Genericize, please

[RPGnet Columns]

Post originally by Cerebus at 2004-10-14 20:25:53
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From the title I expected this would be a more generic column about how to design a world. If you're just putting your own world together that's great, but I'm not sure it's too useful for most readers. Can you at least explain the perceived advantages and disadvantages of each option?

That would probably make this series of articles far more useful. A simple vote of your friends doesn't tell anyone much, except that a majority (or plurality?) of them preferred one option over the others -- which is pretty much an issue of taste. If we can get an idea of the reasoning behind their decisions, though, and indications of when it might be better to make other choices, that should give us all more to think about.

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Post originally by Charlie Dunwoody at 2004-10-15 04:12:37
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I can do that. I have a lot of e-mails with a lot of theory and thought in them. As I mentioned in an earlier post, however, the first three columns are already written (rpg.net policy). The second column includes an e-mail discussion back and forth between myself and Ace. I think it may be what you are interested in reading.

We also had a long and, to me, interesting discussion about optional rules, rules outside the core books, and how to create secrets for a world. We came up with ideas on how to handle rules and secrets that I've never thought of that I believe would truly allow that world to be used and shared by multiple DMs. We talk about that in column four (January 2005).

This column is meant to be, hopefully, entertaining as well as providing some ideas for DMs. If the title mislead you, I apologize. This shared world building experiment is something I've wanted to do for a while, and rpg.net thought it sounded interesting enough to post.

I never had the intention to post world building advice, especially since Monte Cook is covering that in Dungeoncraft in Dungeon. In fact, earlier Dungeoncraft columns in Dragon presented a good format for world building for a DM.

I hope you'll read through a couple more columns before you decide if you find any value in reading Brave, New World. I think you'll find more discussion and theory as we continue to build the world.

Charlie

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Post originally by NotMousse at 2004-10-15 04:51:17
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The grand thing about RPG.net today is that as columns have been coming to an end it's caused a great big gap for columnists to fill. As such I'm sure you could retool your next two columns and resubmit them for posting in the coming months.

Granted it will not change any of the decisions already made by your network of GMs, as that would likely annoy your base of contributers, but it would improve the quality of your columns and give readers a chance to give feedback sooner than '05.

[RPGnet Columns]

Post originally by aeon at 2004-10-15 08:52:56
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Indeed, doable. The point of having 3 columns up front is not to freeze them in time, but to have a columnist prove that they're capable of writing 3 columns. I don't want to tell you how many people ask to write a monthly column, send one sample in, and then can't come up with anything else.

Feel free to revise and resend.


NotMousse wrote:
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The grand thing about RPG.net today is that as columns have been coming to an end it's caused a great big gap for columnists to fill. As such I'm sure you could retool your next two columns and resubmit them for posting in the coming months.

[RPGnet Columns]

Post originally by Charlie Dunwoody at 2004-10-15 11:14:13
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Thanks for the idea. And thanks aeon for working with me on a possible change.

We do have the basics of the world already in place, but we could use a few more ideas. I'll see about changing column two.

[RPGnet Columns]

Post originally by NotMousse at 2004-10-16 04:18:07
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Thanks for backing me up aeon. Would've been very uncomfortable had I shot my fat mouth off and been wrong.

BTW I'm in the middle of editing my third column to make it less... short. I'll be resubmitting early next week.