Four Easy Steps To Omnipotence

By Drew Karpyshyn, Senior Writer for Mass Effect

Creating worlds is easy. Creating realistic, believable, interesting worlds is hard. Worlds - or kingdoms, or galaxies - are complex, intricate, and involved. They take time, effort, and dedication on the part of the creator. According to the bible our world took God six full days. Trust me, it'll take you longer. I know. I've been there.

World building is work. That's why I get paid when I do it. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's rewarding work. Fun, even. And I'm going to give you a few tips to help you along the way, so that the world you build is one worth spending time in.

1. Have A Theme

On some level you probably already know what you want your world to be: fantasy, science fiction, cyberpunk, western, historical recreation...quite likely a mix of this and that. But do you really understand what it is that sets your world apart? What makes the world interesting? I'm not talking about a marketing hook or a neat detail, like "everybody at birth is assigned a lifetime robot companion." I'm talking about the feel of the world. What kind of emotions and experiences take place in your world?

For example, Star Trek has a very different vibe than Bladerunner. Read one chapter from George Martin's Game of Thrones and you won't ever confuse it with Lord of the Rings. Some worlds are heroic, others are grim. Some are fun and whimsical, others are bleak and gritty. Some are driven by political intrigue and societal forces, others by the actions of remarkable individuals. Is there magic? Is it common or rare? Is there faster than light travel? How does it work?

Theme encompasses all these things and more: everything that colors a participant's impression of the world. So how do you come up with something so complex? You don't, not right away. First, you sit down and think of all the things you want to happen in your world. If it's for a role-playing game, what kind of adventures do you want people to take part in? If it's for a book, what kind of story are you going to tell? What do people do in your world that's interesting? What do YOU want to get out of your world?

Make a list of all the cool things you want to see or do in your world, then look over that list. You'll see patterns and similarities in many of the events on your list. Write these down. Learn them. Memorize them. These are the guiding principles of your world...this is the beginning of your theme. As you actually begin to build the world, always keep this list in mind. Add to it, change it, revise it as you make changes to the world and you'll see the evolution of your themes. By keeping in mind what you value as you design the world, you're more likely to end up with a world you value.

2. Be Internally Consistent

Obviously you want your world to make sense. But it's okay to bend the rules of our own reality, particularly if you're designing fantasy or science fiction. The key is to remain consistent in how you bend those rules. How does space travel work? Teleportation? FTL drives? Long, slow cyber sleep? What about magic? Can anyone use it, or only wizards? Are there limits or restrictions on what they can do?

Make a list, then stick to it. I'm not trying to tell you what rules you need to establish for your world. But I am saying those rules must remain consistent, and they can't conflict with one another.

3. Start Small

Don't set out to design an entire world in one fell swoop. Design one kingdom. Design one city in one kingdom. Get a handle on one small section of the world, then slowly add pieces to it. Each time you add a piece to your world, finish it off. Don't add a new alien race, get halfway through, then move on to something else. Finish what you started.

Your theme will help unify all these little bits as you add them, and internal consistency will guide you logically from one piece to the next. For example, if you start with a race of bloodthirsty werewolves you won't be inclined to put a smart-talking race of intelligent sheep beside them. The werewolves are grim and serious; the sheep are whimsical and humorous. Plus, they'd all get eaten.

4. Use Real World Examples

This is the big one; the time saving secret of all great world builders. Do some research before you start. Find something you think is cool about a real culture, group, or historical period and look into it. If the idea of samurai honor appeals to you, don't just slap a katana in everyone's hand and say they have honor. Find out why the samurai code of honor developed like it did. What were the cultural and political factors that conspired to bring it about? How was it enforced? How did it evolve?

I'm not saying you have to follow all the specific details you uncover in your research. (If you did you'd just end up with a bad copy of feudal Japan.) Once you understand how all the pieces fit together, you'll be able to change and modify them to suit your own world in ways that make sense, but still preserve the cool aspects that drew you to them in the first place. In other words, you'll maintain internal consistency while reinforcing your theme.

Plus, you'll usually find that your research will lead you to new ideas, which leads to more research, leading to more ideas, leading to more research.... Start small and let it grow into something big.

Okay, that's it. Four easy steps to creating your own world. Take them, mix them in with a lot of time and effort and, above all, have fun.

Related Links

• Mass Effect
• The World Regions of Jade Empire
• Developer Interview: Dan Whiteside & Cori May