[JimValid]

Hello there, fellow artists taking part in the first Void Invitational Tournament and watchers alike!

A thought occurred to me the other day, that perhaps it would be cool if we had a canonical explanation as to the nature of the Invitational Tournament in the world of Void City.

I've come up with an idea that I would like to present to you all from within this thread. Keep in mind that the idea i'm proposing is a possibility that any tournament participant may use, or not! If everyone wants to use this idea, i'm cool with that, if only some people are interested or none at all, that's fine too.

Ultimately, Void is all about having fun and doing whatever you want. I only present this idea so that anyone who wants to use it may if the idea of an overarching cross-comic plot-line appeals to anyone.

And so, for everyone's amusement, I have produced the following letter:



The idea here is that every character in the tourney has received this letter shortly after moving to the city. The reward will appeal to people who are seeking: information, certain people, money or fame. I tried to make the prize seem worthwhile for characters of all sorts.

Lemme know what you think!

[Enaxon]

I personally like the idea and wouldn't mind incorporating it into my character's story. My intro's been written xD...but I can put it into the subsequent pages once the actual tournament begins

My character is a large beast being controlled by a cult. I could use the 'invitation' as a way for the cult to finally make their presence known and buy their way into the city's affairs. So, I mean ti could work with every character type. From serious to the more  silly.

So yes, mark me in as interested and involved.

[JimValid]

Glad you like the idea, but if you find that it interferes with your original story in a negative way then don't worry about it. Just putting that out there, don't want anyone to feel overly obliged to use the idea or anything.

[Enaxon]

Well one of the reasons why I'm hittin up VOID again is to develop a story. Nothing but the very basics have been written. I wouldn't change my intro, but this is a great idea for how my character would be in the tournament. Instead of a monster stomping around void aimlessly xD the canon wouldn't affect the intro pages (which I know are optional for invitational participants) but it would afftect the pages I'd actually put forth into the tournament!

[Dr.Salt]

The idea here is that every character in the tourney has received this letter shortly after moving to the city.

Everyone uses the same "oh no, I accidentally entered a fighting tournament" storyline for every tournament already. Personally I would encourage people to be a bit more creative.

[Monday]

I imagined the invitational tournament to be some mass border patrol overrun, or an overturned prison bus. With VCP gunning down supes on the 2 mile buffer that surrounds the city.

Just a thought.

[Cherubas]

Duly noted, Salt, but most ideas have been done, people just find creative ways to put their own spin on them. The most overrated... I mean... "successful" movie of all time Avatar is an idea that's been done to death, then resuscitated only to be done to death again, but apparently that hasn't deterred people. I assume that since you took the time to shoot down this idea you have one that you believe to be better and I'm all for hearing it. Nothing is set in stone yet and what we're doing right now is tossing the ball around, so your suggestions are welcome as long as you have more to offer than "that sucks, do something else". I'm pretty sure that this thread is going to be nothing but tournament ideas for tying our stories together if we so choose, so if you don't have any suggestions for that then you're probably not going to like what you find here.  

That being said, my character is a native of Void who is only just now deciding to fight. He probably wouldn't attack people out of the blue, having seen at least a few noncombatants in the city every day for the last several years. Maybe we could have a temporary marker like clothing or a wristband or something that designates who is involved, or fancy gps trackers, or mysterious wire-tapped phone calls to our homes telling us where to meet our opponents and who they will be. Something that narrows it down slightly more than fight whatever moves, because my character loves his mommy and doesn't plan on attacking her.

A reply has been posted while I was typing... I like Monday's idea, although again, Void native, so he'd have to intentionally wander to wherever this bus was and get involved, which would mean there'd have to be a lot of media coverage or something because he's not psychic, and it would have to be not far from the city because he doesn't stray far from home.

[William_Duel]

I support what Salt is saying.  I thought there was something slightly more complex going on but this isn't really a story.  It's basically what's happening.  There's no need to get defensive, it's just that this is pretty commonplace.  Let me tell you about things people have done in the past...

In the Sentai tourney, while not a storyline everyone followed, Blindknight had the idea that Ronin Repulsa ( a play on Ronin's nick who had suggested the tourney) was an evil intergalactic warlord who was planting seeds of evil to make the heroes fight each other.

In the SDT, millionaire Texan Bull furry, Jack Bulli (was that the name?) basically sponsored the tourney and for kicks, forced random participants to enter just for the hell of it. 

Not everyone followed these stories, and sometimes it was limited to the people who made them, but it was interesting.  Simple but interesting.  Just saying that the idea should be expanded a tad more.

[Aluísio C. Santos]

All the invitational characters are actually jews being persecuted by Voidnazi Overlord Vitler.

[Orion]

Well, if it involves the Void City Council how about a basis of trying to shift around the city politics? Maybe someone in one seat or department is tired of another working the system to stay in office so he/she/they can push their own agendas. Could be the VCPD, could be the gangs, or a secret organization like Enaxon's cult. With new blood coming into town the status quo of power could be tipped. The newcomers in a city sponsored tournament would provide good publicity for the city (and also to keep the citizen's mind off the latest of terrors such as the Brownstone Castle incident) sort of like a Roman Gladiatorial festival. Each person on the council is either backing someone or they are using the tournament as a media screen so they can cause accidental deaths of other council members, push bills, transport something, and what not that will get under the radar of their rivals. In the middle of a giant city spanning fight no one would be the wiser as accidental deaths happen all the time.

Each individual fighter's motivations can differ but it ultimately leads to the end which is the win.

[otamie]

I don't really like the idea of actually acknowledging this as a tournament. I'd rather see this as a random event putting all fighters together. We could all be sitting in a train and then get derailed just outside of void city BECAUSE of a void city fight (or just unexplained).

Or some evil villain teleports us to a dome far below void city where we fight in wipe-out like games. (with SILLY OUTFITS!)

OR we all get stuck in a dream and have to travel from dream to dream, either fighting or helping each other, to find the source to be VOID CITY SOMETHING SOMETHING SOME GUY.

But i think I'm going to try and make it really original with my first round.

PS: I like the overturned prison bus idea from Monday as well.

[Hiemie]

Like if I was in the tourney, I would in no way follow this, but that's how I write comics. Personally, I like when people do whatever they'd like in their own comics. If they want to do some form of co-op story, then

"BULLY!"

If they don't,
"BULLY AS WELL!"

Take this advice from a 3 time finalist, one time winner of Speed Death Tournies.

P.S. I think Otamie has the right idea. Do what YOU like. Plus, you will NEVER wrangle everyone to follow your plotline as canon. Some people will always be difficult because they find it funny.

[Slagglle]

I'm with Hiemie on this. I probably wouldn't follow a set plotline if you all made one.
Plus I thnk it's more interesting to see everybody come up with their own stories and whatnot.

[JimValid]

  I thought there was something slightly more complex going on but this isn't really a story.  It's basically what's happening.

Well, not really, because there is no established in-universe idea for what's happening. I just threw the idea out there of the thing actually being a tournament.

Just saying that the idea should be expanded a tad more..

I do agree though, the idea is very VERY simple and needs some more development. But like i said, it was just a suggestion. Hell, i'm really liking some of the ideas being thrown around by the others here, i'm all for people pitching their ideas and perhaps everybody coming to a consensus on what the canonical event that has lead to all these crazy fights is, but at the end of the day personal freedom and creativity has the final say.

Just thought it might be cool if this tourney has a story behind it in some way, not necessarily the thing i came up with that in retrospect is quite plain; so i understand why everyone hates it.

[Orion]

Well there is no reason why there can't be a loose connection of why everyone is there, I mean we all have our own ideas of where we want to take our characters and concepts in the future but even if we didn't there is still something for people to spring board off of if they are having a trouble trying to ground it.

And yes, your story is your story tell it the way you want to. I for one would like, through tournament or not, a way for new characters to get to know other new characters much in the way we as new artist get to know each other as a community of artists as we collaborate to make these comics.

Lets loosen the old creative reservoir and let the stories FLOW!

[JimValid]

I'm actually really embarrassed at my stupid and boring contribution now. So yeah, i think i'm going to sit out on trying to come up with ideas for a loose connection for this thing.

[William_Duel]

You're only human, dude.  I think it's a cool thing when people can get together and make something work, but the reality is, it's really hard to do.

[otamie]

Hey don't be so down JimValid, a lot of folks were probably thinking of doing a theme but your the only one who took the initiative. And i think that taking initiative is a really important thing here on void or else nobody would be fighting nobody and there wouldn't be any creative battles that way. Its a challenged basted website after all.

I also like to say the word initiative. Makes me sound smart. 

[Cherubas]

There's no need to get defensive

In case you were talking about me, I wasn't getting defensive. I just pointed out that many ideas HAVE been done before but still make entertaining media. Obviously not everyone is going to agree to an overarching theme but if 4 or 7 or 10 of us wanted to go with one I think that's what this thread was originally for, not to force anyone who didn't want to.

[Charlie]

Nice idea, if you wanted/others wanted to follow that, that would be cool but I have to say for myself I would have to politely decline =)

My comics won't even have anything to do with a tournament personally.

[Dr.Salt]

I assume that since you took the time to shoot down this idea you have one that you believe to be better and I'm all for hearing it.

Of course I do. I don't intend to share them however, because I am looking forward to what other people come up with. Hopefully something fresh and original.

Also Avatar is a bad example since I've not seen it or had an interest in doing so, and the huge number of copies I see in second hand stores hasn't lead me to think otherwise.

I'm actually really embarrassed at my stupid and boring contribution now. So yeah, i think i'm going to sit out on trying to come up with ideas for a loose connection for this thing.

Don't be.
Like Cherubas said, there are ways to take a new spin on an old idea. Do you think you can use the setting of a tournament to say something new and engaging? Go for it! If on reflection your idea is a bit samey, then go back to the drawing board. Set a new goal for your character.
What you've done with this thread is start a discussion about story, and that in itself is applaudable.

[beardedMenace]

I may be revealing my cards too soon, but I had my heart set on building it all around the First Annual Void City Scarf Convention and Expo.

Oh all those silly scarf wearers...

[Cherubas]

I think Boyscarf should be the host and the mastermind between the whole tournament.

[noir0083]

As much as I think it would be cool to have all of us newcomers share a canon beginning. My character isn't really the street fighter/ tournament battling type so it's not something I would be able to participate in. 

[Hiemie]

I'm actually really embarrassed at my stupid and boring contribution now. So yeah, i think i'm going to sit out on trying to come up with ideas for a loose connection for this thing.

You shouldn't feel bad Jim, just make comics, enjoy yourself.