Forum - View topicBest World-Building Tournament: Minigame.
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Jose Cruz
 Posts: 1775 Location: South America |
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Well, I found the specific designs of Castle in the Sky quite memorable. Also, where else did you find these wasp-like flying things: 
And even the flying ships are not exactly as standard fare as long lived elves. Also, other franchises mentioned here have many elements borrowed from other fictional worlds. Take Legend of the Galactic Heroes for example. They use Death Star inspired fortresses designs and overall Star Wars style of fleet battles (with capital ships and fighters), though on an large scale and trying to be closer to Newtonian physics as well. |
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Mesonoxian Eve
Posts: 1858 |
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Nominating
Location: Ganymede, largest moon of Jupiter Series: Cowboy Bebop Description: Ganymede is a terraformed moon primarily designed to be a fishing industry. The surface of the moon is comprised of water, and home to the moon's most famous exports: the Ganymede Rock Lobster and the Ganymede Sea Rat. Setting: Near future, localized to the solar system. Nomination Support (why it's good): Frankly put: it fits the definition of the tournament rules to the letter. Its premise is the result of true world building, and Ganymede is not alone in the setting of Cowboy Bebop (though for simplicity, this write-up will only focus on the moon for its oft-used locale in the series). The moon was transformed so its entire surface could be covered in water, allowing for its position to be both a fishing world as well as a supply base for travelers needing water (though not specified in the series, logic would dictate this would be a possibility, especially since southern California pulls water as far away as the Colorado River). It is believed the moon has significant water under its surface, in the form of ice, making the terraforming possible. Additional resource: Cowboy Bebop Wikia |
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Maidenoftheredhand
 Posts: 2633 |
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Nominating
The World of Mushishi Franchise Mushishi Magic/Technological Base: alternative/supernatural world but mirrors the period in Japan between the Edo and Meiji periods when Japan was still isolated Important Locations: There is no specific location in Mushishi as our main character wanders from place to place helping humans deal with supernatural beings called Mushi. Important Groups: The Mushi, Mushishi/Mushi Master (such as the main character) and general human population. Description: In Mushishi you have humans and mushi. The mushi are supernatural beings that most humans cannot see and yet they impact human's lives in various ways. The main character Ginko who can see the mushi travels around the world helping humans deal with these supernatural occurrences. Through these travels the audience is exposed to the rich and supernatural world of the Mushi. Because the story is episodic in nature we are exposed to a large portion of the Mushishi world and the way the "supernatural" touches and changes the world and the people within it. A mushi has been described as "life in its purest form". They are seemingly magical creatures which seem to make their home in rural areas, and most of them depend upon either forest or human life in order to live. This is why they are considered a form of parasite. http://mushishi.wikia.com/wiki/Mushi-Shi_Wiki What Makes The World-Building Great: You can say the mushi were inspired by Japanese folklore but there is more to it than that. The story doesn't just deal with man's relationship with the supernatural but also man's relationship with nature. The world of Mushi is on one hand feels familiar. When you watch the series you feel this place could have easily existed in another place and time. And yet with the touch of the mushishi the world also feels completely alien. I think it is the mixture of these two elements that makes the world building succeed so well. The series takes elements we are familiar with bridges, rainbows, bamboo forests, mountains, etc and creates something out worldly from them. On another note the art design & backgrounds of the series also helped create the world envisioned in Mushishi and bring it to life. Supporting the Following Princess Tutu: Gold crown Town The Twelve Kingdoms Saiunkoku: Story of Saiunkoku The World of One Piece Legend of Galactic Heroes Milky Way Glie- Haibane Renmei Amestris: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Stern Build City: Tiger and Bunny The World of Natsume's Book of Friends Last edited by Maidenoftheredhand on Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:27 am; edited 1 time in total |
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rheiders
 Posts: 1137 Location: Colorful Colorado :) |
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Voting For:
World of Mushishi (Mushishi) Amestris (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) |
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farichada
 Posts: 303 Location: Wisconsin, USA |
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Bit flabbergasted how this nomination process is panning out. Certain great settings are being ignored like Ghost in Shell or the Gundamverse. Even slice of life shows a genre that is would seem weak and are weak in this area are creeping in. It almost seems people are nominating shows they like or are popular. I beginning to doubt people's ability to distinguish solid world building from other elements that can make a show interesting. Blame my own laziness for not having the motivation or confidence to tackle anything substantial than my half-assed nomination that I did in ten minutes after looking at wikis. I just don't trust myself to nominate something that deserves a solid guide.
Supporting Amestris - FMA Against Vicinity near Hatagaya Station's MgDonalds, Tokyo, Japan; Modern day - Franchise: The Devil is a Part Timer The setting nominated is nondescript, uninteresting, and largely irrelevant. Besides the fact that are two demons and a hero wandering around without their powers like clueless foreigners this is about as generic of a modern day Japan setting as you can get. The fantasy world that they come is hardly ever built up, but it is more interesting. It is strange the guide didn't include this setting yet mentioned important groups from this location. More strange is how the guide's setting description reads like a plot synopsis. The case for the supposedly great world building argues that the show has an interesting combo of genres, again this is irrelevant to the strength of the nomination. Again the why section devolves into a synopsis and mentions more things that are unnecessary like character development. The two actual settings mentioned aren't especially interesting or developed. The stronghold is a ghetto ass apartment with no real defining features and the demon's workplace is just a McDonald's rip off. If someone wants to completely rework the guide based on what I said this nomination may be salvage, but I just ain't seeing the merits even if the guide wrote to the strengths of the setting. The Cowboy Bebop entry needs to be expanded to the whole universe that the story takes place in, and then I will support it. I don't think Ganymede is too much of a minor setting to warrant its own nomination. I have a feeling that the time it takes to build a solid guide entry is reducing the number of nominations. I don't know how to solve it perfectly, but we may want to go back to the old way where we just had to justify a nomination. |
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Tris8
 Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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NOMINATING:
World of Le Chevalier D'Eon (1700s Europe + Russia) Franchise: Le Chevalier D'Eon Magic/Technological Base: Historical with supernatural overtones Important Locations: Versailles, Paris, St Petersburg (Russia), London, Medmenham Abbey (England), the French Embassy (in England) Important Groups/Races: The Four Musketeers (D'Eon, Robin, Teillagory and Durand), gargoyles (zombie-like monsters), Le Secret du Roi, The Revolutionary Brethren, the French royal family, the Russian royals, the English royals, The Poets Description: D'Eon de Beaumont is a knight of France, young and fiercely loyal. Louis the XV is ruling France and even though support for Revolution is gathering, the nobles and royalty in Versailles do little. In a world where words have more than just the power to inspire, the reciting of biblical psalms can be used to curse and cast spells. The Poets are one such group of dark magic users, attempting to create chaos in France by supporting The Revolutionary Brethren. They create Gargoyles (zombie-like creatures) to attack Le Secret du Roi (French secret agents), and steal The Royal Book of Psalms, which has more power than anyone realizes but Louis the XV himself. What Makes The World-Building Great: Everything about this show adds to the atmosphere and world. The 'costumes' are right on for the time period, with beautiful and cumbersome hoop dresses worn by the ladies of Versailles. Most of the characters are actual historical figures, such as Louis the XV, D'Eon de Beaumont, and Marquise de Pompadour. The 'Four Musketeers' as agents of France travel to Britain and Russia, and so we are able to get a full picture on the complex politics of the world. The politics are on the forefront for the world-building. There are many groups, each with a different agenda for the direction of France. Picture Link: Versailles pic 1 and pic 2 SUPPORTING: France, Rose of Versailles Planet Gunsmoke, Trigun World of Natsume's Book of Friends, Natsume's BoF Bath House of the Gods, Spirited Away Post-Apocalyptic Earth, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Aincard, Sword Art Online ALfheim Online, Sword Art Online Prester, Last Exile Glie, Haibane Renmei World of Castle in the Sky, Castle in the Sky Mahora Academy, Negima franchise Amestris, Fullmetal Alchemist Amberground, Tegami Bachi- Even though I didn't enjoy the story much, the world was awesome. Loved the concept. Ganymede, Cowboy Bebop World of Mushishi, Mushishi |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18211 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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I will, of course, vote for 18th Century Europe (the name I'm going to use for the World of Le Chevalier d'Eon), since I was planning to nominate that one myself.
Updated list will (finally!) go up on the OP shortly. It includes the following nomination. I plan to filter in a few more (including the settings for Casshern Sins and Scrapped Princess) as the week progresses. Neo-Verona Series: Romeo x Juliet Magic/Technological Base: Low fantasy Important Locations: Mantua, Gradisca Mines Important Groups: House Montague, House Capulet Description: Neo-Verona is a floating continent held aloft by two mighty trees, one of which has died, leaving the survivor, Escalus, to maintain on its own as the series begins. (Escalus begins to fail as the series progresses, however.) The main city is a wonder of stacked architecture, while surrounding it are other forested and pastured lands, towns, and even a mountainous area where prison mines can be found. It has traditionally been ruled by House Capulet, whose female members must periodically bond with the great trees to sustain them, but their place has been usurped - and the House nearly wiped out - by Lord Montague. What Makes The World-Building Great: The design of the city of Neo-Verona is a visual treat, with multi-layered architecture, various wall-off districts, and plenty of ruins. Pegasus-like steeds offer dynamic new angles to fights, and the relationship between Capulet women and the great trees is an interesting variation on the classic "bonded to the land" principle. |
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MorwenLaicoriel
 Posts: 1617 Location: Colorado |
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Voting For:
Neo-Verona Amestris |
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Ghost_Wheel
 Posts: 203 |
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Nominating
The 23rd Century Sol System Franchise: Geneshaft Magic/Technological Base: Sci-Fi Important Locations: The Bilkis (a top of the line spaceship), Jupiter and its Moons Important Groups/Races: The crew of the Bilkis, the IEO (Integrated Earth Organization), the terrorist organization (extreme naturalists), Oberus Description:In the late 21st century, the human race was ravaged by a war which almost extinguished life on earth. As a result, the survivors chose a future guided by genetic engineering and a totalitarian government. The Administration Bureau, a division of the government, controls human production and early education, and genetic engineering in the 23rd century is at its prime. People are often born into their roles with specific skills; for example, some are 7 foot tall combat soldiers, others are precocious and diligent programmers. In general, 23rd century humans develop faster; they are more intelligent, dexterous, physically strong, and literate than their 21st century counterparts. Additionally, with the advent of controlled reproduction, love and physical attraction have been removed, and the human life cycle has been artificially set to 45 years. Peace has been preserved for over 200 years as a result of the government's efforts to cull aggressiveness. In addition to general manipulation for less aggressive traits, this is achieved by preserving a male:female ratio of 1:9, keeping males in important or potentially destructive positions accompanied by a "Register" at all times, and promoting non aggressive lifestyles in a child's education. A Register is engineered to be more efficient, rational, and cool headed, but she does not need sleep, hold unnecessary memories, or easily express emotion. As the show opens in the 23rd century, Earth is an idyllic paradise: lush, green, and sparsely populated. Additionally, humanity's domain has extended beyond Earth to elaborate space stations, outposts on suitable planets and moons, and spaceships capable of warp travel. A relatively small group of terrorists working to return humanity to its 21st century roots opposes the government and its genetic program. At the time of the show's opening, humanity gains a very limited knowledge of Oberus, an unknown extraterrestrial intelligence which acts through its modules: giant rings. Scientists are also attempting to develop technology based on what could be salvaged from an extinct race of giant aliens from Ganymede. The crew of the Bilkis is a collection of some of the most capable soldiers and intelligent minds charged with the investigation of Oberus. What makes this world-building great: Geneshaft's world is expressed in its unique social structure. Every character in this show is a direct product of the setting; the way they interact with each other and with the unknown forces that plague them describes the setting in a beautiful and striking way. The roles that characters have to play are much more important in a world where every human is born into these roles. While the environment is different from society as we know it, the philosophy of this world is conveyed as neither utopian nor dystopian, but which requires full understanding to judge properly. The world is rich, and between subtle interactions and lengthy discussions, a large wealth of information is conveyed. While genetic engineering as a driving force in society has been explored, this is truly the most involved and nuanced incarnation of this concept. Last edited by Ghost_Wheel on Wed Jul 03, 2013 11:15 am; edited 2 times in total |
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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Supporting
Neo-Verona |
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Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6532 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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Nominating:
Japan & elsewhere 2030 Franchise: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Magic/Technological Base: Cyber science fiction. Important Locations: Niihama, Dejima, Public Security Section 9 headquarters Important Groups: Public Security Section 9, Japanese Government, Serano Genomics, Individual Eleven, refugees in Dejima Description: In a world still recovering from two major wars (one nuclear) there is a huge discrepancy between those who struggle to live and the technical achievements that benefit others. Noteworthy among the scientific advancements are: 1) the ability to replace, and enhance, any human body part including the brain; 2) the ability to separate human consciousness (the ghost) from the body (the shell) and store it as data or insert it into a cyborg body; and 3) directly linking the brain to the world wide web, communication systems or databases. Need to fly a helicopter? Never done it before? Just download the skill directly into your brain by remote access. These advancements have given terrorists and criminals the opportunity to hack into human brains to control them, either individually or en masse. It is the task of Public Security Section 9 to combat cyber terrorism. What Makes The World-Building Great: GitSSAC works because it makes wondrous science seem both plausible and frightening, exploring the potential and the implications of cyber science at length. On top of that it creates political and social worlds that are complex, dangerous and convincing. Recovering from war, people and factions are competing for resources, influence and some degree of justice. It is this struggle that creates the strife and drama of the franchise, not some psychotic embodiment of evil. Ordinary human ambition creates the conflict and human endeavour resolves it. Picture Links: 1. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/regnans/GitSSAC5_zpsda37439e.png 2. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/regnans/GitSSAC2_zps5677d4be.jpg 3. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/regnans/GitSSAC3_zps8069763d.jpg 4. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/regnans/GitSSAC1_zps93ba8f7d.jpg 5. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/regnans/GitSSAC7_zpsb428a7e5.jpg Supporting: Abh Empire, Crest / Banner of the Stars Italy, Gunslinger Girl Milky Way, Legend of the Galactic Heroes Ikebukero, Durarara!! Gold Crown Town, Princess Tutu The Twelve Kingdoms, The Twelve Kingdoms Yokahama, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou Bath House of the Gods, Spirited Away Post-Apocalyptic Earth, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Prester, Last Exile World of Spice and Wolf, Spice and Wolf Glie, Haibane Renmei World of Castle in the Sky, Laputa, Castle in the Sky Ganymede, Cowboy Bebop World of Mushishi, Mushishi Last edited by Errinundra on Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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rheiders
Posts: 1137 Location: Colorful Colorado :) |
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This is the series I thought of immediately when historical series were brought up, and I'm surprised it hasn't been nominated already:
Nominating: Victorian England Series/Franchise: Victorian Romance Emma Magic/Technological Base: Historical Important Locations: London Important Groups/Races: Jones family, Campbell family, Molders family and servants, Kelly Stowner, Hakim Atawari Description: The setting is Victorian England, with its complicated class system and detailed code of etiquette. The majority of the story takes place in downtown London, but large parts of the story also take place at a large countryside manor owned by a wealthy German family. There are also briefs parts of the story that take place in India and America. What Makes The World Great: Kaoru Mori is well-known for the incredible detail she puts into her historical works. The setting is painstakingly well-researched and accurate, right down to the tea sets and underwear. The intricate details contribute to the atmosphere as well, with never a brick out of place. The result is a world that feels as original and interesting as a well-crafted fantasy country and really makes the viewer feel like they are in Victorian England, watching the charming romance story unfold. More than this, the complex caste system adds an important and interesting new dimension to the series that makes the setting vitally important to the story as a whole. This is a story that cannot take place outside of Victorian England. Picture Link: [1] [2] Voting For: Japan 2030 (Ghost in the Shell: SAC) 18th Century Europe (Le Chevalier D'Eon) |
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mow123
 Posts: 339 |
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Some of these entries are exceeding the generous limit of 400 words per section. Not sure how strictly this will or should be enforced. One of the guide creators was even crafty enough to create a new section and cram several hundred words into it. I am all for detailed guides, but being concise also has its own strengths.
Supporting: World of GitS 18th Century Europe - Cheavlier D'Eon Victorian England - Emma Emma is the perfect example of a history anime show that places emphasis on its setting and building its world without the need for the supernatural or science fiction. It is obvious that things are well researched and it is clear that developing its setting was an equal priority to developing its characters. |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18211 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Entries with over 400 words in the description will be cut off at the 400 word mark if they're not appropriately edited to under that mark by the time we're done. Really, if you're breaking the 400 word mark on the description then you're going into too much detail.
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getchman
 He started itPosts: 9121 Location: Bedford, NH |
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On Key's request, I have edited my nomination back on page one so the description reads more like a setting description, and less of a detailed backstory
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