Creating Timelines

It's not hard to make a new timeline, any number of small changes in a primary timeline can result in an offshoot. Recreating a timeline though after it's been destroyed is rather difficult. First you have to track down the original spawning event, the genesis. Why did that timeline come into being? Often when a timeline is wiped out it's not completely rather it's more like shattering a glass vase. You can see the base and the first couple events and most of the primary timeline is still bleeding through into it. Once you progress out to where the damage is it's usually too many conflicting events or overlap with other timelines, often you need to create supports for a given event to recreate what was supposed to happen there.

When you've stepped into a destroyed timeline you can see all possible events occurring simultaneously everywhere. Often it looks like one giant blur. There's also bleed through from other timelines happening and certain things just don't behave like you normally expect them to. Sometimes solids behave like gasses or the gravity is different, cars drive on roads that don't exist or weird angles, sometimes even sideways. It's much like a horribly glitched video game. Worse still is the fact that all these things are constantly changing all the time which can make it astoundingly disorienting. Things will change colors, you can feel things moving, shifting, changing, and it makes it hard to balance yourself. Often it's so bad you'll almost immediately vomit and will be sick the entire time you're there until you start to stabilize it. A fact made more difficult by the nature of the timeline you're in. The best option actually is to reinforce the genesis point, think of it if you will as a root. Once you make the genesis a stronger event, making so it's forced to happen can often recreate significant portions of a destroyed timeline. Often timelines are only destroyed as far back as the disrupting event has force. That is to say then that no timeline is ever truly lost, merely pushed aside by a stronger force. Often the natural occurrences of this are due to strong time events on a primary timeline and of course this usually destroys the genesis which is why the whole timeline can be lost. Though it may still be possible to find even in that scenario. Though likely if you're reading this with serious intent then it's because an unnatural disturbance destroyed the timeline in question and you want to know how to fix it. The simple answer to that is to find the epicenter of the disturbance, understand the nature of it and then correct it accordingly. For example if you made too many changing conflicts in an area at a time and it's upset everything then you need to stop yourself from interfering.

It's hard to know exactly what will destabilize a timeline in progress, though it's not hard to disturb a timelines  future it's usually not so destructive to wipe out the entire past of the timeline as well. Though a sudden lack of strong events could be said be said to be one cause in that there's nothing to give the timeline order and thus it just goes wild. Similarly it could be said too many strong events in an area tear it apart. In particular if you're setting up two strong events that essentially conflict with each other by nature they tend to either neutralize each other or have a compound effect neither of which tend to play nicely with the timeline. Often a neutralization event where they cancel each other out works like an implosion sometimes taking out other strong time events which in the end can make a distinctive lack of order in a timeline. While the compound effect is trying to separate the timeline in two when it has no implicit reason to do so as there's no alternative events occurring. This is when it tends to explode and fragment the timeline. A destroyed timeline the closer you get to the disturbance the more fragmented it becomes, with future and past events occurring in the same space at once or out of order.

To my knowledge the only way to fix a broken timeline like that is to reinforce the strongest natural events until they force forward through your event until they override it. Once your destabilization event is essentially erased things tend to simply rebuild themselves. There's so much I just don't know about the process though that I can't say for sure what you're really doing. Nor do I know what happens to the past version of  you in this process. The best option you have really is to just not mess with your own timeline. Additionally if you break a timeline it's probably best you leave it broken as fixing it may cause more problems.

I Broke Reality

I retract my previous statement on time travel not effecting the physical area. In my usual place I use I was just standing around contemplating where I should go when random things started spawning mid air. A plastic bottle cap, a watch, and a penny, all spawning in the same spot then falling to the ground. I actually watched them come into existence after the plastic bottle cap which was the first item to fall in. I was about to dismiss it when the penny appeared and I wasn't sure still so I paid close attention then something substantially larger came through this watch. It's not a particularly fancy watch and it's definitely broken now if it wasn't before. It's not giant but compared to a penny it's a lot more mass to move. I quarantined the section off and haven't made any more jumps as of yet till I know more.

I really hope that it wasn't just all that remains of a fellow time traveler. Though I must say I'm divided in my hope. Is it really better to hope that it was potentially the destabilization of a timeline or that it was simply a person phasing out of existence trying to manipulate time? Timelines come into and out of existence all the time so the deaths of trillions and quadrillions is just the acceptable fact of the 5th dimension. Though it's rare for someone to successfully discover or utilize travel through it from what I have noticed. Making the loss fairly significant in itself. Perhaps it was even some future version of me?

One important note I may have neglected to mention previously is that your central timeline where your strongest anchor is, really is quit important. If you destroy your own timeline it almost always results in instantaneous random jumping if you try to leave. You practically guarantee yourself that you'll be unstuck if that happens. It's arguable as well as to whether or not that's a better thing than allowing yourself to be wiped out with the rest of your timeline, as you most likely deserve if you've destroyed it. Either way sure you might be able to establish new anchors and find a new operating location, but it simply won't be the same.

Which brings me to a topic for another blog post. Recreating lost timelines. In it I'll discuss how to find the ghosts or remnants of older timelines and the dangers involved, as well as how to restore a timeline, however unstable it might be.

Djinn

evil genies
all magic comes at a price

A classic story found around the world is that of the Djinn. While some simply associate them with genies or wish granters of some kind the truth is far more sinister. The Djinn is actually the original genie from which all subsequent wish fulfillment stories come from. The Djinn is also quite the trickster. His story teaches us the dangers of taking shortcuts to getting what we want. He will grant your wish in the most twisted of ways. It's where the popular saying "be careful what you wish for" comes from. It also teaches you to be careful of how you phrase your wish, often the trick is simply knowing how to ask for what you want. Foolishly rushing through a wish leads to unforeseen consequences. So it teaches diligence, due process, and careful planning. The most important thing really is knowing what you really want and what it's worth to you, what you're willing to sacrifice for it.

Simply asking for a million dollars tends to in the case of the monkey's paw kill someone you love for insurance money in a car accident or come from a bank robbery. These strings are only there because you didn't specify how you wanted to get the million. This isn't just a matter of greed either, you're not being punished for being selfish. The Djinn simply works in such a manner that it doesn't like you and will find any way it can to make you regret your wish. In another story where someone is aware of the nature of the Djinn they encounter they try to play it smart. In the end they're forced into making a wish and they give it away to someone else and it still backfires on him even though he didn't make the wish himself because it was his wish. Several other similar stories teach the lesson that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Giving the person exactly what they want but at great moral cost.

The best possible thing you could ever do when meeting a Djinn is to not ask for anything. Just walk away or make a selfless as possible wish if you can't get away for some reason. Be extremely careful and thoughtful in how you make your wish as well and hope for the best. Meeting a Djinn is a curse not a blessing as it would seem at first and you should treat it as such. If I were to ever get such a wish I'd most likely ask for something intangible such as knowledge or wisdom of some kind or a specific skill and the ability to use or apply it. The most likely consequence of this would be simply how I receive this possibly causing me a seizure or being the result of a brain tumor and thus I'd have to be extremely careful in my specific wording after I confirm that I can specify conditions on how I receive my gift.

Remember Djinn in the same way you remember the trojan horse, beware of strangers bearing gifts.

Publishing Poll

 I'm getting ahead of myself in writing. I realize now how many drafts I have, and how slowly I've been publishing. So to bring things back up to speed I'm finishing what I have in draft and will be publishing every other day till my drafts are all out. With that in mind in what order would you want me to publish the following topics.

1.Djinn
2.Karma
3.Changing Reality
4.Intelligent design

or a currently untitled one based on some concepts put forward by Fermi
as to the basic outline of the fermi post it's about how advanced or intelligent life is prone to self destruction as a potential reason why we haven't encountered aliens as of yet, assuming that we actually haven't as of yet.
The others are all fairly obvious by title.

Post the order you want below. I've included number next to the topic to make it quick and easy.
5. for Fermi

And now and edit for my new viewers. Something to pass the time.
The simple yet classic phrase I'm about to write is about the stunning realization of something profound yet simple. The sudden understanding of something great regardless of circumstance and potentially outside of context. There's a substantially greater meaning behind this cute and seemingly innocent or ridiculous verse and it warrants a further look and contemplation.
The line is as follows. "I see, said the blind man to his deaf wife while pissing into the wind, it all comes back to me now." 

Though sadly the phrase has been horribly mutated over the years and much of it's meaning lost, at least it isn't lost completely for those of us that know to look for it. I hope you come to see in it what I do, and understand as I do some of the deeper thoughts hidden within it.

Coming Unstuck

A serious danger I mentioned before about time traveling is the potential to become unstuck. In particular jumping around a lot at one time can really loosen your bonds to the point where you have to actively keep yourself grounded in one place. Once you become completely unstuck it becomes rather difficult to become grounded again as you've lost your anchor as it were. Sometimes luck will pull you back to a timeline that's naturally pulling you to begin with.

I happened to lose my control not so long ago and got pulled into a different timeline, suffice to say I was more than a little freaked out. It turned out to be just last year 2011, and it was a timeline I'd never been to before but apparently is quite close in proximity to mine or an offshoot. Interestingly though it was a timeline where I hadn't existed, something that I'd eventually expected to find but this was a first experience. My current thought is the version of myself in that timeline wiped himself out from it and the end result was the timeline now having a substantial void tried to correct this by pulling me from somewhere else. Though in talking to people I expected to know me apparently there weren't any shadows left and I was just a complete stranger to everyone. The whole experience though was very weird still, there was just something off about the way everyone behaved. I was partially inclined to believe it might have been a strange dream if it weren't for the fact I was awake when it happened.

The important thing I had to remember though was jumping away would be dangerous at that point, lest I destabilize myself further and become unstuck. So I stick around and interact, see just how different things are. I got to see some people that were dead in my timeline which was nice. Then after a few weeks I popped out back here. I've been to timelines before where I was dead, and attended my own funeral, and those are always interesting. Though they don't compare to a timeline where you just don't exist. Though this also brings up another good topic of meeting yourself. Like I mentioned before it's no big deal, but if you're trying to be more inconspicuous rather than coming off insane I suggest having a prepared back story. Usually a fake name will do but be prepared to answer some standard questions like where you're from and who your parents were. Be sure it's something you've rehearsed well, it helps if it's true for somebody you know in your timeline. Try to stick to the same one so it's easier to remember all the details if you're in an area for an extended time. Once you meet yourself one of you will probably want to hang out for a while and show you to their friends.

All this having been said, if you do come unstuck always try to return to your point of origin. Usually your last anchor is the strongest and is you best chance for return. Once you're back, you have to stick around for a few weeks without jumping and actively keeping yourself in one place for everything to settle down. It also helps if you actually stay in one physical location as much as possible, which you'll feel like doing anyway because it can be very disorienting when you're not in control, and will make you very dizzy while moving around. Be sure to eat plenty wherever you end up though, you might puke it back up but the more you immerse yourself in a world the more anchored to it you are. My personal suggestion is lots of fruits, like oranges, bananas, and apples. If the timeline you're on doesn't have these things stick to anything with decent citrus, iron, sugar, or protein, and plenty of liquids. So far the one thing I've found to be on almost every timeline is star fruit and I would suggest it as a last recommendation beyond that there isn't anything specific I can say works well. Sometimes fish helps, sometimes it doesn't, and I haven't narrowed it down to any specific kind of fish, so it depends on timeline really.

As to the warning signs of becoming unstuck, it's the apparent loss of time, you think it's a few second but it's been a few hours, and in truth it's both, in the process of coming unstuck you can wildly move through time within your existing line. This is both forward and backward though so be warned. When you start jumping lines it always starts in the extremities, you'll feel it in your fingers and toes first and by then it's too late all you can do is brace yourself. You usually get pulled to a nearby timeline or a different time where you have a stronger natural pull, often it's places you've been before or somewhere in your natural timeline. And my last piece of advice is stay away from physical locations you've jumped to or from before, the zones themselves are easier to jump through but it's for that very reason they're also easy to become unstuck in. I haven't heard of a zone itself ever becoming unstuck so you don't have to worry about people accidentally jumping with your or after you or something, but the more you use a given location the easier it becomes in that location so I'm not sure if it's just a weird psychological thing or if you're actually effecting the world in the process.

I'm also taking the opportunity to revise a previous statement, that while you could bring simple objects you couldn't bring complex ones, well I accidentally came back with a cell phone from a different timeline recently and now I'm starting to think I can bring back a lot more. Though I doubt I'll be trying to bring back much it definitely warrants further testing.

Obsession, Dedication, Passion

Three subtly different ways to describe the same thing which isn't a thing at all really. They're the three key words I use when I talk about my love for video games in both making and playing them. First and foremost a Game developer must be dedicated, in more than one way but above all else they must be dedicated to themselves. As narcissistic as that may sound it is the truth, one of the greatest downfalls of developers is the urge to just give up and let it all go. If you don't dedicate yourself to accomplishing the task and then rededicate yourself to your own cause you'll simply drown in self doubt. You must also be passionate as if you don't love what you do and believe in then you can't possibly dedicate yourself fully to it there will always be something else you're holding on to that will keep you from being your best. Then there's obsession. You must have some kind of obsession to make a game, a deep longing that can't be filled an almost romantic desire for something unattainable. Conversely it may also be a deep seeded loathing though I advise against that route unless your game is intended to be potently violent on degrees that would put manhunt to shame.

I recently wrote on the topic of recognizing passion, what it is and how to know it when you see it. Though the second half of that is still in draft. I'll briefly discuss dedication and obsession. Dedication is a willful state in which you're compelling yourself to something be it love, revenge, a task, or any number of other things. Unlike obsession it takes focus to dedicate yourself and is more of a tool to be used than an entity that can consume you. The downside of dedication is sometimes it's hefty price as not all are prepared to handle all the strings than can come with it. The mental fortitude necessary to sustain yourself in your pursuit can often cut you off from things without even noticing which in part is it's power though also making it a double edged sword.

On the topic of obsession however it's quite the opposite. It's a part of your body and mind to the point it guides you without even considering it directly. If you don't keep it in check it can easily consume you completely and beyond that point your dedication is to your obsession and essentially wish fulfillment of whatever your obsession is. Though often even if you succeed your obsession doesn't just go away it will always crave more. Truly it is a beast. Though that's not to say it's without use, regardless of how dangerous it can be, it can easily be trained to do your bidding and all that you need beyond that is a leash to reel it in when you need to. It can make for an excellent guide and is exceptional at getting you exactly what you want if you respect it's power.

Balance these three parts of your life and it's only a matter of time before you find a way to make any dream come true in at least some fashion.

Recognizing Passion part 1

There are so many things in this world to be passionate about and so many ways to express it. Our connections with all these passions in our lives help shape us and can be critical to our actions under pressure. Today I'm not talking about romantic passion rather self dedication to the extent that it becomes integral to your life. It pervades your every thought and bleeds through in everything you do. For some of us it's a song in our heart that guides us and calms us, helps us focus. Some of us think about our favorite character form a movie or a book, even still some of use  use games. I for one am inseparable from my love of games. When I'm under pressure it's my go to option for some kind of solution. That doesn't mean I break one out and start playing. It means I think about a character or story, or perhaps something greater like the underlying mechanics, textures, models, and how they were made. Sometimes I consider the motivations of their design and that helps. The point is most people have some kind of passion, at least one if not more and those passions are more important to us than many realize.

Some would suggest that passion at it's core is suffering and pain, an anguish solidified through an unsatisfied or unrequited love, something which I believe has quite a bit of merit. Ultimately I realize one of the reasons I love games so much is the infinite potential constantly squandered or even crushed by the need for monetary profit. Knowing what can be done and how it's barely out of reach kills me a little every time and yet I get to spend time with what I love filling that particular void in my life. Though I also understand it's really impossible to ever completely finish developing a game, there's always more as I've learned the hard way, and the hardest part really is just knowing when to let go and share it with the world. Coupled with the anxiety of release and the hope for acceptance it's just to a point where you have to detach yourself because there's no preparing for the inevitable hate mail regardless of success. There will always be someone somewhere that simply dedicates themselves to making sure you know just how much they hate everything about you and what you've made.

Back on target though passion really shares more with love than pain. There's just no other kind of satisfaction as strong as seeing what you've accomplished either as a player or a dev. Being able to immerse yourself and exist in ways that simply aren't possible in standard reality. That sense of community through shared experiences or actively playing with someone else in your fantasy that only others like you could ever understand. It feels like family almost, and it's such a large family at that. Not to mention all the times that's it's really there for you when you really need it the most, to just relax or find relief, even if only for a little while or for a whole vacation. While some individual games may disappoint you gaming as a whole will never let you down. It won't tell you no or give you some excuse why you can't play right now. For that matter as one site would have you believe it actually misses you while you're away even if only to sleep and it is more excited than you are when you make great accomplishments. In the end a great game can share at least one perfect experience with you completely and you'll have experienced that moment where the whole world slips away and you are a part of that world completely. The precious moments you have in that time will stick with you forever.

Gaming Philosophy - Player Side

Unlike my last GP this one is not about philosophy as a dev but as a player. Some people play for the fun of it, some to win, some to pass the time, and many others. Aside from the reason you play there are underlying points of interest to consider. I find it a bit fun to try and figure out how some of the devs programmed certain features or functions and what their thought process was for coming up with it to begin with. Then there's all sorts of interesting tid bits of information that inexplicably stay with me or get me interested enough to learn more. One small example of this is I didn't know what a jetty was before I played the first fable so many years ago. I remember looking up the definition to find out what it meant and I've remembered ever since.

Sometimes these things are actually useful outside of games, other times they can start arguments until someone stops to check online. I'd love to point out how my gaming knowledge has gotten me dates before but that's usually because of my knowledge of games rather than knowledge gained from games. I remember one date though I could have attributed to dante's inferno had it not been for the fact I'd previously read all 3 parts of the manuscript as well as for some reason knowing a strange amount about catholic beliefs in spite of the fact that I'm not catholic nor is anyone I happen to associate with to my current knowledge. However I'll tell it to you anyway because it may come in handy given it's related to a not uncommon saying. I was asking my friend if he'd be okay with me going out on a date with his cousin and while he approved he added it'd be a cold day in hell before she'd go out with me, to which I reply "then today is that day". Upon approaching her she told me "when hell freezes over" and once again I laugh and I might have given up there had she not been so half-hearted about saying it and the fact I'd already thought about a precise way around that particular line. Again had she had more conviction I might've believed she seriously didn't want to be bothered, so I then proceed to inquire their knowledge of the 9th circle of hell. Believed to be completely made of ice and reserved only for the most evil of sinners the traitors as satan's wings flap trying to free himself his gusts freeze the land and the sinners in it. This little factoid isn't uncommon knowledge either I imagine however I would suggest that many people were reminded of it if they recently played the game based on the manuscript. This follow through and somewhat witty retort was enough that she changed her mind and decided to go out on a date with me. This isn't a manner of pestering or overt persistence to which she gave in out of frustration she seemed pleasantly surprised and offered to go out if I wasn't too discouraged.

What I'm essentially leading to is games can teach you many interesting things some of which have practical applications. I would encourage you to analyze your favorite games and try to understand why they're your favorites. There's a lot to surprise you if you know how to look and you'd be surprised at how many things rub off on you when you're not paying attention. I've seen people pick up new mannerisms and speech patterns without even realizing it after playing particular games for prolonged periods of time.

As to a short explanation why I haven't posted in a while I've been super busy trying to get one of my games published only to realize just how many people I need to buy licensees from for things I used and all the percentages of revenue they want as well. Looks like I'm going to have to re-work a few things to cut them all out as much as I can. More details in my other blog.