In the Blazing Umbra universe, time travel serves as a regular plot element, making it crucial to establish a standard method for handling the mechanics of time travel.
Time Travel
Time travel is achieved through various methods, which are discussed elsewhere. However, it opens the door to issues of altering timelines, not just the mechanics of how a change occurs. It is also important to touch upon the concepts of fate and time.
Fate
In relation to time travel, fate operates as an unseen force that is poorly understood but remains flexible. For the purposes of gameplay and storytelling, if a series of events is returned to their proper sequence and circumstances, fate will adjust the major events to align with their intended course. However, secondary and tertiary individuals involved, specific dates and times of contributing events, and other details can shift and alter around central events. These aspects are more malleable.
Changes
When a change is made in the timeline, the alterations do not occur immediately but rather ripple forward like waves on a pond. These ripples propagate through both space and time simultaneously, spreading out from the location of the change.
It is advisable for the antagonist's alterations to be subtle. Game-changing events, such as the Nazis winning World War II or a Russian attack during the missile crisis, are too extensive and complex for most storylines. It is more effective to introduce smaller, more nuanced changes. By grouping individual alterations under a larger arc that spans several stories, a cohesive narrative is easier to maintain.
Protection
For the sake of the plot, the heroes need protection to prevent changes from taking effect, allowing them the freedom to act on the alterations. However, there should also be a sense of urgency to fix things, providing a driving force for quick action. This urgency creates drama and intensity within the story, allowing the heroes to be unprepared and unaware of all the details.
To shield against changes in the timeline, a protective barrier causes its own ripple effect, moving in opposition to the ripples of the changes. Depending on the quality of the protection, the ripple of change moves around the shielded object, delaying the changes within the protected area. For example, if a ship is protected, a bubble proportional to the strength and quality of the shield forms around it, and the alterations in the timeline continue to resist the shield. The more incongruous the changes are compared to the normal timeline, the harder they are to protect against.
Devil in the Details
It is important not to excessively focus on certain details. This includes the more malleable aspects. Once a timeline is fixed, the smaller alterations (referred to as flexible bits) are allowed to flow and settle without being shielded against.
Those involved in fixing the timeline may optionally be allowed to remember a mix of both the original and altered timelines. This provides opportunities for plot development, where the characters must address significant problems but also navigate the complexities caused by the altered details that changed the course of their loved ones' lives.
The precise workings of the technology should be sparingly discussed, with the central theme of the storyline taking precedence.