Basic Details and Objectives of the Rewrite Proper

[King Feraligatr]

I hope this post will clear up confusion on what I mean when I talk about the Rewrite Proper and what I hope it to accomplish.

What is the Rewrite Proper?

• The Rewrite Proper is my term for the actual project of the Rewrite. Be it game, fanfic, or some other form of media, this thing is the real meat of what I'm working on.
• The Rewrite Proper is ultimately completely controlled by me. People help contribute to the project and give me ideas to consider with the project. People help provide quality control for the project, keep me in line, help revise it, etc. However, as I said, what I say ultimately goes in the Rewrite Proper and I am the ultimate controller behind it. This is my project that I am getting help on to make it better, because I'm lazy, and more. It's hopefully my (and others' that have helped) gift to the community.
• The Rewrite uses ME1 as the only BW canon. Anything else, be they games, books, videos, etc. is not canon (as described elsewhere in the announcement threads). All other sources are just pools for ideas, be they BW, fan, etc. Why ME1? Because while it's far from perfect, it makes the most sense in the BW ME series by a landslide and has the best overall story, world, and lore. It's a shaky base, but it's by far the most stable. And also because ME1 is by far my favorite ME thing and how I was introduced to the series. Many sources (ones I consider reliable) that the ME series really started going downhill after ME1. So, I want to remove all that shaky shit to give use a relatively stable base. It's that or I re do the entire series entirely, and that will alienate even more people here and I'm better off making my own universe.
• I've a feeling this project will take a great many years to finish, even it ever does at all. I'm in not rush to devote my entire time to this, so I if I take breaks, do not think I've necessarily abandoned this. I've a life to live and this is not the only thing I do. It's a long term project and I will treat it as such. I imagine I will lose some people to boredom, and while that sucks, you've been warned.
• I've initially intended the Rewrite Proper to be a huge, long, sprawling game that would take several in game years to finish one run. This is obviously far too ambitious, not counting the other shit I want in it. So, in the interest of not overextending myself and others, I'm cutting the game idea for the time being. The final project will likely be a determinate fanfic by me (which means I'm solely responsible for writing it. Others can of course help me improve it, judge and critique it, etc.). I'm still writing some of the ideas as if they where in game format, just in case (they help give me a range of possibilities and help with the RP). It wouldn't be super difficult (at least I think) to linearize some of the events and adapt the game mechanics to something you'd see in story like a fanfic, not a game. I might even one day decide that working a scaled back Rewrite game could work, but I'm iffy on this idea. What the final product of the Rewrite will be, even it will even ever come, is still in the air. And there's the fact it will have to be revised in the future after release.
• At the time of writing this, the Rewrite Proper is still in the Pre Planning phase, where it will likely remain for a very long time. I would like some really good minds to help with this and give me their good ideas. Many things are subject to change and while I have a pretty clear overall goal at this time for the project, it can change at any time.
• The RP we keep talking about is not as bound by the Rewrite and is its own thing. It's more for generating ideas for the Rewrite Proper. Once the thing starts, it will have its own continuity, but it will still be affected by some of the Rewrite's goals and lore. The RP will not really be discussed on the Rewrite Proper boards.
• More as suggested to me or as I think of them

What are the goals and objectives of the Rewrite Proper?

• Be in line with ME1's lore, world, story, etc. and try not to contradict it. Still, this should be its own thing and we are allowed to play with some of the things in ME1 or interpret them differently.
• Follow only ME1 as the only part of BW's canon that is canon in the Rewrite Proper. Anything else is just pools for ideas and does not need to be followed.
• Follow ME1's principles of at least semi plausible explanations as to why things are the way they are. Think out the lore and integrate it in many places. Think how the lore would affect the galaxy, society, etc. Do not contradict ME1's lore (but can play with it in reason) and work on its base. Do not overextend ourselves past the logical extensions of ME1's world. Etc. on this bullet point.
• Strive to make sense and not contradict ourselves. Things do not just happen just because we said so. Create at least semi plausible explanations. Know our limits and stay in those limits or only work in logical extensions. Strive for logic, coherency, etc. above flashiness and "rule of cool" (though flashiness and "rule of cool" can happen in those limits). Make use of our friend foreshadowing when necessary.
• Make this a collaborative project, albeit one with a supreme controller (me) at the end of the day. Correct each others' mistakes, give ideas, speak up, etc., especially to me. Know that I can change, add, ignore, remove, etc. anything you say to me. Don't be afraid to call me out, unless I really mean it's final. Know that I'm the admin here as well.
• I know I wanted to put down more, I'll have to remember and put it here later.
• Etc. can be applied to basically all this.
• More as I think of them or are suggested to me.

What are the main objectives and details of the current iteration of the current Rewrite Proper story, setting, etc.?

• The main antagonists of the story are the mainline/orthodox Geth (the ones that followed Saren/Sovereign), or Mainliners as my slang. The Mainliners wish to bring about the return of their gods (the Reapers)(this is their main goal in story), exterminate all sufficiently organic life, exterminate all other Geth that are not them, annihilate the Quarians, and subjugate and non Mainliner/Reaper synthetic life. The Mainliners' main goal in the story is to find a way to activate Citadel Relay and bring the Reapers back from dark space. They are waging a holy war on all factions that are not them for the deaths of their god Sovereign and prophet Saren. They will attempt to upgrade themselves and their tech as the story goes on and would like to cause as much damage to their enemies as possible. There is no way for the player(s) to join the Mainliners. They don't want you.
  
  There's more to the Mainliners, but it goes into its own post. I chose this route with the Geth as the main antagonists as it seems to be a logical extension of ME1's story and also because of inspiration from others. Unlike BW's ME, the Geth faction in the majority are the antagonists.
• The Reapers are stuck in hibernation mode in dark space. Sovereign was stopped in ME1 before he could even contact his fellow Reapers. This effectively leaves the Reapers non physically present in the story. This isn't to say that the Reapers won't be a sizable part of the story. They have had major impact on the galaxy, both in the past, present, and likely the future. Their technology is the basis of the majority of the tech in Mass Effect (including the mass effect. something which they could have made, and if not that, they're still masters of the phenomena). They're also tied into the Mainliner's main goal of bringing about their return. While not physically present, they're a huge factor in the story.
  
  Also note that in the Rewrite, the Reapers' only entry point is the Citadel. While it's retarded as hell to have that be their only entry point, I want the player to have a chance to win and I can handwave it sort of using the Reapers' extreme arrogance. It's super contrived, but I want a victory chance and it also help give ME1's events meaning.
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Closing statements and question answering

• Q: Can I use the ideas from the Rewrite in my own work?
  
  A: Yes! Go ahead. I've taken ideas from others to get where I am and the project is seeking collaboration. It's only fair that you be able to use the ideas here. Also, you do not have to credit the Rewrite, me, or anyone else here as I've taken many ideas (though I do adapt them to my own ends.....) without permission or remembering the names of many of the people I take things from. So again, it's only fair that you do so.
• More as I can think of them.

I hope this clears confusion when I throw around certain terms and I hope it helps you know what I expect and overall plan. Feel free to comment on what I said, give me ideas, poke holes in it, etc.

[King Feraligatr]

Basic thread OP done. Unlocking thread for commentary.

[King Feraligatr]

Update post to show that I have worked a bit on the thread. Most of the updates I made to it are months old, as usual.

As usual, feel free to give me ideas, suggest or add things, ask questions, poke holes in things, comment on things, etc.