Although the bit about them being magic dragons is downright bizarre, it sounds like a very very interesting idea. Having the story focused on someone who isn't one of these magic dragons, and instead is working for a corp that's against them is a great idea also, and should make for an interesting story.

RE: Private militias, are we talking PMCs or more like in-house armed employees?

CYBERPUNK MAGIC DRAGONS... IN SPAAAAAAAACE

sounds neat

Although the bit about them being magic dragons is downright bizarre, it sounds like a very very interesting idea. Having the story focused on someone who isn't one of these magic dragons, and instead is working for a corp that's against them is a great idea also, and should make for an interesting story.

I'm really looking forward to the way they play off each other. I'm particularly planning to make sure they gel nicely together and don't just feel like they were smashed together.

Really though, the main cast as a whole will be a mix of dragon-people, "augs", and possibly (probably) a third "race" I've really been toying around with. The story will also pass back-and-forth between the two contrasting worlds and will explore the different cultures and rubbish.

RE: Private militias, are we talking PMCs or more like in-house armed employees?

Like, these corporations become so big that their "security" is essentially a small army. The corporation as a whole isn't necessarily militarily-focused though. I could have sworn there was a specific term for it but I can't remember it at the moment...

CYBERPUNK MAGIC DRAGONS... IN SPAAAAAAAACE

 

sounds neat

inorite?

Takuma Nuva

I would probably call it an "Internalized Asset Protection Force" or something similar.

Not entirely sure how good an idea is of hiring an army whose only loyalty is probably to their next paycheck without some kind of insurance is, though.

Okay. I like everything up until magic. You could possibly give them just enhanced sense and musculature, and have it be the result of a secretly administered gene therapy.

Okay. I like everything up until magic. You could possibly give them just enhanced sense and musculature, and have it be the result of a secretly administered gene therapy.

It won't be a bunch of random "Look, I can make things freeze and explode" that anyone can do. I've actually put thought into it. Depending on the elemental affinity a dragon-person develops, they'll be limited to certain kinds of magic and have special traits. For example, Earth Dragons have clairvoyance, Ice Dragons are really strong, etc. Magic powers aren't used while in dragon form and these people don't actually spend all their time as such. They may be able to turn into dragons, but they're still human beings.

There are several things I don't expect to make sense until it's "in print". Just one more reason I'd like to put out a short story soon.

It just seems odd to set up a hard sci-fi backdrop and then throw in magic. If you are using a sci-fi setting, then use a sci-fi premise.

Just call it quantum-entangled fractal nanotech, and everything will work out just fine, clearly.

I would probably call it an "Internalized Asset Protection Force" or something similar.

 

Not entirely sure how good an idea is of hiring an army whose only loyalty is probably to their next paycheck without some kind of insurance is, though.

Augment kill-switches, bro.

It just seems odd to set up a hard sci-fi backdrop and then throw in magic. If you are using a sci-fi setting, then use a sci-fi premise.

Most of the book actually won't be taking place on any of the "modern" planets the way things are arranged now. The fantasy part of the series doesn't end with magic and dragons. Those are simply the most prominent examples.

Kiull-switch isn't a good way to ensure a future supply of soldiers either, though. Coercion, either above board in the form of generous benefits and good treatment, or under the table with brainwashing and mind control, would likely be the safest way to ensure employee loyalty and satisfaction.

...Include quotation marks around loyalty and satisfaction for the mind control idea.

It still clashes with the setup. Plus, the shapeshifting is event more farfetched than the "making things freeze and explode". That being said, I don't want to force my opinion on you.

It still clashes with the setup. Plus, the shapeshifting is event more farfetched than the "making things freeze and explode".

Sci-Fi and Fantasy being separate genres indicates that every element of that genre is usually used with other elements from aforementioned genre, thus creating a group of story-related elements that can be given a label fairly easily, but does not say anything about whether or not they can be combined. But as mentioned earlier, it had to be done correctly in order for it to work. Then again, every story has to be done correctly for it to work.

"Correctly" meaning "not terrible" here. If there were only a few ways to write a good story, we'd be incredibly bored by now because all stories would've been either incredibly bad or "good" but repeated over and over again, AKA boring. Innovation and original ideas are still an important part of writing, otherwise you could just take two or three stories, apply copy-paste and switch some words out for their synonyms to make it seem like a vague imitation of original.

Kiull-switch isn't a good way to ensure a future supply of soldiers either, though. Coercion, either above board in the form of generous benefits and good treatment, or under the table with brainwashing and mind control, would likely be the safest way to ensure employee loyalty and satisfaction.

 

...Include quotation marks around loyalty and satisfaction for the mind control idea.

Well, that's not the WHOLE of it anyways. There'll be many things they must consider.

Besides, we're not talking about countries here. I mean, isn't everybody's loyalty to a job more or less dictated by their paycheck?

It still clashes with the setup. Plus, the shapeshifting is event more farfetched than the "making things freeze and explode". That being said, I don't want to force my opinion on you.

If I didn't want opinions I'd have wrote all this down in some journal or something. That said, what you've said has had some meaning for me.

Sci-Fi and Fantasy being separate genres indicates that every element of that genre is usually used with other elements from aforementioned genre, thus creating a group of story-related elements that can be given a label fairly easily, but does not say anything about whether or not they can be combined. But as mentioned earlier, it had to be done correctly in order for it to work. Then again, every story has to be done correctly for it to work.

"Correctly" meaning "not terrible" here. If there were only a few ways to write a good story, we'd be incredibly bored by now because all stories would've been either incredibly bad or "good" but repeated over and over again, AKA boring. Innovation and original ideas are still an important part of writing, otherwise you could just take two or three stories, apply copy-paste and switch some words out for their synonyms to make it seem like a vague imitation of original.

Pretty much this. As I mentioned previously, I'll really be trying to make sure that I get these two genres to blend well. I don't want to wind up with something that tastes like peppermint and meatloaf.

Takuma Nuva

I don't want to wind up with something that tastes like peppermint and meatloaf.

Okay, so, big question here.

When the shape shifters shift it, where does the extra mass go to or come from? Or are they people sized dragons? Or are the intelligent dragon-shaped gas clouds due to extraordinarily low density?

Unfortunately, your big question isn't getting an answer any time soon.

Takuma Nuva

Let's just hope the reason for that is because it's spoilers, eh? =P

Not so much "spoilers" as "I wanna leave something for the book".