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The Night Sky

ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
in Ashes Of Creation General Discussion
I think the night sky is fascinating, and holds large fantastical and functional purpose in an MMORPG, yet is often all but ignored for a bland sky box... I'm hoping @Steven and company will do something about all of that. :)

There are some other games in (or near) development where the night sky will be important. Not just from an astrological standpoint, but astronomically as well. It can be used for navigation and exploration with the proper skills and instruments, but it's also potentially ripe with mythology that could seed tomes of stories and quests!

We see in the racial description of the Vek orcs:
Celestial. Purpose. Fate. When one stargazes, they find what beauty lies beyond our world. When the Vek stargaze, they find what lies beyond our time. Star maps, numerology and prophecy are integral parts of each Vek's life. Great leaders read the heavens for how wars will go, which empires will rise and fall, and the Vek often ask themselves "are we too late?"
That really intrigues me.

Is that there to simply define the racial backstory, or is than an indication of functionality in the game? If so, to what level... will stargazing and numerology be skills for all to learn, but where the Vek have an advantage?

Can we use the night sky to navigate? Will there be named stars and constellations? With the celestial alignments have an affect on gameplay, abilities, or potential story unlocks? "Only under full moonlight when Lyra is in alignment, can the door be seen!" That kind of thing... 

I had a hard time deciding if this should be a post in the Lore or Systems forums, and I'm still not sure I got it right :)

Eager to hear everyone's thoughts on this!

Comments

  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    I think the night sky is fascinating and holds large fantastical and functional purpose in an MMORPG, yet is often all but ignored for a bland sky box... I'm hoping @Steven and company will do something about all of that. :)

    There are some other games in (or near) development where the night sky will be important. Not just from an astrological standpoint, but astronomically as well. It can be used for navigation and exploration with the proper skills and instruments, but it's also potentially ripe with mythology that could seed tomes of stories and quests!

    We see in the racial description of the Vek orcs:

    Celestial. Purpose. Fate. When one stargazes, they find what beauty lies beyond our world. When the Vek stargaze, they find what lies beyond our time. Star maps, numerology and prophecy are integral parts of each Vek's life. Great leaders read the heavens for how wars will go, which empires will rise and fall, and the Vek often ask themselves "are we too late?"

    That really intrigues me. 

    Is that there to simply define the racial backstory, or is than an indication of functionality in the game? If so, to what level... will stargazing and numerology be skills for all to learn, but where the Vek have an advantage?

    Can we use the night sky to navigate? Will there be named stars and constellations? With the celestial alignments have an affect on gameplay, abilities, or potential story unlocks? "Only under full moonlight when Lyra is in alignment, can the door be seen!" That kind of thing... 

    I had a hard time deciding if this should be a post in the Lore or Systems forums, and I'm still not sure I got it right :)

    Eager to hear everyone's thoughts on this!
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    I think the night sky is fascinating and holds large fantastical and functional purpose in an MMORPG, yet is often all but ignored for a bland sky box... I'm hoping @Steven and company will do something about all of that. :)

    There are some other games in (or near) development where the night sky will be important. Not just from an astrological standpoint, but astronomically as well. It can be used for navigation and exploration with the proper skills and instruments, but it's also potentially ripe with mythology that could seed tomes of stories and quests!

    We see in the racial description of the Vek orcs:

    Celestial. Purpose. Fate. When one stargazes, they find what beauty lies beyond our world. When the Vek stargaze, they find what lies beyond our time. Star maps, numerology and prophecy are integral parts of each Vek's life. Great leaders read the heavens for how wars will go, which empires will rise and fall, and the Vek often ask themselves "are we too late?"

    That really intrigues me. 

    Is that there to simply define the racial backstory, or is than an indication of functionality in the game? If so, to what level... will stargazing and numerology be skills for all to learn, but where the Vek have an advantage?

    Can we use the night sky to navigate? Will there be named stars and constellations? With the celestial alignments have an affect on gameplay, abilities, or potential story unlocks? "Only under full moonlight when Lyra is in alignment, can the door be seen!" That kind of thing... 

    I had a hard time deciding if this should be a post in the Lore or Systems forums, and I'm still not sure I got it right :)

    Eager to hear everyone's thoughts on this!
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    I think the night sky is fascinating, and holds large fantastical and functional purpose in an MMORPG, yet is often all but ignored for a bland sky box... I'm hoping @Steven and company will do something about all of that. :)

    There are some other games in (or near) development where the night sky will be important. Not just from an astrological standpoint, but astronomically as well. It can be used for navigation and exploration with the proper skills and instruments, but it's also potentially ripe with mythology that could seed tomes of stories and quests!

    We see in the racial description of the Vek orcs:
    Celestial. Purpose. Fate. When one stargazes, they find what beauty lies beyond our world. When the Vek stargaze, they find what lies beyond our time. Star maps, numerology and prophecy are integral parts of each Vek's life. Great leaders read the heavens for how wars will go, which empires will rise and fall, and the Vek often ask themselves "are we too late?"
    That really intrigues me. 

    Is that there to simply define the racial backstory, or is than an indication of functionality in the game? If so, to what level... will stargazing and numerology be skills for all to learn, but where the Vek have an advantage?

    Can we use the night sky to navigate? Will there be named stars and constellations? With the celestial alignments have an affect on gameplay, abilities, or potential story unlocks? "Only under full moonlight when Lyra is in alignment, can the door be seen!" That kind of thing... 

    I had a hard time deciding if this should be a post in the Lore or Systems forums, and I'm still not sure I got it right :)

    Eager to hear everyone's thoughts on this!
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    I think the night sky is fascinating and holds large fantastical and functional purpose in an MMORPG, yet is often all but ignored for a bland sky box... I'm hoping @Steven and company will do something about all of that. :)

    There are some other games in (or near) development where the night sky will be important. Not just from an astrological standpoint, but astronomically as well. It can be used for navigation and exploration with the proper skills and instruments, but it's also potentially ripe with mythology that could seed tomes of stories and quests!

    We see in the racial description of the Vek orcs:

    Celestial. Purpose. Fate. When one stargazes, they find what beauty lies beyond our world. When the Vek stargaze, they find what lies beyond our time. Star maps, numerology and prophecy are integral parts of each Vek's life. Great leaders read the heavens for how wars will go, which empires will rise and fall, and the Vek often ask themselves "are we too late?"

    That really intrigues me. 

    Is that there to simply define the racial backstory, or is than an indication of functionality in the game? If so, to what level... will stargazing and numerology be skills for all to learn, but where the Vek have an advantage?

    Can we use the night sky to navigate? Will there be named stars and constellations? With the celestial alignments have an affect on gameplay, abilities, or potential story unlocks? "Only under full moonlight when Lyra is in alignment, can the door be seen!" That kind of thing... 

    I had a hard time deciding if this should be a post in the Lore or Systems forums, and I'm still not sure I got it right :)

    Eager to hear everyone's thoughts on this!
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