World Geography

[Trifletraxor]

For the single world, how should we create the goegraphy? I can see three ways:

1) Using world generation software - it would provide us with global maps of the landmasses, climate and sea currents. These software produce quite "realistic" worlds for us to develope further.

2) Just drawing up a map, like done with Questworld.

3) Many islands, which can be made individually to fit with what work people have done allready. If someone have created a world, where only certain parts of it is developed, they could move that part over to the shared world if it can be fitted in with the rest.

I like option 1, but see many advantages with option 3 too. What do you think? Any other ideas?

SGL.

[drohem]

I would suggest option #3. It works best for me, since I have only created an island continent; about the size of Australia.

I a sure that there are some people who have developed a whole planet with land masses, races, and cultures, but I would venture that most have just focused on one area.

Option #3 would be the more than likely be the best way to integrate everyone's ideas with the least amount of the pigeon-hole effect.

[soltakss]

Didn't you have a world map on the Greenback Clan's site a while ago? I remember seeing a world with a mountain range curling around the centre of a continent.

Perhaps it was somewhere else.

[Trifletraxor]

Originally Posted by soltakss

Didn't you have a world map on the Greenback Clan's site a while ago? I remember seeing a world with a mountain range curling around the centre of a continent.

Perhaps it was somewhere else.

This one? I have it as a poster. Made in 16th century, so no copyright there!

SGL.

[soltakss]

Ah, no, I remember now, it was on Mr Qwiki and was the Mongoose Shared World map at http://mrqwiki.com/wiki/images/d/d5/...f_Mongoose.pdf so if we had a Gate we could move between BRP Shared World and Mongoose Shared World.

Many Systems, One Family.

[frogspawner]

Originally Posted by soltakss

...if we had a Gate we could move between BRP Shared World and Mongoose Shared World.

Sure. Don't bother bringing back any Runes, though...

[Rurik]

I think the devolpment of this shared world has already moved past the development of the MRQ shared world.

Thougth that one did have a map...

[frogspawner]

Originally Posted by Trifletraxor

For the single world, how should we create the goegraphy? I can see three ways: ...

Use all three. Use every idea you can get - never discard an idea.

Use software to generate a random template (#1), take existing islands/countries people want to 'donate' (#3) and slap them onto the map somewhere, anywhere. I'd also suggest everyone who's interested should contribute 2 or 3 ideas (at least one of which should be wacky) about geography/nations they'd like to see on it - and slap them on it too. Then re-draw it a bit (#2) to fit together as well as you can. No matter how hard you try, I expect there will be quite a few absurdities about it. Good - then the creative bit of explaining how it came to be that way can begin...

[PK Games]

Find out who is really going to work on the project. Get a confirmed list of those who want to make an "island" or "culture".

Generate a map with the islands and lands.

Have a "draft" to allow the participating creators to pick what islands and areas they are going to use.

[Rurik]

Originally Posted by Trifletraxor

For the single world, how should we create the goegraphy? I can see three ways:

1) Using world generation software - it would provide us with global maps of the landmasses, climate and sea currents. These software produce quite "realistic" worlds for us to develope further.

2) Just drawing up a map, like done with Questworld.

3) Many islands, which can be made individually to fit with what work people have done allready. If someone have created a world, where only certain parts of it is developed, they could move that part over to the shared world if it can be fitted in with the rest.

I like option 1, but see many advantages with option 3 too. What do you think? Any other ideas?

SGL.

I kind of like option 2 for a fantasy world. I am fine with mythic explanations for things like geography and weather, though option 1 is o.k. by me.

I'm not as big on all islands, each with its' own author for a couple of reasons, first that it kind of defeats the purpose of shared world generation, and second that it really just moves many of the geopolitical issues (who's powerful compared to who econimically and militarily) to the naval power area. Aditionally, islands limit many terrain/culture types (great plains or deserts and nomads for example) unless they approach the size of small continents anyway. All of this is not to say that there couldn't be 1-2 continents and a bunch of islands, allowing those who want to work on the relatively closed system of an island to do so but also allowing work on part of a larger land mass.