OutsidersEyes
Minstrel
This thread is a disorganized space for me to throw worldbuilding ideas to the wall to see what sticks, and I'll also post maps as I work on them. I don't have a specific question but feel free to critique or discuss anything here, feedback is always welcome.
Okay so here’s the basic idea of my world:
Okay so here’s the basic idea of my world:
- Overall steampunk/clockpunk with a magical element.
- Simultaneously ahead of and behind the real world in terms of technology. Consider the advanced tech of Star Wars but also what is basically magical sword fighting.
- This magic takes the place of electricity or works alongside it, powering the world. In any case, the internal combustion engine has not been invented. If the power replaces the need for electricity then it was also never explored.
- Magic used instead of electricity would lean more steam/clockpunk, alongside electricity would lean more teslapunk.
- I want to avoid ‘clones’ of existing cultures in the way that Westeros is a clone of England and so many steampunk settings are basically Victorian England. This will probably mean recombining existing cultures into new ones.
- Plastic was never invented. A small detail with huge implications and influence.
- Guns were also never invented, possibly because gunpowder was never invented. Weapons definitely exist though. The idea of electric/steam/magic spear guns and stun weapons are interesting.
- I have no idea how religion works in this setting
- I want to have animals similar to what we have, but also have dinosaurs or something similar exist.
- One reason that I want to worldbuild is to paint the settings. And one thing I really want to include is a desert setting. I don’t have much detail for that yet, just a town reasonably close to the river coming out of a rain shadow as per WASD20’s instructions.
- I want to avoid a stereotypical middle-eastern feel for the desert towns so they'll be based on something backwards like an adaptation of Norse architecture.
- That being said I really middle eastern architecture so that'll make an appearance somewhere.
- Another setting is a large city which is not in a desert. Only ideas there are 'avoid Victorian setting'.
- I’m interested in the idea of floating cities or even a floating continent, but I’m not sure how or if they would fit.
- Two aesthetics that I can’t get over are ‘Dishonored’ and ‘Final Fantasy’. So they’ll probably be in there somehow.