Last time I posted a fairly lengthy observation on how to incorporate influences from other works into your setting, but I ran out of time to write out some of the influences I want to incorporate into my setting. Let's do that now.
One of the basic elements I want in my setting is that of a gritty environment in which realism is practically forced on its denizens. The reason for this is that it causes the reader to retreat into idealism as a natural reaction: when he sees tragedy, he will immediately wonder why the characters simply treat it as the way of life. For the game world, it also ensures that players will have a goal: make things better (if not for others, then for themselves). People in this world may want life to get better, but no one expects it to. Part of grit is the realization that things can always get worse.
Now what works do I know of that show this sort of setting? The first that comes to mind is the game The Witcher, based on a series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. While I haven't been able to play it yet (damn that bugged system requirements check!), it shows a world similar to the one I'd like to model. The primary theme is that there is no black and white morality, that everything exists in shades of grey. This is a large leap from most fantasy, and it's something I've already stated that I would like to portray. One of the primary ways in which The Witcher shows the shades of grey in the world is with the deceitfulness of appearances. Just because someone looks monstrous doesn't mean he is evil, and just because he is beautiful doesn't mean he is good. People have realistic desires, goals, and behaviors that can't be quantified with a simple good/evil alignment. Another way in which The Witcher supports this theme is through the pragmatic approach to life Geralt must embrace. The world is a hard place, full of suffering and fear, and he does what he must to stay alive; sometimes that means hurting others to get what he needs.
I can apply both of these concepts to my setting. Sure, characters in the setting (or players in the game world) may choose to look at the world as one of absolutes, but that doesn't mean it's how things are. The world is gritty, and you've got to fight for your place in it because the universe isn't going to spontaneously reward you for longsuffering. Trying to swing the balance of the world in favor of good or evil yields unexpected consequences, because the world isn't run by forces of good or evil. The human desire to compartmentalize everything that goes on will lead to frustration and disillusionment once characters realize the world only exists in shades of grey. Whether the reader (or player) also becomes disillusioned is up to him.
Another work that has influenced me a lot is the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist. The mantra of the series is the law of Equivalent Exchange:
One of the basic elements I want in my setting is that of a gritty environment in which realism is practically forced on its denizens. The reason for this is that it causes the reader to retreat into idealism as a natural reaction: when he sees tragedy, he will immediately wonder why the characters simply treat it as the way of life. For the game world, it also ensures that players will have a goal: make things better (if not for others, then for themselves). People in this world may want life to get better, but no one expects it to. Part of grit is the realization that things can always get worse.
Now what works do I know of that show this sort of setting? The first that comes to mind is the game The Witcher, based on a series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. While I haven't been able to play it yet (damn that bugged system requirements check!), it shows a world similar to the one I'd like to model. The primary theme is that there is no black and white morality, that everything exists in shades of grey. This is a large leap from most fantasy, and it's something I've already stated that I would like to portray. One of the primary ways in which The Witcher shows the shades of grey in the world is with the deceitfulness of appearances. Just because someone looks monstrous doesn't mean he is evil, and just because he is beautiful doesn't mean he is good. People have realistic desires, goals, and behaviors that can't be quantified with a simple good/evil alignment. Another way in which The Witcher supports this theme is through the pragmatic approach to life Geralt must embrace. The world is a hard place, full of suffering and fear, and he does what he must to stay alive; sometimes that means hurting others to get what he needs.
I can apply both of these concepts to my setting. Sure, characters in the setting (or players in the game world) may choose to look at the world as one of absolutes, but that doesn't mean it's how things are. The world is gritty, and you've got to fight for your place in it because the universe isn't going to spontaneously reward you for longsuffering. Trying to swing the balance of the world in favor of good or evil yields unexpected consequences, because the world isn't run by forces of good or evil. The human desire to compartmentalize everything that goes on will lead to frustration and disillusionment once characters realize the world only exists in shades of grey. Whether the reader (or player) also becomes disillusioned is up to him.
Another work that has influenced me a lot is the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist. The mantra of the series is the law of Equivalent Exchange:
"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange."
But equivalency goes beyond just a law of alchemy. It's something that applies to everything in the world. If you want something, you've got to give something up. It's a dark message throughout the series; happiness comes at a terrible cost. Towards the end, the Elric brothers realize that the law doesn't seem to always be satisfied. Many people suffer loss with no reward, pain with no pleasure, sorrow with no happiness. Ultimately, though, their idealism wins out:
"The world isn't perfect, and the law is incomplete. Equivalent Exchange doesn't encompass everything that goes on here. But I still choose to believe in its principle: that all things do come at a price. That there's an ebb, and a flow, a cycle. That the pain we went through did have a reward and that anyone who's determined and perseveres will get something of value in return, even if it's not what they expected."
I like this concept because it represents a question that always comes up when people get discouraged. People often ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" or "Why am I still poor when I've worked so hard?" Belief, whether conscious or no, in a law of Equivalent Exchange always leaves people discouraged when they don't get the results they wished for. I like that after all the Elric brothers come through in the series, they still arrive at an idealistic conclusion. It's what I'd like to see happen with the characters in my stories.
So how have these themes influenced my setting? Well, I know that the world is a dark and gritty place where you have to struggle to survive. The problem is, you're not always rewarded for your efforts - at least, not in the way you expect. Those who keep hope, though, may see a higher purpose if they look long and hard enough, and they'll realize that all their suffering was not in vain. Of course, that happy ending is reserved for those who persevere in spite of all the horrid things that happen, those who maintain their idealism in the face of discouragement.
Next time we'll look at some more influences, specifically those that affect the style rather than theme.
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