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Competition RPG Codex Contest: Wasteland 2 Shrine, Artifact, and NPC/Weapon
- Thread starter Crooked Bee
- Start date
sgc_meltdown
Arcane
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- May 8, 2003
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- 6,000
I will approve if it's filled with blind supermutants shouting about the need for humans to take back the earth
kaizoku
Arcane
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2006
- Messages
- 4,129
1) what will something retarded have for their shrine?
2) what will the watch have for their shrine?
and wasn't wasteland 1 half-lulz?
questions questions. so many mysteries.
2) what will the watch have for their shrine?
what was suggested here (that had some codex support aka brofist) that was so bad?
and wasn't wasteland 1 half-lulz?
questions questions. so many mysteries.
Metro
Arcane
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- Aug 27, 2009
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- 27,792
Most of the entries here gravitated around the 'Great Decline' theme (originally suggested by Alexandros, I believe) with the 'shrine' centered around a bunker or ruined complex with a few subtle references to the Codex but nothing straight up herpadurr with trannies and dick monsters or whatever. I'm sure the final concept will be an amalgam of those ideas (as there was heavy overlap) which seems perfectly fine to me. You guys just need to relax.
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The Management™ humbly requests that all users who have not yet done so, read through the entries posted in this thread and brofist the entry (or entries) that they like the most.
Micmu
Magister
I think an abandoned gaming store called "RPG Codex" would fit organically in city ruins. There you can stuff all the lulzy codex stuff (even a big fuzzy codex troll holding rotten boxes of made-up titles) without some huge outdoor areas and silly big shrines, etc.
For weapon... a multi-headed dildo of course with 2x damage when targeting legs and ass. (Or something less stupid. I really don't have an idea for a weapon....)
NPC. Volourn. A guy who has been hit on the head too many times and babbles a lot, then gets himself killed very soon in a spectacular and funny way.
For weapon... a multi-headed dildo of course with 2x damage when targeting legs and ass. (Or something less stupid. I really don't have an idea for a weapon....)
NPC. Volourn. A guy who has been hit on the head too many times and babbles a lot, then gets himself killed very soon in a spectacular and funny way.
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The Management™ would like to advise that all entries have been reviewed and a winner will be announced shortly. However, while Crooked Bee will take care of that, the Management™ would like to submit the following variation for consideration as our "Final Submission" to InXile.
The intent is to combine the best of the ideas presented, while doing some things in a much subtler way - and being as specific as possible so InXile doesn't have to do much thinking.
Feel free to comment / brofist / review as appropriate.
1. Description of the Shrine
An old, abandoned military bunker located in the side of a mountain, a few miles outside of a pre-war city. The party learns of this bunker by talking to some NPCs in the region. The NPCs tell them the folk story of a group of traditionalists preaching about the "Great Decline", their version of the end of days about to come due to the general populace's disregard for the old ways. Apparently, at some point they grew tired of preaching and they willingly chose to seclude themselves in that bunker, their very own "shelter from modernity" as they used to call it. No-one dares approach the old bunker, even after all these years, in fear of the defences set in place by a member of the group, a mad man with a genius-level intellect.
The entrance to the bunker is a large, sealed door with a computer terminal nearby. When accessed the terminal displays a key panel and the text "Please enter unlock code:". Clearly there is still some power in the facility. The digits on the keypad have letters on them, much like the numbers on a mobile phone. The user can hack the terminal (with sufficient skill) or enter the numbers 3283 (FATE) to open the door.
Once inside, we can see that the bunker is destroyed, with several corpses strewn around. The bunker is clearly part of a much larger facility that goes many levels deep but walls have collapsed, elevators are non-functional or missing with only empty shafts remaining and only a small portion of the facility is actually accessible. Upon examination the corpses reveal that "A great struggle took place here." and "It appears as if the inhabitants of this place fought each other to death".
2. Description for the Statue
The statue stands - or perhaps is carved into the wall - by the entrance of the bunker. It's a large statue (perhaps twice the height of a man) of some sort of apparently angry devil / troll-like creature. If the party examines the statue, they get the following description: "It's as though the figure is looking down on the city in the distance, with an obvious air of superiority. An inscription on the bottom reads: Odds are, something you like very much sucks."
3. The type of in-game artifact + backstory
Only two levels of the bunker are actually accessible and despite the fear, there are no defense mechanisms operational. The first level is sparse with mostly collapsed walls. Everything has long since malfunctioned, fallen into disrepair or been destroyed. With sufficient relevant skill (and perhaps an item such as replacing a broken fuse), the PC can re-activate one of the elevators - an old service lift that descends to a lower level of the bunker.
This lower level is no better than the first, in fact it's worse. Where doors don't function, there are large gaping holes in the walls - where walls have seemingly fallen down or been blown away. Again, bodies lie strewn about the area as if a great fight took place here and the inhabitants turned on each other.
In this lower level though is a locked room. With sufficient lockpicking skill, the PC is able to re-work the mechanism and open the door. Inside is the only room still in almost pristine condition. A series of monitors - long since dead - adorn the walls, making this some kind of central control room. A computer terminal is active, perhaps one of several but only this one is still blinking and operational. A long dead corpse sits in a chair in front of it. A second corpse lies dead on the floor nearby.
Accessing this computer terminal requires a much higher hacking skill than the one necessary to gain entrance to the bunker in the first place. Once hacked, it brings up a list of options with the following results:
I actually want to write out the actual text that appears in the two available journals. Falling in line with Alexandros description below, explaining how Calis set it up so they'd work even if the server was offline and other things that explain this place. Maybe 8 or 10 entries available in total spread out over a period of time which cover everything from its establishment to its ultimate demise.
"The Codex is a fascinating read. Various journal entries describe the day to day activities of the group and their plans to reforge society according to their ideals after the coming of the Decline, with the basic principles of the plan entailed in a seperate section of the Codex called "Rebirth Program Guidelines" or RPG. However, the later pages reveal the possible cause of their own destruction, as The Codex describes numerous heated discussions and wildly different opinions on the exact nature of the RPG. The last chapter of the unfinished book suggests that the conflict turned violent at some point. It seems probable that infighting was the cause for the eventual demise of the group. [Full credit to Felipepepe for his idea on that last bit]."
"I've sealed the doors. I am activating the defense mechanisms and turning them against those inside. This place must be destroyed."
4. Name an NPC OR weapon
Examination of the corpse on the chair reveals: "This long-dead corpse is wearing a blue jumpsuit of some sort. You can just make out the name [Proverbius] on the name tag." On the floor by the corpse is a large sledgehammer. Its description reveals "This heavy sledgehammer is covered in blood-stains. It looks like it's been well-used. There's a cable running from it which appears like it must connect to some sort of power source." The sledgehammer is called "Consequence". The sledgehammer by default, is a fairly standard weapon.
Nearby is another skeleton which looking at reveals: "The name [Calis] appears on the blue jumpsuit of this corpse." Upon examination we find the corpse has a suit of armour, called "Choice" with the description: "This strange suit of armour has been severely damaged and is beyond repair. It seems as if it has an internal power source though, which is still active." The armour is UTTERLY WORTHLESS for defense (thus the armour becomes our "item"). It's long since passed it's usefulness and has been far too heavily damaged.
However, if the armour is equipped along with the sledgehammer (thus providing the weapon with a power source), the sledgehammer becomes THE best melee weapon in the game. However the armour is - and always will be - crap, no matter what you do to it. Thus the player is presented with a choice: Do they want a great melee attack at the expense of their defense?
An old, abandoned military bunker located in the side of a mountain, a few miles outside of a pre-war city. The party learns of this bunker by talking to some NPCs in the region. The NPCs tell them the folk story of a group of traditionalists preaching about the "Great Decline", their version of the end of days about to come due to the general populace's disregard for the old ways. Apparently, at some point they grew tired of preaching and they willingly chose to seclude themselves in that bunker, their very own "shelter from modernity" as they used to call it. No-one dares approach the old bunker, even after all these years, in fear of the defences set in place by a member of the group, a mad man with a genius-level intellect.
The entrance to the bunker is a large, sealed door with a computer terminal nearby. When accessed the terminal displays a key panel and the text "Please enter unlock code:". Clearly there is still some power in the facility. The digits on the keypad have letters on them, much like the numbers on a mobile phone. The user can hack the terminal (with sufficient skill) or enter the numbers 3283 (FATE) to open the door.
Once inside, we can see that the bunker is destroyed, with several corpses strewn around. The bunker is clearly part of a much larger facility that goes many levels deep but walls have collapsed, elevators are non-functional or missing with only empty shafts remaining and only a small portion of the facility is actually accessible. Upon examination the corpses reveal that "A great struggle took place here." and "It appears as if the inhabitants of this place fought each other to death".
2. Description for the Statue
The statue stands - or perhaps is carved into the wall - by the entrance of the bunker. It's a large statue (perhaps twice the height of a man) of some sort of apparently angry devil / troll-like creature. If the party examines the statue, they get the following description: "It's as though the figure is looking down on the city in the distance, with an obvious air of superiority. An inscription on the bottom reads: Odds are, something you like very much sucks."
3. The type of in-game artifact + backstory
Only two levels of the bunker are actually accessible and despite the fear, there are no defense mechanisms operational. The first level is sparse with mostly collapsed walls. Everything has long since malfunctioned, fallen into disrepair or been destroyed. With sufficient relevant skill (and perhaps an item such as replacing a broken fuse), the PC can re-activate one of the elevators - an old service lift that descends to a lower level of the bunker.
This lower level is no better than the first, in fact it's worse. Where doors don't function, there are large gaping holes in the walls - where walls have seemingly fallen down or been blown away. Again, bodies lie strewn about the area as if a great fight took place here and the inhabitants turned on each other.
In this lower level though is a locked room. With sufficient lockpicking skill, the PC is able to re-work the mechanism and open the door. Inside is the only room still in almost pristine condition. A series of monitors - long since dead - adorn the walls, making this some kind of central control room. A computer terminal is active, perhaps one of several but only this one is still blinking and operational. A long dead corpse sits in a chair in front of it. A second corpse lies dead on the floor nearby.
Accessing this computer terminal requires a much higher hacking skill than the one necessary to gain entrance to the bunker in the first place. Once hacked, it brings up a list of options with the following results:
Please input command:
1. Defense System
-> 1. Activate Defense Network -> [ Critical System Failure ]
-> 2. System Diagnostic -> [ Critical System Failure ]
2. Security Monitoring
-> [ Access Denied ]
3. User Programs
-> 1. Solitaire -> [ init: fatal signal: Segmentation fault. Error at Memory Address (0x12DF) ]
-> 2. Journals -> Please Select Journal:
4. System Information -> rpgcodex.net v2002.6.16
1. Defense System
-> 1. Activate Defense Network -> [ Critical System Failure ]
-> 2. System Diagnostic -> [ Critical System Failure ]
2. Security Monitoring
-> [ Access Denied ]
3. User Programs
-> 1. Solitaire -> [ init: fatal signal: Segmentation fault. Error at Memory Address (0x12DF) ]
-> 2. Journals -> Please Select Journal:
1. Calis -> Listing... (see below)
2. D*%))-d!#?@&d -> [ This file is corrupt. ]
3. Proverbius -> Listing... (see below)
4. Taluntain -> [ Error 504: The server did not respond in time. ]
5. Weller -> [ Status 503: User not found. This account has been deleted. ]
-> 3. Mail -> [ Mail server not found. ]2. D*%))-d!#?@&d -> [ This file is corrupt. ]
3. Proverbius -> Listing... (see below)
4. Taluntain -> [ Error 504: The server did not respond in time. ]
5. Weller -> [ Status 503: User not found. This account has been deleted. ]
4. System Information -> rpgcodex.net v2002.6.16
I actually want to write out the actual text that appears in the two available journals. Falling in line with Alexandros description below, explaining how Calis set it up so they'd work even if the server was offline and other things that explain this place. Maybe 8 or 10 entries available in total spread out over a period of time which cover everything from its establishment to its ultimate demise.
"The Codex is a fascinating read. Various journal entries describe the day to day activities of the group and their plans to reforge society according to their ideals after the coming of the Decline, with the basic principles of the plan entailed in a seperate section of the Codex called "Rebirth Program Guidelines" or RPG. However, the later pages reveal the possible cause of their own destruction, as The Codex describes numerous heated discussions and wildly different opinions on the exact nature of the RPG. The last chapter of the unfinished book suggests that the conflict turned violent at some point. It seems probable that infighting was the cause for the eventual demise of the group. [Full credit to Felipepepe for his idea on that last bit]."
"I've sealed the doors. I am activating the defense mechanisms and turning them against those inside. This place must be destroyed."
4. Name an NPC OR weapon
Examination of the corpse on the chair reveals: "This long-dead corpse is wearing a blue jumpsuit of some sort. You can just make out the name [Proverbius] on the name tag." On the floor by the corpse is a large sledgehammer. Its description reveals "This heavy sledgehammer is covered in blood-stains. It looks like it's been well-used. There's a cable running from it which appears like it must connect to some sort of power source." The sledgehammer is called "Consequence". The sledgehammer by default, is a fairly standard weapon.
Nearby is another skeleton which looking at reveals: "The name [Calis] appears on the blue jumpsuit of this corpse." Upon examination we find the corpse has a suit of armour, called "Choice" with the description: "This strange suit of armour has been severely damaged and is beyond repair. It seems as if it has an internal power source though, which is still active." The armour is UTTERLY WORTHLESS for defense (thus the armour becomes our "item"). It's long since passed it's usefulness and has been far too heavily damaged.
However, if the armour is equipped along with the sledgehammer (thus providing the weapon with a power source), the sledgehammer becomes THE best melee weapon in the game. However the armour is - and always will be - crap, no matter what you do to it. Thus the player is presented with a choice: Do they want a great melee attack at the expense of their defense?
The intent is to combine the best of the ideas presented, while doing some things in a much subtler way - and being as specific as possible so InXile doesn't have to do much thinking.
Feel free to comment / brofist / review as appropriate.
hiver
Guest
I wonder would these... wasteland codex vault denizens, actually consider the apocalypse the great decline or would they actually celebrate it and rejoice in it. - (yes i think full stop is in order here - question mark ran away when it saw the sentence forming)
And then of course turned against one another in an epic tactical strategy free for all fighting, with deep diplomatic options, clustering and re clustering around most important codexians of old - arguing what the ultimate answer would be and what the questions really is - until Cleve Ai decided it had enough of nonsense and took all of their mind states and uploaded everyone into himself thus creating ultimate hive mind singularity - which set in to wait until the time is right, to come out into the world again and teach it its(z) wisdom.
So actually... nobody is dead. We are all in there.... argu... i mean creating the ultimate incline.
-funnily i wrote this short post before i saw this entry by the menagement.
First thing that strikes me as ... irregular.. is the inscription. Translating it to latin would be better and more fitting.
Let people google it outside of the game and then receive its wisdom with some effort.
here:
Dissident sunt, aliquid te similis valde sugit.
also, additionally:
Vix fieri meruit prudentiae.
Secondly, infighting was originally my idea but felipepepe forgot to wear his tinfoil hat.
(for morons : this is actually a true joke)
And of course you didnt put monocle on the statue which is a horrible oversight.
-edit-
yeah ok dont use Cleve if you dont like him so much... ffs... put in DU for more brownosing points or taluntain or whoever...
And then of course turned against one another in an epic tactical strategy free for all fighting, with deep diplomatic options, clustering and re clustering around most important codexians of old - arguing what the ultimate answer would be and what the questions really is - until Cleve Ai decided it had enough of nonsense and took all of their mind states and uploaded everyone into himself thus creating ultimate hive mind singularity - which set in to wait until the time is right, to come out into the world again and teach it its(z) wisdom.
So actually... nobody is dead. We are all in there.... argu... i mean creating the ultimate incline.
-funnily i wrote this short post before i saw this entry by the menagement.
First thing that strikes me as ... irregular.. is the inscription. Translating it to latin would be better and more fitting.
Let people google it outside of the game and then receive its wisdom with some effort.
here:
Dissident sunt, aliquid te similis valde sugit.
also, additionally:
Vix fieri meruit prudentiae.
Secondly, infighting was originally my idea but felipepepe forgot to wear his tinfoil hat.
(for morons : this is actually a true joke)
And of course you didnt put monocle on the statue which is a horrible oversight.
-edit-
yeah ok dont use Cleve if you dont like him so much... ffs... put in DU for more brownosing points or taluntain or whoever...
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It's great, but I still think "We do not scale to your level" (possibly in Latin) as an inscription would have been better.
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You know, I don't get the putting stuff in Latin. Putting things in Latin is so fucking lame. It's like "Look at me, putting shit in Latin because like, that's cool".
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It makes pithy statements even pithier. And the all caps are COOL.
NON ASCENDENT AD GRADU
NON ASCENDENT AD GRADU
kazgar
Arcane
Latin would only make sense if there's a Latin skill (or at a pinch, a languages skill) and it can be decoded. Language issues should only be a related to the character, not the game-player.
Heck, might as well put it in polish, would serve the same purpose. You could also then make even more jokes about it being a dead language post-apoc, or some other potato related balderdash.
Heck, might as well put it in polish, would serve the same purpose. You could also then make even more jokes about it being a dead language post-apoc, or some other potato related balderdash.
hiver
Guest
LOOK,
seriously, if you dont get the joke and see it only as puting in latin for sake of latin - then you dont get it.
let me break it down...
point 1. - having just "Odds are, something you like very much sucks." is totally lame and self absorbed in a cheap way.
point 2. - a Latin inscription visually says "this is a smart saying of some kind of wisdom"
point 3. - wait... putting stuff in latin is a bit lame...
4. a visitor is then stuck between the two possible instinctive interpretations
5. therefore he must discover what it is - goes and google-translates it :
6. its a literal word for word translation which is funny by itself + ultimately self depreciating + actually true = BINGO.
DO IT foul creatures! I command thee by the power of INCLINE vested in me!
seriously, if you dont get the joke and see it only as puting in latin for sake of latin - then you dont get it.
Thats the bloody point!
let me break it down...
point 1. - having just "Odds are, something you like very much sucks." is totally lame and self absorbed in a cheap way.
point 2. - a Latin inscription visually says "this is a smart saying of some kind of wisdom"
point 3. - wait... putting stuff in latin is a bit lame...
4. a visitor is then stuck between the two possible instinctive interpretations
5. therefore he must discover what it is - goes and google-translates it :
6. its a literal word for word translation which is funny by itself + ultimately self depreciating + actually true = BINGO.
DO IT foul creatures! I command thee by the power of INCLINE vested in me!
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Great idea.
SerratedBiz
Arcane
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2009
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- 4,143
Better yet, put it in japanese. jRPGCodex desuuu~
hiver
Guest
kazgar idea is shit!
latin is universal language of wisdom, culture and monocles! Not fucking polish or japanese. you suck people!
Also, bloody hell... Codex would not call the apocalypse - great decline.
the great decline was what was going on before it - what is going on now! - in our alternate history.
Are you seriously telling me any codex member (baring mindless tards) would not rejoice and celebrate the ITZ?
The Great purification? The Great Purge of Decline?!?!? The Great Cleansing !!??!
you have to be kidding me...
latin is universal language of wisdom, culture and monocles! Not fucking polish or japanese. you suck people!
Also, bloody hell... Codex would not call the apocalypse - great decline.
the great decline was what was going on before it - what is going on now! - in our alternate history.
Are you seriously telling me any codex member (baring mindless tards) would not rejoice and celebrate the ITZ?
The Great purification? The Great Purge of Decline?!?!? The Great Cleansing !!??!
you have to be kidding me...
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SOLANUM TUBEROSUM 
hiver
Guest
irony and knowing it will actually troll people to go outside of the game and google it and then have it blow up into their faces.
hiver
Guest
why? so the potatos can understand it straight away? what bloody point does that have?
how many layers does that create?
two?
the second being that rpgcodex is a potato forum?
how many layers does that create?
two?
the second being that rpgcodex is a potato forum?
kazgar
Arcane
The main point I was trying to make, is that the character (or the party) should either not know what it is and therefore find it undecipherable, or should be able to pass a skill/perk/stat/something check, and be able to make out, or partly make out a translation. No breaking the 4th wall, and only a knowing wink to the player if the check is passed.
Though having it in polish is now somewhat humorous.
Though having it in polish is now somewhat humorous.
hiver
Guest
There is no skills or checks in the game to even theoretically achieve that - therefore the suggestion is worthless.
The inscription doesnt break anything - the player himself does and there is no need to do it right away, it is not a requirement of any kind or affects anything inside the shrine/vault - therefore youre reasoning is fraudulent.
humorous? by all means... go for inscriptions in polish so that polacs can understand it. that really makes sense in all kinds of contexts of the game and its setting.
instead of teaching people the ways of wisdom....and incline...
again,
Change the view of members of the shrine of Apocalypse itself into long foretold and awaited ITZ, the Great Purge, or Great Cleansing or similar.
It is not befitting for codex to relate to Apocalypse as Great Decline. Quite the contrary.
Change it before its too late.
The inscription doesnt break anything - the player himself does and there is no need to do it right away, it is not a requirement of any kind or affects anything inside the shrine/vault - therefore youre reasoning is fraudulent.
humorous? by all means... go for inscriptions in polish so that polacs can understand it. that really makes sense in all kinds of contexts of the game and its setting.
instead of teaching people the ways of wisdom....and incline...
again,
Change the view of members of the shrine of Apocalypse itself into long foretold and awaited ITZ, the Great Purge, or Great Cleansing or similar.
It is not befitting for codex to relate to Apocalypse as Great Decline. Quite the contrary.
Change it before its too late.
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That's even lamer. On point 2, it's over-used so much now that it immediately says "we're lame" - which also negates point 4. People will google it anyway, no matter what language it's in because it might be an in-game easter egg or some sort of clue or just because they're curious. Point 6 just rams it home.
What you're basically saying is we have a lame saying, in a lame language that people will think is lame, which they will google purely out of curiosity before saying "that was really lame". And the point of that is? Why not just have a bright pink unicorn with a troll face fucking a preying mantiis, that's at least lameness with style - and incidentally would also be more relevant.
At least Polish sounds better. That's some-what relevant to the Codex.
Also hiver, all of your other ideas suck too. Please stop posting them.
hiver
Guest
sure they do...
lame language...right-e-o.
go for pink unicorns fucking something in polish instead.
and for your information Du, you dont have a lame saying - saying is good on itself.
presenting it like that, on the statue, makes it a lame one liner reference to forums.
In the wasteland game.
lame language...right-e-o.
go for pink unicorns fucking something in polish instead.
and for your information Du, you dont have a lame saying - saying is good on itself.
presenting it like that, on the statue, makes it a lame one liner reference to forums.
In the wasteland game.
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