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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7404659" data-attributes="member: 6785785">Just to clarify on some of the definitions that were posted earlier, here are links for a couple of the sites so people can read the entire entries. I've also quoted some bits that I think support a more broad definition of worldbuilding. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldbuilding" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldbuilding</a>Here's the opening quote, expanded a bit from what was posted earlier (bolded emphasis mine):"Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a whole fictional universe.[1] The resulting world may be called a constructed world. Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task for many science fiction or fantasy writers.[2] Worldbuilding often involves the creation of maps, a backstory, and people for the world. Constructed worlds can enrich the backstory and history of fictional works, and it is not uncommon for authors to revise their constructed worlds while completing its associated work. Constructed worlds can be created for personal amusement and mental exercise, or for specific creative endeavors such as novels, video games, or role-playing games."<a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WorldBuilding" target="_blank">http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WorldBuilding</a>"Worldbuilding has two separate meanings:   1) The creation of a Fantasy World Map, history, geography, ecology, mythology, several different cultures in detail, and usually a set of "ground rules", metaphysical or otherwise. Sometimes, such worlds will have a Creation Myth that's either hinted at or told in more detailed fashion. This kind of worldbuilding can go to the extreme of working out entire constructed languages. Authors typically revise constructed worlds to complete a single work in a series.   2) The work that goes into deciding the details of a setting. It's very difficult to write a story that contains absolutely no imaginary elements beyond what's described to the reader, so nearly every author worldbuilds a little bit. Some, however, go above and beyond the call of duty in that regard, in which case the sheer amount of detail not immediately relevant to the story at hand often serves as a major distinguishing point of their work. Extra worldbuilding that is only referred to obliquely is a Cryptic Background Reference. Over the course of a long running series or large persistent universe such as an MMORPG, these add up to form what is sometimes known as the "invisible book"- the portion of a story which becomes known over time without ever actually being directly described."So I don't think the definition as put forth by [MENTION=22779]Hussar[/MENTION] is as common as he wants it to be. I think the actual term is far broader. Now, that doesn't mean that I don't understand the gripe that Hussar and the OP and others who agree have with excessive worldbuilding done by a GM prior to play. I can understand that criticism, and I can agree that the GM is likely better served by spending that time on more relevant aspects of their game. But I think the real question is....where is that line? At what point is it too excessive? Sure, we can site The Silmarillion as being a bit much. The example of Village of Hommlett is a good one for the purposes of this discussion. But they also lean toward the extreme. What would be a more subtle example? Where do people draw that line? Obviously, some don't draw it at all....but I think most of us do at some point. Where?</blockquote>

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