Concepting a universe for a game, Un-named project, but need to see how my idea sounds to others so far. Options

[CelestOrion]

I've been tossing some ideas around lately to get a story I've been concepting for the past ten years out of my head an into some form of media. Mind you, the ideas behind the workings of this universe are very rough, and need some refining, which in turn brings me here, where I can get some opinions from fellow gamers and see where I can lead these concepts.

The universe of this game I'm wanting to do would actually be set in a more "scientific" setting, in the terms of quantum physics and parallel realities blending together. As far as the concept goes thus far, there are two planes that are of particular importance: the current plane where the modern world resides, along with the rest of the universe, and another plane that is parallel, yet intersecting the modern one at a fixed place in space/time. This plane, as far as the concept goes thus far, is nothing but perpetual energy, a sort of void, yet living, much like a soul. If you were to consider the realities to be formed in a ring-fashion, they are bound to return to each other once again before continuing along their path. The time it takes for these realities to cross expands the course of the universe's lifetime. This, in turn, follows the theory of the universe "imploding" upon its death, much like a balloon that is left alone too long. All matter comes back together into a singular entity before thus exploding again with such force to restart space/time. During this moment is when the realities cross together. When this happens, the explosion rips a hole leading to this reality, drawing forth energy from this 'soul', expelling it across the universe. The hole in space/time where this takes place is, for a while, wide enough to draw out massive quantities of this energy, but the hole grows minute after eons, where very little draws out. Suffice to say, it's like the energy is there, but limited amounts. There's only enough to go around, not everyone in existence will be able to come across the energy.

This energy that comes from the 'soul' can be considered similar to the properties of the Lifestream from Final Fantasy VII. By that, I mean that it's an ethereal substance that cannot be handled without special means. Let's say that you have a world devoid of life, but the necessary components that can sustain it (water, atmosphere, etc). Let's say that a chunk of this condensed energy, in its raw mineral form, were to strike this world. Life would teem forth from the site, and disperse itself proportionately with the area, bringing life wherever it travels. It has the capability to speed up evolutionary process, and if absorbed by living matter, like a human, can grant abilities outside of their own. Unlike 'materia' from the FFVII world, you cannot remove this energy from an individual, as it will disperse itself into their very being. A basic amount, a chunk the size of your first two fingers put together, can grant a basic 'magical' ability, such as the ability to control the environment around you, such as conjure a fire from air. As more of this type of material is absorbed into a host, the host will become more like it, growing more powerful and able to perform more feats, until they have absorbed enough to be elevated into that of a godlike being. Normally, upon the death of an individual who has absorbed any of this material, upon death it would disperse from their body and enter the surrounding area, such as burial grounds or wherever the body may reside. Upon time, if enough of this energy were to come together in one location, such as a large burial ground, a new physical manifestation of the source can be found and absorbed once more. However, if one were to absorb enough and transcend beyond the limits of mortality, they would become one with the energy, and not disperse. When the universe ends and rebirths, their memories return back to the 'soul', and can return back to the modern reality once a new reality is born.

This energy has the potential to become whatever you wish it to be. There is no good energy or bad energy, just what the wielder decides to perform with it. Mortals have aligned themselves with the universal concept of 'right and wrong', but does not change the fact that people can still perform acts of wickedness. In this universe, there are two main authorities that have opposing ideals, both once mortals before their transcendence into godhood. One, a goddess that governs life, and wishes to keep a balance of harmony over the worlds, and other, once a scientist, who sought further knowledge that the world itself could not explain, seeking after the source of this energy, to understand the principles behind its workings, and to perhaps rise above it, and become even greater.

When this energy is absorbed by a host, they obtain an innate understanding of how to manipulate it around them. Consider it an encyclopedia for knowledge, but proportional to the amount absorbed (sorry if I'm repeating myself). If one were to align themselves with what you would call a 'mage' class, they would have to make it their goal to obtain more of the energy and to grasp the understanding behind it.

What I'm aiming for in this game, is that a war took place between the two main gods over the fate of the worlds (I'm very bad at naming things, so we'll stick with deity1 being the good goddess and deity2 being the scientist that fed off of power). Deity2 will have come to a basic understanding that the universe is granted this power through an otherworldy 'being', and that to rise above the cycle, would be to somehow travel to the other reality and become one with it, thus breaking the cycle of the universe and creating a wholely different reality, destroying space/time in the process to do so. This, of course, will conflict with deity1, who wishes to keep things in the current balance that they are in, and a war was waged to determine the champion. In the process, life was wiped from the world entirely, leaving it void. After the battle, the goddess was able to defeat and seal away deity2 and rebirth the world, but at the expense of most of her power. This will leave her in a weakened state, and unable to govern the worlds normally. Life was brought forth over the land, and civilization flourished once more, but relics of the advanced civilization will still lie there, waiting to be discovered and learned about.

What I intend to do with this story, once the concept's been fine-tuned and more sense is made out of it, is that deity2 will be slowly re-entering the world through help, and the war would happen again, but if that were to happen, it would end up in his favor, as deity1 would not have the strength to wage another battle. It would be up to a group to figure out the cycle themselves and find a way to destroy deity2 and keep the cycle on it's course as intended.

Mind you, this is all very rough, but I'm hoping that I can get this idea fine-tuned, whether it be from critique or adding more and changing things up by myself on my end, but I would love to get some thoughts on this.

[Jens of Zanicuud]

The universe of this game I'm wanting to do would actually be set in a more "scientific" setting, in the terms of quantum physics and parallel realities blending together.

Quantum Physics?! Have you a got solid idea of what are you talking about? This is madness!
If you want to know some more 'bout it, just PM, since -alas!- I'm studying it at the University...

Anyway, the idea is rather good, but there are a few points I could make some comments on...

During this moment is when the realities cross together. When this happens, the explosion rips a hole leading to this reality, drawing forth energy from this 'soul', expelling it across the universe. The hole in space/time where this takes place is, for a while, wide enough to draw out massive quantities of this energy, but the hole grows minute after eons, where very little draws out. Suffice to say, it's like the energy is there, but limited amounts. There's only enough to go around, not everyone in existence will be able to come across the energy.

In practice, when the "Big Crunch" happens, the two universes are compressed and annihilated, but from this destruction, another "Big Bang" rises, ripping the reality and conveying energy from a dimension to another, right? And just because it is a momentary rip, the amount of energy transferred is finite and can be only depleted in time. It sounds like a sort of Second Law of Thermodynamics, but the idea is really good
Nice cosmogony, a good old cycle of destruction and renaissance.

Normally, upon the death of an individual who has absorbed any of this material, upon death it would disperse from their body and enter the surrounding area, such as burial grounds or wherever the body may reside. Upon time, if enough of this energy were to come together in one location, such as a large burial ground, a new physical manifestation of the source can be found and absorbed once more. However, if one were to absorb enough and transcend beyond the limits of mortality, they would become one with the energy, and not disperse. When the universe ends and rebirths, their memories return back to the 'soul', and can return back to the modern reality once a new reality is born.

Another good point. This means that you'll introduce some character who actually "lived" different universes and carried their memories from one cycle to another. This would be really interesting, since could give some great depth to the whle plot You created a good instrument to set a complex yet enjoyable world.

One, a goddess that governs life, and wishes to keep a balance of harmony over the worlds, and other, once a scientist, who sought further knowledge that the world itself could not explain, seeking after the source of this energy, to understand the principles behind its workings, and to perhaps rise above it, and become even greater.

You played Dissidia, did you? This passage reminded me Cosmos and Cid of the Lufaine... anyway, you know stereotypes are too much diffused to eradicate them, so this could even not be that bad. If you haven't played Dissidia... well, this is an extraordinary coincidence!
This isn't quite original, though...

When this energy is absorbed by a host, they obtain an innate understanding of how to manipulate it around them. Consider it an encyclopedia for knowledge, but proportional to the amount absorbed (sorry if I'm repeating myself). If one were to align themselves with what you would call a 'mage' class, they would have to make it their goal to obtain more of the energy and to grasp the understanding behind it.

In practice, the more you absorb, the more you learn? It would be a good instrument to move some plot mechanics...
It could have some good influence over the characters' aims, like absolute knowledge (or something like that).

Deity2 will have come to a basic understanding that the universe is granted this power through an otherworldy 'being', and that to rise above the cycle, would be to somehow travel to the other reality and become one with it, thus breaking the cycle of the universe and creating a wholely different reality, destroying space/time in the process to do so.

Ah! The search for a cycle break through destruction and renaissance in a newborn form!
This is a good point, because Deity2 would not be a traditional villain! Its aim is to... break a cycle to free reality form herself!
Good, really good!

I'll add something more in the next few days, if something worth writing crosses my mind

Jens