General planning thread

[the-pau]

I've decided since there is likely a lack of direction at the onset of this project, it would be a good idea to offer a thread where random ideas can just be jotted down and feedback received, without having to fully develop the idea. I think I will leave this issue open for that for at least until it feels as though this project has began to take shape. This is kinda precautionary to make sure we are all on the same page until there is some established universe that we can build off of

[the-pau]

Chadwick brought up the idea of zombies at some point and I think it works as a good premise, but in the spirit of keeping everything bound by realism, we would have to build up a plausible origin for the outbreak. My current thinking is that something related to a mutation of the rabies virus, which makes it airborne and makes its victims more aggressive and delusional, would be a good start.

[the-pau]

I am also inclined towards the idea that it isnt a single event that causes the global collapse, but rather a series of intermingled causes. I think it would be sensible to vaguely build off of problems/concerns that currently afflict the real world. But in order to keep this a friendly/enjoyable experience, lets refrain from digging to much into specific, sensitive topics from real life.

Example of what I think is acceptable: the apocalypse is in part caused by increasing wealth inequality driven by technological progression causing disparity between classes

Example of what I do not think is acceptable: the apocalypse being caused as a direct result of something covid related, or naming specific real life conflicts like russia/ukraine or naming specific actors in said conflicts like putin, although I think building off of current existing poor international relations can maybe be fine as long as the real-life specifics are avoided (I am trying to avoid having the worldbuilding blame any real life person or event for the apocalypse, since this is obviously something that can be sensitive to others)

Open to feedback on this please, I imagine that ultimately this will boil down to the descretion of the writers and reviewers on a topic-by-topic basis to decide whats appropriate. I just want it to be aware that these boundaries should be respected, even if the boundary lines may be vague at times.

[the-pau]

Another good starting place is to determine what year we want this worldbuilding to start in. I imagine this compilation of worldbuilding material will probably be "dated" across a couple years, but I think its safe to set a certain date range for the scenario.

What do we think about 2050 to 2060? Too early? Too late? Too long? Too short?

[old-df38257622]

For a starting range, 2050-2060 sounds good to me. Obviously if need be it can be expanded.

[thesmittel]

thought about using the current fusion development as a starting point with one company developing THE reactor and through false promises gaining a global energy monopoly, then leveraging that to essentially play god, pressuring nations into doing what the shareholders want. with the range we "set" now it would mean that in 2050 were still in the false promises phase with the company acting altruistically, low prices for energy funded by the ultra rich as an investment to later set up that shadow government. With the monopoly then energy prices rise, the major industries are being bought by the energy company, anti trust laws are being abandoned, meaning independent companies are no longer financially feasible, everyone depends on them.

some time later, maybe the shareholders have a major disagreement and the company ends up being split up into regional branches run by the biggest shareholders with the amount of land and population under their control being linked to the shares they own, im thinking 5 or 6ish branches with rising tensions because obviously, every branch wants to get to the former glory. The solution for that would be a war destroying most of the critical infrastructure resulting in society slowly breaking down over time.

just a quick sketch tho lol. while it builds on something thats happening now, i think were still far enough removed from when something like this would actually be possible. And i quite like the arc from moving towards utopia only to be violently pulled into the dystopia

(Its basically the example of whats acceptable just a bit more concrete i just realised)

[the-pau]

+1 on the fusion idea, I think it sets up the economic side of the "pending apocalypse" very well.

I think if we use fusion as the economic/political issue, rabies as a biological issue, all we need is some sort of rising cultural/social issue to tie it all together?

Thoughts on the rabies "zombies" idea? Do we generally enjoy it? Any ideas for interesting ways it could possibly tie into the whole fusion problem? Or do we think that the ideas are too decoupled?

Thinking from the realism perspective, I'd imagine it makes more sense for multiple factors to be at play in the apocalypse, but from a storytelling perspective, its important to keep the factors related somehow in order to build interesting lore.

Last minute thought: maybe unreasonably high energy prices lead to failing medical services or failing security/containment at a facility where airborne rabies is contained? Or maybe we should brainstorm idea for social/cultural factors before trying to piece this together?

[thesmittel]

could work either as a bioweapon or transmitted because the infrastructure is no longer functioning properly causing riots, mass hysteria and no ability to treat people. Several patient zeroes in this case because people got desperate and started hunting small animals to get by