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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 8387781" data-attributes="member: 6677017">I like things to both be:A) ConsistentandB) ExpandableThe way I do this is by creating content skeletons. 1) I have a history of the world that goes back over 80,000 years. It can be printed on a single page. The history (and prehistory) is divided into 5 ages, and the ages are divided into times (a total of 16). There are dates (or approximate dates) and notes on the general themes and event age transition events. I also have some notes on what groups of creatures (First, Elder, Younger) are present, common, or ascendant at various times as well as some notes on religion, and tie-ins to my astronomy stuff I did.2) I have a world map that is a giant disc (both interesting and easier to map than a globe) about 64,000 miles across. The basic outlines of continents and oceans are drawn, as well as broad notes on which cultures live in various areas (no borders, just names in a few places). The map is also labeled with letters and numbers on the edges, so it can be divided up into 3,000 mile squares with notations like "K12".3) I created a variety of other information with plenty of generalities and few concrete specifics:-Human ethnic groups-Overview of how the various subraces of the other PHB races are represented in the world-General write ups of each deity in the the human pantheon, similar to something in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (the standard D&D pantheons for elves and dwarves and such are also present)-Some basic cultural premises, such as the political prominence of the Bardic College-The role of certain classes and subclasses in the world-A bunch of astronomy stuff (because I was really interested in doing that at some point)And with that overview, I have the skeleton I need to set any games I want into the world. When I need a region, I can just pick an unused map grid coordinate, and then pick a coordinate within the two smaller sub grids, and make a map that looks like it would fit there. I don't have to make any maps unless and until I need them. I can also set the game in any time period I want (in fact, prior to the start of the current campaign, I ran a theme adventure in the Time of Dragons in the Age of Legends, 60k+ years before the "present", and another one 50ish years before the current campaign start) and already have sufficient context to expand it if needed. I know when the the major empires of history were in broad strokes. I know the last empire (the Iteran Empire) had 5 great member (or successor) kingdoms, because I made a note of that at some point, but I have zero information (not even names or locations) on 4 of them, because I've only used one of them. Because my map is so big, I don't need to worry about drawing boundaries for where the Iteran Empire used to be unless a particular boundary is relevant.Most people seem to think there are only two ways to do design. Either you draw a village and a dungeon and wing it from there, building everything around the PCs and their actions, or you try to be Tolkien and create languages and genealogies of ruling lineages for thousands of years. That's ridiculous.It's a false choice for DMs to be given the impression that they must either go the route of full improv (or collaborative world-building) or start a meaningless fools quest. By creating a skeleton for time, space, and culture, you have all the room you need to zoom in, fill in details, or expand outward while maintaining consistency by having general starting background from which to start your improvisation.Another unstated communication barrier which I think is hidden just beyond the surface of these discussions and needs to be brought to awareness is the nature of games that are being run. In particular, whether a world is being created as a temporary backdrop for a modern 6 month to 2 year campaign with a certain group of players, or being created for a lifelong persistent world where dozens of family and friends can theoretically experience a variety of adventures in. In the case of the former, of course you wouldn't want to put too much work in to start, because you'd be unlikely to get your time's worth out of it in play. In the latter, consistency and other issues of depth can greatly benefit by some more work upfront to set the stage for a lasting creation. It doesn't have a thing to do with whether it's a novel or an RPG when it's about exploring a world.</blockquote>

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