Preface The art of worldbuilding is near and dear to my heart. As is writing and crafting characters and the relationships that form between them. Writing and worldbuilding are similar— symbiotic —but are two different mediums entirely. I could argue that you cannot have one without the other though, as every bit of narrative written by an individual has traces of passive or active worldbuilding— be it the author's interpretation of events, the design of one's magic system, or the inherent logic of the world.
Though I will concede that my definition of worldbuilding is quite broad.
I like keeping things vague though, as it allows room for twists and turns and interpretations I may not have initially thought of. In truth, those little idiosyncrasies are what makes worldbuilding so fun for me. Especially in collaborative settings like Dungeons and Dragons, thread-based roleplay, other ttrpg's, etc. The magic of worldbuilding, like any endeavor, is elevated by those around you. By design, no one will ever think the same way we do. How we were raised, how we've survived— what makes us laugh and what makes us cry —all of these variables influence what we do and how we do them.
Worldbuilding is no different.
This thread isn't an exhaustive breakdown of worldbuilding and all that it entails, but rather a specific lens in which to focus your worldbuilding. That lens is WARP or the Worldbuilding and Roleplaying Game Master Challenge, to be released sometime in January 2024. In anticipation, I come to thee as a 2 time winner with some #shower-thoughts that may be useful.
Remember that there is no right or wrong way to worldbuild and this "guide" is simply what I do during my process of creation— which to be clear, is not one-size-fits-all. These steps, this process of creation and thoughts is just what works for me. And even if it fits your creative process, I encourage you to experiment with different methods to find what feels most natural to you!
Above all, have fun while you worldbuild— don't feel bad for getting giddy over the details— relish in it.
— rissa
Before we go any further, let's look at what the judges take into consideration when deliberating:
Locations ☆ Characters ☆ Worldbuilding ☆ Staying Power ☆ Hype Factor
☆ Can this roleplay last in the long term to make having a forum worth it?
☆ Does this setting have interesting places characters can explore and interact in?
☆ Does this setting have a variety of character potential and is it easy to create a character?
☆ Does this setting have a plot and story that helps connect characters, places, elements all together?
☆ Does this setting spark our imaginations, excite us? Is it unique enough from currently active Realms?
I tend to break this all down into three categories: Worldbuilding, Staying Power, & Hype Factor.
Due to my brain insisting I should, I used to give an imaginary range of "stars" to be applied to each category. Sort of like a grading rubric, you know? I don't know what the judges do, but I self-critique pretty harshly and like to quantify what's "good" and "bad". It works for me, though it does create a lot of unnecessary anxiety about not living up to my own standards.
The first time around I created an almost impossible standard for myself (not just for the competition entry, but to running the realm itself*) and burned out pretty quickly. This second time around, I redefined the "rubric" into an accomplishable checklist.
My WARP Checklist
- Interest Check (Applies to: Worldbuilding, Staying Power, & Hype Factor)
- Character Creation (Applies to: Worldbuilding, Staying Power, & Hype Factor)
- Lore and Legends (Applies to: Worldbuilding & Staying Power)
- Realm Concept (Applies to: Staying Power & Hype Factor)
Your interest check should cover all of the basic information: your world's identity, roleplay concept, and what you expect from the narrative and your player base.
Everyone's character creation will be different, of course, but they should all contain the necessary information your players will need to craft their characters. More than just a character sheet, this should include the different species, magic, factions, and/or regions they can choose from.
While lore and legends seems like the most "optional" of the four categories, this is where you can let your artistic side flourish. I always try to create lore that will entice shenanigans and spark plot hooks that players can intertwine in their character concepts.
Your realm concept isn't something you necessarily have to submit to the judges, but it's something I like to create to ground* myself (no more unrealistic standards!), sort of like the foundation of my submission or the reason why I'd like to turn this roleplay into a realm. You can read Fallout: Requiem's realm concept here for an idea of what I mean.
Let's also reread @Diana's Pro Tips from the teaser thread:
☆ We are looking for large-scale roleplays that feature rich worldbuilding, cultures, environments and peoples.
☆ Roleplays need to sound welcoming, inviting, friendly!
☆ Your roleplay should have a feeling that is more than just "Generic Fantasy #9278" or "Wizard School but Gayer".
☆ Give choices and options that are genuinely unique from each other to create diversity and storytelling opportunities - not just a visual palette swap!
☆ Don't slack off on the information if you have a Fandom setting by assuming players "already know what it is".
☆ It's okay to use outside information sources - but make sure you credit them!
☆ Proofread and organize your content as neatly as possible.
☆ Don't wait until the last minute to post your entries or get things set up. Use the full month to work on it!
☆ Pretty graphics and coding do not matter. DO THAT LAST.
☆ About that pretty bbcode and text color and font sizes... WE CAN'T ALWAYS READ IT.
☆ Existing Roleplays have an advantage in WaRP as they're already completed and successfully running - but make sure your roleplay has easy to find "New Players Information".
☆ Roleplays need to sound welcoming, inviting, friendly!
☆ Your roleplay should have a feeling that is more than just "Generic Fantasy #9278" or "Wizard School but Gayer".
☆ Give choices and options that are genuinely unique from each other to create diversity and storytelling opportunities - not just a visual palette swap!
☆ Don't slack off on the information if you have a Fandom setting by assuming players "already know what it is".
☆ It's okay to use outside information sources - but make sure you credit them!
☆ Proofread and organize your content as neatly as possible.
☆ Don't wait until the last minute to post your entries or get things set up. Use the full month to work on it!
☆ Pretty graphics and coding do not matter. DO THAT LAST.
☆ About that pretty bbcode and text color and font sizes... WE CAN'T ALWAYS READ IT.
☆ Existing Roleplays have an advantage in WaRP as they're already completed and successfully running - but make sure your roleplay has easy to find "New Players Information".
Based on what's given to us and my own experience, here's a few basic tips, tricks, and truths to take into consideration right off the bat:
The answer to this serves as your foundation moving forward. Pick fast and stick to it.
This is basically Editing 101, but don't skimp out on it. Your submission should be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and have a natural flow that the judges (and your future players) can easily grasp. Go over the most important info you have and read it aloud— if you find something your mouth stumbles over, rewrite it to be more concise.
Yes, you must entice potential players into your finely crafted world, but there must also be room for them to exist. For them to create and expand upon. Your world should be alive, yes, but that life should be affected by the distillation of the characters your players create and the ideas and actions they incorporate into the world.
Terrible grammar. Inaccessible code. Eye-bleeding patterns. Nothing kills engagement and interest quicker than the three things I just listed. If your entry is hard or impossible to read, you're not going to get your desired outcome. To be safe, K.I.S.S. (Keep it stupid simple.)
Even non-realm roleplays suffer from this little quirk. Oftentimes an established story, especially one with massive amounts of characters or pages where the narrative has elapsed significantly can be intimidating for new players. Be sure to give a summary or mission statement about the current state of the narrative and leave cues and entryways for new players.
Part One: Where to begin?
I like to begin by envisioning the landscape of the future realm. I like to work with what I know, so I define the layout of what I can have and brainstorm what it can be. What do I mean by this?
When you win a realm, you receive a forum with 2 subforums and the option to create 10-15 prefixes. By default, one of these subforums is used as an "Archive", (Peep @Wade Von Doom's forum The Evrensel Conflict to see it in action!) but their uses are many and varied. You can use a subforum to store all of your lore like @Kuno does in Pearls of Persia or define where your in-character roleplaying takes place like @MaryGold and @wren.'s The Circle. Additionally, you have the "main forum" page, where you can host all rp details and OOC, like @Kanma's The Regency Index or even decide that's where you'll keep all your IC threads, like my first forum RoNaan's Realm.
There's also another very important thing you "receive" when you win a realm— a lil blurb on the main page of Iwaku, one little blurb that will define your roleplay in the mind of whoever reads it. In part two we'll talk about how I define and create roleplay concepts and my world identity, but this blurb should contain both, packaged in a neat little bow, in less than a 100 words, though ideally no more than 60.
So what do you do with this information? Brainstorm and begin writing! Perhaps you already have a roleplay concept— good, elevate and envision the concept spanning an entire forum. Figure out what you want and what you need and distill it down even further.
This process goes hand in hand with the next, so without further ado…
Part Two: Concept and Identity
Roleplay Concept and World Identity— two similar but different things. Symbiotic.
A roleplay concept is the plot hook you snag your players with. Think of the roleplay concept not only as your overarching plot of the narrative, but also the way in which you engage your players and your world. It should be broad, as your forum will be as well, but not so much that you stray from the heart of your concept.
Your world identity is the spark of muse you enthrall yourself with. It's what initially captures your interest, drives you crazy thinking about in the dead of night or during a long car ride. Not only does it frame your world, but gives you a focus— a lens in which to continue viewing and worldbuilding. Here's a couple examples of what I mean:
What if the stars plummeted to the earth every few thousand years, causing a never-ending loop of fertile growth and sudden, cataclysmic desolation?
Ghosts are real in this comedic dark fantasy, set in a world similar to our own, where ectoplasm is all the rage and exorcisms are preformed daily.
Your world's identity and roleplay concept should come together to create your realm blurb. One to two sentences from each. Let's break down a couple of the Realm blurbs to get a feel for them:
In just two sentences, Kanma manages to define her setting, set up player expectations, as well as the overall "vibe" of The Regency Index. She also manages to include a morsel of tension and dismay at the end of the second sentence, and it doubles as a hook for players to latch on to.
"At the turn of the 19th century, Britain" gives us our setting.
"... fashionable elite dance in their balls and look for the best marriage partners, while the dark areas of London teem with the poor in their slums." outlines choices, tensions, and player hooks.
"Craft your own private stories or join larger events" gives us a snapshot of the realms interior and her expectations for creation.
Wade does a couple unique things here, in addition to defining his setting and player expectations— he deliberately provides the "identity" of the ultimate culprit —allowing his players to grasp the whole picture upfront and granting conscious character creation decisions upon that. He also begins with an invitation or call to action for new players, one that flows naturally with the flow of the piece, but lodges itself into our minds nonetheless.
"The Multiverse is open! / Explore these new worlds, both familiar and new, and see what awaits you in... The Evrensel Conflict!" lets us know the realm itself is open and your invitation has been offered.
"That which separates the realities between living beings across the realms, galaxies, and the cosmos has been drilled open." gives us a glimpse at setting, character creation potentials, as well as an innate and instant player hook.
"Roads have formed, chaos spews, and conflicts arise…" tells us that shit is going down and the players will be at the heart of it.
"... manipulates it all from the darkness…" tells us more is at play than our characters can ever imagine. It also gives some instant potential character hooks as well as an inevitable showdown.
While difficult to encapsulate your concept and identity into a 3-4 sentence blurb, doing so will give you a huge advantage moving forward. If you get stuck on an idea or concept you'll have your blurb right there and accessible to realign and reinspire your muse! The idea is to create 3-4 sentences that completely encapsulates your setting, your roleplay concept, your world's identity, and a hook that draws in potential players.
Part Three: Generating Madness within the Bird's Eye
Now that you have your realm blurb, roleplay concept, and world identity, it's time for further shenanigans! I tend to paste my realm blurb at the top of my doc to keep myself focused and on point or create a moodboard to hone in on the vibe I want to portray. Believe it or not, creating too much lore and information for your players to read through is just as detrimental as not writing enough/not finishing your entry. I always struggle with this, honestly. How much is too much? How much is not enough? Where is that invisible line that dictates just how much you need to elaborate on?
Different concepts will dictate different quantities, but it's a good rule of thumb to be as concise as possible. Write everything out to your heart's content and then edit, edit, edit! Kill those darlings. Rework that poetic prose. Shine and polish and then put it away for a few days. Don't touch it— don't look at it.
(Another reason why working on your submission as routinely as possible is beneficial: if you have 4 weeks to work on your submission, the first 2 weeks should be your research, planning, and drafting phase. Week 3 rest, relaxation, and perhaps image-sourcing. Week 4 would be final editing and presentation refinement. If you want a fancy code, don't start working on it until your final edits are complete— otherwise you're just wasting precious time.)
Now, what exactly do I mean by generating madness within the bird's eye?
Top down worldbuilding works the best for me— I like seeing the large swathes of color and then diving deeper to make them pop and contrast with one another. For me, this typically looks like this:
There's a lot to distill here, so I'm going to wrap up this "guide" with a few of my favorite worldbuilding tools to hopefully send y'all on your way to a completed WARP entry!
Rissa's Favorite Worldbuilding Tools:
Map Making:
Watabou's Procgen Arcana
Vintage Star Maps
There's also the Freemium options Inkarnate and DungeonFog but I find the UI's difficult to navigate.
If you're interested in mapmaking in general, I would HIGHLY recommend Megasploot's Wonderdraft, but if you just need something to help encapsulate the world you're building, the free options above are more than enough.
Names:
Fantasy Name Generators
Seventh Sanctum
The Story Shack
Procedural Name Generator
Misc. Generators
Iron Arachne
Megacosm
Last Gasp
Other Tools:
Photopea
Canva
Token Stamp 2
A brief look @ natural resources
this was not quick, but it is rather dirty, alas! au revoir and good luck folks
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