Nashville Transmission, Part I
I had a twitter conversation the other day with @atminn, and we were talking about making some Transmissions for Technoir. He wanted to do one, but his hometown already has a transmission—the Twin Cities!
I told him he should just make one up, and that most people won’t care. It’s just like in the movies or TV shows. I’m sure you’ve all seen something on TV and said “That’s just not correct,” but it hasn’t stopped you from liking the program.
So I’m here to build one in which I have no knowledge of whatsoever: Nashville, TN!
Why Nashville?
I’m sure y’all’re wondering that right now. It’s really simple…it was the first city that popped into my head when I thought about a city I have no immediate knowledge of. Granted, I do know it’s the Country Music Capitol of the World, but that’s because I’m a Country Music fan! It also was hit with a major flood a few months back.
Starting Out
The first thing to do is to meander over to Jeremy’s blog and read-up on his post about making a Transmission. Now that we have an idea of what we’re doing, let’s dive in!
Resources
One more thing that I want to bring up before I go into the actual Transmission. Google and Wikipedia are your friends, especially Google Maps. For this Transmission, I’m getting most of my info from these two sources.
Exposition
I’m going to start with the Exposition, since that’s first on Jeremy’s list. Another good reason to start here is that it gives your Transmission a theme that the plot nodes can be designed around.
TECHNOLOGY
While technology is running rampant throughout the rest of the world, the locals of Nashville prefer to “keep it real.” You’re going to find just as much tech here as anywhere else, but it’s going to be hidden and artistically incorporated. It helps them keep closer to their roots of bluegrass and twang music.
ENVIRONMENT
Situated on the Cumberland River, Nashville is surrounded by plenty of water and greenery, and these assets are carefully cultivated to bring in tourists. There are not many cities left that actually care about their natural surroundings…or pretend to, in any case. Nashville is trying to capture the down-home feel that the rest of the world lost so long ago.
SOCIETY
While the music industry is still going strong, many of the workers are underpaid and overworked. They flock to the meager night clubs and no-name music venues to drown away their sorrows. Drug dealers and pimps are on the rise, and the local police just don’t have the manpower to do much about it.
Plot Nodes
The next step is the 36 plot nodes. That may seem like a lot, so just take it in stride. The first thing you need, before you even start thinking about stats, is a brief description of each node. Take a look at Jeremy’s blog post and the various Transmissions out there. Each node has just one sentence to describe it.
I know that I want the Grand Ole Opry is going to be one of my locations, and I want the Brand New Opry to be an up-and-coming rival. It is music city, after all! In addition, I mentioned that night clubs, drugs, and prostitutes are a major theme, so I want a night club that caters to that aspect.
As for events, a Concert is a must, and I want a natural phenomenon to be present, too. Wikipedia says that spring and fall have a chance for a tornado, so I’m going to use that.
So that’s it for today. Exposition, three locations, and two events already done. Next time, I’m going to write the description sentences and come up with more nodes!
