Open Source World-Building

Matuku · 05-23-2007, 10:44 AM

This is a little project my previous gaming group underwent with good results; the basic principal is "a world built by the community, for the community". We wanted a good, rich world in which to run a series of campaigns and so we all took on the task, each person developing a race, country, continent or even just a town or city but doing so with a good level of NPCs, history and world-design involved.

I'm looking to do this again, and I'm asking for your help ("Yes, you!"). Anyone who wants to design anything: a map, a race, a history, or just one NPC would be most welcome. Eventually I hope to put this altogether in a properly designed PDF and give it back to the community to use as they will.

I'm not picky about genre, time-phase, etc but space-travel enabled maps make it trickier. (Actually my original group's plan was to make a fantasy map, then accelerate time by about 2000 years and so have two separate time periods in which to play).

Any takers?
Matuku

Furabo · 05-23-2007, 12:14 PM

I could be up for that.

On a side thought, I'd actually played around with trying to do a hybrid Lexicon-Wiki/role-playing game. Bear with me. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with this notion, the article that sparked my interest is here.

The Lexicon game involves creating a world through writing articles, moving through the alphabet. I was thinking about changing this around slightly--to hybridize it so that as PCs are adventuring, they are also developing articles, filling in bits of history, etc. I never really fleshed out the details, but I chuck it out for anyone else who might like to chew on it.

But at any rate, regardless of Wikis, Wikkans, etc., I could be interested in helping to develop some things.

Matuku · 05-23-2007, 01:18 PM

Hmm, thats not something I had considered but doing this as a wiki might be the easiest way actually.

nanoboy · 05-23-2007, 01:50 PM

Presumably, the world would need a few seeds from someone to start. I think that perhaps a regional map and a few guidelines would be a good way to begin. The guidelines might indicate the genre, TL restrictions, theological limitations, and a few other things like that. I would be immensely interested in such a project.

Matuku · 05-23-2007, 02:51 PM

Well it all depends what people are willing to work on; I'm personally leaning towards around TL4-5 Fantasy as the basis; whichever one is "The Age of Sail" as this puts all points of the world within reach but keeps them separate enough that legends and myths are still unsolved. The fantasy aspect allows the possibility to branch into separate planes (Hell, Heavens, etc).

But I'm entirely open to what others want to do above anything else.

nanoboy · 05-23-2007, 04:48 PM

Okay, cool. If you start it up, let us know the URL, and I'll be happy to contribute, as inspiration hits.

ravenfish · 05-23-2007, 05:34 PM

Golden Age of sail (Columbus, Drake, Pirates, all that) is TL4. TL5 is start of the industrial revolution. Still sailing ships, though wide-scale industrialization is not a common theme for fantasy, I understand.

trechriron · 05-23-2007, 05:42 PM

I would love to try my hand at a map.

Earth scale in size? How would you like the lay of the land?

A world of long island chains with mini-continents could be interesting...

Incard · 05-23-2007, 05:54 PM

I'd love to contribute. You want TL4ish fantasy stuff, correct? What's confusing me is your mention of space travel. Would you like contributers to add something to one community-world or add a world to a community-universe?

nanoboy · 05-23-2007, 06:58 PM

You mention TL4 or 5 because of a desire for open-ocean sailing, which is great. You also mention the desire for a space part, too. I would hold off a bit. Open-source things tend to grow over time, so consider that eventual expansion may occur naturally and organically. If you want a well fleshed out setting, you will not want the starting area to be too big. You'll get development of a lot of areas that are unconnected, and the setting will be kind of sparse. I would say the same thing about the starting map. You probably don't want to start with a globe but instead a region, maybe the size of the Mediterranean.

05-23-2007, 10:44 AM	#1
Matuku Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: London Baby!	Open Source World-Building This is a little project my previous gaming group underwent with good results; the basic principal is "a world built by the community, for the community". We wanted a good, rich world in which to run a series of campaigns and so we all took on the task, each person developing a race, country, continent or even just a town or city but doing so with a good level of NPCs, history and world-design involved. I'm looking to do this again, and I'm asking for your help ("Yes, you!"). Anyone who wants to design anything: a map, a race, a history, or just one NPC would be most welcome. Eventually I hope to put this altogether in a properly designed PDF and give it back to the community to use as they will. I'm not picky about genre, time-phase, etc but space-travel enabled maps make it trickier. (Actually my original group's plan was to make a fantasy map, then accelerate time by about 2000 years and so have two separate time periods in which to play). Any takers? Matuku __________________ I'm sorry im suffering from Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia at the moment Last edited by Matuku; 05-24-2007 at 06:00 AM.

05-23-2007, 12:14 PM	#2
Furabo Join Date: May 2007 Location: Pennsylvania	Re: Open Source World-Building I could be up for that. On a side thought, I'd actually played around with trying to do a hybrid Lexicon-Wiki/role-playing game. Bear with me. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with this notion, the article that sparked my interest is here. The Lexicon game involves creating a world through writing articles, moving through the alphabet. I was thinking about changing this around slightly--to hybridize it so that as PCs are adventuring, they are also developing articles, filling in bits of history, etc. I never really fleshed out the details, but I chuck it out for anyone else who might like to chew on it. But at any rate, regardless of Wikis, Wikkans, etc., I could be interested in helping to develop some things.

05-23-2007, 01:18 PM	#3
Matuku Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: London Baby!	Re: Open Source World-Building Hmm, thats not something I had considered but doing this as a wiki might be the easiest way actually. __________________ I'm sorry im suffering from Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia at the moment

05-23-2007, 01:50 PM	#4
nanoboy Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Edmond, OK	Re: Open Source World-Building Presumably, the world would need a few seeds from someone to start. I think that perhaps a regional map and a few guidelines would be a good way to begin. The guidelines might indicate the genre, TL restrictions, theological limitations, and a few other things like that. I would be immensely interested in such a project.

05-23-2007, 02:51 PM	#5
Matuku Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: London Baby!	Re: Open Source World-Building Well it all depends what people are willing to work on; I'm personally leaning towards around TL4-5 Fantasy as the basis; whichever one is "The Age of Sail" as this puts all points of the world within reach but keeps them separate enough that legends and myths are still unsolved. The fantasy aspect allows the possibility to branch into separate planes (Hell, Heavens, etc). But I'm entirely open to what others want to do above anything else. __________________ I'm sorry im suffering from Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia at the moment

05-23-2007, 04:48 PM	#6
nanoboy Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Edmond, OK	Re: Open Source World-Building Okay, cool. If you start it up, let us know the URL, and I'll be happy to contribute, as inspiration hits.

05-23-2007, 05:34 PM	#7
ravenfish Join Date: May 2007	Re: Open Source World-Building Golden Age of sail (Columbus, Drake, Pirates, all that) is TL4. TL5 is start of the industrial revolution. Still sailing ships, though wide-scale industrialization is not a common theme for fantasy, I understand.

05-23-2007, 05:42 PM	#8
trechriron Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Renton, WA	Re: Open Source World-Building I would love to try my hand at a map. Earth scale in size? How would you like the lay of the land? A world of long island chains with mini-continents could be interesting... __________________ Trentin C Bergeron (trechriron) Bard, Dreamer & RPG Enthusiast My Worlds My Blog

05-23-2007, 05:54 PM	#9
Incard Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Woburn, MA	Re: Open Source World-Building I'd love to contribute. You want TL4ish fantasy stuff, correct? What's confusing me is your mention of space travel. Would you like contributers to add something to one community-world or add a world to a community-universe? __________________ "It is mercy, compassion and forgiveness I lack, not rationality" -Beatrix Kiddo

05-23-2007, 06:58 PM	#10
nanoboy Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Edmond, OK	Re: Open Source World-Building You mention TL4 or 5 because of a desire for open-ocean sailing, which is great. You also mention the desire for a space part, too. I would hold off a bit. Open-source things tend to grow over time, so consider that eventual expansion may occur naturally and organically. If you want a well fleshed out setting, you will not want the starting area to be too big. You'll get development of a lot of areas that are unconnected, and the setting will be kind of sparse. I would say the same thing about the starting map. You probably don't want to start with a globe but instead a region, maybe the size of the Mediterranean.