Methodology for effecient Sandbox creation?

[HellfireVanWinkle]

As someone who often has "Weird Ideas" such as a "Pseudo Western Campaign set in a Balkan inspired region" or a "City based campaign that blends both Noir and Swashbuckling" it is pretty rare for me to find a published module, sandbox or campaign that suits my peculiar taste. Which is why I often find myself having to write my own RPG settings, it's not exactly for the pleasure (although it's a nice writing exercice), it's pretty much a necessity because I'm not going to get something that 100% satisfies me unless I write it myself. To add more problems, I often favour sandbox campaigns other more linear ones, simply because I find them more interesting. To make it clear however, I am not one of those romantic "Worldbuilders" that write for hours on end, who have an entire history of their world starting from the paleolithic. I work a 9-5 Job to sustain myself, that added to all the other kinds of naughty word naughty word I have to take care of in order for my life to not get busted over, which means that I have very, very, VERY little time for writing ; because of all of this, when I write sandbox content for my RPGs, it has to be efficient, something that will actually be used during play.
I'm very sorry this this long introduction, but I really needed you to understand why I write RPG content, and how I write RPG content, in order for you to understand my request.
I'm looking for articles or books that tackle on the subject of writing and designing your own RPG sandbox, for playing purposes of course. But I don't simply want articles/books that teach how to make open world design, but articles/books that teach how to make open world design in the quickest, most effecient way; the way that requires the least amount of effort to generate the most amount of playable content. Do you happen to know of such books or articles?

 

[Fenris-77]

How to Make a Fantasy Sandbox is the best resource I've seen for designing sandboxes of any flavour. Rob really knows his stuff.

https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/470041/How-to-Make-a-Fantasy-Sandbox

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Not exactly what you’re describing, but mu best campaign ever was essentially a sandbox. But I didn’t design it from the ground up. It was a supers game run in HERO, but using the Space:1889 campaign setting.

But I didn’t simply use it as written. Instead, I added a bunch of thematically appropriate bits from literature, anime, comics, TV & film- enough to make it my own.

What made it truly sandboxy, though, was that the campaign had a built-in plot-dangler: the infra-agency newsletter for the organization the PCs were part of. It contained recaps of the previous session’s actions (if completed), as well as “news of the world”- events (adventure plot seeds) that the players might find interesting.

While there was an overarching campaign plotline, the players themselves essentially chose at least half of the adventures they went on, based on what was in the newsletter. If enough liked a particular blurb, I’d write it up as the next mission.

And a lot of the world’s news plot seeds came from PC backgrounds & roleplay, coupled with player speculation and table talk. In a very real sense, they helped make the setting work, because some of THEIR ideas about what was going on were better than mine.

So my personal sandbox secret was a combination of listening to my players and essentially having a good way to connect the them with their setting’s current events.

 

[GMMichael]

But I don't simply want articles/books that teach how to make open world design, but articles/books that teach how to make open world design in the quickest, most effecient way; the way that requires the least amount of effort to generate the most amount of playable content. Do you happen to know of such books or articles?

Besides using the donjon, I don't think that there is a quick, efficient way to design game worlds. "Anyone who says differently is selling something."

donjon; RPG Tools

A collection of random generators for Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games

donjon.bin.sh