The 12th Post: Warbreaker

As far as total posts and reading responses go, this is not the 12th post for either.

I never made a response to it back while I was reading it, I didn't get to far in either, but I would like to talke about Warbreaker.

I had started reading it, better late than never, but I didn't continue to read as the week progressed. I would like to return to it over the summer perhaps.

But what struck home for me, and what drew me in was this: the currency system Breath and how it would show through colors and auras.

So I thought to myself while reading it, "you can make a game out of this!". You have warring nations, an easy base for any story or game. You have a unique spell currency system: breath, working as tradable currency as well as s spell casters "mana". And a tiered level system, the Heightening's, to boot!

I would see it as a mmorpg. The real problem behind the idea would be, even though you could pitch Warbreaker and it's unique selling points, the subscription based mmo market is smaller and much harder to become successful in. Ultimately you have to beat WoW, while there are games that claimed to be a WoW killer before they were released, they ended up not doing so. The other alternative is the free to play mmo with a type of item shop that links real world currency with game currency. This would work well for Warbreaker (buy +10 breath for 30 days), but the free to play market is flooded with games and it continues to grow. You would also have to compete with the huge international and most of all asian free to play markets. Not directly of course, but their games that are hosted on US servers.

There would be a large barrier to entry without a strong promise of returns. I like the idea though, just my thoughts.

Response to: I Think We're All Bozo's on this Bus

I'm not entirely sure what I just listed to. Recalling past experiences with radio it would seem I process their data better when they are the primary influence over my senses. As an example: riding as a passenger in a car and listening to the radio.

In this case, I was multi-tasking, making an attempt to get some work done. That process required physical and visual interaction with my laptop, out numbering the audio requirement of the Bozo's.

That would be to say, I'm better at watching a movie and doing another task than lightening to something and multitasking.

It's a learning experience.

TiMER (2009)

Well, I was surprised by the end. I expected blondie to ignore her timer and marry lover boy instead of tall and handsome. I guess the movie was ok.

TiMER, or the idea of having a timer that goes off when you meet your perfect match seems a wonderful and potentially terrible idea. The reassurance of at least knowing could be a benefit if not for the fact that you could be waiting half of your entire life. You could get lucky, some people do, and find your match within days of getting your timer. Though, even that possibility would be disappointing to some people.

Response to: Bloodchild

Reading this I pictured T'Gatoi and her race as something like the Hutta race from StarWars but with rows of bug like arms. Googling her yielded the smallest bit of information to this end. Perhaps she was more of a centipede like creature. Whatever the case, they were something around that I think.

I would almost assume that another group of humans would come after the group living with the aliens. Perhaps something like this was address and I skimmed over it. If more humans were to come this would be a problem. The aliens would have to switch to an alternative method of growing their young.

The solution would be simple. Rather than forcing upon a family to carry eggs, a human would be able to sell their body. The humans then being on an equal seating with the aliens instead of being their subordinates.

Much as there is a market for egg and sperm donors, and surrogate mothers, there would be a market for this type of process. In most cases there are not complications, but when there are you get your insides eaten out. What's the worst that could happen?

Response to: Lilith's Brood, Dawn

Definitely an interesting read, not the standard alien encounter.

The interesting train of thought I was having through reading this is: how would I respond in the same situation?

I like to think I am a calm and composed person who can be quite objective. I have not been in a circumstance where my liberty has been taken out of my control so I can't really be empathetic with Lilith. What on Earth could prepare someone to interact with a completely alien species? Especially one who is holding yourself and others captive for the good of our own sake while refreshing out planet.

Returning to the question of how I would respond, we know that others responded well and integrated into the alien society but still remained alien to them. Fukumoto and other human doctor who had passed away while Lilith was just making baby steps towards a functional life with the aliens. They, if I recall correctly, did make the transition more easily but there were others who did not.

I only ended up making it about half way through, given time, and perhaps over the summer I'll go back and finish it.

(1984) The Brother From Another Planet

It was interesting, to say the least. I'm glad to know that raptor aliens who have human forms with the exception of their feet still basically behave the same way as their earthly counterparts.

Though I should say that, I realize the movie has a deeper meaning to it.

Response to: Leviathan

Why steampunk? Simple: my preproduction pitch that I will be pushing to senior thesis is steampunk. At least, it's as steampunk as Leviathan is; same time period different circumstances.

I should also note I did happen across Leviathan while fishing for reference imagery. My Drawing for Games teacher showed me an artist who did some work for the books.

Perhaps I should have taken this opportunity to read Mortal Engines, it might be more cyberpunk but it was recommended to me in regards to my thesis pitch.

On to Leviathan, a young adult novel, not that I would care I'm a light reader anyway. Though for what I read of it the characters felt more like tweens. I didn't end up finishing it due to time constraints.

I picked up reading it for the Clankers, but (for what I did read) continued reading it for the Darwinists. Both factions, rather, lifestyles were fairly interesting. I don't presume to have anything profound to say about it so I'll leave it at that.