Gamers needed for large web project!
- Thread starter mindqwerk
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Number47
First Post
I wholeheartedly disagree. I love making my own world, just like most people. But sometimes you just need a village, or an island, or a tavern, or you want some ideas for a distant race, or you need a good evil cult quick. Sifting this material out of an entire published setting is more work than just making it yourself. That's why making it cafeteria-style is so much more powerful than what you claim is a "generic" world setting. That isn't it at all! It's just for DM's who want their own world, but are sometimes a little lazy.
In fact, I think the phrase For DM's who want their own world, but are sometimes lazy should be your catchphrase.
How's this for another great area, myths and legends?
Also, if you go with this, you should have a system that the users rate bits on usefulness and uniqueness.
I already have my customized races ready to go for you. Human, Rural Hobbit, Urban Hobbit, Forest Gnome, River Gnome, Hill Gnome, Undermountain Dwarf, Hill Dwarf, Gully Dwarf, Fey Elf, Sealy Elf, Feral Elf, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Eldar. Not new races, but customizations. Also included will be the rules for using the custom race senses (as opposed to using darkvision and lowlight vision).
In fact, I think the phrase For DM's who want their own world, but are sometimes lazy should be your catchphrase.
How's this for another great area, myths and legends?
Also, if you go with this, you should have a system that the users rate bits on usefulness and uniqueness.
I already have my customized races ready to go for you. Human, Rural Hobbit, Urban Hobbit, Forest Gnome, River Gnome, Hill Gnome, Undermountain Dwarf, Hill Dwarf, Gully Dwarf, Fey Elf, Sealy Elf, Feral Elf, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Eldar. Not new races, but customizations. Also included will be the rules for using the custom race senses (as opposed to using darkvision and lowlight vision).
Indeed - but notice that most of the things you mentioned as needing are on a micro level. An individual location in a city such as a rowdy tavern is easy to use and integrate - an entire nation is not. The headquarters of an evil cult mapped and described down to encounter level is quite useful - an entire evil religion and god is a lot more difficult to integrate.
Why? Well, gods, races and nations rarely exist in a vacuum, and they're relatively easy for DMs to create based on putting some themes together. Low level detail, such as the tavern and cult HQ that PCs can walk into - that's worldbuilding stuff I can see a use for, ala the locations in Magic of Faerun and Lords of Darkness.
So, if you go for the worldbuilding option, I'd say that an emphasis on micro level detail is probably the go. Macro level detail would - I assume - be more difficult to integrate and map to a homebrew world except in the planning and building stages, because by virtue of being big and wishy-washy, it can tend to step on the toes of existing material.
Unsurprisingly, most of the worldbuilding you see is at macro level, and if you ask for submissions, that's probably what you'll get. Worldbuilders are rather fond of putting a dot on a map with a city name beside it, and, if you're lucky, writing a paragraph of material about the feel or politics of the city in broad strokes. They then move on to a mountain range etc. Just look at the size of the city books for how much detail can go into a single city.
If you don't mind just gathering ideas, then it should be fine, but you can get that from existing settings. If you're doling out components, you can either go for a few paragraphs of ideas on a lost race, or a mini-adventure or description of a hidden lair where the PCs encounter said lost race. I know which is more useful to me as a DM, and if the site is touted as worldbuilding, I expect you'll get a vast majority of the former rather than the latter. Worldbuilders love painting in broad strokes, and as long as you're happy with that kind of material then there's no problem. I just think that under this kind of model, you'll find very little crunchy stuff - think of the netbooks - and therefore, IMO, very little reason to visit the site.
Ideas are a dime a dozen, whereas detailed locations, NPCs and mini-encounters aren't - and often contain ideas implicitly.
6 cents.
Interesting...
...I'm not sure what I'm going to do - in the past I have had a hard time getting anyone interested in helping me with the site, and with that in mind I should focus my site on something I can maintain by myself with added help being appreciated (but not depended on).
The other problem is I am more of a graphic/web designer (meaning my backend knowledge is lacking as far as database and dynamic info goes) so setting up a site where people are free to submit things, and rate other things is probably not going to happen...
...hmmm... what does that leave me with...
...I'm not sure what I'm going to do - in the past I have had a hard time getting anyone interested in helping me with the site, and with that in mind I should focus my site on something I can maintain by myself with added help being appreciated (but not depended on).
The other problem is I am more of a graphic/web designer (meaning my backend knowledge is lacking as far as database and dynamic info goes) so setting up a site where people are free to submit things, and rate other things is probably not going to happen...
...hmmm... what does that leave me with...
This site is an example of the sort of thing I'm talking about as being a useful component resource (encounters in this case):
http://www.the-never.net/encounters.html
I think the author sometimes visits these boards, from memory.
http://www.the-never.net/encounters.html
I think the author sometimes visits these boards, from memory.
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Whoever suggested Myths and Legends, Right ON! Those can always be useful.
There could be a 'Suggestion box' for DMs, varients for things in the MM or whatnot. Like 'Rakshasas that have different weaknesses' and a list of possible weaknesses (Hit with a stone from holy ground, Jade weapons, Mirrored Reflection...).
I still am up for the suggested possibilities of different takes on races, of humanoids and what not (Hey, I gotta be behind my own idea, right?). And, I could offer a few races, myself.
Also, the Micro level, I'll definetly support. Dungeons, Cities, Taverns, HQs of stuff, places for Encounters, hell even Side Treks would be good. And, the NPCs too.
I have to agree that Nations, Religions, Races, that sort've thing should be in it's own little hole, not the Grand Scope. These are perhaps a 'grab bag' for DMs who're having trouble. If they're not sure what to put in an arctic region as a setup, there's a little list of suggestions. Can't find a set of three good evil gods? Check out this! This would be for those who can't decide, but need inspiration. It wouldn't be useful to Everyone, though.
Edit: Furthermore, why not do some Ecologies of .... (Critter), like Dragon Magazine. Ways this creature fits in with the ecosystem, how it lives, what it eats normally, even what parts of it could be used for magical item creation purposes.
There could be a 'Suggestion box' for DMs, varients for things in the MM or whatnot. Like 'Rakshasas that have different weaknesses' and a list of possible weaknesses (Hit with a stone from holy ground, Jade weapons, Mirrored Reflection...).
I still am up for the suggested possibilities of different takes on races, of humanoids and what not (Hey, I gotta be behind my own idea, right?). And, I could offer a few races, myself.
Also, the Micro level, I'll definetly support. Dungeons, Cities, Taverns, HQs of stuff, places for Encounters, hell even Side Treks would be good. And, the NPCs too.
I have to agree that Nations, Religions, Races, that sort've thing should be in it's own little hole, not the Grand Scope. These are perhaps a 'grab bag' for DMs who're having trouble. If they're not sure what to put in an arctic region as a setup, there's a little list of suggestions. Can't find a set of three good evil gods? Check out this! This would be for those who can't decide, but need inspiration. It wouldn't be useful to Everyone, though.
Edit: Furthermore, why not do some Ecologies of .... (Critter), like Dragon Magazine. Ways this creature fits in with the ecosystem, how it lives, what it eats normally, even what parts of it could be used for magical item creation purposes.
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"...Furthermore, why not do some Ecologies of .... (Critter), like Dragon Magazine. Ways this creature fits in with the ecosystem, how it lives, what it eats normally, even what parts of it could be used for magical item creation purposes..."
I think that would be fun do. However, touching on things like those scare - I'm afraid I'll get people emailing me saying "No, no, no, you have it all wrong - Trolls don't pick their teeth with a sword, they always use the bone of one of their latest victims!"
I'm not confident in my knowledge of anything over anyone elses, so that makes me afraid to go into detail about many things - that's why I turn to others in those situations...
I think that would be fun do. However, touching on things like those scare - I'm afraid I'll get people emailing me saying "No, no, no, you have it all wrong - Trolls don't pick their teeth with a sword, they always use the bone of one of their latest victims!"
I'm not confident in my knowledge of anything over anyone elses, so that makes me afraid to go into detail about many things - that's why I turn to others in those situations...
bardolph
First Post
Something which seems to be implied in this thread, but not explicitly stated...
is this only for d20 Fantasy (AKA D&D) roleplaying games?
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Personally, I want to create a modern-day campaign setting, incorporating maybe some super-spy stuff, some cthulhu-type stuff, and a little cyberpunk. As far as a system, d20 should suit fine, but I'm actually considering running it under the FUDGE rules, since my players hate filling out character sheets and calculating their stats.
I'm actually surprised at how little supporting material is out on the market for this kind of stuff.
Maybe you could consider opening up other genres as well?
is this only for d20 Fantasy (AKA D&D) roleplaying games?
-----
Personally, I want to create a modern-day campaign setting, incorporating maybe some super-spy stuff, some cthulhu-type stuff, and a little cyberpunk. As far as a system, d20 should suit fine, but I'm actually considering running it under the FUDGE rules, since my players hate filling out character sheets and calculating their stats.
I'm actually surprised at how little supporting material is out on the market for this kind of stuff.
Maybe you could consider opening up other genres as well?
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I was thinking d20/Fantasy with the possibility of expanding to other genres based on the success of the first.
In theory it would be great having people submit everything to me...
...the only problem is, getting the support. Short of asking Morrus to post a "need for submissions" scoop every day (I would never do that to him - even if he would always do it), I have no other way get that kind of full time attention.
The other issue is, I'm getting some great ideas here, but I need to roll it all up under one title/header/package - If I incorporate all of this stuff, it is going to look like a splatter of various information not really focusing on any given aspect of the game.
Anyone have any suggestions... for example...
D20 Resource Cafe ?
D20 Resources ?
D20 Plug-ins ?
In theory it would be great having people submit everything to me...
...the only problem is, getting the support. Short of asking Morrus to post a "need for submissions" scoop every day (I would never do that to him - even if he would always do it), I have no other way get that kind of full time attention.
The other issue is, I'm getting some great ideas here, but I need to roll it all up under one title/header/package - If I incorporate all of this stuff, it is going to look like a splatter of various information not really focusing on any given aspect of the game.
Anyone have any suggestions... for example...
D20 Resource Cafe ?
D20 Resources ?
D20 Plug-ins ?
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