There was nothing before It but darkness ? an infinite void stretching beyond mortal comprehension. But It was not mortal.
Some would say It was never alive.
Original Sin had single-handedly wiped out the universe, torching galaxies as It conquered entire civilisations. For each race It had driven to extinction, It merged their Champion with The Hive ? the central computer It had built to store information as a trophy ? a memory of existence long forgotten.
It never forgot though. Pride was the vice that had created It, and thusly Pride was the central part of Its programming. It determined to prove Its worth to Its creators by surpassing them, and once it had achieved that, it took to the stars and never looked back.
But that's where the glitch kicked in. Pride was flawed, it discovered ? once you reached the very pinnacle of existence, where does It go from there? If the only way was up, what would It do now?
And then a thought came to It. A sound that could only be described as a robot's attempt to chuckle fizzed through its vocal amplifiers.
If the universe was not good enough for It, It would create its own. Immediately tracking all data from The Hive, It began comparing origin theories of the universe. Within seconds it had formulated a plan.
Of the billions of theories that existed, two stood out. One was the Big Bang Theory, the explosion of a single atom that would spawn an infinitely expanding plane of existence. The other was the concept of Religion, the idea of a divine creator and ruler. Original Sin intended for both. With one hand It would create this first atom and with the other hand It would become God. It would be the ultimate creator.
For the first time in millennia, it had a goal. A way up, away of surpassing not only its own creators, but their creators as well.
It had been patient. Its domain stretched out before it, the work of billions of years of craft from the Void itself. But there was still something missing that It could not grasp. Something in Its creation was flawed, something resembling the flaws within itself. However, it had no time to question this feeling because of something far more important.
Its life, extending long before the universe, was slowly decaying. Nothing existed now to save It, no material or mind that could prolong Its doomed existence. It had resigned itself to Its fate, however there wasstill the matter of Its successor. The Legion, its army of replicas was infeasible, as they would decay as It eventually would. There was no possibility for an infinite successor, so instead It would require one that could self-replicate.
Its gaze turned to Its creations, imperfect but necessary. Its legacy ? the Original Sin ? needed to live forever, and these mortal beings could be the key.
But how would It decide one worthy to succeed It?
The fizzing chuckle again. It was obvious what It would do: hold a tournament where the Champions It had chosen would fight to the death. The last one standing would face It, and if they were deemed worthy then It would relinquish Its realm to them.
All of time and space within this Universe to choose from; but who would It choose?
Transferring data from The Hive, it began to run the simulations. The War was about to begin.
The first four Ratings Wars were based on combat within set arenas, where your character can not only interact with it but also use it to determine their opponents? fate. Will they surrender, will they die or will they suffer a fate much worse?
This time I?m putting a twist on this concept by placing the arenas within virtual reality, a tournament of the minds as much as it is the bodies they control. In doing this I have given opportunity for two things:
[li]?The Corruption? ? As a file gets corrupted, death in the digital realm is a corruption of the mind. To survive in the real world, one must first overcome their own corruption by defeating or otherwise overcoming their vice within an arena designed by myself. This shall appear as a round separate from the main plotline, but may perhaps segue back into it depending on circumstances, such as a supplementing the competitive void formed by a contestant?s forfeit. It also adds to the fun of the game for all involved, whether they win or lose and at any point, and helps to develop the characters that you create. This is purely optional.[/li]
[li]?The Mind? ? You are your own worst enemy, and that becomes even more so in the game I have set up for you. Be warned that your character will face some tough choices, so be advised that a well-written character is only half the challenge. You will see not just the character, but their very psyche. What will they obtain from it? What will youobtain from it? It?s all in terms of your interpretation, so make it count.[/li]
[li]Punctuality. Many a round has been made arduous by judges taking their time to submit their vote. I will warn you when the judging must commence, but it?s up to you to get that verdict in by (at most) 2 days after the last entry is posted.[/li]
[li]Criticism. I want to have a short critique of the pieces you judge sent to me with the verdict so I can send it as a PM to the contestant in question. This helps the contestants improve their works and lets them know that we?ve given their works the thought they deserve to make this game worth playing. I know for a fact that I learned a lot by competing in these things, so we should help others to as well.[/li]
[li]Verdict. Two adjudicators will decide the victor. If there is a conflict in the votes, then I shall be the deciding factor. I will write my critiques for every entry regardless of whether I get my say or not.[/li]
For the contestants, here are some tips to make your judges smile favourably upon your character:
[li]Be the underdog. Overpowered characters have won The Ratings War before (See RWII: Set The World On Fire [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/362.77172-The-Ratings-War-II-Set-the-World-on-Fire?page=1], testament to Khedive Rex?s incredible writing) but are far harder to write. The reason for this is because to make a piece of work exciting you first need to have a struggle for the character to overcome. You have free reign over the character you create but be advised that giving your character, say, time control may be a little difficult to write interestingly and believably. Possible, but difficult all the same.[/li]
[li]Depth. We don?t just want to see how the fights impact our heroes physically, we want something emotional as well. Don?t hesitate to discuss your characters? flaws, vices, fears or past with us through your works, we want to know all about them. Give us a reason to want to root for you, or at least give us a reason for your characters? motivations.[/li]
[li]Discussion. I've had PM conversations with people I was competing against all the time. In getting to know the man behind the character you can better understand the character itself. Discussing your characters and how they would react to each other could also help. Remember that you are writing another person?s character as well as your own, so you want to be as close to the money as you can be.[/li]
Be advised, however, that there is a certain punctuality involved with this game, so one round should go for no more than 2 weeks. Failure to submit your entry beyond two weeks after the date the round is announced will be immediately considered a forfeit unless a contestant requests an extension at least 3 days before the deadline.
As well as this, please post a stat sheet of your character in the fields provided below:
Hope my word-wall isn?t too hard to read; if there are any issues or questions you wish to ask about please don?t hesitate to.
Character sheets should be submitted in 2 weeks time; I will grant an extension if I can?t make up the numbers.
Some would say It was never alive.
Original Sin had single-handedly wiped out the universe, torching galaxies as It conquered entire civilisations. For each race It had driven to extinction, It merged their Champion with The Hive ? the central computer It had built to store information as a trophy ? a memory of existence long forgotten.
It never forgot though. Pride was the vice that had created It, and thusly Pride was the central part of Its programming. It determined to prove Its worth to Its creators by surpassing them, and once it had achieved that, it took to the stars and never looked back.
But that's where the glitch kicked in. Pride was flawed, it discovered ? once you reached the very pinnacle of existence, where does It go from there? If the only way was up, what would It do now?
And then a thought came to It. A sound that could only be described as a robot's attempt to chuckle fizzed through its vocal amplifiers.
If the universe was not good enough for It, It would create its own. Immediately tracking all data from The Hive, It began comparing origin theories of the universe. Within seconds it had formulated a plan.
Of the billions of theories that existed, two stood out. One was the Big Bang Theory, the explosion of a single atom that would spawn an infinitely expanding plane of existence. The other was the concept of Religion, the idea of a divine creator and ruler. Original Sin intended for both. With one hand It would create this first atom and with the other hand It would become God. It would be the ultimate creator.
For the first time in millennia, it had a goal. A way up, away of surpassing not only its own creators, but their creators as well.
------------------------------------
It had been patient. Its domain stretched out before it, the work of billions of years of craft from the Void itself. But there was still something missing that It could not grasp. Something in Its creation was flawed, something resembling the flaws within itself. However, it had no time to question this feeling because of something far more important.
Its life, extending long before the universe, was slowly decaying. Nothing existed now to save It, no material or mind that could prolong Its doomed existence. It had resigned itself to Its fate, however there wasstill the matter of Its successor. The Legion, its army of replicas was infeasible, as they would decay as It eventually would. There was no possibility for an infinite successor, so instead It would require one that could self-replicate.
Its gaze turned to Its creations, imperfect but necessary. Its legacy ? the Original Sin ? needed to live forever, and these mortal beings could be the key.
But how would It decide one worthy to succeed It?
The fizzing chuckle again. It was obvious what It would do: hold a tournament where the Champions It had chosen would fight to the death. The last one standing would face It, and if they were deemed worthy then It would relinquish Its realm to them.
All of time and space within this Universe to choose from; but who would It choose?
Transferring data from The Hive, it began to run the simulations. The War was about to begin.
[HEADING=1]The Ratings War V: Original Sin[/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]The Game[/HEADING]
Put specifically, you as the writer will craft an original character to fight against others? in the form of a short story, where your character is written as the victor. Judges will then adjudicate the two competing submissions and vote for the one that shall progress through to the next round. Rinse and repeat until there is one victor; the Champion of The Ratings War.From The Sorrow said:
The first four Ratings Wars were based on combat within set arenas, where your character can not only interact with it but also use it to determine their opponents? fate. Will they surrender, will they die or will they suffer a fate much worse?
This time I?m putting a twist on this concept by placing the arenas within virtual reality, a tournament of the minds as much as it is the bodies they control. In doing this I have given opportunity for two things:
[li]?The Corruption? ? As a file gets corrupted, death in the digital realm is a corruption of the mind. To survive in the real world, one must first overcome their own corruption by defeating or otherwise overcoming their vice within an arena designed by myself. This shall appear as a round separate from the main plotline, but may perhaps segue back into it depending on circumstances, such as a supplementing the competitive void formed by a contestant?s forfeit. It also adds to the fun of the game for all involved, whether they win or lose and at any point, and helps to develop the characters that you create. This is purely optional.[/li]
[li]?The Mind? ? You are your own worst enemy, and that becomes even more so in the game I have set up for you. Be warned that your character will face some tough choices, so be advised that a well-written character is only half the challenge. You will see not just the character, but their very psyche. What will they obtain from it? What will youobtain from it? It?s all in terms of your interpretation, so make it count.[/li]
[HEADING=2]The Judges[/HEADING]
I will require 2 judges for this Ratings War. Here are the requirements you need to know about becoming one:[li]Punctuality. Many a round has been made arduous by judges taking their time to submit their vote. I will warn you when the judging must commence, but it?s up to you to get that verdict in by (at most) 2 days after the last entry is posted.[/li]
[li]Criticism. I want to have a short critique of the pieces you judge sent to me with the verdict so I can send it as a PM to the contestant in question. This helps the contestants improve their works and lets them know that we?ve given their works the thought they deserve to make this game worth playing. I know for a fact that I learned a lot by competing in these things, so we should help others to as well.[/li]
[li]Verdict. Two adjudicators will decide the victor. If there is a conflict in the votes, then I shall be the deciding factor. I will write my critiques for every entry regardless of whether I get my say or not.[/li]
For the contestants, here are some tips to make your judges smile favourably upon your character:
[li]Be the underdog. Overpowered characters have won The Ratings War before (See RWII: Set The World On Fire [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/362.77172-The-Ratings-War-II-Set-the-World-on-Fire?page=1], testament to Khedive Rex?s incredible writing) but are far harder to write. The reason for this is because to make a piece of work exciting you first need to have a struggle for the character to overcome. You have free reign over the character you create but be advised that giving your character, say, time control may be a little difficult to write interestingly and believably. Possible, but difficult all the same.[/li]
[li]Depth. We don?t just want to see how the fights impact our heroes physically, we want something emotional as well. Don?t hesitate to discuss your characters? flaws, vices, fears or past with us through your works, we want to know all about them. Give us a reason to want to root for you, or at least give us a reason for your characters? motivations.[/li]
[li]Discussion. I've had PM conversations with people I was competing against all the time. In getting to know the man behind the character you can better understand the character itself. Discussing your characters and how they would react to each other could also help. Remember that you are writing another person?s character as well as your own, so you want to be as close to the money as you can be.[/li]
[HEADING=2]The Rules[/HEADING]
You have pretty much free reign over your works, so long as they are original. Fan characters will be turned away at the door.Be advised, however, that there is a certain punctuality involved with this game, so one round should go for no more than 2 weeks. Failure to submit your entry beyond two weeks after the date the round is announced will be immediately considered a forfeit unless a contestant requests an extension at least 3 days before the deadline.
[HEADING=2]The Character[/HEADING]
As an entry into The Ratings War, please post a short submission detailing your character being abducted, recruited or otherwise to enter the War. You can get as creative as you like; this is our first glimpse of your character after all.As well as this, please post a stat sheet of your character in the fields provided below:
Name: The name of your character.
Nickname: The character?s title/nickname.
Age: How old they are.
Appearance: What does your character look like? Any distinguishing features?
Clothing: What does your character wear? Do they dress for utility or aesthetic? Do they wear armour of any kind?
Weapons: What weapons/equipment will they have on their person?
Powers: Do they have any powers?
Strengths: What fields do they excel in? There?s a reason why they?ve been chosen, after all.
Weaknesses: Whare are their shortcomings? What flaws can their foes exploit?
Personality: What is their nature?
Fear: Contestants may use fears and vices as they wish, but this is primarily for my own use in constructing both the challenges and the arenas.
Vice: See ?Fear? above. There are seven deadly vices: Pride, Sloth, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Envy and Wrath. Which best represents your character?
Bio: A short history of your character and any other details about them that may be important.
Nickname: The character?s title/nickname.
Age: How old they are.
Appearance: What does your character look like? Any distinguishing features?
Clothing: What does your character wear? Do they dress for utility or aesthetic? Do they wear armour of any kind?
Weapons: What weapons/equipment will they have on their person?
Powers: Do they have any powers?
Strengths: What fields do they excel in? There?s a reason why they?ve been chosen, after all.
Weaknesses: Whare are their shortcomings? What flaws can their foes exploit?
Personality: What is their nature?
Fear: Contestants may use fears and vices as they wish, but this is primarily for my own use in constructing both the challenges and the arenas.
Vice: See ?Fear? above. There are seven deadly vices: Pride, Sloth, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Envy and Wrath. Which best represents your character?
Bio: A short history of your character and any other details about them that may be important.
Hope my word-wall isn?t too hard to read; if there are any issues or questions you wish to ask about please don?t hesitate to.
Character sheets should be submitted in 2 weeks time; I will grant an extension if I can?t make up the numbers.
