Dieselpunk + Steampunk Culture
Setting Idea for both short stories and possible costuming....
I was watching an episode of Ancient Aliens, or whatever its called, and one of the episodes was about Nazi UFOs. One of the things they mentioned was the energy known as Vril. Apparently it was an energy capable of pretty much anything. More can be found on it here: Vril Wiki
With that bit of background out of they way, here is my idea for the setting. The war in Europe is raging, fought with the conventional weapons of war. In the background is a secret underground war for the control of Vril. Its kind of a recycled idea, its been seen in multiple games, movies, comics, and books. But I really want to work to take the paranormal aspect out of it. I plan on making Vril a sort of mega-ultimate super quartz. It functions more as a capacitor than just a conductor. Vril, for example, will take a 12v charge and turn into 1200volts. When mixed into steel, it makes it a quarter the weight and ten times stronger. The best way I can put it all together is, a Vril infused King Tiger would way approx. 17 tons and could run off of a hybrid engine.
My story specifically will center around the control of Vril. I haven't decided where it is found, but I was thinking the most likely place would be Africa. Its big and it would be sensible considering all the diamond mines there.
That's all I have so far, I would everyone's input and ideas.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Cap'n Tony on -
Could be fun! Unobtanium Wars are always fun. How limited of a supply of Vril are we talking? You have a possibility there for an analog story to the oil crisis.
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Permalink Reply by Tome Wilson on -
I like the idea a lot. It gives the setting a plausible explanation as to why the war equipment looks the same, but is scaled up to dieselpunk proportions. Mobile fortresses trailing over marshland with the same ease as smaller vehicles would be a fun visual.
The only thing that isn't syncing with me is the electrical properties. I could see the Vril being used to power super-furnaces that can smelt new types of theoretical high-strength/light-weight metal (like Rearden Steel), but my suspension of disbelief is stretched when this uber-capacitor is mixed with the metal to create something that's better than metal.
Not to mention death-rays. We have them now, but the problem is sustaining the power output. With Vril-based technology, the battle-field would be getting quite a bit hotter.
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Permalink Reply by Dan G. on -
I like it! And as Cap'n Tony said, "Unobtanium Wars are always fun."
As with Tome, I too was pondering the "uber-capacitor is mixed with the metal" idea. But I was wondering what effect a charge of electricity would then have if it came into even a limited contact with the armor??? Not sure if I would care to be riding around in one of these babies during an electrical storm! LOL
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Spencer on -
The history behind Vril is its some sort of energy capable of almost anything. I decided by refining it down into an mineral instead I could limit some of that. When it comes to the part with the metal and electrical properties, both are very relevant to crystalline structure. The property of steal depends heavily on that structure. Even a good alloy is useless without proper structure. So that's where the idea of it came in. But it would probably make sense to have it as one or the other. Possible use multiple ores instead of the one. Make it more akin to fighting a country for both its mines and oil.
Thinking on it more though, I think the effect on metal is the one to keep. The idea of plate armor clad commandos wielding BARs that only way four pounds is just too appealing.
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Permalink Reply by Dan G. on
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Joshua - An ~ Uber-Armor ~ certainly does open up a whole world of possibilities. Not only for your "Knights of the Field", but just thinking on all of those X-Project air, sea and land craft that never really got a shot at the battlefield. With the unleashing of operations like the Wunderwaffe and the Skunk Works this could certainly be an interesting universe to visit!
"The idea of plate armor clad commandos wielding BARs that only way four pounds is just too appealing." - Conceptually appealing, to be sure. But not so great if you happen to be one of those Grunts decked out in your own portable oven while trying to fight under a summer sun in any one of a number of "tropical" locations! "Stick a fork in him, Joe. I think he's done!" LOL
One thing that I always like to keep in mind regarding even the very best and most advanced of mechanized armor = No matter how impressively impervious it may be . . . sooner or later some wiseguy is going to come along and find some cheap, off the shelf, man-portable way to open up that Mighty Tin-Can! LOL
I look forward to seeing your finished story! I sure hope you plan on giving us all a Heads Up!
Keep It FUN!
Dan G
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Spencer on
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Well of course you have to be able to crack open the tin cans. How else are the heroes going to defeat their well armored and armed foes? :D On I high note for the poor guys in the cans, at least it would only way a quarter as much as full plate armor. I'm also dealing with super-science so I'll hook them up with some sort of rudimentary AC. I gotta be nice to my poor Panzersoldaten. On that note, I could use some names for things. I have Panzersoldaten, or as the Americans will call them, Kraut in a Can. And I have a nickname for the American soldiers, Tin Can Johnnies. Not sure what the official name should be, American names for things are not real interesting sounding. I'm thinking the Cohen Battle Armor sounds good though. Morris Cohen was a metallurgist who was part of the Manhattan Project. Given his association with secret projects is all ready established for the time period I think it make sense to use his name.
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Permalink Reply by Hexidecima on -
speaking as a geologist and as a lover of pulp fiction, "what if..." stories and WWII, I'd put the vril deposits in ancient impact craters. Then you can have everyone running everywhere for it, Various countries in Africa, Australia, Canada, central Asia, Antarctica....
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/10-greatest-major-imp...
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Spencer on
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That works out fantastically. I think a battle across Antarctica would be something interesting, especially if some nasty saboteur were to destroy our hero's source of heat....
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Permalink Reply by Dan G. on
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An Antarctic War Zone does sound ~ COOL ~! (LOL) It would surely stress EVERYTHING beyond the limits. Things were TOUGH in the winters on the Eastern Fronts, but Antarctica! . . . WOW!
Joshua - I thought that ya might enjoy checking these guys out. = Maschinen Krueger Home Page
You've REALLY gotten me hooked! I'm afraid that you are not going to be able to write just one story. . . I want a SERIES!
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Spencer on
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As of right now the idea is to do a story or two. Then some prop work and costume stuff. Then a couple more stories. Then maybe some more prop and costume work. I also want to invite people to through their own ideas into it.
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Permalink Reply by Hexidecima on
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I love costuming/props and am fairly decent with the various techniques. I've been looking for ideas to tackle.
would be a bitch to lose one's heat source in Antarctica. "And now our hero snuggles with penguins....."
of course you could stumble onto "The Savage Land" ;)
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Permalink Reply by Dan G. on
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Or ~ The Mountains of Madness ~ ??? :-D
Hexidecima said:I love costuming/props and am fairly decent with the various techniques. I've been looking for ideas to tackle.
would be a bitch to lose one's heat source in Antarctica. "And now our hero snuggles with penguins....."
of course you could stumble onto "The Savage Land" ;)
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