Fantasy Cabin Retreat
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

What sort of world development do we need to do?

4 posters

Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Poetic-Jessie Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:56 pm

Now that we have the focus of this month... I guess we need to figure out our own world development needs/goals...

I've detailed the weather of my world (thanks to the vampire), I guess I could go into more detail about plants maybe. But I think I need to balance info dump and moving the story along. Not entirely sure how to do that just yet... How do you scatter it throughout the story?

I'm still working on the magic system. I've fixed a few plot holes when it comes to magic (which made me rewrite more than a few conversations regarding it...) so...I think I might focus on that as well, just in case there are other glaringly obvious plot holes that I'm refusing to acknowledge.

What about everyone else (those who come back to this topic in the future)? What do you need to work on?
Poetic-Jessie
Poetic-Jessie

Posts : 123
Join date : 2016-03-19

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Elowen-Astrid Tue Jun 07, 2016 5:22 pm

Poetic-Jessie wrote:Not entirely sure how to do that just yet... How do you scatter it throughout the story?

I think I will mention it when it is relevant for the characters. Such as different fashions or architecture in different regions. Just something they would notice or find strange. I find Robert Jordan does this very nicely in "Wheel of time". When the main characters (farm boys) are travelling they often comment, make remarks or think about women's hair styles, clothing and the appearance of farms and building. This also happens in city's and they then might compare it to another city or area they have been before.

Personally there are a lot of thing I need to work on. I mostly have done climate now, and I have a good idea about the environment. But I do need to work on politics, culture, religion, regional differences perhaps, architecture, etc. My world just needs a lot of filling in. So much to do.... But thinking about these topics is a lot of fun (And a very nice distraction from other "more" important things Razz )

Elowen-Astrid
Elowen-Astrid

Posts : 102
Join date : 2016-03-19
Age : 31
Location : The Netherlands

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Poetic-Jessie Tue Jun 07, 2016 6:19 pm

lol, it is a nice distraction Laughing

Thanks for helping me out with the scattering of info, I'll see if I can figure out where it could go.

I have neglected religion in this book... I wonder if I can pretend that everyone is an atheist or they worship magic rather than gods... Or I could put a reference to them worshiping gods then everyone finds out they're not gods, they're just extremely powerful immortals... I think having them be atheists is better/easier... as to architecture, so far all I've got is one castle is made of sandstone, the other is made of white marble...

I think I've developed the culture of the invading country better than the culture of the country my book is set in lol... Actually, I have no idea what the culture of the Land of the Phoenix is... lol I should probably start there...

Now that I think about it, I've got sooooo much world development to do.

Where do you think you'll start?
Poetic-Jessie
Poetic-Jessie

Posts : 123
Join date : 2016-03-19

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Elowen-Astrid Wed Jun 08, 2016 12:42 am

I don't know where to start yet. I usually have small ideas of what I want floating around. Last time I started with fashion. Fashion can say a lot about the habbits of people. Maybe I will start with architecture this time. I honestly don't know yet. But I also really need to work on the hierarchy in my kingdom. The roles and privileges of nobles, city's etc.
Elowen-Astrid
Elowen-Astrid

Posts : 102
Join date : 2016-03-19
Age : 31
Location : The Netherlands

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Sophie Tue Jun 14, 2016 2:42 pm

Poetic-Jessie wrote:I have neglected religion in this book... I wonder if I can pretend that everyone is an atheist or they worship magic rather than gods... Or I could put a reference to them worshiping gods then everyone finds out they're not gods, they're just extremely powerful immortals... I think having them be atheists is better/easier...

I like the idea that the people in your world worship magic. That could be interesting! I mean, I guess if you don't want to have too many plot points going on then you could have them be atheists, or maybe everyone just worships the same God. That's how I did it in my world, so I can bring it up from time to time - they might say the name of their God in vain, or ask them for strength etc. etc. I think this is an easy way to do it without making a big deal out of explaining anything.

Elowen-Astrid wrote:But I also really need to work on the hierarchy in my kingdom. The roles and privileges of nobles, city's etc.

Argh this is one of my problems too. I have no idea where anyone goes and I don't have enough characters in my story to kind of fill those spots. Everything seems artificially populated. But I don't want to write unnecessary scenes of dialogue of everyone interacting with each other.

How do you make your worlds seem busy? My book is mostly set in a desert but that's not a good excuse for it to feel so sparse.
Sophie
Sophie
Admin

Posts : 57
Join date : 2016-03-19
Age : 34
Location : Akita, Japan

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Poetic-Jessie Tue Jun 14, 2016 11:02 pm

Elowen-Astrid wrote:But I also really need to work on the hierarchy in my kingdom. The roles and privileges of nobles, city's etc.

Sophie wrote:Argh this is one of my problems too. I have no idea where anyone goes and I don't have enough characters in my story to kind of fill those spots. Everything seems artificially populated. But I don't want to write unnecessary scenes of dialogue of everyone interacting with each other.

How do you make your worlds seem busy? My book is mostly set in a desert but that's not a good excuse for it to feel so sparse.

The way I make my world seem populated is by mentioning random people every now and then. Like I mention the Master of Law (implying there are Masters of other departments). I mention that my character walks past a group of diplomats or ministers, or a courtier distracts her guards, or she see servants rushing about or... mention the dodgy people she walks past when she goes to the slums.

In regards to hierarchy, I think that the king is at the top, then directly under him are ministers (or "Masters" in my case). The advisers don't really hold any power to make decisions, just advise, so they don't really come into the hierarchy. The nobles beneath the ministers and don't actively help with the running of the kingdom, they work on their own estates and kind of just walk around the palace, fawning over the king, attending parties, trying to gain power by getting favour with the king. The king can command whoever he likes to do whatever he likes.

That's basically how I structure the power in my kingdom. The king has absolute power. This idea was a mishmash from Girl of Fire and Thorn by Rae Carson, Alanna The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce, the Twelve Kingdoms anime and another anime (which I cannot remember, but it's about a girl who studies to become a minister for the emperor and all of the challenges she faces... that was some serious world building in that anime). Anyway, I hoped this help you generate ideas about how you could structure your hierarchies Smile
Poetic-Jessie
Poetic-Jessie

Posts : 123
Join date : 2016-03-19

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Elowen-Astrid Wed Jun 15, 2016 1:03 am

Sophie wrote:How do you make your worlds seem busy? My book is mostly set in a desert but that's not a good excuse for it to feel so sparse.

I am still working on this but Jessie's idea is nice, with the master of Law. What I am trying to do is when my characters are in a village or a town, they may think about or remark on the behaviour of people. What are they doing. Are they ignoring them, are they curious etc. They are a rather unusual company so they might stand out in smaller towns and villages.  

As for my hierarchy. For this kingdom and I suppose the surrounding ones I am going for a feudalistic approach. The Northern countries are a bit more democratic, and more or less based on a sort of Viking structure.
But in Rovèll and surrounding countries there is a king (or queen), nobles who have different ranks, one being higher than the other and they have different duties. And then there are the city's. Some have their own rights and government, but they still have to answer to the king or something like a grand duke. I don't really think Rovèll has ministers, but I think positions can be appointed even though they are mostly inheritable now.
Elowen-Astrid
Elowen-Astrid

Posts : 102
Join date : 2016-03-19
Age : 31
Location : The Netherlands

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by AGradine Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:51 am

Probably going to be spending a long time in this forum in particular. Right now I'm focusing on developing two aspects of my world-building in particular: races and economics.

Races are important because I'm developing a slightly different image of "goblins" apart from the traditional D&D take on them. I've split them into two separate types of goblins (sub-races, in D&D parlance): Rat Clan and Wolf Clan. I want develop what makes them different both mechanical (in-game attributes and abilities) as well as culturally. Rat Clan goblins are more like traditional D&D goblins; cruel, cowardly, selfish; but also cunning, moreso than you would expect. In my setting they exist in far greater numbers and prefer to live underground in large, complex burrows. These burrows are filled with traps and hidden tunnels to stymie and out-flank intruders. Wolf Clan goblins, meanwhile, descend from the rulers of an ancient goblinoid empire and are more likely to be neutral (or even good!). They exist in much smaller numbers (and smaller clans, overall) and depend more on small group tactics and diplomacy (or at least subterfuge) than overwhelming numbers. From a "good party" perspective, the Rat Clan goblins present in the adventure are more likely to be villains, while the Wolf Clan goblins are more likely to be (uneasy) allies, but there are options presented for siding with one or the other in their quest to reclaim the Fortress of Bazarax.

Onvoi are a variant species of Lizardfolk that descended from an ancient clan of lizardfolk slaves experimented on by a cabal of mind flayers. They have developed more insect-like aspects, including a chitinous outer skin and a hive mind installed by the mind flayers to make them easier to control. When the mind flayers were destroyed the Onvoi regained their free will, but the hive mind remained, granting them a dualistic mind and an instinctual sense of the good of their community. They too seek to reclaim their ancient homeland, an old city in the swamps long overtaken by a powerful being who has raised an undead army.

Economics plays an interesting role in the adventure, as unique aspects of the region's economy provides valuable clues and hooks for the adventurers to follow. An ancient mine filled with rare and ancient metals could prove to be a valuable find, but it connects to the sealed-off basement levels of Fortress of Bazarax, as well as The Deep, an underground realm filled with demons and aberrations and other unspeakable horrors. A Tiefling merchant named Simone, with far greater cunning than scruples, seems to be at the center of a number of the region's mysteries. Who is hiring poachers to gather the bodies (or at least body parts) of goblins and wolves? Who is behind Dead Sleep, the drug that has been wrecking the local economy? And Simone is one of the few (sane) people to have any idea what exactly is happening in the fortress's basement.

Simone in particular is an interesting and important NPC, and one who I haven't spent a ton of time developing just yet (I decided on her name as I wrote this post, in fact!).

AGradine

Posts : 9
Join date : 2016-06-17

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Elowen-Astrid Sat Jun 18, 2016 6:12 am

AGradine wrote:Probably going to be spending a long time in this forum in particular. Right now I'm focusing on developing two aspects of my world-building in particular: races and economics.

This sounds amazing and very interesting. It seems like you have your work cut out for you. I am not to familiar with roleplay games, but I am very interested in your progress.
Elowen-Astrid
Elowen-Astrid

Posts : 102
Join date : 2016-03-19
Age : 31
Location : The Netherlands

Back to top Go down

What sort of world development do we need to do? Empty Re: What sort of world development do we need to do?

Post by Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top


 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum