Just what kind of thing does one do when preparing a new setting?
What if, in particular, you're making a new fantasy world?
Do you look at historical cultures?
Do you look at anything else? What study goes into it for you?
RPGPundit
History and Anthropology books are great resources for world-building.
I'm taking a new approach in my latest fantasy homebrew in that I am starting from an economics angle with different regions interacting mainly through trade. Right now, the manufacture of sea salt is the basis of the economies, and shallow ocean shores are important geographic locations.
See also this RPG Haven thread (http://www.therpghaven.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=260).
Quote from: Benoist;302226See also this RPG Haven thread (http://www.therpghaven.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=260).
Are you here just to advertise RPG Haven?
Quote from: jeff37923;302228Are you here just to advertise RPG Haven?
I'm not. I guess I'm just getting tired of the constant copy/pasting bullshit without giving credit where credit is due.
Is the RPG Haven thread also giving credit to all previous world-building threads in this and other forums?
Just curious.
The original threads, both about publisher settings and homebrew settings (world-building) are my threads, and my own, that I wrote without looking anywhere before posting them. So no, I'm not giving credit where no credit is due.
This here is different.
Once, twice, alright. Again and again without credit? I'm not okay with it. I think the "plagiarism" argument is completely silly, but I also think that copy/pasting from a community you don't like again and again is completely impolite and infantile.
Live and let live. Stop the bullshit. How hard is that, seriously?
Help desk or Pundit's forum, fine. Here? No.
Complain elsewhere.
It depends on the type of world, but I pretty much pull from any source that I find interesting. I am currently working some local history into my homebrew fantasy world, as well as pulling a few ideas from both greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms.
Quote from: One Horse Town;302244Help desk or Pundit's forum, fine. Here? No.
Complain elsewhere.
This is one of the threads he hijacked. It's as appropriate here as in the the forums you mentioned.
This here, is what constitutes the start of clique/RPG.net moderation, in my opinion. And with that said, I'm done on this topic.
Quote from: Benoist;302226See also this RPG Haven thread (http://www.therpghaven.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=260).
Please don't spam the site, Benoist. If you want to include a link with a reasoned post, then feel free to do so. If all you want is to advertise another site, that's called spamming, and isn't acceptable here.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Benoist;302230I'm not. I guess I'm just getting tired of the constant copy/pasting bullshit without giving credit where credit is due.
If you want credit, start a thread, on this site.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Benoist;302240The original threads, both about publisher settings and homebrew settings (world-building) are my threads, and my own, that I wrote without looking anywhere before posting them. So no, I'm not giving credit where no credit is due.
This here is different.
Once, twice, alright. Again and again without credit? I'm not okay with it. I think the "plagiarism" argument is completely silly, but I also think that copy/pasting from a community you don't like again and again is completely impolite and infantile.
Live and let live. Stop the bullshit. How hard is that, seriously?
There was no actual copy/pasting going on, ever. If I or someone else were to copy/paste something, it would be correct etiquette to mention that one has done so.
RPGPundit
I will not spam again. I was just pissed off.
And I know there was no copy/paste aka plagiarism per se.
Still, don't act like you're not giving the finger to the Haven, because you are.
Quote from: Benoist;302273I will not spam again. I was just pissed off.
And I know there was no copy/paste aka plagiarism per se.
Still, don't act like you're not giving the finger to the Haven, because you are.
With the attitudinal crap you are displaying here as a representative of the Haven, it deserves a "fuck you". Grow up and behave more like Hinterwelt because he's providing a good example to emulate.
By looking at the topic dates, RPGPundit *is* cutting-and-pasting. This thread is an example and "Just how D20-compatible is Pathfinder?" (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=14179) also.
It's pretty childish and lame actually.
Quote from: jlcsusara;302308It's pretty childish and lame actually.
Which is exactly what I'm trying to say, albeit I said it while pissed off, which I shouldn't have.
And now I'm going to stick to the Pundit Plagiariser thread (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=14167) and not keep hijacking this thread.
Ice Planet, Desert World, Forest Moon... and done.
That was easy!
Quote from: Benoist;302273I will not spam again. I was just pissed off.
And I know there was no copy/paste aka plagiarism per se.
Still, don't act like you're not giving the finger to the Haven, because you are.
Oh I AM giving them the finger. No doubt about that. Their whole site is an act of giving me the finger, they're just too morally bankrupt to admit it. I'm made of sterner stuff. I'll stab them to their faces, not in the back.
RPGPundit
Quote from: jlcsusara;302308By looking at the topic dates, RPGPundit *is* cutting-and-pasting. This thread is an example and "Just how D20-compatible is Pathfinder?" (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=14179) also.
It's pretty childish and lame actually.
Um, you DO know what cutting and pasting actually means, right? Its not just a figure of speech.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPundit;302200Just what kind of thing does one do when preparing a new setting?
What if, in particular, you're making a new fantasy world?
Do you look at historical cultures?
Do you look at anything else? What study goes into it for you?
RPGPundit
I think it depends on what the founding idea I have for the setting is. For example in my lastest issue of the local RPG fanzine I produce. We are working on a shared world. Basically everybody contributing a peice of this world. My idea was to create my own type of Raven Loft type setting. So I started researching that. My first step in creating any setting is to make a list of ideas I would like to see incorperated or that give me a starting place. Which lead me to start researching Transylvania. I looked at the history, culture, and geography. I looked at and though what do the cities look like? So I started to research archtecture, and biulding. I then started to research and add in little bits from eastern europe/russian history and mythology. I make notes on all of this. Then slowly (or quickly sometimes:)) start asembling the peices as I see fit. With my own touches and ideas of course.
QuoteJust what kind of thing does one do when preparing a new setting?
What if, in particular, you're making a new fantasy world?
Do you look at historical cultures?
Do you look at anything else? What study goes into it for you?
RPGPundit
Our GM is planning a new setting, though sci-fi. Once our group decides on general concepts (like genre, grittiness, etc...), we also gather ideas on what we'd like to see in the campaign, do some research, and collate it into one big wish list. The GM will "develop" from there.
We will also use the following tools and resources:
1) Dawn of Worlds - for worldbuilding (geography, history, and cultures)
2) Birthright's Domain Rules - for kingdoms and societies
3) Mythic RPG - for any missing parts! :)
Well I've been doing loads of historical research for a possible True20 setting/world I've had bouncing around in my head, but then it's most likely going to be the "transplanted Earth culture" variety ala GURPS' Yrth. I'm hoping it'll be more subtle like it's true inspiration the Deverry Cycle.
Quote from: jlcsusara;3024332) Birthright's Domain Rules - for kingdoms and societies
Played and loved Birthright with 2e, 3e, and 3.5 and thoroughly emjoyed the domain rules throughout. All the BR setting and rules material was my old GMs though, and I've been contemplating attempting to include something similar in the world I've been cooking up. What I'm wondering is have you tried the Fields of Blood (http://www.edenstudios.net/odyssey/7005.html) supplement? If so, how different is it from BR? I'd love to be able to get usable realm rules in just the one setting-neutral book rather than trying to run down and adapt rules from BR.
Quote from: Sigmund;302442What I'm wondering is have you tried the Fields of Blood (http://www.edenstudios.net/odyssey/7005.html) supplement? If so, how different is it from BR? I'd love to be able to get usable realm rules in just the one setting-neutral book rather than trying to run down and adapt rules from BR.
Sorry, no. But looking at the Field of Blood website, it seems to have a full set of wargame rules... for miniature mass combat fun!
Yet Birthright has more character, history, maturity, and proven playability!
You decide! ;)
For my own FtA!GN!'s The Setting I did research on the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, and on the Mongols, as well as brushing up on my Tibetan Buddhism.
RPGPundit
For my Tiwesdaeg setting, I mashed up Celtic, Saxon and Viking England. So I researched into them. I was most interested in small details of daily life, like what people wore and ate, what their festivals and games were, and so on. I found that was the best for getting players into the setting.
That's funny, Kyle, I'm doing something very, very similar for my Lloegyr campaign which started a few weeks ago. Care to compare notes?
See the several Tiwesdaeg campaigns (and others) here (http://www.gamecircle.org/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=O.R.C.+2007), Premier. Feel free to email.
Quote from: jlcsusara;302459Sorry, no. But looking at the Field of Blood website, it seems to have a full set of wargame rules... for miniature mass combat fun!
Yet Birthright has more character, history, maturity, and proven playability!
You decide! ;)
Heh, yep, BR rocks. I think I might try the fields of blood thingie though because if I just were to use the domain rules I wouldn't be getting the character, history, and maturity anyway. Really looking forward to seeing what, if anything, wotc does with BR for 4e.
I don't have a name for it yet, but my idea will most likely contain an empire based on ancient Egypt, a culture derived from Gauls/Celts, and a culture derived from Vikings/Germans of some sort. I'm planning on making the Dwarven culture like the Roman Republic, perhaps even making Romulus and Remus dwarves who had stumbled into our world and had influenced and been influenced by their participation in the founding of Rome, with Remus going back home through the "gate" (or whatever) instead of being killed. Still hammering out details but if I do end up making my world's cultures derived from earth instead of just inspired by them I will probably run with that story. I still haven't decided if I want my "northern barbarians" to be based on Vikings or Germanic tribes like the Goths. My elves I plan on making more like halflings in DnD, small and quick, and perhaps neighbors of the Celtic based people, who consider them to be "little people" and "sidhe".
For Roma and Shades campaigns I am always researching and adding in elements from ancient Roman Empires, Chinese Empires, Norse and many other cultures. Shades is interesting in that it is 1930s type research and has a lot of prewar stuff like Chinese warlords and Japanese occupation of China along with all the stuff you are not taugt in standard high school history texts. It is really a period that is rife with adventure potential.
Oh, and some near future tech and future tech research for Supers Inc and Nebuleon. That can be really interesting but often, for some reason, I always run across a lot of weapons talk. For Zombipocalypse I was just doing some bio-mechanics research and came across an ORMODSIL or Organic Modified Silica which is a DNA delivery nanomachine used to deliver DNA to cells. It is in trials now. Cool stuff.