Andrew Moore's Blog, page 90
April 17, 2023
Practicality in Philosophy
Impractical, irresponsible, unmoored from reality. Such were the criticisms of philosophy in those days that inspired countless practitioners to advocate for the field as well as their own philosophies in particular. One among them, however, restrained himself from reacting to the jeers in any shallow way. He instead considered how best to prove how his mental exercises might be applied to everyday matters.
After he conquered the world, no one denied the validity of his theories. The public consigned all other philosophers to obscurity if not early graves, and his intellectual heirs strove against one another when, for all that he had reached the heights of human knowledge, he died.
After centuries of that, one ambitious philosopher pondered an idea that promised to bring about a revolution in thinking: "Maybe it wasn't his philosophy that allowed him to conquer the world. He was like level 250 or something, after all."
Finis
After he conquered the world, no one denied the validity of his theories. The public consigned all other philosophers to obscurity if not early graves, and his intellectual heirs strove against one another when, for all that he had reached the heights of human knowledge, he died.
After centuries of that, one ambitious philosopher pondered an idea that promised to bring about a revolution in thinking: "Maybe it wasn't his philosophy that allowed him to conquer the world. He was like level 250 or something, after all."
Finis
April 16, 2023
Breaking News From a Century Ago
Yo, I just won XCOM 2 for the first time, and what I wanna know is, who thought that design for A*****s was good and what secret society is pushing to make everything purple? They should cut it out.
April 14, 2023
Addendum
The space emperor's mech should look like it has a crown. Call it a sensor suite or something.
April 13, 2023
Important Questions to Ask About Your Space Emperor
Is he a Habsburg? If not, why not?
Is he a good mech pilot? If not, why does anyone listen to him?
Do people listen to him?
Now that you've answered those, that's about 72% of your worldbuilding done.
Is he a good mech pilot? If not, why does anyone listen to him?
Do people listen to him?
Now that you've answered those, that's about 72% of your worldbuilding done.
That Old Jeweled-Teeth Wheeze
Of course a statue with jewels for teeth is valuable, but is there more to it? Is each tooth a different jewel that has a different magical effect? Does tapping the teeth in the right order allow you to fix time? Do the names of the jewels spell out a message? Yes. All of that and more.
April 12, 2023
Fashion Is the Answer
Old: Counting down
Bold: Statues with jewels for teeth
Bold: Statues with jewels for teeth
April 10, 2023
Fantasy Monster Creation
Don't forget the checklist!
- What does its meat taste like?
- Its calls
- Color vision or black and white?
- What do its eggs taste like?
- It can defeat X civilians
- It can defeat X men at arms
- It can defeat X heroes
- It can defeat X X-men.
- Names in different lands
- Sense of smell: good?
- It hunts at night or never hunts or what
- What does its meat taste like?
- Its calls
- Color vision or black and white?
- What do its eggs taste like?
- It can defeat X civilians
- It can defeat X men at arms
- It can defeat X heroes
- It can defeat X X-men.
- Names in different lands
- Sense of smell: good?
- It hunts at night or never hunts or what
April 9, 2023
The Secret of the Well
Once upon a time, there was a well. One day, villagers heard a voice coming from it. "Help me," it said. "I'm a dragon stuck in this well. Help me get out."
"That explains why we never get any water out of this thing, I suppose." Thus said one villager.
"We'd better get that dragon out," another concluded.
But before they fell to devising a method to accomplish that, Skeptical Leonard spoke skeptically. "If you're a dragon, how did you get down there in the first place? It's a serious question."
"It is," the dragon admitted. "Thinking about it, it's really dark down here. I'm not actually sure I'm a dragon or what I am. I suppose it was more of an aspiration. Aren't dragons cool?"
Even Skeptical Leonard agreed that they were. He and all the villagers equipped themselves with shovels to get digging. They dug and they dug until at last they were able to rescue the creature, which of course turned out to be an oivel, as anyone more educated than the average villager would have guessed.
The freed oivel assisted the villagers in picking a better location for a well. After that, it opened a museum dedicated to dragons and dragon-related subjects which operates to this day, and if you tell them old Millard sent you, they'll knock a bit off the admission fee for you.
Finis
"That explains why we never get any water out of this thing, I suppose." Thus said one villager.
"We'd better get that dragon out," another concluded.
But before they fell to devising a method to accomplish that, Skeptical Leonard spoke skeptically. "If you're a dragon, how did you get down there in the first place? It's a serious question."
"It is," the dragon admitted. "Thinking about it, it's really dark down here. I'm not actually sure I'm a dragon or what I am. I suppose it was more of an aspiration. Aren't dragons cool?"
Even Skeptical Leonard agreed that they were. He and all the villagers equipped themselves with shovels to get digging. They dug and they dug until at last they were able to rescue the creature, which of course turned out to be an oivel, as anyone more educated than the average villager would have guessed.
The freed oivel assisted the villagers in picking a better location for a well. After that, it opened a museum dedicated to dragons and dragon-related subjects which operates to this day, and if you tell them old Millard sent you, they'll knock a bit off the admission fee for you.
Finis
Addender
Submarines are an area of divergence between fantasy and science fiction. Submarine fantasy is fresh, exciting, and full of possibilities. Submarine scifi is full of boring technical details and horrible underwater creatures that the author along thinks are wondrous elements of nature's beauty. As for submarine alt history, U-boats perform very well in it.
April 7, 2023
Addendum
The sharksuits will be provided by a wacky shark mage with unusual ideas.
