random thought

[Queshire]

I'm not sure if I'm going to use this in a story or not, but what if there was a world were people weren't born, they just appear one day, fully grown, knowing how to walk and talk, some basic clothing on their back, and perhaps knowing their own name? Actually this thought came from my continuing fascination with an rpg / mmo style world, more particularily how the PCs in MMOs just appear without any history. So what do you guys think would result from such a situation? I'm guessing there wouldn't be traditional family units, and less of a need for scientifically researching the world they live in if certai basic information just pops in their head. What do you guys think?

Alternatively, I'm thinking of having some people just apearing while others were born and grew up in that world, though all would trace their lineage back to somebody that appeared in the world. I suppose in the second case there would be a mystery of where those people come from and cause people to speculate about an outside world which would be absent from the first option.

[Kelise]

Their intelligence would be questionable - would they have morals and manners? What about their motor skills? And their perspective - intelligence and physical.

I wonder how much can be programed, and how much simply needs to be trained into the body.

[Konstanz]

You'll end up with a world of flat characters. People are defined by their education, the people around them and the things that happen in their life. If you strip that away, everyone is the same. Most MMO elements don't have a place in (good) books because MMO's are unrealistic and actually kind of boring if you strip away the gaming part. The story is usually not that great, neither are the characters and what you're left with is a combat system that might be fun to play, but is really boring to watch/read about.

So no, I think it would be a horrible choice to implement that in a game. But that's just my opinion of course so don't let me stop you if that's what you really want.

[Aidan of the tavern]

Starconstant has a point, that would effectively be skipping their psychological development, as well as potentially personality development and experience. Sorry, but I don't see that working.

[Fnord]

It all depends. . . who (or what) is responsible for their programming? Perhaps it's less spontaneous generation and more being plopped there from somewhere else, their skills and morals intact, but possibly amnesic in personal experiences of what came before. Of course, then you also end up with a lot of confused people but those people, sharing that one common experience, might be induced to band together and figure out where they came from while also interacting in the world they appeared in.

If there are different groups of people (those who were generated and those who were born naturally), how might those societies interact? I think there are possibilities to play with if you think about it from that perspective.

[Devor]

I'm not sure if I'm going to use this in a story or not, but what if there was a world were people weren't born, they just appear one day, fully grown, knowing how to walk and talk, some basic clothing on their back, and perhaps knowing their own name

I saw that episode of Veggie Tales just last week!

I think that one's tough to pull off if you want a full RPG-worthy story. There's often an implied backstory in an RPG. Characters appear out of nowhere, but they're often referred to as "new recruits" and they interact with others as if they've been there all along.

I think it's an interesting thought, and you could probably do it. But I'd be concerned that dealing with the implications of characters appearing from nowhere would hijack your novel from any other story you wanted to tell.

((edit))

Taking a closer look at everyone else's posts, I thought I'd add that I have zero concerns about the depths of the characters you'd create, especially in a world where some appear and some are born. I think the confusion and sudden thrust of reality of this happening to your main character would more than compensate for the lack of personal history. And if it results in "grownups" acting like punk teenagers, well, that's the desired MMO-effect, isn't it? I just think it would hijack everything else.

[JCFarnham]

Here's a twist you could put on it.

These people do appear, generated out of no where, but everyone seems to act asthough they've been there the whole time. Ie, the world history retconns itself for these people to be included. Now the real twisty part of the twist: One character of your cast (protagonist would work best) doesn't percieve these rewrites. They know these people come from no where and have no past.

That would then give you reason for unravelling the mystery. For added intrigued you could add a single second character who also knows of these changes and together ... QUEST!

If this is intended for the same world you've brainstorming on here recently then perhaps its a certain type of mana core that allows these characters to percieve? Just a thought.

If played as a complete rip from rpgs and mmos then it wouldn't work in novel, that much we can agree on, but with work you can make it something! I'm sure of it.

[Devor]

That would then give you reason for unravelling the mystery. For added intrigued you could add a single second character who also knows of these changes and together ... QUEST!

I don't know about the literary critic in me, but done well, the one-time MMO-fan in me says I'd read that.

[JCFarnham]

I don't know about the literary critic in me, but done well, the one-time MMO-fan in me says I'd read that.

It's a ready-made, loyal fan base. What's not to love?

[Telcontar]

Go read some of the webcomic Erfworld. It is a world that behaves in the manner of a strategy/rpg game, and is much as you describe above. Also a very entertaining webcomic.