Create a setting -- diesel punk awesomeness!

[tshiggins]

Okay, I think I'd like to try out combo vote/question game to create a diesel-punk setting. Now then, I know one of the problems we run into, with these things, is that lots of times, people have their own campaign styles in mind and then try to skew the answers to that end, regardless of what came, before.

So, I'd like to start with the vote system to establish a very general framework, and then use the question game to fill in the details.

Firstly, let's start with a definition of dieselpunk:

https://dieselpunksencyclopedia.word...ng-dieselpunk/

For the sake of convenience, let's stick to the two definitions dieselpunk style found, there.

Ottensian: This style of steampunk focuses mostly on the hopeful future envisioned by those who considered WWI as the "War to End All Wars," and saw the development of ever-more powerful machinery as a way to usefully address human suffering. This is steampunk reflects the hopeful tone of the Roaring Twenties and, while it may include villains such as science pirates, for the most part the world is steadily moving forward.

Examples:
The Rocketeer
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Piecraftian: Steampunk of this sort is darker, cynical and more inhuman, as informed by the dehumanization of the Great Depression, and the death and suffering of WWII. Machines are recognized as key to industrial-scale slaughter and violence can be endemic, as tyrants and master villains use powerful machinery to enhance their horrific capabilities. The key, here, is to retain one's humanity and one's ideals, and try to find way to use the machines to serve people instead of grind them to hamburger.

Examples:
Metropolis -- the perfect and most sublime example
Crimson Skies
Captain America: The First Avenger
Brazil
Mad Max

EDIT: John Dallman made in interesting suggestion, in the post just below this one, so let's add that as a third option!

So, do we want an Ottensian (more optimistic) dieselpunk setting, a Piecraftian (darkly violent) one, or a "Dallmanian" setting, which has been and currently seems to be optimistically "Ottensian," but which includes secret organizations attempting undermine the fairly humane order so as to sieze control in the name of their own "Piecraftian" designs?

Also, here are some examples of dieselpunk style and imagery:

https://www.pinterest.com/poniroulis...selpunk-style/
http://photobucket.com/images/dieselpunk

I'll tally up the votes at the end of the business day, Pacific Time, tomorrow.

[johndallman]

This dichotomy suggests a more interesting option than either of the extremes. A world that is mostly optimistic in the Ottensian style, but has a secret history of people who are trying to turn it to Piecraftian themes, for motives to be established.

This allows for lots of technological optimism and a fairly bright worldview, but with hidden darkness and a long-term struggle to maintain the pleasant, or at least upright, world. I think it can have stronger plots that way.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by johndallman

This dichotomy suggests a more interesting option than either of the extremes. A world that is mostly optimistic in the Ottensian style, but has a secret history of people who are trying to turn it to Piecraftian themes, for motives to be established.

This allows for lots of technological optimism and a fairly bright worldview, but with hidden darkness and a long-term struggle to maintain the pleasant, or at least upright, world. I think it can have stronger plots that way.

Okay, let's add that as an option, above, and call it "Dallmanian." :)

[PTTG]

I agree, the conflict between the two seems to be very relevant in the modern day -- we're in the midst of a conflict of balancing technology and society. It would be interesting to make a setting that plays with the ideas.

[ericthered]

Dallmian. There should be high points and low points.

[(E)]

While personally Piecraftian appeals more I can see Dallmanian providing an interesting world. I will add that I think defining the divisions and boundaries between the two is important for the world.

A two empire world representing both sides is something that springs to mind. (This is just a brainstormed idea, feel free to use it merely to springboard the next idea or drop it completely)

[Emerald Cat]

Originally Posted by (E)

A two empire world representing both sides is something that springs to mind. (This is just a brainstormed idea, feel free to use it merely to springboard the next idea or drop it completely)

This has my vote.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Emerald Cat

This has my vote.

Well, we're going with overall framework, right now, and think this suggestion is down a level toward granularity. If the "Dallmanian" setting is adopted (which seems likely, at this point), we can focus on exactly how that's structured -- a bipolar world with one "good" power and one "evil" one, or if the situation is more complex.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by (E)

A two empire world representing both sides is something that springs to mind. (This is just a brainstormed idea, feel free to use it merely to springboard the next idea or drop it completely)

The classic version of this would be to have an Ottensian 'hero' society (America, the British Empire, the Soviet Union, et cetra) and a Piecraftian 'villain' society (Nazi Germany, America, the Soviet Union, et cetra) - there were almost certainly a number of films, radioplays, novels, and comics made before and during WWII that did exactly this, not all of them consciously intended to be propaganda. Naturally, one would tend to make one's own nation, possibly along with one's allies, the 'hero' society, regardless of how later peoples might view such a film made in 1936 Germany. The 'villain' society might be a real nation, or might be a blatant expy of one.

My preference, due to my cultural and personal biases about the era, would be to have Western democracies in general as the Ottensian society (with evil Piecraftian conspiracies in the shadows), and the fascists of the era, along with the Soviets, as the Piecraftian culture (with heroic conspirators trying to move society in an Ottensian direction).

Realistically, of course, it's a spectrum between Ottensian and Piecraftian, because it's not like the Allies, even without counting the USSR, didn't have their share of atrocities back then (not just war crimes, human experimentation was very common, often without the consent of the subjects). Nazi Germany and WWII Japan just happened to be that much more horrifying, with the Soviet Union as a close competitor.

[Ashtagon]

In my dieselpunk setting I have three great power. Each sees themselves as ottensian while seeing the others as piecraftitan. And theres a genuine piecraftian conspiracy out there too.