ED has a galaxy which is at the moment lacking in variety.
One of the ways to create it is with distributed community writing. The community would both write and select from the submitted stories, which would then frame the events of ED universe.
Sure there are risks, but in my view only the community has enough resources to fill the storyline of a huge universe that has been created.
An example would be a contest to start a community written story around a faction expansion into a new system, the eventual lore could be then read when you land in the system itself, only the main events reported on GalNet. This would give new content and unique aspect to the new system that has been created. Some sort of in game "historic record/journal/library" could be a new feature which one could read while in SC or mining in the system.
It should be a relatively data cheap (text only) method to customize the universe, which could work nicely in this type of the game with a lot of "slow" gameplay, to fill in the void.
One of the ways to create it is with distributed community writing. The community would both write and select from the submitted stories, which would then frame the events of ED universe.
- FD shoud provide the following:
- framework for "writing", ie certain standards
- tool for submission
- timetable for submissions and instalments (daily/weekly/monthly/other)
- direction for both topic and format
- a voting mechanism, where the community could vote on the favourite(s) with some editorial control for eventual publishing into the official lore
- there could also be a financial incentive for (large?) period winner(s) to help good writers keep on going (maybe some sort of annual "ED Pulitzer"
or along those lines) - there should be multiple storylines going at a time
- The community
- submit the stories
- help create the lore
- get something to do after they explore the basic game mechanisms
- a substitute for modding
- a method to influence the game world
- Community writers and voters would frame the major events in the galaxy
- Overall impact
- A lot of content created, with good framing the quality one would come on top
- Ability to influence the universe, even for those who do not write, but only vote
- Get strong engagement from the playerbase fairly fast
- Having multiple storylines, if only one from a dozen would be a hit, it would be a huge boon for the game universe
- Give player activities deeper meaning
- Create unique stories tied only to a system/faction/area, giving "life" to the universe
Sure there are risks, but in my view only the community has enough resources to fill the storyline of a huge universe that has been created.
An example would be a contest to start a community written story around a faction expansion into a new system, the eventual lore could be then read when you land in the system itself, only the main events reported on GalNet. This would give new content and unique aspect to the new system that has been created. Some sort of in game "historic record/journal/library" could be a new feature which one could read while in SC or mining in the system.
It should be a relatively data cheap (text only) method to customize the universe, which could work nicely in this type of the game with a lot of "slow" gameplay, to fill in the void.