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<blockquote data-quote="Turtlejay" data-source="post: 5100023" data-attributes="member: 70267"><p>These replies are great. I had heard of the top down and bottom up approaches, and was pretty set on top down, since I do have the time to do it that way. Also, using Weem's numbered progression I have myself to about 4.</p><p> </p><p>Except for #2, drawing the continent. I fiddled around a bit with Gimp on this one. I think a good size/shape for what I'm working on is Australia. Lots of diversity in landscape, but not large enough where I'll overwhelm myself right away. I'm just working out how to transfer that onto paper (or into pixels).</p><p> </p><p>I've also been thinking a lot about absolute truth vs perceived truth. For example, if I were setting a game in the real world, as DM I would know the absolute truth about where the Pyramids came from. I would know that aliens taught humans how to build them as immense tombs for their haughty egos. Would the PC's know that? Only if the campaign touched on it. . .and if I am building top down, the campaign might never actually encounter this 'Truth'.</p><p> </p><p>So, I have the kernel of an idea, but as I develop how that will impact a gaming group, and the world they inhabit, I wonder how much of that I should make public. I don't want to lay bare the secrets of the world, but I want to make my homebrew interesting and I am legitimately proud of some of the ideas I've had. Where do you draw the line between in character and out of character knowledge, and how much behind-the-curtain stuff to the players know?</p><p> </p><p>As a general idea, I want to make a post apocalyptic kind of setting, but the apocalypse is magical, not technical. The world the PC's start in used to be part of an immense network of worlds linked by portals. In the few thousand years since the network went down, this world has descended into a kind of dark ages, and is only now surging out of it. Recent discoveries hint at a grand past, and the party is privy to some world shattering information.</p><p> </p><p>I'd like the game to just be an over the top, world romping ride. The first few levels might be establishing the setting, but after that it would be an excuse to portal to strange and exotic locales on different worlds and planes. Star Trek/Stargate adventure a week episodes and an overarching plot are my goals.</p><p> </p><p>So you see, *I* may know the true nature of their world, and the players will go in knowing the above (since I would plan on dropping that bomb early on, this allows them to bring thematically appropriate characters), but there are loads of surprises I'd love to spring that are directly tied to the world and the timeline.</p><p> </p><p>Do you segregate your knowledge into an 'obvious' pile and a 'secret' pile? How does that effect your development of the world?</p><p> </p><p>Jay</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Turtlejay, post: 5100023, member: 70267"] These replies are great. I had heard of the top down and bottom up approaches, and was pretty set on top down, since I do have the time to do it that way. Also, using Weem's numbered progression I have myself to about 4. Except for #2, drawing the continent. I fiddled around a bit with Gimp on this one. I think a good size/shape for what I'm working on is Australia. Lots of diversity in landscape, but not large enough where I'll overwhelm myself right away. I'm just working out how to transfer that onto paper (or into pixels). I've also been thinking a lot about absolute truth vs perceived truth. For example, if I were setting a game in the real world, as DM I would know the absolute truth about where the Pyramids came from. I would know that aliens taught humans how to build them as immense tombs for their haughty egos. Would the PC's know that? Only if the campaign touched on it. . .and if I am building top down, the campaign might never actually encounter this 'Truth'. So, I have the kernel of an idea, but as I develop how that will impact a gaming group, and the world they inhabit, I wonder how much of that I should make public. I don't want to lay bare the secrets of the world, but I want to make my homebrew interesting and I am legitimately proud of some of the ideas I've had. Where do you draw the line between in character and out of character knowledge, and how much behind-the-curtain stuff to the players know? As a general idea, I want to make a post apocalyptic kind of setting, but the apocalypse is magical, not technical. The world the PC's start in used to be part of an immense network of worlds linked by portals. In the few thousand years since the network went down, this world has descended into a kind of dark ages, and is only now surging out of it. Recent discoveries hint at a grand past, and the party is privy to some world shattering information. I'd like the game to just be an over the top, world romping ride. The first few levels might be establishing the setting, but after that it would be an excuse to portal to strange and exotic locales on different worlds and planes. Star Trek/Stargate adventure a week episodes and an overarching plot are my goals. So you see, *I* may know the true nature of their world, and the players will go in knowing the above (since I would plan on dropping that bomb early on, this allows them to bring thematically appropriate characters), but there are loads of surprises I'd love to spring that are directly tied to the world and the timeline. Do you segregate your knowledge into an 'obvious' pile and a 'secret' pile? How does that effect your development of the world? Jay [/QUOTE]
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