History Ideas / Generator

[MaxKaladin]

I've been working on the history for an area of my world and I'm looking for inspiration.

One thing I though about is some sort of program or table/tables that generates history for a game world. I thought that might provide some interesting inspiration. I have no interest in actually randomly generating the entire history, but rather in using the results for inspiration.

I'm also interested in other sources of inspiration.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[V_Shane]

Well you could come up with a list of the results of your world, in other words what end product do you want? Special locales, people, races, items, landmarks. Usually once you create these things everything else falls into place as you start to detail the history of lets say a landmark, then you begin to cross reference for its exhistance, why it was built etc... its kind of a creative snowball effect. I ahve always gotten inspiration from creating detailed land maps.

 

[Tonguez]

I have found the Encyclopedia Britanica (including online versions) to be a wonderful History generator

I also tend to agree with V_Shane once you give a rationale for why the Temple of Great Dark Evil was created and the important NPCs ionvolved history sort of just happens (like in real life)

 

[Maerdwyn]

If you are just looking for inspiration, try some of the medieval historians - The Medieval Sourcebook is great for finding that sort of stuff. I like Nennius in particular, as his somewhat liberally embellished treatment of British history is more interesting than some of the more serious historians'

 

[Mark]

This site detailing Mad Monarchs throughout history can be fun to browse...

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvenjb/madmon.htm

Hope that helps!

 

[MaxKaladin]

Interesting stuff! Thanks!

The detailed map is next, so I'm sure that will spark some ideas.

Part of what I'm trying to do is come up with the 'offbeat' events. The stuff besides the battles and leaders and founding of cities. Stuff to make the history seem more living and breating.

 

[Mark]

Part of what I'm trying to do is come up with the 'offbeat' events. The stuff besides the battles and leaders and founding of cities. Stuff to make the history seem more living and breating.

The links here should help then...

http://historymedren.about.com/cs/referencetools/

 

[Hand of Evil]

Take stuff from the History Channel, real life. Fact is starnger than fiction.