World Design

[MethidParadox]

I am hoping that this thread will help me to learn some stuff about what is important when designing maps and worlds...

What kind of things make you recognize a certain place? What defines the style and feeling of a place? What details are important to you and what things do you not care about?

Personally, I think color has a lot to do with the feeling. This is one thing that Fallout did rather well, by making the tone and the damage of the world represent the feeling of those that were in that world.

Also, many people say that the isometric view is very important. Which I would agree to becuase of what you can and cannot see in an isometric viewpoint.

please discuss

 

[SimpleMinded]

Hrm... I have a book by orson scott card on designing worlds in science fiction and fantasy settings, maybe I'll pull it out later and see what he says for ya.

Personally, the thing that makes them most memorable to me is the things that bring the area alive. Like not the location, but the events, the people. Think Junktown from fallout. I couldn't tell you at all what it looked like, but I remember the clash between good and evil as the casino guy tried to extort the town into becoming his own. Or how the boneyard people were being exploited by their guards and the other group had to come and help free them.

So I don't know, it's not really the location's that are memorable by the way they're designed but by the forces that guide them.