Steampunk.
We've heard of it at least once in our RP journeys, and everyone who's witnessed this element has a different take on it. Bleak columns stained with the grime of rusted metal and the remnants of dystopian warfare, shining pillars of gears scratching the sunset skies, mind-bending mechanical creatures roaming quiet streets scattered with glimmering bits and bobbles from old electronics of a time past... And that's not even touching eras when it happens and what kinds of character archetypes are involved!
So I want to ask everyone: what's the first thing that you think of when you hear the word "Steampunk?" Have you participated in the steampunk genre via RP or writing? Or use a steampunk element or setting? Do you think it can mesh well with other genres, or is it best as a standalone? What do you think steampunk means? Not just in the technical definitions of it, but what it means from a subjective point of view.
Light's Answer: With me, when I hear steampunk, I think... objects. Objects made with bronze gears that whir and grind behind polished glass-like panes. TVs, MP3 players, 3D printers, statues, and buildings... All made with old-fashioned gears, pulleys, and oil to keep the parts moving.
I've yet to participate in a RP that has the element in full, but I do have a world and a character based on the concept that's part of a larger universe of worlds. I think it can mesh well with any genre or setting provided you develop the idea well enough and do research where needed.
And what do I think steampunk means? ...In two words: Modern antiquity. Bringing the technology of the modern day and downgrading it to a style that may have been seen in the Industrial Revolution era or earlier. I love the old-timey innovation of steampunk and hope to incorporate it more into my stories and art.
But that's my answer. What about everyone else?
We've heard of it at least once in our RP journeys, and everyone who's witnessed this element has a different take on it. Bleak columns stained with the grime of rusted metal and the remnants of dystopian warfare, shining pillars of gears scratching the sunset skies, mind-bending mechanical creatures roaming quiet streets scattered with glimmering bits and bobbles from old electronics of a time past... And that's not even touching eras when it happens and what kinds of character archetypes are involved!
So I want to ask everyone: what's the first thing that you think of when you hear the word "Steampunk?" Have you participated in the steampunk genre via RP or writing? Or use a steampunk element or setting? Do you think it can mesh well with other genres, or is it best as a standalone? What do you think steampunk means? Not just in the technical definitions of it, but what it means from a subjective point of view.
Light's Answer: With me, when I hear steampunk, I think... objects. Objects made with bronze gears that whir and grind behind polished glass-like panes. TVs, MP3 players, 3D printers, statues, and buildings... All made with old-fashioned gears, pulleys, and oil to keep the parts moving.
I've yet to participate in a RP that has the element in full, but I do have a world and a character based on the concept that's part of a larger universe of worlds. I think it can mesh well with any genre or setting provided you develop the idea well enough and do research where needed.
And what do I think steampunk means? ...In two words: Modern antiquity. Bringing the technology of the modern day and downgrading it to a style that may have been seen in the Industrial Revolution era or earlier. I love the old-timey innovation of steampunk and hope to incorporate it more into my stories and art.
But that's my answer. What about everyone else?
It's one of those subjects that I haven't delved very far into, honestly! I like the idea of taking modern conveniences and attempting to find a more direct way to link everything to steam power, though. I usually think of Victorian era morals and ethics paired with zepplins and brass-bound golems. I haven't found that my characters tend to fit in any compelling way into that kind of setting, yet, so I haven't had a chance to explore more deeply!
I work annually at a steampunk/Victorian culture festival, so I've seen just about every interpretation under the sun, lmao. Although I have to say my two favourites are the bronze-and-gold-art-deco kind of steampunk and the grimy, urban, clockworks and automatons sort. The latter setting has made for some really interesting monster-hunting D&D campaigns.
To answer your other question, I think that steampunk easily meshes with other 'punk'-type genres (biopunk, dieselpunk, solarpunk, etc). Games like Bioshock Infinite and Dishonored incorporate elements of it well.
To answer your other question, I think that steampunk easily meshes with other 'punk'-type genres (biopunk, dieselpunk, solarpunk, etc). Games like Bioshock Infinite and Dishonored incorporate elements of it well.
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