The City

[Alexis Apollo]

Let's talk about the city that will serve as the location of the Citadel of Defiance and default setting for stories. Keep in mind, the goal is NOT to define the city in detail. It's up to each writer to create the heart and soul of the city in their stories. Instead, we're basically just answering two questions... "Where is it?!" and "What's it called?!"

Discussion in this thread suggested that, like Paragon City, it should be an American metropolis on the east coast, somewhere in the urban sprawl that includes Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. With that in mind, here's my suggestion:

As for the location, a quick look at the map makes me think somewhere near Philadelphia may work. Look at the area between Wilmington, Delaware and Salem, New Jersey. A city there doesn't seem like much of a stretch. Let's say it's larger than Philadelphia. It could replace it outright or, as I kind of like, it could be a sort of partner city. The two could form a sort of megalopolis, and make the Northeast corridor even more ridiculous. It's one idea at least. The name... I don't know.

I mentioned it off-hand to Vis, but I would like to use a locale like Chicago as the template for the city. Some of the characteristics of the city would work well. A great catastrophe akin to the Chicago Fire that resulted in it being a newer, younger city - simultaneously enabling the loss of life in it to provide a strong paranormal presence. Skyscrapers, so its taller than Philadelphia, and with more urban sprawl than a city like Boston would offer. It would have plenty of distinct areas in the city itself, and then more in the suburbia around it.

I was born in Philadelphia, so I'm quite excited about Vis's idea of locating it nearby, possibly as a partner city (Like the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul). Two major cities in close proximity would also fit Black Seven's idea of a Chicago-style sprawl.

I also like Vis's suggestion of location... go to your preferred mapping site and zoom in on Philadelphia. Beautiful city, isn't it? Now follow the Delaware River south to where it begins to widen into the Delaware Bay. You'll see a city called Wilmington in the state of Delaware (really creative naming, right?). I think THAT should be the location of the New City. Imagine if Wilmington had really taken off and grew to equal Philly in size. Imagine the Twelve-Mile Circle completely developed into a huge downtown area. The two cities would be connected by an unbroken block of suburbs to form VOLTRON! ...uh, I mean, a metropolis to rival New York or Chicago in size.

Turning Wilmington into the fictional city of our universe is convenient, because (apologies to Delaware natives) the state is very featureless. It's remarkable for how unremarkable it is. Remember the scene in Wayne's World where Wayne and Garth are in front of the green screen, and can't think of anything to say about visiting Delaware? Yeah, it's really like that. I dare anyone to name one thing notable about Delaware, other than being a corporate tax shelter. Fortunately, this means that we have a true blank slate to work with in giving our new city a culture of its own.

So what's it called? Good question. Something generic and vaguely intimidating, like Gotham, Paragon or Metropolis? Or maybe something based on existing names in the Wilmington area? I'm mining the wiki page for good candidates... the best one I've found so far is New Castle.

[Alexis Apollo]

A great catastrophe akin to the Chicago Fire that resulted in it being a newer, younger city - simultaneously enabling the loss of life in it to provide a strong paranormal presence.

Thinking about Black Seven's idea... what if Wilmington had been completely destroyed? Perhaps a villain had made good on their threat to destroy the city, leaving nothing but a crater where downtown used to be. Speaking from the ashes, the President pledges to rebuild, to create the City of the Future. Within a decade, the city that was once Wilmington has become a thriving modern metropolis.

[Black Seven]

A great catastrophe akin to the Chicago Fire that resulted in it being a newer, younger city - simultaneously enabling the loss of life in it to provide a strong paranormal presence.

Thinking about Black Seven's idea... what if Wilmington had been completely destroyed? Perhaps a villain had made good on their threat to destroy the city, leaving nothing but a crater where downtown used to be. Speaking from the ashes, the President pledges to rebuild, to create the City of the Future. Within a decade, the city that was once Wilmington has become a thriving modern metropolis.

For some reason I have the idea of a city bouncing back from destruction/devastation taking the name Emergence.

[Alexis Apollo]

For some reason I have the idea of a city bouncing back from destruction/devastation taking the name Emergence.

Ooooh, I like that direction... too bad Phoenix is already taken, because it would be perfect.

[Static Bolter]

I've been thinking a lot about the idea of the City being built up after a great fire and the more I think about it the more I really like the idea. I get these pictures in my head of a towering inferno with a classic caped wearing, maniacally cackling super villain at the heart of it, some big name villain of the past who (supposedly) died in the blaze he started.

Depending upon how long ago the fire occurred this also allows for there to be very distinct areas of the city which aren't 'reclaimed' yet and which are essentially slums or derelict sections only partially rebuilt by companies looking for cheap land to industrialise close to the city. These areas might not have the best mobile reception and therefore be extra dangerous as the medical signals that call Totally-Not-Docwagon are less likely to work, and yet may not be all that distant from vibrant, thriving areas of the city.

Emergence is a good name choice. Just as a second option with roughly the same meaning, perhaps 'Advent' City?

[Visavis]

Just as a second option with roughly the same meaning, perhaps 'Advent' City?

Get out of my head.

[Alexis Apollo]

Depending upon how long ago the fire occurred this also allows for there to be very distinct areas of the city which aren't 'reclaimed' yet and which are essentially slums or derelict sections only partially rebuilt by companies looking for cheap land to industrialise close to the city.

Yessss... I love it. Under the facade of the shining city of the future, serious economic and social problems linger. Much like Washington D.C. in the 1990's, the "murder capital of America," terribly poor slums exist mere blocks away from super-wealthy apartments. A perfect environment for heroes to fight crime AND the corrupt system.

The fire that destroyed the city has a name... The Inferno? The Firestorm? The Blaze? Or simply The Fire. There aren't many survivors left in the city--most of those that lived through the Fire have since relocated. Those stubborn few that remain who remember the old city and the inferno that consumed it, they can't shake a feeling of unease... a lingering sense of dread... a fear that the Fire will one day return to claim them. *ominous music*

Also, a water park. Can it have a water park? That would be awesome.

I really like the name Advent City. It has a nice ring to it, and it has some clever and darkly ironic hidden layers of meaning related to the Second Coming/Apocalypse/Judgment Day.

[Black Starbeam]

Also, a water park. Can it have a water park? That would be awesome.

Honestly, it can have whatever it needs at any time to make for an awesome story. It's that big that adding something won't be an issue.

[Black Seven]

I will call it Advent City if you can put chocolates behind every door.

[Visavis]

How long ago did the Fire take place? Rebuilding a city into a burgeoning metropolis would take time, but if we want there to still be areas still in need of repair, it can't be too far back. Maybe 7-8 years? Or maybe even longer. This isn't like Paragon, where super technology allowed for extremely fast rebuilding in some areas.

Also, if we decide to go with the Fire being caused due to villainous activity, should it have been a single villain with minions and the like, or a cadre of villains? Was it their plan all along to burn the city, or did something simply get out of hand and that was the end result?