1. Thesis

Most games and fantasy stories I know are simple, and this is maybe the reason why they are such comfortable and easy as porn or horror movies.

Two weeks ago I saw LOTR, again, and I recognized this:

Fantasy worlds seems to be easier and simpler as the real reality I recognize between humans, whether here (online) or there (offline), it does not matter. In Fantasy worlds you find different races like orcs and elves, which are incommensurable (difference by different systems or theories; think of physical description differences between black holes and subatomic phenomena) and impossible to imagine in a social discourse. They may not seem to coexist with each other, but side by side or against each other.

Orcs would never live in peace with elves or human. Am I right?

Yes, I think this is a necessity of games where not every kill or death have lead to ethical consequences. And yes, these circumstances make such games or worlds easy and comfortable, because some ethnies are less equal than others, so you can treat them like animals or “less humans” (subhumans, in German: “Untermenschen”) without discourse or ethic or consequences as a realistic world needs. You have less to think. You act like a hunter without ethical ideas. This circumstances are in games a need, because every kill results some way in points and new items. You need no animals with mind. You need armor and sword.

But think of nazi-humans in our reality which were after WW II given the opportunity to be transformed or changed into non-nazi-humans after they were defeated, and think of fantasy worlds without this possibility. In LOTR there is only one end for orcs or “bad guys”: they are swallowed by the earth. There is no discourse, no conversion, only a victory of good with a little help of a swallowing earth. Although some races in this fictional systems have an ability of speak, language, mind, they seems to be underrated and only a reason for war and kill. All discourses of “good people” with “bad people” seem to be non-discursive communication (weapons, spells, death and murdering).

2. Explanation

I read you are not implementing orcs and elves in your game. This is good.

But I am asking me, how fantasy worlds could be more realistic in a fantasy manner (by fantasy societies and races). What if orcs or evil troops will be only treated by their allegiance (like in Fall from Heaven).

In FFH there is also a non-discursive confrontation between “the good” and “the evil”. But for what reason? And for what realistic reason? What kind of childish logic must a fantasy world have to be more fantasy like and easy going? And, why we can’t do it at our own?

So, what would happen, if there will never be a non-discursive system need? What, if confrontation (non-discursive, as war) and discussion (discursive, as peace, friendship or war but transforming foes into friends) depends on more adaptive factors, what if there will be a system logic which expends classical understanding of fantasy worlds? For me, it seems, that most or all fantasy worlds are hard reductions of reality. What if good or evil would be only “political parties” of living forms like humans or (I don’t know) demons? What the need of an unrealistic form of “evil”, which never changes, because (like in childish tales) it is not allowed to change - and so nearly animal or “without a mind”? I mean, we’re talking about “allegiance of whole societies” of orcs, goblins, elves, not only of single persons.

I think these are philosophical issues (ethics, logic, philosophy of mind), and it’s depends on logical and philosophical problems. And it’s the reason why LOTR is for me too much unrealistic (not of elves, but of it’s inner system logic of discourse), and maybe it’s the only reason why LOTR is from time to time a relief. Because our reality is much complex as every single fictional system (game, book, movie), because our reality includes all these things. Most of all I am annoyed that the good kill the bad guys without batting an eyelid, even though they are so clever and well thought. For me, the elves in particular appear very primitive. But I think that the elves are just as primitive because they have to fit into this simple world model (as good). Not so for the men or humans who make so the more realistic figures and societies (consider the realistic uncertain change between good and evil).

I am sure, that humans become in Elemental the ability to chose between good and evil. But I am also sure, that there are creatures and societies which have to be “evil at all and forever”. But why? Why there have to be societies (with mind) without choose? What kind of reduction is this? Why there have to be goblins or orcs, which are less minded, yes, but “minded” and so to be none animals we treat like “bad wolfs” or “less equal creatures” like “dangerous bears” or “roaring lions”, which we kill.

3. Proposal

I am asking me, just for fun, what would happen to a fantasy world without dreamy and simple differences like between “evil” and “good” entities “by born or forever”. What would happen to Frodo and all Gimli’s, if they have to discuss their killing of creatures. Creature which looks (for a moment of war) overwhelming aggressive (as Germans in WW II).

Why a demon must be evil forever? A “demon” is in many cultures only a supernatural being between mortals and gods (like a Jin). Think of causal determinism, Laplace’s demon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace%27s_demon

I do not mean that no creature should be evil. I only mean that you can not call an entire race, a whole society as evil, because that is illogical and unrealistic. But I know that this is done not only in fantasy worlds, perhaps because it is facilitative.

And as you see, I prefer to chose a new kind of fantasy story telling with less irrefutably evil or good entities. It would make stories more exciting and unpredictable. It would be a fantastic world that resembles our own reality, but with a different asset (elves, orcs). I think bilateral and immovable worlds are simply too easy and boring with time.

How would it be if no creature or race would ever be all bad? What if it depended on certain circumstances? Perhaps by the political leaders? Or from previous wars, confrontations, troubles? Then each new world would be a real surprise.

Supernatural beings as demons would be merely a special kind, which would be added as needed and inclination. The allegiance of a culture or kingdom or city influences which demons you can build. Or better: Not allegiance of a whole society, but an allegiance of single characters (adepts, mages) influences which demons or creature you can “call” instead of “create”. So none house or state religion creates demons, only characters.

By the way, I think that a game should be more managed by individual characters as houses, factories or institutions (as is often usual: Civ, GalCiv, FFH). This robs the game the commonly known “soul”. “Soul” as something personal or more realistic or human like. Institutions seem often mindless and soulless. With “characters” I mean not dazzling heroes, as in “Romance of Three Kingdoms”, but rather as in “Europa Universalis Rome”. In “Rome” there influence individuals a society.

And so on. Again, just for inspiration…