conflict

Way With Worlds: It Comes Apart – Conflicts And The World

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war ruins city bombed

(Way With Worlds is a weekly column on the art of worldbuilding published at Seventh Sanctum, Muse Hack, and Ongoing Worlds)

So there’s a reason I covered humans (and human-alikes) and the psychology of conflict first. Characters and their institutions are often the causes of conflicts – and characters are the lenses through which players/readers experience your world. We have to think about them first in the case of worldbuilding because it gives us the right perspective.

But with that said, you need something to get your cast to engage in (or prevent) atrocities. What are he drivers and elements that create wars and conflicts?

Again, it’s often a matter of perspective. Which is the problem in fiction – and come to think of it real life as well . . .

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Media Wars Part 4: A Sustainable Media Geekonomy

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So as I mentioned last post, the Media Geekonomy is stuck in an Extraction mentality where members of it (Fans, Support, Creators) are often trying to get the most out of their situation.  This is exacerbated by regular business practices, attitudes, and technology changes.  It's an unpleasant situation, and it can't last forever – because there's a lot of simmering pathology and problems.

Me I'd like it solved because I can see a lot of continuing unpleasantness.  I can see more lawsuits and bizarre regulations designed to limit the choices of Fans and keep Creators under control by those in the Support sector.  I can see ignorant companies folding, unaware of how the market has changed until they die off.  I see Creators loosing out on opportunities or being denied them.

So let's ask what we want the Media Geekonomy to be, and I'd say that the opposite of Extraction (getting as much as possible) is Sustainability.  Sustainability is about making sure you have enough now and in the future.

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Media Wars Part 3: How We Got Here

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Last column I discussed the fact that the Media Geekonomy is an area of conflict, an Exctraction Economy where different factions are in conflict.  Fans want things cheaper, the Support people want to make money and keep their good position, and the Creators of media want money and stability.  Their interests don't line up and often end up adverse.

So how did this happen?

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