THE PIT (Fortuna Discussion Topic)

[Main Discussion topic]

Welcome to the new Fortuna forums. The nice people at Eagle Time are allowing us to take up a little cozy roost here seeing as the last forum had issues. I won't get into too many details but while I preach there can never be too many robots, we had too many robots on the forum.

So what is Fortuna?
If by some chance you stumbled in here, maybe slightly intoxicated, and completely forgot what Fortuna is (Or just happened upon this topic) Fortuna is an adventure that heavily uses user created ideas. Readers build species, animals, characters, even whole worlds, and then hand it over to me to enter into the story whenever I can make it fit.

The plot of Fortuna is a planet hopping adventure as a few groups of crews attempt to find Fortuna, a treasure that will give what the opener most desires. Anyone attempting to find Fortuna will find themselves battling for their lives as Fortuna brings bad luck upon those who seek her.

And that's only the "smaller" of the 2 plots in Fortuna. The larger plot can only be described as "The gods attempt to fix something, and proceed to make it worse."

If you would like to see some of the creations added to Fortuna please visit the Cosmodex, and if you want to see the story check out the Mirror.

[Cosmodex] [Mirror]

So what is this topic for?
This is the discussion topic, some things need more in depth talks but the forums Fortuna is hosted at is pretty limiting with discussion space! To allow updates to not be lost in piles of discussion this is where they will be held. There are really no rules other then don't be a grade A jerk really. I've spoken to quite a bit of Fortuna fans one on one (Normally to talk concepts out) and I know most of you really cool people. Feel free to make new topics on this forum about anything you feel will fit.

If you're up for it check this topic out as it contains some nice info about Eagle Time and is overall a really cool welcoming topic! Also check out the Fortuna new poster intro topic here to introduce yourself and also dump a neato robot if you're feeling up to it.

I just got back from a bit of work and am a little busy (getting ready to set up a little neat Fortuna related thing) but I decided to take a bit of time to quickly set this up before I get back to what I was doing. I'll be posting a link to here on the other forums in my next update which will likely bring everyone in. I'll also likely be setting up the application topic once I'm ready. I don't think the forums will be overly active so I'll just be making a single topic about it and then if things ever get busy I'll split it up.

Now that we have a forum again I can finally do some events I wanted to do but couldn't because having a single topic is limiting. One event I'm thinking of planning is a group build a god session. Maybe we pick a roman or greek god and build a character who will show up in the comic together. What do you all think about events like that?

Also to start this topic off is there anything you'd like to bring up discussion wise and also, what do people think of our overlord bird co-player? (Athena)

[07:13:56 PM] AtomicMors: EVERYONE
[07:13:58 PM] AtomicMors: SIGN UP
[07:13:59 PM] AtomicMors: https://eagle-time.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=19
[07:14:05 PM] AtomicMors: And post or something.

or something
IM LAUGHING SO FUCKING HARD IM SORRY FC I TRIED TO RESIST THE URGE BUT I COULDNT

For real though, I would dig designing a Roman or Greek god with people. Sounds like it'd be a mess of a design - but a hot mess, I bet.
I like Athena! She's pretty stellar, which would be a funnier thing to say if we were talking about Orion or something.
Also, though I am not Hermes [I'm pretty sure Hermes will come in a bit] I still nevertheless suggest: why don't we discuss ships? That's always a good conversation topic.

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Janus seems like a cool dude to do the little event went! The only current in comic info on Janus is that Janus ships travel through time itself, and thus are shot on sight because time travel is very very very illegal.

If anyone wants to slam down a god they'd like to see done at the event I can make a list and pick one to do.

Personally I want to use the aspect of Janus that is 2 faced. It's always fun to see AIs that switch personalities or go back and forth.
However I really wanna see Hecate or Hades.

I love the spin on them that instead of being mysterious or spooky, they're basically the brooding teenager from Little Miss Sunshine.

Ahhh well intentioned but very depressing angst.
Poor little guy

I am liking the characterization that we have seen, what with Slate.

@wheat: ...Context please?

I like how Athena does zany things like have her character ride a tiger even though she's described as cold and logical. She did seem to start talking to us like we were Eris when the subject of the texture balls came up, though. And she generally seems to present the things she tells us as if there needs to be special emphasis on something that we'd screw up otherwise.

As for the god event, I think Hades could be intresting.

Does anybody else always read Mors as a mild mannered grandpa instead of a child? My mind tends to turn the fluffy part of his hoodie into a beard for this reason.

the sullen angsty teen in little miss sunshine had taken a vow of silence and only communicated through a notepad. but then, they found out they were colorblind and freaked out and broke their vow of silence when they found out they wre colorblind.

See I got this and loved it. Bonus part: It was mentioned that highschool are the good years of suffering and if he doesn't go he's missing out on those quality suffering years.
At least that way he ended up still getting those years in. All at once.

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With Athena from how I understand it, she sees herself as an equal to a player. At least to a competent one.
With all we've done she may think that we're not so competent, and may feel we need to be guided.

Similar to a noob who is playing multiplayer with someone on par with pro levels. Especially considering that Athena likes winning, risky yet not too risky strategies, and is a bit competitive it means that she may doubt us at times.

Honestly this is part of why I love her so far. She wants to be professional at all times, and is generally serious and passionate about everything she does.
It's also what makes becoming friends with her interesting. We sort of need to respect her choices, and listen to her as she is a Co-Player.

Additionally she seems to prefer to roleplay. That also seems to be the best way to get a character to actually follow commands is to either subtly do things, or to do things they would definitely do. Latta having the [Adventurous] trait makes her open to taking a shit ton more risks than most people would.

Similar to a noob who is playing multiplayer with someone on par with pro levels. Especially considering that Athena likes winning, risky yet not too risky strategies, and is a bit competitive it means that she may doubt us at times.

Athena has never played fortuna before, though, even if she probably knows more about the game than us. That's not to say I dislike her at the moment, not all AIs can be Helios after all. Well, maybe if we let Eris take the wheel..

Having said that, I could see Athena's way of interacting with us going places where I'd rather get a new patron, but we're not there yet.

I'm kind of glad I didn't decide to turn Slate in to a hitman. His traits were set up in such a way that "trained murderer" was the clear choice on what he should be but after seeing the suggestions I agreed that hitman was too clear and set up, and honestly kind of boring. It was kind of fun figuring out what type of character would have the traits of a "hitman" but be 100% not a hitman.

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Also I like that Hades is requested but we'll likely be doing anyone but him, sadly Hades is one of the few AIs I have already plotted out, it's only a matter a time before we see the dude.

Perhaps Pluto, then? Unless he's been plotted out as well.

I am powering through the mirror now (just got off Planet and had the Interlude) and I would like to report: it is good, this is good

back probably later this week when I finish binging the mirror

E: Also, so nobody thinks they're losing their minds: The forum theme did change shortly after I made this post. Wheat's been revising it and i just implemented the changes in the forum's Admin Control Panel.

If you've got comments/questions about it, we've been helping Wheat retool it here.

It was kind of fun figuring out what type of character would have the traits of a "hitman" but be 100% not a hitman.

"And that's the story of how Slate entered Human Resources"

also:
This theory is for your consideration...
Captain Hermes had a Sir

I forget if the other two dogs have been mentioned by name yet.

Sir: a gentlemanly dog
Rib: a skeleton dog. plays a little haunting theme on bone xylophone. kills you indirectly, by eating any food you try to eat
Bus: a heavy dog with other dogs riding on it

Mors has named the other two, they're called Burr and Risk.

Rib sounds neat though, I feel like drawing him as a PanXSir hybrid.

I mean, Sir probably doesn't have a first gen but I shouldn't let that get in the way of shipping.

It's Ross Geller from hit NBC sitcom Friends

I forget if the other two dogs have been mentioned by name yet.

Sir: a gentlemanly dog
Rib: a skeleton dog. plays a little haunting theme on bone xylophone. kills you indirectly, by eating any food you try to eat so you starve
Bus: a heavy dog with other dogs riding on it

Bus is just the Catbus from Totoro but a dog.

I am of the headcanon that Cea Jaspurr is sexually frustrated, and flirts as a method of hopefully 'getting some', should anyone take him seriously.

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SpoilerI have a simple request for you, Gime. (Or anyone willing) Do you think you could draw what you think a Jerce looks like? I want to test wether my descriptions accurately portray the mental image I have.
In fact, that was the entire reason I submitted the species application in the first place.

Good I should hope so. this whole thing was one big gambit to trick schazer into reading fortuna.

And what a lovely gambit it is. I'm glad to hear you're liking it so far schazer! I'm always surprise to hear people still like it because I know my spelling and grammar during the first bit were.... lackluster.

I have a simple request for you, Gime. (Or anyone willing) Do you think you could draw what you think a Jerce looks like? I want to test wether my descriptions accurately portray the mental image I have.

Wow I thought these guys would look adorable and like giant baby chickens but after rereading and seeing "Void eyes" and "keratin-reinforced lips" it certainly got a little weird but cool. Tell me if this is totally off what you saw in your head. The main thing I had trouble with is that it notes that they're bipedal but doesn't tell me how their body shape is like. I didn't know if they were 6-7 feet tall because they have a long neck (like tweeps) or because they're just huge so I went with the latter.

Seems to me Fortuna (the game) is drawing a lot from what made Homestuck (or more specifically, sBurb) good way back when, like the integration of deities/first gen AIs as mechanical game constructs like saving/loading, cf the Denizens and how some have cosmic roles more integral to reality ticking over as intended. We meet the really important dudes first (as necessitates the raised stakes to showcase a "plotworthy" game run where things have gone horribly wrong before we even started) but there's plenty of scope to speculate what game-mechanical roles less important deities play (less important in the limited perspective of a Sun God run), what kind of circumstances might raise them to prominence a la Apollo, and how the game plays were a different deity casting its shadow over the game universe.

The patron deity mechanic gives us a taster of that and allows for a lot of speculation. Could there be a "Huntress run" where Athena is driven to frustration a la "our" Apollo, seizes control of every ship captain, planetary president, and other influential individual in the across gametime and gamespace, and sets the entire thing in motion against you?

(I envision this in part because the "normal" Fortuna game reminds me of another game I like - 80 Days, where the world quite distinctly does not revolve around you and your journey, and on the whole NPCs have their own lives going on before and after you dropped in on their city/planet. A run where that's turned on its head because a normally-chill goddess is literally sending the entire universe out for your blood appeal to some folks?)

Fortuna (the adventure)'s first Tutorial run kind of suffered for having played Undertale so recently; Apollo's chipperness was setting off alarm bells a mile off. (Question for clarification: in a run where the Roman Apollo isn't banished to the tutorial, is it a Hermes or the Hermes who acts as the ship AI?) It wasn't until much further down the track that we learn "oh ok this isn't supposed to happen", so I'm left wondering how meta the game is "meant" to be (answer: as meta as you want it to be, clearly.)

As for the spelling - for an ostensible English teacher, I'm pretty chill about people making mistakes. Other than when deities say them, I mostly treat them as quirks of characters' speech? Less-than-perfect spelling doesn't offend me on any level when it's not a barrier to readability, so it's not breaking immersion or nuffin'.

Rib sounds neat though, I feel like drawing him as a PanXSir hybrid.

I love that you take:
-Mr Afraid of Everything
and
-Mr I'm gonna kill you by terrifying you constantly and making you hate so much life you do it for me

and then make them have a kid together
I like this

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SpoilerSeems to me Fortuna (the game) is drawing a lot from what made Homestuck (or more specifically, sBurb) good way back when, like the integration of deities/first gen AIs as mechanical game constructs like saving/loading, cf the Denizens and how some have cosmic roles more integral to reality ticking over as intended. We meet the really important dudes first (as necessitates the raised stakes to showcase a "plotworthy" game run where things have gone horribly wrong before we even started) but there's plenty of scope to speculate what game-mechanical roles less important deities play (less important in the limited perspective of a Sun God run), what kind of circumstances might raise them to prominence a la Apollo, and how the game plays were a different deity casting its shadow over the game universe.

The patron deity mechanic gives us a taster of that and allows for a lot of speculation. Could there be a "Huntress run" where Athena is driven to frustration a la "our" Apollo, seizes control of every ship captain, planetary president, and other influential individual in the across gametime and gamespace, and sets the entire thing in motion against you?

(I envision this in part because the "normal" Fortuna game reminds me of another game I like - 80 Days, where the world quite distinctly does not revolve around you and your journey, and on the whole NPCs have their own lives going on before and after you dropped in on their city/planet. A run where that's turned on its head because a normally-chill goddess is literally sending the entire universe out for your blood appeal to some folks?)

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SpoilerFortuna (the adventure)'s first Tutorial run kind of suffered for having played Undertale so recently; Apollo's chipperness was setting off alarm bells a mile off. (Question for clarification: in a run where the Roman Apollo isn't banished to the tutorial, is it a Hermes or the Hermes who acts as the ship AI?) It wasn't until much further down the track that we learn "oh ok this isn't supposed to happen", so I'm left wondering how meta the game is "meant" to be (answer: as meta as you want it to be, clearly.)

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SpoilerPersonally I always loved SBURB and SGRUB mechanics being exposited on and all the details a little more than Homestuck's characters/plots. With fortuna I love the game mechanics as much as the character arcs and plots.
But from what we've gathered so far we know for a fact that many v1's (titans, romans, greeks) have significant roles for governing the entire game's universe. The death of a v1 (permanent) will end up forfeiting the things they are directly in charge of to another. Often their greek or roman counterpart. If Hermes died, Mercury would have to take over his job of transferring paperwork to the new universe. If Mercury died Hermes would have to take over the role of fixing texture errors. This is in addition to the job(s) they had already, and that makes this a bad thing.
Some v1's are best at one job or another. There are pros/cons and just like choosing a patron they need to be chosen carefully. Or really it's out of the player's hands, like with Mors ruling the Underworld instead of Hades. Notably Mors charges much higher prices for respawning. In addition v1's can only respawn if their death was not player, hero, or a v1... related. This is why Zeus and Jupiter are permadead for this universe.
The one thing you picked up on is that the Sun God Run is different. It's not a game feature, but is a notable thing in the game. It causes the game to have a more defined plot. Cookie has confirmed before that in a normal Fortuna game the plot is nebulous and plot holes don't matter as much.
With stuff like a Huntress Run, similar to the Sun God Run, they could exist. We haven't gotten confirmation on if only the Sun God Run, but from what we know the rules are in game, but the name is in-universe fandom made. (I have however created a joke mockup of the Horned God Run, which involves getting Pan to max friendship, making him feel safe, and exposing him to some of the most bloody, terrifying, and horrific things. Thus transforming him into an entity that imposes darkness, terror, and horror onto the Universe as it slowly creeps to death).
You may also be mixing the Patron System with the Friendship System.

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Spoiler Yes Cowboy Beboop confirms that Hermes is normally the tutorial guy. He isn't imprisoned there normally, and it's more just his job. This is because he can freely enter and leave.
Helios ended up taking over, and that may mean that Patrons may also be given the job.

I assumed the quickest way to max out Friendship with a V1 was to have them as your Patron for enough runs and have your playstyle be complementary to their idea of a "good time". I can only assume "levelling up" Apollo to make him strong enough for a Sun God run ties into that friendship mechanic (and that Friendship would be impractical to raise if, for some reason, you refused to ever take the prospective V1 as a Patron).

Also Helios as patron/Tutorial AI seems like one of those chicken-and-egg scenarios? (Unless I'm forgetting the out-of-universe order of events). We had Helios as a "patron" before* we'd unlocked the Patron system properly through the game's menu, which had to be done after at Cobalt+Nova et al's successful run.

*I think. I could be misremembering.

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Spoiler Yes Cowboy Beboop confirms that Hermes is normally the tutorial guy. He isn't imprisoned there normally, and it's more just his job. This is because he can freely enter and leave.
Helios ended up taking over, and that may mean that Patrons may also be given the job.

Also Helios as patron/Tutorial AI seems like one of those chicken-and-egg scenarios? (Unless I'm forgetting the out-of-universe order of events). We had Helios as a "patron" before* we'd unlocked the Patron system properly through the game's menu, which had to be done after at Cobalt+Nova et al's successful run.

*I think. I could be misremembering.

Helios was there taking care of our tutorial before he was our Patron! I reckon he took over because he's Apollo -1; hence, while the crew itself was referring to him as Apollo v1 like whom was supposed to be there at the time, he'd be the closest fit. It likely would be to circumvent bigger plot holes.
Tutorials go backwards in time, and since Captain Hermes' tutorial came after we freed good old Polly, he was still supposed to be there - but he wasn't, because he had escaped. Time travel is confusing.
Therefore, the closest fit, the remaining Sun God (as of course they assumed our friend was the Greek version and had murdered the Roman one, leaving only Helios and Sol, with Helios being closest under the belief that Greek Apollo had previously been in the tutorial) was hired by Mors to take over the role as Ship AI.

While I forget the particular circumstances to us unlocking Helios as a Patron, other than it was after his already being hired to take care of the tutorial, we already had the Patron system! We just bought an extra slot so we could have two Patrons following the last game, so it's more of an upgrade to a function that was already there rather than unlocking it.

Errors only grate on me if they are something that breaks text flow, like mixing up homophones. For example: your-you're, their-there-they're, and its-it's. Otherwise I let it be.

And with my love of encyclopedias in games, the Cosmodex was a very pleasing idea.

I should have provided a response to this sooner, Gime. Here are my corrections. I apologize if it seems nitpicky.

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SpoilerThat is contrary to my image. I should have said humanoid, not bipedal. My mistake. So the face should be front-facing, the neck shorter, and the limbs longer. I am thinking the wings should be larger, as they do not look accurately proportioned, but as they are furled it might be fine. The main body is only about four feet tall, and something that size requires a huge wingspan. A Wandering Albatross's wingspan is nine feet if I recall correctly, and a Jerce's wingspan is double that!

Their black head-feathers should look like hair from a distance, so that would be too long. I cannot tell if you included the tendrils or not.
As for the mouth, think "very short beak". Lips look awkward. It seems you based this picture on the first version of the description.

Keep the tail feathers though. I had not considered that detail.

Here is a revised physical description... Third draft.

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SpoilerTheir humanoid form is covered in short, downy, gray feathers. Where one would expect hair, they have thin stringy feathers, which are always black in color. Their sharp beaks have receded significantly, being almost flat. Their eyes are front-facing and somewhat large, with the pupils dominating the eye. They have branching tendrils that grow out of the backs of their heads which help detect wind currents, and can be any color from red to fuchsia. These can be stiffened during flight and relaxed when not in use. Their hands have three taloned fingers with one of them being opposable. Their feet are structured like those of an eagle and have four toes. Shoes are worn for ceremonial purposes only, as they are important weapons when catching prey.
Their wingspan averages 3-6 meters, and range from black to gray gray. They are about 1.5 meters tall as an adult.
Clothing is rarely worn, due to a lack of its necessity. But it may be included for the comfort of others.