Lore Building

Currently I'm going through the long process of creating lore for a new forum pbp game. The thing I'm running against is the basis of a timeline of events. As most if not everything I do is still floating around in me head until I can type it out, what do you all typically do to help in getting things out there without frustrating yourselves or losing the ideas.

 

My answer for this is twofold. Firstly, if you're wondering about how to keep track of your ideas, my answer is simple: Keep a notebook! Mine is a weird and wonderful walkthrough of my brain and includes spider diagrammes, lists, random ideas and a few sketches when all else fails. Pretty much everything I write up into lore for my games, characters and even a few posts starts off in my notebook. I also use google docs and keep on my PC, laptop and phone. I sometimes use Dropbox as well for larger files and images. I've got a OneNote and OneDrive account as well but I've not really used them, to be honest. I'm sure these things are all pretty much the same, it's just a matter of what you find easiest to use.

After you've beaten your ideas into some sort of order or at least scribbled them down it's time to put them out there. For new sites I always (try) to start with what's absolutely necessary to get things going. As a new player joining the game what do you need to know?

I'd suggest keeping the integral reading to a minimum. If you're anything like me you'll have loads of additional ideas about the setting which might be fascinating but aren't actually required to understand the basics. You can always add that later. I love all the additional lore stuff that really adds colour to a setting, but when you're first starting out you don't really need it. What you do need is the stuff that relates to the mechanics of the game, the dos and don'ts of the setting/races etc. I'd try to stay focused on those to start with. Then add the rest as you go along and it crops up.

 

First of all, I create the lore as if it is a story book first. If you're creating a timeline the first thing I would do is jot notes down in no particular order. Write out what event caused what and why, and from there you can start creating a definitive timeline. Do so like preparing some sort of writing as opposed to just an RPG

 

Been writing the various need to know items down in scrivener. Lately I have been posting them in the site as well and hoping to have the full basics ready for full public consumption sometime in the next few months or early next year.

 

How are you getting on with Scrivenor? I've used it for writing fiction and building novel worlds before. But never for RPG, though I've always thought it should be a straight forward transition to make. I've often been tempted to give it a go.

Do you use any templates for your informationin Scrivenor? There are loads out there. I've collected quite a few over the years. I'd be happy to share if you're interested. Just PM me and I'll send them over/upload it to dropbox or something.

 

The process is pretty painless really. Simply copy/pasta from Scriv to the website is easy, I guess depending on the forum or site software would be an issue but using IPB the formatting is retained.

I haven't started with any templates just created folders for class, organizations, timelines and such and create the docs within those. Truthfully I just recently started using it and kicking myself in why I haven't been using it long ago. I would love to check out these templates :) The one thing that is making things easier is I also bought the iOS app so I could continue writing on the iPad and my phone and sync it easily through Dropbox.

 

I use a wiki for keeping track of everything. I like that it tracks the changes and edits I make, and that it's easily searchable. Also I love linking the various pages to each other.

 

Used a wiki in an older project I use to run and found it to be very valuable. Members enjoyed it as well with the autolinking into posts and such.