List of women warriors in folklore|List of women warriors in folklore]]. | ||
==Storytelling in games== | ==Storytelling in games== | ||