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Monday, April 29, 2013

Not Much Done This Week

Well, last week my other job started and there was a lot to do because of it opening. As a result, I wasn't able to get much done.

Primarily I had the chance to tinker with the names of future heroines a bit. One notable one is the Ice Queen you see in Hombre Blanco's gallery (if you don't mind spoilers). I've been looking over Finnish names to give her. Originally I'd had her as being Greek (and chose the placeholder name Chione Boreas), but as time went on I feel Finnish would be better.

My general process is to look for mythological names that are meaningful first. They have to be unfamiliar to your general American, second. The misuse of foreign mythological names is so prevalent here that people would completely miss the point and probably assume references instead. References which horribly butcher the origins of these names and the meanings behind them.

I wasn't seriously considering applying it to the Ice Queen, but the name Mielikki is the name of a goddess of the hunt in Finnish mythology. I absolutely CANNOT use that name even if I had an appropriate heroine, however, because she's ALSO a goddess in D&D. One where she is horrendously mischaracterized as something closer to a new age touchy-feely nature goddess than as the more interesting huntress-goddess of Finnish myth. Granted, the original myths had her as a healer and goddess of fortune, but also as someone to be feared. I really, REALLY hate when people misuse names like that.

I ALSO really hate the D&D conceptions of neutrality and nature-based classes and gods, but that's a different rant.

Other names are looked at and discarded for various reasons. The three daughters of the underworld aren't getting used - they'd be appropriate if she raised undead like Nanshe did, but she doesn't. Plus, they're pretty ugly and disgusting by design, and I don't get my giggles by sneaking in things which are gross. I like stealthy puns and absurdity-painted-as-deadly-serious humor. Gross things don't really belong in a porn game or in anything, IMO.

Really, none of the Finnish goddesses have quite the right type of meaningful name for her. Which means I'll probably go and look up the meanings of various generic Finnish names and use those.

Not all the heroines have meaningful mythological names, but some, such as "Nanshe Ninedinna", do. The names are sort of intellectual puns. They're not meant to be funny per se, but work like puns on some level.

Nanshe is the name of a Babylonian goddess. The goddess of Earth, Water, and Fertility, among other things. She's interesting. You should study her.

Each of these things are reflected in Nanshe. She promises to make the Overmind fertile again, and her dungeon is a mix of stone catacombs and water.

(Fun note: Nanshe was also considered a goddess of "social justice", which tempts me to make Tumblr jokes with her. I avoid doing so because those get annoying fast and don't really fit into the setting, but MIGHT do that if I find some particularly clever ways to do it.)

The second half of her name is Ninedinna. This is the name of a Babylonian goddess of the books of the dead. Nanshe is both a mage and a necromancer, making her name fit well.

Every character has a name like this, to a degree. I sit down and use my vague memories of my childhood spent reading endless books on mythology, and then pair them up with characters. I carefully use the internet to confirm the facts are what I remember, or to dig up additional info.

I'm glad we have the internet; when I was a kid I'd have had to go to the library to look this stuff up. Not that it isn't fun. The smell of old books around you, the feel of paper in hand... ahh. Wonderful. But then you have to put up with the librarian giving you odd looks as you read "The Blood Countess" or a romance novel or a fun b-sci-fi book. Every time I go to a library I always end up pulling a dozen books off the shelves of all kinds and reading all of them. And then you have to put up with those LOOKS from people who see your giant weird pile of sci-fi, fantasy, romance, mythology, gardening, architecture, cooking and history. As if knowledge or reading ANY genre of book were something to be ashamed of. Ingrates.

But the world isn't the place it was when I was growing up. People respect knowledge more. And that's good. 


Anyway, I'll keep working on the game like this and get back to actually putting down code soon. Wish me luck.

20 comments:

  1. Don't worry, make quality.

    You rock, dude !

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  2. Just found this excelent game last week. Keep up good work!

    As a finn, though I'm not an expert in finnish mythology, I think you are slighly confusing underworld (Tuoni) and Northland (Pohjola). They are not quite the same thing most of the time, especially when Daughters of Northland are courted. If you want me to find more details, send mail to: tmsheikkinen@yahoo.com

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  3. I was referring to Tuoni's three daughters, but I probably didn't do a very good job of making that clear.

    Finnish mythology is not something I'm as solid with as other mythologies, and it probably shows.

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    1. Actually I think you are still mixing daughters up. Only daughter of Tuoni mentioned works as a ferrywoman of dead is and really is not courted.
      It is three daughters of north that are courted just about everybody. At least Seppo Ilmarinen (smith heroe/demigod) marries one. Did not make a good wife (bithcy or spoiled I think). Could not find names for any daughters in 'net. If you want I can borrow Kalevala and see if any names are given for daughters

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    2. In this case I read up on Wikipedia and a few other sites about Finnish mythology and found some short statements about him having three daughters that serve mugs full of toads and worms, and I believe the ferrywoman was referenced as one.

      HOWEVER, I don't really trust reading up on the internet as much as I would getting from a credible source like a book.

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    3. Actually you might be right since I was mostly basing on what i remember from Kalevala. Especially on part where Väinämöinen is seeking knowledge on boatbuilding from dead.
      However Pohjola is even more heavily associated with ice and magic then Tuonela (Hades, really similarities are heavy) so daughters of Crone of North would probably fit better to role of Ice Queen. Unfortunately I don't think they are actually named anywhere.
      I apparently mixed two diffent daughters of north previously. Ilmarinen first eventually won one as his wife, then later she mistreated a slave who eventually indirectly killed her. Then Ilmarinen tried to get a replacment from Pohjola, but has to kidnap a new wife. Did not end well.
      Do you want me to check weather Old Crone's daughters are actually named?

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    4. From quick browse thought relevant poems in Kalevala (7-8,10,12-13,18-25,32-33) daughters of north are always referred with descriptions and never named. Those poems are ones where story about courting and marriage (18-25) and death (32-33)of one(oldest?) daughter is the plot. There are references in later poems to the girls but if no names are given in ones where they are central characters... Sorry.
      I have the book(in original finnish) borrowed for month so if you have other questions...

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  4. Wow, you put a lot of work into character's names. I just put together random syllables until I get something that sounds name-ish.

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    1. Haha, "work" is a bit of a misnomer. I would be doing things like this for fun whether or not I was making a game. Playing with words and the meanings of words is something I like to do for fun. Playing with plots and story concepts is another.

      Sometimes when I write I do gibberish names too. It's fun.

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  5. Have you considered Louhi? Tho thematically, the only icy thing about her tends to be her calculation..

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  6. I was wondering, are you actually planning on eventually implementing a fertility quest so that the Overmind can impregnate the heroines, or was the fertility spell mentioned only as a aside to Nanshe's name?

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  7. I just thought I would offer a name, though there is a fairly good chance that it has been over abused in America.

    Skaði or Skadi, from German Heathenism. (The religion of which Odin and Thor are a part). Just a suggestion to look into, if you haven't studied the Mythology.

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  8. If you haven't already you might find some interesting info in German, Norse, and Roman mythology you can use for inspiration, like the nearly invulnerable dragon slayer Siegfried. I also think that quality work produced over time is better than shoddy work done too quickly. Good luck with the rest of the game.

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  9. i realy like your game. the only problem that i have with it is that you dont realy have a place to train exept til almost the end of it wher the arena opens up

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  10. Don't forget other mythology, like slavic one. If you want some cruel ice queen, Morana is the best, she is the goddess of winter and death.

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  11. Damn I just got finished playing the lastest release of this fine game and I have to say I'm impressed, what game making program did you use and where can I get a copy of it?

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  12. Damn this is a fine game, well done, what game maker did you use and where can I get a copy of it, I have never made a game before but I have to say I'm inspired by this game.

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    1. It's made in RPGMaker VX, and I do believe that you have to buy a copy.

      Arr, well.

      If ye WANT to buy a copy, matey.

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  13. out of curiosity, what's wrong with neutrality (many of the characters in Overwhored could be considered such)?
    And aren't most Gods technically nature gods (probably making their worshipers 'nature based classes')?
    Just interested in your perspective.

    Just so ya know, this was the second (H-)RPG maker game I ever played and due to it's solid game-play, entertaining writing and lack of convolution (and, y'know...) is still my favorite. Expect a donation.

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