Worldbuilding: Looking for samples

[davout1805]

Hello,

I'd like to use Universalis to create my campaign setting. I'm looking for any demos, samples, game logs, etc of game sessions of Universalis used for setting creation. Does anyone know where there might be some?


I did come across http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=9538.0 which was interesting but pretty much just listed the established tenets without the game play.

Thanks.

[Valamir]

I don't know of any resources that exactly fit the bill.  But tell us more what you're looking to do, and I'll see if I have some suggestions or tips you might find valuable.

[davout1805]

I don't know of any resources that exactly fit the bill.  But tell us more what you're looking to do, and I'll see if I have some suggestions or tips you might find valuable.

Thank you for the reply. As I stated I want to create a campaign setting. I've played around with Dawn of Worlds (http://www.gnomestew.com/tools-for-gms/collaborative-world-building-dawn-of-worlds). However, I found it a little too rules light leaving many things up in the air.

One of the things I want to do is create three (or more) "eras" of history: ancient, distant, recent.  In each successive era, there would generally be more "events", the time between events would generally be shorter, and each event would be more detailed. I'm not sure how this would integrate with scenes. How would I translate an event that transpired in a scene to a date within the time line?

I envision a player taking a character/civilization/nation and describe what is going on, and other players can interrupt and inject a complication and etc. Any ideas on how to get the feel for the different era into play? Each player gets more coins for each successive era?

However, one thing to note is that the ancient (or pre-ancient) era would most likely be when deities and other power beings would be created - powerful meaning more traits, meaning higher coin cost. In the ancient era, grant each player with coins that can only be used for these traits on these types of components? 

This brings up a similar issue regarding nations. I don't necessarily want nations to be easily removed at a drop of the hat. So having each region or city of the nation be a trait sound reasonable?

Thanks.

[Valamir]

I would plan on making each era a completely seperate game.  I'd play them on seperate days so that the distance of time clouds your player's memories a bit making the past details a liittle bit fuzzy.

I'd make the things you're talking about part of the tenets and gimmicks of each era...like "every player must create a diety, when they do, all players must contribute 3 Coins each to the diety which can be defined later but contribute to Importance now"

You might try a gimmick to split the kinds of scenes you do.  You might have "history scenes" and "legendary scenes'.  You might have a gimmick where you have to alternate types of scenes.  In the Ancient era each historical scene has to be 100 years in the future.  In the distant era 10.  in the recent era 1.  In the history scenes you play nations and gods and armies and world leaders who serve as proxies for nations and armies.  In the legendary scenes you play people.  Individuals somehow tied to the historical scene.  Maybe directly, maybe just dust in the wind types but these are the stories that come down through the ages.  The tale of "Adrianna and the tin cup seller".  "How Lord Gravis lost his fear"  that sort of thing.

One thing to keep in mind though.  Universalis is a game that starts from a point and then just explodes in crazy random and often initially incoherent ways.  The more you go into it with an idea of what you want your campaign setting to be like the more disappointed with the results you're likely to be.  Use Tenets to hit some of the key points like "no elves" or "all magic comes from spirits of the dead" or whatever.  But try to avoid having a target end result that you're shooting for.


Any of that sound like heading in a direction you like?

[davout1805]

Any of that sound like heading in a direction you like?

Yes thank you very much. I'll give it a shot.