Game out of World Building?

[HandofMystra]

I found this in treasure tables
In a nutshell, the idea is that your whole gaming group sits down with a blank sheet of paper in front of them, and you use Dawn of Worlds as a framework to build a shared campaign world from scratch. The PDF is short and sweet, and I really dig the concept.
Dawn of Worlds

 

[Ry]

If you don't like freeform, don't freeform. I'm not a fan either.

All I'm saying is that even in a structured game there can be problems with the players not wanting to their creative ideas at stake. There's a lot of emotional investment there.

 

[Andor]

I am eagerly awaiting Spore.

 

[Wik]

I found this in treasure tables
In a nutshell, the idea is that your whole gaming group sits down with a blank sheet of paper in front of them, and you use Dawn of Worlds as a framework to build a shared campaign world from scratch. The PDF is short and sweet, and I really dig the concept.
Dawn of Worlds

That looks fun. I'm going to have to try it sometime.

 

[Mannevond]

To the op:

I'm trying to do something rather similar to what you want, but with a different sort of twist. I'm running a very plot-driven campaign at the moment, (I won't bore you with the details) that will result in the characters eventually becoming lesser gods.

When that happens, I'm going to flip the game around completely, and have the players manage their own realms, expanding them and gaining as many followers as they can, through different means. Actual combat and such will be performed through vessels (mortals that they can spend divinity points to 'possess' and direct).

If you've ever tried the game Actraiser for the snes, that's what I'm shooting for.

I guess it's the reverse of what you're doing though, and if I eventually get a playable world out of it that the players want to try out, that's just a bonus

EDIT: Dawn of Worlds does look like just the thing, I'm definitely going to test it.

 

[Henrix]

Can folks point me to a link about how play works (or describe it) in "Victory by any Means', and 'Burning Empires'.

Well, Burning Empires is a science fiction RPG on its own. A previous version of the World Burner used to be available for download (for Burning Wheel, the slightly older fantasy RPG).

Basically the world burning is done by going through a series of choices (you can see them here on the worksheet.

One of the steps involve deciding six characters important for the main story*, three for the side the PCs are on, and three for the opposition. All PCs must have a connection** to at least one of them, and at least one of their connections must be with one of the characters on the opposed side. At least one of the important characters must be a PC.

Another step is to decide what factions will be important in the conflict.

All the steps give values for the human and alien dispositions during the three phases of the conflict (infiltration, usurpation and invasion). So if, for instance, the initial attitude towards the aliens is Ignorant the Vaylen disposition is increased by six in all the phases, and all human characters start with the Ignorant (about Vaylen) character trait.

After all the steps are done there is a round of going through all the players (including the GM) and asking them if they feel like they have contributed something. If not somthing is changed until all feel they have contributed.

Then everybody starts making characters, and the GM gets to make the main characters that are not PCs as homework. (That is most of the prep time the GM needs for the whole campaign, by the way.)



* In BE the story is by default the alien ("Vaylen") invasion of the world in question.
** A game mechanical one, at that.