Does Stars of the Pilgrim Define Transcendence?

RPC · Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:54 pm

From IRC last night:

<Avan> I mean, you could make an 'adventure' for casual play
<Avan> but
<Avan> it wouldnt be transcendence itself

This is an interesting topic because it brings the concept of just what exactly is this game we're all playing that's colloquially known at Transcendence. Here are a couple terminology issues I want to iron out:

If I make an adventure, like Hell's Trinity, that doesn't have any association with SotP or George, is that still Transcendence? Even if I was able to integrate Hell's Trinity to Multiverse with achievements and everything *can* I call Hell's Trinity Transcendence?

Is Transcendence.exe Transcendence without SotP? Is the game engine itself without being able to play the adventure SotP (but can still play other adventures) considered Transcendence?

Knowing the answers could be key to marketing the game. If somebody happened to make a wildly popular mod (that became more popular than SotP), what would we call it? Part of the 'Extended Multiverse' mod? If so, we'd need to make sure we get terminology correct that way casuals and veterans alike don't confuse Transcendence with something else.

Last question: Is Transcendence everything that is authored by George?

Sun Sep 29, 2013 4:31 pm

It's a good question! but I don't have a good answer. Here is an older attempt to answer the question: http://forums.kronosaur.com/viewtopic.php?t=3179

I think today I might answer as follows:

1. The "Transcendence Game System" encompasses anything that runs on Transcendence.exe.
2. The "Transcendence Canonical Universe" is anything produced by Kronosaur Productions.
3. The "Transcendence Expanded Universe" is anything compatible with the Canonical Universe and approved by the Expanded Universe curators.

Examples:

"Hell's Trinity" is an adventure in (some universe) for the Transcendence Game System.
"The Stars Beyond" is an adventure in the Transcendence Expanded Universe.

What do you guys think?

Sun Sep 29, 2013 4:36 pm

What if we refer to the game engine or D&O itself? Something is called 'Transcendence' - I'm assuming it what 'Transcendence' itself is, is the package we all download, containing just D&O and the engine together. The engine would thus be the 'Transcendence [Game] Engine'

Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:45 pm

Wolfy wrote:What if we refer to the game engine or D&O itself? Something is called 'Transcendence' - I'm assuming it what 'Transcendence' itself is, is the package we all download, containing just D&O and the engine together. The engine would thus be the 'Transcendence [Game] Engine'

Here's another way to think about it:

"Star Wars" is a franchise that encompasses movies, game systems, books, etc. What unites them all is that they are set in a (semi) consistent universe with the six movies at their core.

In the same way, the name "Transcendence" refers to a franchise encompassing many things: a game engine (Transcendence.exe), a fictional universe, a set of adventures, etc. Someday we may do an MMO set in the Transcendence universe. That should still have "Transcendence" in its title.

The "Transcendence Game Engine" (I like that name better) is currently the only video game engine for the Transcendence universe. Someday there will be more.

"Stars of the Pilgrim" is an adventure in the Transcendence [Expanded] Universe using the Transcendence Game Engine. Maybe someday there will be a "Stars of the Pilgrim" book or comic book (or, dare I dream, movie?). If a book were to come out, the cover of the book would read, "Transcendence: Stars of the Pilgrim". (Today, for example, Corporate Command is officially "Transcendence: Corporate Command").

"Domina & Oracus" is a trilogy comprising "Stars of the Pilgrim" and two other adventures/storylines.

"The Stars Beyond" is an adventure/storyline set in the Transcendence [Expanded] Universe using the Transcendence Game Engine. We might also market this as "Transcendence: The Stars Beyond" just like the Star Wars (Expanded Universe) books all have "Star Wars" in their titles.

"Hell's Trinity" is a total-conversion adventure, set it its own universe, using the Transcendence Game Engine. Since Hell's Trinity is not properly part of the Transcendence universe, I wouldn't market this as "Transcendence: Hell's Trinity". Though I would market it as, "Hell's Trinity, an adventure for the Transcendence Game Engine".