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With no general game lore, how do we make accurate lore for guilds/characters?

As the title says, with no general game lore, how do we make accurate lore for guilds/characters? Any thoughts or suggestions?
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Comments

  • Yeah, I am not sure how this is going to work. I would think there is a base Lore. What that is I have no idea yet, but it does create a mess for those of us that like to create based on the game lore for immersion and fun. I have been poking the bear a bit with the community support to no avail but that won’t stop me from asking those pesky questions. I am hoping Steve, Jeff, Pete hell anyone that is working on this to give us some information.

    Lets keep our hope up,
  • [quote quote=20828]Yeah, I am not sure how this is going to work. I would think there is a base Lore. What that is I have no idea yet, but it does create a mess for those of us that like to create based on the game lore for immersion and fun. I have been poking the bear a bit with the community support to no avail but that won’t stop me from asking those pesky questions. I am hoping Steve, Jeff, Pete hell anyone that is working on this to give us some information.

    Lets keep our hope up,

    [/quote]


    Definitely keep me posted! Try to get it on a stream and/or interview! Base lore is all we need!
  • Well, the only thing for sure that could be considered "lore" is that there were once civilizations in the now "blank and bleak" world (on release). Also it is stated that you are coming from something along the lines of your "home country" (or something of that nature) to recreate civilization in this land. Here is a link to an interview/podcast with Mr. Sharif:

    Begin at about 26:00 to really get the information on some lore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIVnt8SDdrY

    Outside of that, if you go to the Kickstarter page it gives brief description of the races:

    Also on that page, there is a GIF of some class that you will see. In that GIF the fighter is somewhat Middle Eastern looking. I would guess the first Human sub-race (Kaelar) is much more European looking. So my guess would be that the second sub-race of Humans (Vaelune) will resemble "Redguards" from The Elder Scrolls Series. But I do imagine there is customization options that can make both sub-races look similar in some ways, but each sub-race will provide different race bonuses/negatives as well as "lore".

    The second sub-race of Orc sounds a bit hard to pin down exactly, as well as the second sub-race of Dwarves. The first sub-race of Orc (Ren'Kai) seems to be the stereotypical Orc. The second sub-race of Orcs (Vek) is much more complex to pin, but from their description they are much more "Shamanistic" in nature and I am sure their racial bonuses/negatives will reflect that.

    Also it has been quasi-official that the first sub-race of Dwarves (Dunir) will be the usual "mountain Dwarves" that are usually represented in RPG games and Tolkien lore. The second sub-race of Dwarves (Nikua) is actually a "tropical dwarf". You can find a picture of them in the concept art. They look similar to their mountain-dwelling brethren, but will surely have a different culture and mechanically different race bonuses/negatives.

    In regards to the Elves it is pretty clear that there will be your "High Elves" (Empyrean) and "Wood Elves" (Py'rai).

    If you go to that Kickstarter page and read the races' descriptions, and take into consideration that there was once civilizations here before, you should have a somewhat decent starting point for your characters' backstories and development for RP.

    I hope this helps!
  • Ooooohhhh Boy!

    Spoilers vs Game lore.
    :D

    Steven already said that ashes is unfathomable and unknowable ;)
    So you'll have to write about your ingame experiences instead.
  • That's pretty lame. I get that for in depth lore, etc. but there should be a base lore.
  • Nah, the less they tell us the better. The stuff about an old civilisation and all that (not going through it here you all know by now) is fine.

    I'm kinda tired of everyone having to know everything about every game aspect and detailed wikis and guides and how to do every single thing being up and dissected before the game even comes out. No one likes mystery anymore it's all about knowing everything to power to the top.

    Just like people needing to know a whole film before they even watched it!

    It's unfair of me to put that all on you guys who just want some lore I know, but I was reading this and had to get it off my chest. Now I feel better.
  • [quote quote=22806]Nah, the less they tell us the better. The stuff about an old civilisation and all that (not going through it here you all know by now) is fine.

    I’m kinda tired of everyone having to know everything about every game aspect and detailed wikis and guides and how to do every single thing being up and dissected before the game even comes out. No one likes mystery anymore it’s all about knowing everything to power to the top.

    Just like people needing to know a whole film before they even watched it!

    It’s unfair of me to put that all on you guys who just want some lore I know, but I was reading this and had to get it off my chest. Now I feel better.

    [/quote]

    I don't want to know everything--I prefer it that way. I'd just like to know a base lore to go off of; something. You mentioned the stuff about old civilizations. What's this you speak of?
  • Wow. There is tonnes of lore to be seen if you know how to look. They are keeping all the options open though.
    We have 8 distinct races but no factions so that tells you that both the humans and orcs fled together and are willing to return together. OK the elves probably think the other three races are just useful cannon fodder, particularly the muscle, orcs, but we're all in this together.

    The ruins tells you it was a high magic mediaeval world that they fled. The also stayed at the same technology level and have not returned with machine guns and bazookas. They may have refined their metallurgy and magic a little over time. They think they are ready!

    Its a sandbox with Auto building cities to remove the grind. Like the colonies mod in Minecraft everyones playing about with this month. Its not Wurm Online with its ten steps to make a house! Nor is it Wow, Lotr where everything is pre built except your farm and in Archage they are all owned by bots. As a mayor you may have some control over what gets built where.

    The mobs are basic off the shelf mobs from a dozen stock monster makers with probably a few hand built things thrown in. All the stock creatures: Deer, Things with lots of teeth, golems, trolls, something that makes Cathalhu look cute. There are thousands of nasty critters out on the web selling for $40 dollars each. So the monster lore can go anywhere.

    Guild lore is what you make it. You have gone through a magic portal, its probably one way, home is long gone. Its a new world. Settlers, pioneers, refugees fleeing again from rivals on the old world.

    Are you the second son with no hope of an inheritance? Are you the boozy prince sent away to protect the family name? Are you the Orc war chief with no one left to kill or the assassin who is on the run?

    Have others gone through the portals and are now lost; not found on the reclaimed world? Are they corrupted or are they hiding? Are you looking for them or avenging their bones found near the portal?

    Do your ancestors speak of great treasures in their home long abandoned? Is it mere gold or some art or some great magic mystery ? Are you here to find that trove or die trying?

    The Lore is almost a blank page. That is intentional. Make what you will.
  • I believe they are purposefully leaving a lot unanswered. They have said many times that one of the core ideas of AoC is that things can and WILL change. They want us to be able to explore, delve deep, travel and WANT to go see new things. I know this is one of the huge draws for me, because I love the idea that a road I take often while trading goods can look different every time, and change over time so that I have new things to see and explore!
  • ^ essentially.

    They want to encourage exploration for the purpose of discovery.
  • I get all of that. I just find it difficult and am not a fan of "Sorry, no lore." decision on a game that is of the <strong>MMORPG</strong> (role play part specifically) genre and you can't effectively RP in depth stories if there's no base to go off of. You can give a base lore without giving deep details.
  • This is a speculation and heresay until someone within Intrepid gives us more information. Just because something looks like something else doesn't mean that it is that, or that it has the same base tenets of that society. We have a paragraph at best about each race, and some screengrabs from different things. This doesn't constitute lore. This doesn't tell me anything about the world our characters are inhabiting.

    There's a 'thing' within RPG/tabletop gaming: OOC knowledge vs IC knowledge.

    /I/ may know everything about the world.
    My /character/ may not, and most likely doesn't.
    To deny me the OOC knowledge necessary to make IC decisions that shape my character's growth is, frankly, a cheap cop-out. I can't construct long-term, engaging narratives if I'm not educated on the world.
  • [quote quote=23938]I get all of that. I just find it difficult and am not a fan of “Sorry, no lore.” decision on a game that is of the <strong>MMORPG</strong> (role play part specifically) genre and you can’t effectively RP in depth stories if there’s no base to go off of. You can give a base lore without giving deep details.

    [/quote]

    In the last stream...steven must of heard you.
    He was talking about releasing some base lore.
    I dont think the bard approved though :)
  • [quote quote=24098]<blockquote>
    <div class="d4p-bbt-quote-title"><a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/with-no-general-game-lore-how-do-we-make-accurate-lore-for-guildscharacters/#post-23938" rel="nofollow">LG_Xenith wrote:</a></div>
    I get all of that. I just find it difficult and am not a fan of “Sorry, no lore.” decision on a game that is of the <strong>MMORPG</strong> (role play part specifically) genre and you can’t effectively RP in depth stories if there’s no base to go off of. You can give a base lore without giving deep details.

    </blockquote>
    In the last stream…steven must of heard you.
    He was talking about releasing some base lore.
    I dont think the bard approved though <img alt="????" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2.2.1/svg/1f642.svg" />

    [/quote]

    Hmm, I watched the last stream. Maybe I missed that portion due to my 1yr old world boss. Sweet! Did they mention any time frame?
  • [quote quote=24098]<blockquote>
    <div class="d4p-bbt-quote-title"><a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/with-no-general-game-lore-how-do-we-make-accurate-lore-for-guildscharacters/#post-23938" rel="nofollow">LG_Xenith wrote:</a></div>
    I get all of that. I just find it difficult and am not a fan of “Sorry, no lore.” decision on a game that is of the <strong>MMORPG</strong> (role play part specifically) genre and you can’t effectively RP in depth stories if there’s no base to go off of. You can give a base lore without giving deep details.

    </blockquote>
    In the last stream…steven must of heard you.
    He was talking about releasing some base lore.
    I dont think the bard approved though <img alt="????" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2.2.1/svg/1f642.svg" />

    [/quote]

    Awesome thanks! I guess I missed that watching my 1yr old. Did they give any timeframe at all?
  • [quote quote=24098]<blockquote>
    <div class="d4p-bbt-quote-title"><a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/with-no-general-game-lore-how-do-we-make-accurate-lore-for-guildscharacters/#post-23938" rel="nofollow">LG_Xenith wrote:</a></div>
    I get all of that. I just find it difficult and am not a fan of “Sorry, no lore.” decision on a game that is of the <strong>MMORPG</strong> (role play part specifically) genre and you can’t effectively RP in depth stories if there’s no base to go off of. You can give a base lore without giving deep details.

    </blockquote>
    In the last stream…steven must of heard you.
    He was talking about releasing some base lore.
    I dont think the bard approved though <img alt="????" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2.2.1/svg/1f642.svg" />

    [/quote]


    Awesome thanks! I guess I missed that watching my 1yr old. Did they give any timeframe at all?
  • [quote quote=24098]<blockquote>
    <div class="d4p-bbt-quote-title"><a href="https://www.ashesofcreation.com/forums/topic/with-no-general-game-lore-how-do-we-make-accurate-lore-for-guildscharacters/#post-23938" rel="nofollow">LG_Xenith wrote:</a></div>
    I get all of that. I just find it difficult and am not a fan of “Sorry, no lore.” decision on a game that is of the <strong>MMORPG</strong> (role play part specifically) genre and you can’t effectively RP in depth stories if there’s no base to go off of. You can give a base lore without giving deep details.

    </blockquote>
    In the last stream…steven must of heard you.
    He was talking about releasing some base lore.
    I dont think the bard approved though <img alt="????" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2.2.1/svg/1f642.svg" />

    [/quote]



    Awesome thanks! I guess I missed that watching my 1yr old. Did they give any timeframe at all?
  • Awesome thanks! I guess I missed that watching my 1yr old. Did they give any timeframe at all? @Rune_Relic
  • @LG_Xenith
    I dont think so.....I dont think I was paying too much attention at the time though.
    soonTM I would imagine.
    Twitch tv ashes of creation area has saved videos.
    The last one is available there.
  • [quote quote=23938]I get all of that. I just find it difficult and am not a fan of “Sorry, no lore.” decision on a game that is of the <strong>MMORPG</strong> (role play part specifically) genre and you can’t effectively RP in depth stories if there’s no base to go off of. You can give a base lore without giving deep details.

    [/quote]
    I have played about with two games where the developer said sorry no lore. No lore never. This is not the same thing. It's developing lore or framework lore. Games that say sorry no lore can play well and get a sandbox following but they are quickly played and abandoned.

    Growing lore is very different. AoC does not have a lore master yet a storyteller that can expand on Steve's vision. One of us will step up or a writer from somewhere will join in.

    The challenge at this stage is to get the base code, art and tools down to build the lore. You do not want to make the opposite mistake of writing lore that you later discover your artists and coders can't craft. (No mans sky!) The lore must stand on the code. The codes not all down yet.

    We get more than a sketch but we are, to some extent, handed the sketch pad. Get lore mastering.

    What would the worlds beyond the portal look like? These create the characters and build the lore but they are beyond a one way door, hidden, the coders don't need to be able to craft them we can play freely. What did the refugees build when they fled all those generations ago?

    Was it just another world or something more or something less?
  • I would love to have quest that actually have meaning. Or choices that you would want to make or not make based on what will happen via the faction changes etc.

    The problem that I have with games now days is that many of the games that we have on the market today force you to hunt for xp by killing monsters that you just spam button mash through. On the flip side you get the quest option but unless it has a half way decent story to push the content or make you want to learn more it's kind of pointless to even add it.

    Sooooo Please make sure we have a good base for lore and things to pull from.
  • I posted this in a similar type post... more about the world we are leaving behind may be needed for some, but for others maybe enough to start a back story.

    This was in the Unreal article released recently.. maybe a little more info than we had before..

    Q: What can you tell us about the game’s story? Is there a central antagonist that all players will ultimately be attempting to tackle?

    Long ago, the world of Ashes was besieged by a great calamity. Your ancestors were forced to flee their world through these great divine gateways, seeking refuge in a place void of magic. The gateways dimmed shortly after this exodus, and were buried under the rubble of countless conflicts over vast periods of time. Centuries turned to millennia, history into legend. After all this time, the people have forgotten the stories of their past. Until now. The gateways have once again begun to move, what was buried and forgotten, has now risen to the surface. The nations of the world have begun to send expeditions through these portals, to re-discover their past and explore this great new world.

    In Ashes of Creation, you start out in the world having come back through the Great Divine Gateways. You come from a non-magical world, where many nations and races exist. These pioneers have different goals and objectives. You have arrived to rediscover, rebuild and repopulate this world of your origin. Ancient treasures await those who dare to disturb the darkness, remnants of the evil that decimated your ancestors.

    In Ashes, we have an overarching story that players participate in as both an individual and a member of your server’s community. Your choices influence that narrative. This narrative includes a group of central antagonists that drive the action, but you’ll have to play the game to find out more about them!

    Maddstone
  • All I really want is some good dwarven lore where they aren't a race thats dying out lol
  • I would think they have a base lore for the ancient part of the world and the portals.  It would be a bit odd just hopping out a portal with absolutely nothing.  With the recent Steve leaks there is something we just have to wait unless Steve can be coaxed to let more slip out…./snicker 

     

    Ox

  • The best part of any high fantasy world, from LOTR to Warhammer or ASOIAF is the lore. The thing is I think you are missing the point. The devs have given us the chance to reshape the world as we see fit, and to someone who is very much into the lore and into RPing I must say for me that's a great opportunity to create our own lore and change the world as we see fit. All we need is the basic lore to have the foundation and from there we will create now stories and legends that will carry on and keep adding to the lore.
  • LG_Xenith said:
    I get all of that. I just find it difficult and am not a fan of "Sorry, no lore." decision on a game that is of the MMORPG (role play part specifically) genre and you can't effectively RP in depth stories if there's no base to go off of. You can give a base lore without giving deep details.
    It's not quite "no lore" more that there's plenty, they just want us to find it all out in game. As to knowing and making your backstory in advance, I'm personally not a fan of such restriction in advance. 
    ie this person is x y z.
    It's much more interesting for me to discover who they are as they go along.

    But I can totally understand how anxiety making a lack of background info can be. 

    So it's possibly best to just go with an ... I was isolated and never researched anything or believed anything before going through the portal job. At least for the first three months until it's all out there :D


  • I believe they are purposefully leaving a lot unanswered. They have said many times that one of the core ideas of AoC is that things can and WILL change. They want us to be able to explore, delve deep, travel and WANT to go see new things. I know this is one of the huge draws for me, because I love the idea that a road I take often while trading goods can look different every time, and change over time so that I have new things to see and explore!
    I totally agree with you. I love the fact it will be a ever changing world. Seasons, scenary... Besides we ourselves can create the lore as we build our characters, cities, etc. I can not wait to write my own history with in AoC. 
  • We need some basic lore about the factions in order to ascertain the attitudes and cultural background of the character.  A Cleric, for example, may have very different origins depending on learning in a empire with schools of learning, or in an island community with only the village elder for guidance.
  • No factions so I'm guessing you meant races... yaviey has said they're still discussing what they can tell us.
    On a role play lore request thread somewhere
  • Look for maevynns 'non-spoiller lore questions'
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