So, although I didn't partake in the Reddit AMA, I found this interesting tidbit from Ron, regarding lore:

Roncarmel wrote:there is, actually (lore)! and we wanted to weave it into the game, but it just never got high up enough on our priority list.
the gist of it is that it's a world trapped in an endless cycle of destruction that goes something like this:
-plans for an ancient technological device are discovered
-nations race to be the first to build this device (the apparatus, which requires 200 neptunium)
-when a player "wins" a game, the apparatus destroys nearly all life on the planet, leaving the outposts intact.
-societies rebuild themselves from near annihilation over many generations.
-go back to 1.
there were some plans for an actual writer to write the "official" backstory which fell through. we also thought about having a writing event where given the above outline, people write different short stories (or draw, or sculpt, or whatever) that take place within this world. but again, reality got in the way

As such, why don't we help them by doing this ourselves! With the holidays coming up, the I'm seeing as the deadline for submissions the end of January.
Don't worry if your writing skills aren't up to par, anything helps! If you don't feel like writing an entire short story, do submit short texts during the duration of the contest to inspire fellow writers, and perhaps your paragraph might even make win!
If you are writing but not done by Jan 31, just post your first chapter or section, and we'll rate it from there, then add the remaining parts when done.
The week after the deadline will be voting week, in which everyone will have plenty of time to look over the submissions and vote for their favorite.
The prize is that the winner's work will be featured on the game website (hopefully Ron/Noel will agree).

Well I definitely get a steampunk feeling about this game so my explination will be assuming that the world is steampunky. So this planet once had a "dry" period were the world was a normal earth like planet. However a Great War broke out after the assassination of the Austrian archduke. This was the war to end all wars. Fighting lasted for decades throwing both the axis and allied powers into a depression. In order to keep fighting both sides had to build massive factories to produce thier machines of war. The humble driller was made to be cheap and expendable. But the great powers needed more. They began to look twards the ice caps as a resource of land. The rush to build massive factories and reactors was on. However the massive ice caps of the planet could handle the movement of the big heavy machines of war. They began to melt. The elite families of the world had time to build underwater bunkers to survive the world wide flood that was sure to come. They selected thier most loyal professors and workers to survive in the new underwater world. When the flood came the day of the majestic Zeppelin and hot air balloon and now was the age of the submarine. To be continued soon...

TopKilla!

TopKilla!

TopKilla was a man

I mean, he was a dragon man

Or maybe he was just a dragon

But he was still TopKilla!

TopKilla!

TopKilla!

Burninating the countryside,

Burninating the peasants

Burninating all the peoples

And their thatched-roof cottages!
Thatched-roof cottages!


When all the land is in ruins

And burnination has forsaken the countryside

Only one guy will remain

My money's on


TopKilla!

TopKilla!

And the TopKilla comes in the night . . .

I moved to Hollywood and tried (with a little success) for 4 years to be a screenwriter, so I also lit up when I saw this answer.

...however, part of me LOVES the mystery of having so much ambiance and personality to the world/characters, with literally nothing but flavor text on specs to explain what it all means. You could ask 30 different players what they think is going on in this world, and none of them would have even remotely the same answer. But they would have an answer. Thematically this creative freedom to imagine matches the gameplay freedom: here are the tools- do with them what you will.

...another part of me wants to write something, lol. Christmas break is coming up. Hm.

I would love to take part. I'd like to see how many writers both ametuer and professional we have around here!

Have you ever read the Wild Card Series?
Georger R. Martin (Game of Thrones) help guide a ton of writers into producing a ton short stories that flow into one Super Hero universe. Characters from one short story will Cameo into anothers and so on.

I think it might be a awesome touch if we where to colaberate in a similar fashion- 'One persons Double Agent is whispered about in a briefing during the tale of the Hypnotists Rise to Power'

Google Drive Would be an excellent media to do this on in my opinion.

Thoughts?

I did once manage to get some of my writing sneaked into Neptune's pride, so I'd love to try with Subterfuge.

rosslessness wrote:I did once manage to get some of my writing sneaked into Neptune's pride, so I'd love to try with Subterfuge.

What kind of stuff did you write? I think Specialist stories are what I'll try to pursue.

Perhaps a lexicon style contest?

rosslessness wrote:Perhaps a lexicon style contest?

Explain please?

A lexicon writing game is where each player writes a short lore entry including references to the larger world. After each writer has written an entry, they then pick a reference from someone elses entry and expand it into a new lore entry containing new references. The cycle then repeats itself.

For np I wrote some of the medal descriptions, game type explanations, that kind of thing. Proofread some bits, ran a writing competition on that forum.