“Of course it’s a good idea!” – The Lord
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Creating a game requires a great deal of thought, effort, and detail-oriented thinking. I could go on and on about the different types of video games that can be dreamt up but you all likely are familiar with a vast majority. My group project for my Capstone is a Text-Based Adventure game, which provides a good deal of fun, but requires a creative and interesting take to pull in an audience. As the story-builder for our game, my role in the project requires such thinking and innovation.
What is World Building?
Simply put, what does it mean to create a world that a video game (or book, movie, etc.) exists in? Well, the beautiful thing about it being your (and/or your group’s) world is that it can really mean anything you’d like. The hardest part about world building, is keeping yourself focused on your story. How might you do that you ask? I’m glad you asked, here are some of my tips and tricks to do just that.
The Setting
There are many different tropes and genres that can chosen. The first question to ask is, what type of world is it? Is it High Fantasy? Science Fiction? Steampunk? All three or none at all? It all starts with what story you want to tell and how you envision its surroundings.
The Player’s Journey
Your second step is to determine where your story begins and where it ends. Having a rough map/outline can make it much easier to frame your story. It builds the foundation to have a cohesive story in a world that not only makes sense, but is immersive and enjoyable to build. After the start and end are established, come up with your major story points and milestones. Then after that, break it down further from each major story point, and so on. Before you know it, the map from Point A to B will have filled out and you will have a story that’s detailed, engaging, and most importantly, uniquely yours.
The Characters
The characters in the world can give it life and bring out the nuances throughout the story. Something as simple as a description, an accent, or even a quirk, can make characters and the world around them have greater meaning. NPCs (Non-player characters) in particular are great to have as a story telling device. Giving them all a bit of variety can continuously add depth and intricacies to your story. And characters don’t stop at just NPCs, different settings, and even buildings (think of the game Control).
Fill-In The Details.
With the above finished, your world and story is nearly complete. Now this is where the fun begins. Want to add a religion system? Have at thee! Want an NPC to have a dirty little secret that can lead to something down the road? Yes, please! How about a giant monster that roams the forest? Throw it in there! The possibilities here are endless and this is what truly makes the world feel so much bigger and gives players the ability to sink hours upon hours into it. Immersion lies with the details and the details are entirely up to you. Who knows what you could come up with, nothing is too outrageous, not even…a holy hand grenade.
