On Worldbuilding: How Class Systems Work [ Avatar | Dune | Tolkien | Feudalism ]

POSTAL ADDRESS (if you're kind enough to send me a letter or something!)

Tim Hickson
PO Box 69062
Lincoln, 7608
Canterbury, New Zealand

Script by meeeeeeeee

The artist who design my cover photo:

Stay nerdy!
Tim

[HelloFutureMe]

Turns out revolutions are incredibly hard to organise.

~ Tim

[slightlyembittered]

"Yes, welcome everyone to our semi-annual oppression conference. We'd like to thank all the Tyrants and Evil Emperors who were able to make it this time. We'd also like to report that our recent expansion into Wicked Step-Mothers has been a huge success."


I can totally see this becoming a skit.

[anisew]

I love how much Scottish there is in your Russian accent

[fangere]

That settles it.
I'm writing a story where "tsunamis hit the world every decade and swimmers are revered as gods"

[Great_Olaf]

I will say there's an edge case where those multi millennia old conflicts defining things can make sense: if there are a decent number of people who have sufficient lifespan to remember it, or sufficient that the generational divide for ten thousand years is closer to something of a more human timescale. If you have your elves living for several centuries on average, with some or many breaching a millennium or more, that kind of thing can make sense, assuming they have the memory to make such a lifespan useful. You have that in Lord of the Rings with the elves, where at least some of them not only recall, but fought in the war against Sauron the first time.

[slightlyembittered]

One thing to also consider is how recently the class system has been in place. A recent class system might have a lot of resentment form the conquered lower classes, but maybe a higher level of oppression; while older class system might have a lot of apathetic middle class.


Good Video. And good luck in the next one.

[JonnesTT]

The reason why many "organic" class systems had warriors at their noble helms were because Warriors were what gave the "leader"/"king" power so the "king" needed to keep them happy or wanted to thank them. You wouldn't wanna risk your life if as thanks you were just left with nothing more than you started (or more realisticly with less than before).

[KFoxtheGreat]

"Meaningless concessions" reminds me of most businesses. "No, you guys can't have bonuses or raises but we'll throw you a luncheon!"

[willowarkan]

Since I can't find a reference to the arsonist yet, I'll make one. "Do you by any chance happen to have a match?"

[bwminich]

This is one of the things Fire Emblem Three Houses nails pretty well. Their class system is based on Crests, which are these magical . . . inheritances handed down family lines, which make those who have them stronger magically and sometimes in strength. (And they trigger in game, so you see this yourself.) They seem to be diluting, causing problems among families. And the mythology spun around Crests make them mythological gifts from the goddess, and are kind of the biggest connection people have to her at this point in history.

The events in the game are triggered by a someone in the power structure being hurt and oppressed because of Crests. It makes them hate the system, and they are positioned to act on this in a way nobody has been before to challenge it. I’m very impressed with Three Houses’ world building.

[jannegrey]

I hate the idea that Boromir is shown as not resisting. He is. He might not be strong enough to do so without external help, but this conflict is all over his character. Even his name, can be translated to slavic War and Peace. Bor - often was used for War, even today Bulgarians use word "Borba" to describe War. Mir - as in the space station (I am old), means Peace. While it may not have been deliberate - although Tolkien did know his linguistics - it fits very well.

[FaeFemboi]

Just had a neat catchy thought
"Single events do not change all of history. All of history determines all single events."

[Ryuksgelus]

About the house being on fire; you forgot the, "It's their fault their house is on fire", "Should have worked harder to have a less flammable house", "when will they stop setting fire to their own houses?" comments.

[theflyingtrumpet]

1:09 - The Origins of Class
5:23 - A Common Mistake
9:10 - Maintaining a Class Structure
11:31 - Things are Fine
13:08 - The Illuminati, I guess
14:51 - 10 Common Strategies
17:28 - Magic, Technology, and Class
19:23 - Review of Campfire (worldbuilding software)

[jishnusuresh]

As a partial weeb, i hereby proclaim we will win the revolution.
As we get power by screaming, a very powerful resource.
Viva anime

[harshivmahajan]

Nice to see you touch upon the Indian caste systems. They were extremely rigid in their hierarchy (hence easier to use as an example here) and shape Indian economics and politics even today. I'm trying to draw upon these and Indian mythology to create my own fantasy world, defined by different rules than most mainstream fantasy worlds, which (usually) draw more upon European systems and beliefs for the basis of their world building.

[hydrasaurandre]

You raise a good point about Panem, with how it fell apart so easily. Same thing kinda happened to the Empire, if you think about it. The Galactic Empire only lasted about 23 years, and collapsed pretty quickly after Palpatine's death.

[arg]

I can't believe you pulled a Hobbit on us.

[benhbook]

One other thing is how each class lower than the highest echelons ends up hurting each other. Middle class looks down on or criticizes the lower classes, so to speak.

[lethalsandwhich]

When does the second script compilation come out?  

Artemis Fowl: Terrible

Disney: How many of these can we make?