The Immortals

[Luminous Warrior]

Everyone has their own idea of immortality, but I want to hear yours.

Would immortality in a game make it better or worse?

If you put immortality in your game, how would you do it?

Or, if you wouldn't, why not?

Is immortality a good thing or a bad thing?

If it's a good thing, why?

If it's a bad thing, why?

I want to know. And I think others may want to hear your opinion.

So, go on, post like the wind!

 

[Super Galaxy Convoy]

First of all, explain what you mean by immortality in a game. Do you mean giving a certain character immortality for certain areas? Or do you mean something else? You have to be a bit clearer on what you are trying to say.

 

[Luminous Warrior]

I mean in the story. Such as, the plot revolving around a character's search for immortality. Or, maybe just life after death, or avoiding death in the first place.

I once had an idea for an immortal character who saw his immortality as a curse, because he couldn't die but everyone he tried get close to did.

 

[gavind]

It's difficult to create an ending if there's immortality involved. But I like new, unique ideas. +1

 

[Genii Benedict]

I mean in the story. Such as, the plot revolving around a character's search for immortality. Or, maybe just life after death, or avoiding death in the first place. I once had an idea for an immortal character who saw his immortality as a curse, because he couldn't die but everyone he tried get close to did.

That's a great storyline you have there. I have also shared that idea, and can imagine so many great stories that could stem from it.

It's difficult to create an ending if there's immortality involved. But I like new, unique ideas. +1

It may be difficult to create a "true" ending, but it gives a lot of functionality to build multiple stories containing the same character as they live through various different timelines. Everything changes around them, and yet, they stay exactly the same? Sounds curse-worthy to me.

 

[Luminous Warrior]

Yeah. It's not for just one story. It would be for multiple stories, all about the same character. And, I just had an idea for a saga about a character with immortality, who has realized the curse of immortality and is attempting to get rid of his immortality. Not as in suicide, though. I mean, make it to were he can age again and eventually die. Besides, I'm not sure if a character who has lived far past the age he should have died can commit suicide.

 

[Genii Benedict]

Besides, I'm not sure if a character who has lived far past the age he should have died can commit suicide.

That's the challenge, right?

Think of the immense sadness a hundreds-year-old person would hold, making the ultimate choice to end his life... ...only to find out his first attempt was in vain. How did it happen? One of the simplest could be hanging. Imagine how he would feel, thinking, "Here comes death. Here comes an end to my longer-than-normal life..." only to find out that he didn't die. It would be compounded, if over and over, the person found that while they would go through the stages of dying - unconsciousness, perhaps even rigor and decomposition - that over time, they 'recovered'. Endless disappointment. Endless suffering. Possibly for years, or even tens or hundreds of years.

So many stories. So many different directions. Does the person still have the 'damage' from their actions? Do they still sport the scars from the rope around their neck? The gunshot wound beneath their chin? Do their missing limbs or appendages live on, separate from the host body?

Things to consider!

 

[Julien Brightside]

One interesting story would be if a man sought to be so famous that his stories would live forever. It would be some sort of immortality.

 

[Genii Benedict]

One interesting story would be if a man sought to be so famous that his stories would live forever. It would be some sort of immortality.

You're in good company. Your idea reminded me of a cross between Stephen King's "The Dark Half" and John Carpenter's "In The Mouth Of Madness".

GB

 

[RyanA]

I quite like this story idea, usually in RPGs, when immortality is involved, it's where one character goes out to get it, so it would be nice to see a story where an immortal character tries to become normal again! I wonder if this character is a vampire though...that might be interesting too ;3

 

[Genii Benedict]

I wonder if this character is a vampi...

NO.

Just... no.

GB

 

[Espon]

In my world, demons are immortal to an extent. They don't age, however they can be killed. If they are killed they get sent to the underworld, a wretched place shrouded in eternal darkness filled with madness. Those that escape can continue on with life, those that don't are eventually driven mad like the rest that roam the underworld. Eventually the underworld's guardian takes the souls of the insane to create new demons...which is the only way to create new demons since they cannot reproduce.

Other forms of immortality include preventing ageing through magic or capturing souls of the dying through necromancy (most undead are soulless).

No one can be truly immortal though, anyone can be struck down no matter how powerful.

I could get deeper into this but then I'd be typing up multiple pages worth.

 

[RavenTDA]

Why would it be difficult to END the story? There's numerous vampire stories out there where the characters are immortal. You don't have to end the story on the note that the character dies. Heck of a lot of stories don't end when the character dies. I don't think immortality would cause any problems in that area at all.

As for your original idea, you might want to look into the book Tuck Everlasting. There was a couple of films for it but I have no idea if they're any good or not but the book is basically about immortality and why it sucks and has nothing to do with vampires. It's very good.

Some of your questions are a bit confusing. There's no real specific element that's going to make a story good or bad. It just depends on your ideas as a whole. Would immortality fit in my game? No not really I don't have any fancy creatures/races and nor is the plot about that at all. It just doesn't fit. You have to go with what fits inside your story. If immortality plays a big role then just go with it.

Is immortality good or bad? If you mean what I think of the idea in general, I like reading about it. It's interesting but if I would want it for myself, hell no. I'm in the boat of feeling it's pretty undesirable. Some things to think about why it's bad... well for one, once you get past the fact everyone around you dies, eventually you'll do everything there is to do in life that you wanted to do. You're going to end up really bored out of your skull and get the feeling of "been there done that" to everything. I can't imagine anyone who's lived a really long time not being depressed or going crazy. Besides... perhaps it's the fact that things are only temporary that truly gives it beauty.