Where do you start when building a new world?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I start with a theme. What is the feel that I'm going for with this world? What ideas do I want to incorporate? What do I want to discuss? What thoughts do I want to provoke? I generally like to impart a deeper meaning to my universes, add some kind of commentary to it, so that's generally what I start with. Once I have what I want to do with the universe nailed down, I start constructing elements. What is the setting? Where, when and how does the primary storyline take place? I generally create my universes around a central story, and expand from there, so that aspect is important. After I've figured out what the universe needs to do, I can start structuring the other elements around that. I like to start in the "present" for the main storyline, and work my way back, structuring the past to justify the present.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit
I build it as it becomes relevant. It's very restraining to make a RP around a whole world (and can be frustrating when there's things you made that don't get to be used). Instead, I make the whole world around the RP. Things don't exist until they do. It's similar to how human history was built - there is no real mention of the Americas in European history until someone was sent there, why should places exist in RPs before they become relevant? What's the point of creating places that will never be visited, to create technology that will never be used firsthand? Except, of course, for exposure - but then again I am completely against useless exposure. It's like "Oh cool" and then forgotten (unless somebody asks to borrow your universe and integrates it, but I have never seen it happen so far). But creating a very important place, and then the characters actually get to do stuff in it (or even blow it up)? Now that's awesome.


But yeah. We don't know if there's life out there and we're not at a loss for it. RPs can have places not exist until the last minute and not be at a loss.


Non RP examples: The Half-Life universe. As far as I can tell, we have no idea how 90% of the planet is doing - and it's our very own planet. It's just not relevant to the stories. GTA universe - we know of three or four areas total, because everything else is irrelevant. And for a point: if people who played Mass Effect can name three planets that aren't part of the plot of any three games, I'll be surprised.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit
I always start with the map first, fleshing out the world as good as possible. Then next I decide on the history of the world, how it came to be, what nations have existed or still exist, who were or still are important characters, things like that. Then I start to "fill" the land with the inhabitants, making the people, towns/cities, countries, etc, etc.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit
For my novels, I begin with character and slowly build away from them. It isn't necessarily a process of extrapolation, because a character cannot obviously be the centre of his universe and still remain interesting... But sometimes a really loved and well-developed character (usually one is the result of the other for me lol) gives you subtle hints about the world he came from by way of his hard-ingrained traits and subconscious drives.

Usually it goes primary characters -> cultures -> sociopolitical structure -> environment in which such a structure makes sense -> landmasses -> maps/planetary design -> interactions between cultures -> creation of secondary characters, for me. Kind of a sinewave, if I think about it. lol. In and out of the world and the people.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit
I usually start with the general feel I want the world to have, and I pick out how big I want the world to be, like a mental limit. I sketch out some basic characters, because I base my plots on the characters and my characters on the plots. As soon as I've got a basic character idea and a basic feel for the potential story (usually just a "These two characters will be like this and they will meet up like this for this type of reason"), I work on gods. I like gods in worldbuilding for the whole creationist thing and stuff. Plus, I only really do a lot of worldbuilding with fantasy. If it's science fiction- totally different concept. But with fantasy, I start with gods, and usually base them off of preexisting gods and twist things about. The current fantasy I'm working on has several tiers of gods, and it gets sort of complicated and I haven't named them all or anything. Too much.

Then I name the world, and either find/generate a map or make one myself. This time I sketched one out on Paint, edited it so it looked the way I liked it, added in basic topography and colors to symbolize the type of land, climate, etc. And after that I start working on the setting, with countries/empires/kingdoms and the people that live in them. I develop the actual ecosystems and environment as I develop the countries and their history. Technology as well. And as I do this I develop the characters to fit into the setting.

Usually as I do all of this I get ideas to clarify the plot and stuff.

And for science fiction, I usually start with character ideas and a generalized plot, and then I think of a time period. After I've got that, I start thinking about technology, how advanced it would be, and in what way, and from where I go with very general stuff. Usually when I do sci-fi I've got lots of space travel, so that's planets, basic history, basic terrain and stuff. No need to go in uber depth for every planet right? And then if there's another species, I usually work on that before hand. After I get a bunch of basic planets done I work on setting, human history, technology advancements, and then I work on detailing the planets of the main story the way I do with fantasy.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit
It's so good to see people's imagination growing here! ^_^
I love to create worlds and in my opinion, you must know what sort of Characters your willing to create. Then decipher what genre your character is going to play in. Then 'The Map' always follows next. I think it puts a sense of belonging into the world, knowing the landmasses and city's and races into the creativity world. Build your way from there.

Example- My character is a elemental castor. She is a human but with the power to evoke the elements. I want to play with other magic castors that all humans have special abilities or maybe none.Depends on your character's background story if it was genetic or gifted. Then it comes down to the antagonist. Is the enemy human or beast nature? (Give the good guys/bad guys certain titles.) Like someone said earlier, is their gods/goddess? This character could play in a modern world or Fantasy modern or even high Fantasy or more!

So, It seems I'm leaning more toward the characters type, before finding out if you want swamps, frozen wastelands, dry lost deserts, labyrinths, floating islands etc. And also deciding if you want dragons (for example) or play in a modern world but back in the middle ages. Maybe you want to have magical races likes Fays and elves. Then you need homes for them too Then AFTER all that is done with, I love to create events and festivals and rituals lifestyles for my characters and races. Culture is important and creates the characters personality and story. Even if they don't bid by it, I'm sure everyone likes to bob for apples once in their life! ( just sayin!) Then transportation and technology could be a factor into the world as well. I love to add lore even if its my own to make up, into a story.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit
I usually start with a story, and as I work on the world from there, I may change the story to suit the world, or the world as I make it to better encompass the feel for the story I want to tell there.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit
I let my world-building flow naturally. It generally starts with just one interesting idea, be it a character, ecosystem, deity, culture, creature, ect. There really is no structure to how I do it, I just let it happen. I have created an entire world off of one obscure "what if" notion before. It expanded to have its own history, cultures, creatures and more, all with extreme detail. It does not always work, as I have certainly come to dead-ends before, but I find it works best for me. I almost always hit a wall when I try to fill out some sort of format or outline.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Minibit
Status
Not open for further replies.