TRANSMISSION #11 //BUILDING BETTER WORLDS

One of the things I have greatly enjoyed working in video games was the process of creating an original world.  Along with the obvious visual building blocks and level design elements there is always a part that gets a charge in me; RULES OF THE FICTION.

How does a character function in this world day to day – and why?  Does exposure to a raging sun mean instant death?  Is the daily routine of hunting the apocalyptic wasteland for gas and hanging out with your dog fun?  What’s it like for a young girl to live in a modern day oppressive society based off an Aztec Empire that never died (I’m sure a few of you know exactly what cancelled video game I’m talking about…)?

At Planet Fiction we spend A LOT of time crafting our universes and concerning ourselves with details that the READER WATCHER PLAYER may never know – but will experience.  I’ve found that a well thought out fictional universe allows the narrative to unfold at a natural pace.  Your real life surroundings influence you in ways that most of the time you’re oblivious to – so why not the same for fictional surroundings?

A prime example of all this is our latest project THE LEGEND OF TY.  It’s not enough for us to fill our environments with knights and pirates and castles and monsters.  We’re also creating a widely practiced religion that revolves around six goddesses, a form of the internet that runs on magic and a history that is both complex and mysterious allowing for numerous future plot points to rise up and viciously slap our heroes about the neck and face.

Another big part of this process is the sketching out of maps.  I’ve mentioned this before, it comes from years of drawing DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS levels in math class (and history, biology, home economics, English, sex education class).

Then there’s the names.  Love creating these.  Here are some of our most recent:

VANORA: A kingdom high in the mountains where structures are built into sheer rock faces and everything is steep (reminds me of growing up in the Kootenays).

DEPTH’S DEEP: Small fishing town where a Cthulhu like evil lurks (very much like Deep Cove – where our studio is located – on a good day).

RAZ KASAR: Bustling port where massive canals criss-cross the city’s streets and titanic ships travel back and forth endlessly (traffic accidents are EPIC).

EL CORAZON: Desert city where cattle barons and guitar-slinging banditos need to be dealt with daily.  We love a good western in a big way and wanted to mix it into the fantasy genre because…it’d be cool.

Anyways, building a better world is a challenging and lengthy undertaking that often rewards not only the READER WATCHER PLAYER – but the writer as well.

END TRANSMISSION

–        SEAN