[INFINITE WORLDS] "In-Character", explain the conveyer & projector thing?

[DAT]

Originally Posted by gjc8

In the heat of the moment, as little as possible.

It could be as simple as "this is a magic carriage, get in". Maybe a quick mention of other worlds. I'm not going to bother explaining about quantum levels and the war until we're safely in Coventry, or at least somewhere that they can't spread the secret to the rest of their world.

In the heat of the moment, I would expect something like:
"Get in, if you want to live.

I'll give you the short of it.

First, those guys who were trying to kill you, and I, we are from Earth, just not your Earth. We travel between alternative worlds in these vehicles, call conveyors, and if we travel far, we also need some help from a projector.

Second, there is a war on it. It in my people, we're called Infinity, against those guys, who are called Centrum. If we loose, your world will be taken over by them. Questions?

Care to lend a hand?"

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

Dec 7, 1941: White Sox Win!!!
(i.e. What world war??)

MLB in December?! That's just nuts!

heh

[Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

MLB in December?! That's just nuts!

heh

It's quite obvious - that was a world where all the money that would have been spent on WWII was diverted to building enclosed sports stadiums.

[Qoltar]

SO.......

What I'm really trying to get at (even when Ifirst posted this way back when) ......

How does such an NPC respond when a player character new to it all says something like this:

PLAYER: "So, why can't I just fly or drive the conveyor to any timeline I feel like?"


- OR-

"Why do I need a projector or launch site to get to some world lines?"
"Are you saying this van-shaped doo-hickie doesn't have enough p[ower?"


-OR-

"Why does this conveyor, as you call it , look like something out of an old TV show that my sister used to watch ? Heck it even has a red strtipe in the same spot."


- Ed Charlton

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Qoltar

SO.......

What I'm really trying to get at (even when Ifirst posted this way back when) ......

How does such an NPC respond when a player character new to it all says something like this:

PLAYER: "So, why can't I just fly or drive the conveyor to any timeline I feel like?"

- OR-

"Why do I need a projector or launch site to get to some world lines?"
"Are you saying this van-shaped doo-hickie doesn't have enough p[ower?"

"Hey, you mind if we stop for a soda first? Wasting fascists from the Swedish Directorate always makes me thirsty.

"OK, now watch closely. You see these straws? Limited but useful. Right now, I can put one of these straws into any soda on the table and drink it right up. Like this.

"Ah, quit your whining. You weren't going to drink that Dr. Coka anyway and you know it.

"Anyway, that's how a conveyor works. It can only reach worlds on our 'table' -- our quantum, if you want the right term -- but it does it pretty well. And just like this table can hold a lot of sodas, our quantum's got a lot of worlds, some of them pretty interesting. There was this girl on Cherokee, for instance ... ah, but you don't want to hear that.

"Anyway. The straws are great for your own table. But maybe some guy at the table behind me has a rum and coke, and I like that better. The straw by itself won't do it -- I've gotta take that straw and r-e-a-c-h out with my arm so I can ..

"Oh, sorry about that, sir. I was trying to explain practical physics to my student here. Here, let me buy you another drink. And maybe a little something for the cleaning bill, too.

"Where was I? Right. Now, the projectors are our 'arm,' if you will ... they let us go places that a conveyor alone could never dream. But like an arm, a projector can only reach so far. I could reach that table over there if I really stretched, for example, but no way I could reach the one over by the kitchen. Just as well, they usually spit on those glasses anyway.

"Same thing with projectors. One quantum away, no problem. Two quanta, tricky -- sometimes you're going to spill the soda -- but doable. Three quanta -- uh-uh. Can't be done. Our arms aren't long enough and the laws of the universe don't seem to allow for much stretching.

"The thing with Centrum is, we can reach some of the same sodas, but neither one of us can reach the other's table. And since they basically want to turn every soda into New Coke -- trust me, kid, you're lucky you don't understand that one -- we have to try to reach for as many as we can and watch out for the other guys while we do it.

"You done here? Good. Now let's find somewhere to eat. Maybe I can explain reality quakes using spaghetti and meatballs while I'm on a roll here."

[NorphTehDwarf]

Time cops need crusty old mechanics too, right?

"See this wire? Don't ever touch this wire. Bad things happened to the last team that did. Or great things, so great they don't give a rat's damn about ol' Homeline anymore. But when this tub came back it was sloshing with hominid blood, and the eggheads tell me the DNA done matched not only the team but five generations of their ancestors.

"Don't touch this wire."