Author Topic: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible  (Read 8719 times)

Arachnion

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Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« on: December 16, 2012, 12:30:22 AM »
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BypRfkMsgQOiUXJLUzY4QlhtN2M/edit?pli=1

(note, the above link and contents aren't from me or uploaded by me, I found the link in google)

I have uploaded these original enemy group origins I found, however: https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D0133125_936_93761540

Includes:
Carnival of Shadows
Banished Pantheon
Fifth Column
Nemesis
Devouring Earth
Freakshow
Street Gangs of Paragon City
Malta
Praetorians
Rikti
Rularuu
Skyraiders
Tsoo

-----------------------------------------
Circa 2004, pre-City of Villains, pre-Going Rogue.

If you look in the Lore Bible, you'll find additional origin stories for Vahzilok, Circle of Thorns, Clockwork, Crey Industries, Igneous, and The Council.

Interesting reads!

 ;D
« Last Edit: December 21, 2012, 07:18:03 PM by Arachnion »
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Arkasas

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2012, 12:44:33 AM »
Everyone, go look at the Lore Bible and read the Rikti section; it's on page 406. It is a complete history of the Rikti race. Yeah.

Arachnion

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2012, 12:45:34 AM »
Everyone, go look at the Lore Bible and read the Rikti section; it's on page 406. It is a complete history of the Rikti race. Yeah.

The separate PDF file for the Rikti has 39 pages, apparently.

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Xieveral

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2012, 01:42:10 AM »
Is there any stuff going in-depth on Villain and Praetorian lore?
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Arachnion

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2012, 01:53:00 AM »
Is there any stuff going in-depth on Villain and Praetorian lore?

I am unsure. I have not read much of it, however there appears to be an Arachnos file.
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Zekiran

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2012, 02:02:30 AM »
I gotta say I still love the Circle of Thorns the best. I have absolutely no regrets using a version of it for my main's backstory/connection, so... yeah. Very cool.

Arkasas

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2012, 02:09:42 AM »
There's some really basic Praetorian stuff, and an Arachnos file, but nothing else red/yellowside.

Rain Maker

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2012, 02:46:41 AM »
Am I the only one who didn't realize that the Ritkti were
Spoiler for Hidden:
actually a human-Rikti hybrid
of sorts?

corvus1970

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2012, 03:00:44 AM »
Possibly. I knew that particular truth.
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Rain Maker

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2012, 03:24:04 AM »
Evidently I neglected lore and back story and played primarily for the mechanics and my own characters' narratives, but I'm finding the CoH "Bible" both engrossing and educational. 

Zekiran

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2012, 03:47:53 AM »
Am I the only one who didn't realize that the Ritkti were
Spoiler for Hidden:
actually a human-Rikti hybrid
of sorts?

It's only one of many story arcs at that level range hero-side, and not that terribly hard to miss, actually. However, if you did enough leveling to that point it's a bit difficult to avoid purely from other info coming at you from all sides.

As the game evolved, so did certain portions of the lore, so some things had to become more visible and less 'secret society' stuff.

Arachnion

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2012, 11:49:14 PM »
Found this.

It is in More Badge background.pdf



It's weird seeing what was cut, and what was planned that never came to light.

Did you know Arachnos was originally going to have *flying APCs*? I didn't.
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Samuraiko

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #12 on: December 19, 2012, 08:50:45 AM »
Am I the only one who didn't realize that the Ritkti were
Spoiler for Hidden:
actually a human-Rikti hybrid
of sorts?

It's the arc "The Organ Grinders", if memory serves, that brings that particular bit of truth to light. Which I totally ran with when I wrote my AE arc "Kill or Cure."

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Mister Bison

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #13 on: December 19, 2012, 10:24:05 AM »
It's the arc "The Organ Grinders", if memory serves, that brings that particular bit of truth to light. Which I totally ran with when I wrote my AE arc "Kill or Cure."

Michelle
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Wasn't it also in the "cure the lost" to gain access hero-side to Cimerora ?
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Zekiran

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #14 on: December 20, 2012, 01:54:09 AM »
Wasn't it also in the "cure the lost" to gain access hero-side to Cimerora ?

I think it was implied there, yeah, but in the other missions it's pretty specifically stated.


It's a darn shame that the Avilians didn't make it in, but then again I like having wings myself. :D

Kind of sad then that it took until the unreleased beta content to get the "feathers" aura which was originally part of HAVING the wings, if you remember the video of that.

Ice Trix

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #15 on: December 20, 2012, 10:33:37 AM »
Awesome reading.

I think I had a lorgasm.

Samuraiko

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #16 on: December 20, 2012, 08:18:54 PM »
Wasn't it also in the "cure the lost" to gain access hero-side to Cimerora ?

It's hinted at there, too - because you use Hero 1's blood to restore them.

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Minotaur

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #17 on: December 20, 2012, 08:50:33 PM »
It's the arc "The Organ Grinders", if memory serves, that brings that particular bit of truth to light. Which I totally ran with when I wrote my AE arc "Kill or Cure."

Michelle
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And also in one of the RWZ arcs.

Samuel Tow

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #18 on: December 21, 2012, 01:25:59 PM »
It's interesting, though, how ideas from disparate sources converge. I read through some of the Rikti lore, and was shocked to realise much of their backstory THAT I NEVER KNEW ended up very similar to my own alien race in the Curian, whom I made for the Phoenix Project. It's broad concepts, of course, but it's still concerningly similar enough to make me want to try harder.

Still, this is the sort of thing that, to me, made City of Heroes as awesome as it eventually became. It had a deep, rich backstory that implied connections and plotlines even if they were not literally in the game. It's also why I was so cross with Matt Miller's "ignore continuity" attitude to story writing which saw things like the Reichsman TF and the abandonment of nearly all old characters and groups in favour of brand new ones that ended up being a lot like them anyway.

Hell, the entire shtick behind Praetorian people seeing Earth as some kind of barbarous, disorderly world full of threatening individuals occurs almost word-for-word with the Rikti.

Those are some great stories, and I wish they had been utilised more instead of being abandoned for brand new concepts with very few links to the existing fiction.
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Kistulot

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #19 on: December 21, 2012, 06:21:52 PM »
The worst part about the emphasis of Praetoria over the existing threats we faced as Paragonians, is that for all of their "moral gray areas" I don't really feel like the Praetorian Guard was ever portrayed as anything truly different from before the retcon. Yes they have a more "noble reason" for what they do, but is there any different in the result, or what actually affects the people? We might have never known it before and it could have been canon then hidden away, but what you find out about Mother Mayhem in First Ward is ten times worse than anything any of the Praetorians did before Going Rogue.

As someone who even rather enjoyed Praetoria, and even had their toon's story linked up with that golden place (not in any way where she took credit for anything that happened mind you), it doesn't really feel like making the Praetorians from a group of mirrorverse people to "unique" mirrorverse people actually gave us anything additional.

Putting the guard in the trials was nice for the blueside accolade, but since they decided to add in Nega Pendragon (this character felt pretty bleh) and Shadow Hunter in the Magi instead of Infernal, and Duncan hops sides before you would get a shot at her, you still need to run the old arc anyway.

Confusing!
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Arachnion

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #20 on: December 21, 2012, 06:36:31 PM »
So, your favorite stories from the documents?

I gotta go with Nemesis, Carnival, Vahzilok, and Clockwork, myself.

Though Crey Industries is a good one too, but not on the level of the others listed above.
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Arcana

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #21 on: December 21, 2012, 06:55:11 PM »
Fascinating.

Arachnion

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #22 on: December 21, 2012, 07:18:50 PM »
I can't help but be enthusiastic about well-written stories :P
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Victoria Victrix

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #23 on: December 23, 2012, 07:06:31 AM »
It's the detailed planning that I love.  The sort of stuff you have to see in a book but almost never sees the light of day.
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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #24 on: December 27, 2012, 12:23:25 AM »
I'm kind of at a loss for words, here. I knew there was a great deal of thought and care put into the game, but this is just...

There is so much background and subtext just in the "news piece" at the end about the little movie theater in Galaxy City.
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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #25 on: December 27, 2012, 12:49:38 AM »
I wish I knew while we still played about the origin of Talos Island as explained in the Lore Bible. I always wondered what happened to Talos, a.k.a. the Terrific Titan.

From reading this game lore, he apparently perished in a sea battle with created a rift in the sea floor which is what created the Island itself. It is thought he was trapped in the lava that created the island. The big mountain that we all fought Rikti during their incursions, could have been directly about the final resting place of Talos, making it a hallowed ground, of sorts. I would have treated it as such had I known. I really wanted to know the story of that mountain. I wish it had received a plaque early on.
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Starsman

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #26 on: December 27, 2012, 12:50:19 AM »
The worst part about the emphasis of Praetoria over the existing threats we faced as Paragonians, is that for all of their "moral gray areas" I don't really feel like the Praetorian Guard was ever portrayed as anything truly different from before the retcon. Yes they have a more "noble reason" for what they do, but is there any different in the result, or what actually affects the people? We might have never known it before and it could have been canon then hidden away, but what you find out about Mother Mayhem in First Ward is ten times worse than anything any of the Praetorians did before Going Rogue.

As someone who even rather enjoyed Praetoria, and even had their toon's story linked up with that golden place (not in any way where she took credit for anything that happened mind you), it doesn't really feel like making the Praetorians from a group of mirrorverse people to "unique" mirrorverse people actually gave us anything additional.

Putting the guard in the trials was nice for the blueside accolade, but since they decided to add in Nega Pendragon (this character felt pretty bleh) and Shadow Hunter in the Magi instead of Infernal, and Duncan hops sides before you would get a shot at her, you still need to run the old arc anyway.

Confusing!

I had quite a few grudges with GR in general. I can't tell how things were intended, but it seemed to me as if the original goal was to make Pretoria Earth as complete of a game as City of Villains or City of Heroes on their own. Entire worlds you could go from lvl 1 to 40 (and eventually 50) and so they had to retcon everything into a grayer more noble thing, all with it's inner heroes and villains

I theorize their branching storytelling ate too much time, insane amounts of time. So much they were forced to stick to levels 1-20 at launch, and then it turned out Pretoria was not overly popular (I think zoning walls were a huge mistake, just as they were a huge mistake for CoV) and then, since all pretorian anyways ended up becoming heroes or villains, may as well just keep fleshing Pretoria as Enemy of All content.

I think Mother Mayhem was meant to be the darkest gray in the Yellow Side.

That's at least how I wish it happened, because if they actually had the entire direction they went for planned from day one... I'd be a bit sad.

In fact, when I found out during GR Beta that they "only" had 20 levels of praetorian content (plus all the tips stuff) I almost felt ripped off. I cant condemn them for trying the branching system, but I strongly feel the game would have benefit a lot more from just doing twice as many lineal arcs, simplified the side switching mechanic and devoted all the tips story writhing (was excellent, don't take me wrong) into writing just more yellow content.


Edit: as far as these bible documents.... HOLLY @#$!%$ WOW!
For the sake of the community: please stop the cultural "research" in your attempt to put blame on the game's cancelation.

It's sickening to see the community sink that low. It's worse to see the community does not get it.

I'm signing off and taking a break, blindly hope things change.

Ceremonius

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #27 on: December 27, 2012, 02:19:01 AM »
Hey! Nice find and it reads awesome!

By the way, let me say THANK YOU!

I already shared it with the german community instantly :D, even the most will be able to read it in just a few hours (03:19am here).

Just by saying this: Keep in mind I always link to the respective CoHTitan thread for credit. Hopefully you guys at TitanNetwork don't mind :P.

Credit for everyone who deserves credit :).
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Ashen Fury

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #28 on: December 27, 2012, 07:24:15 AM »
I'm interested in the part where they talk about the "Surviving Eight" thing that was only around at launch, and how it never should have been in the game, as it was an early concept, that only a few heroes had originally survived. Always wondered why that didn't continue.
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Starsman

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #29 on: December 27, 2012, 02:12:02 PM »
I'm interested in the part where they talk about the "Surviving Eight" thing that was only around at launch, and how it never should have been in the game, as it was an early concept, that only a few heroes had originally survived. Always wondered why that didn't continue.

My memory is sketchy but was it not "surviving eight" from the one taskforce? I mean, a handful of heroes (not every hero) went in with Hero One and only 8 made it back? Darn should have copied those PDFs to my iphone last night...
For the sake of the community: please stop the cultural "research" in your attempt to put blame on the game's cancelation.

It's sickening to see the community sink that low. It's worse to see the community does not get it.

I'm signing off and taking a break, blindly hope things change.

Ashen Fury

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #30 on: December 27, 2012, 09:24:42 PM »
My memory is sketchy but was it not "surviving eight" from the one taskforce? I mean, a handful of heroes (not every hero) went in with Hero One and only 8 made it back? Darn should have copied those PDFs to my iphone last night...
the "Surviving Eight" were the remaining members of the Phallanx, who originally were supposed to be the only major heroes who survived the Rikti War. Its in the original manual that came from the box and had a few references in game early on i think. Obviously they didnt stick with that story, since many of the other major groups are clearly still alive, Vindicators, et al.
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srmalloy

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #31 on: December 28, 2012, 04:23:17 AM »
From reading this game lore, he apparently perished in a sea battle with created a rift in the sea floor which is what created the Island itself. It is thought he was trapped in the lava that created the island. The big mountain that we all fought Rikti during their incursions, could have been directly about the final resting place of Talos, making it a hallowed ground, of sorts. I would have treated it as such had I known. I really wanted to know the story of that mountain. I wish it had received a plaque early on.

Don't forget the "wait, what?" moment when you read the history plaque on the east side of Talos Island itself, where you discover that "Mayor 'Spanky' Rabinowitz was born on this very street, in 1878 to Aaron and Maria Rabinowitz." -- on a street that didn't even exist until the 1960s, when Talos fell in his final battle and the resultant rift in the sea floor created Talos Island.

Starsman

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #32 on: December 31, 2012, 04:34:44 PM »
Don't forget the "wait, what?" moment when you read the history plaque on the east side of Talos Island itself, where you discover that "Mayor 'Spanky' Rabinowitz was born on this very street, in 1878 to Aaron and Maria Rabinowitz." -- on a street that didn't even exist until the 1960s, when Talos fell in his final battle and the resultant rift in the sea floor created Talos Island.

Spanky was born at sea then?!  :o And latitude happened to fit the street?  8)
For the sake of the community: please stop the cultural "research" in your attempt to put blame on the game's cancelation.

It's sickening to see the community sink that low. It's worse to see the community does not get it.

I'm signing off and taking a break, blindly hope things change.

Arcana

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #33 on: December 31, 2012, 07:48:10 PM »
Spanky was born at sea then?!
More likely he was born on that street when Talos Island was known by its original name, Atlantis.

Ashen Fury

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Re: Original Design Documents & Lore Bible
« Reply #34 on: December 31, 2012, 09:01:21 PM »
More likely he was born on that street when Talos Island was known by its original name, Atlantis.

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