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As anyone who has spoken to me for more than five minutes knows, last year Kirsten and I traveled to Istanbul for our 25th anniversary. Amazing trip. Let me tell you about Istanbul.
Istanbul has 39 Districts. The mayor is Mevlut Uysal. The city's area is Urban 1,539 km2 (594 sq mi), Metro 5,343 km2 (2,063 sq mi). The population is 14,804,116 as of 2016, with an average population density of 6,970/sq mi. The average annual income is $22,765 (US Dollars.)
That was informative and totally useless when it comes to describing what Istanbul was like to experience. It tells nothing about the crowded cobblestone streets of the Fatih District, or the magnificence of the Hagia Sofia and the Süleymaniye Camii. It doesn't give you the smell of the sea, or the taste of the food, or the alien sound of hearing the first call to prayer of your visit, which soon fades to a background noise, just part of the city.
The numbers don't do anything to truly immerse the reader in the Queen of Cities. So why do we, as the designers and writers of science-fiction role-playing games, spend so much time on these pointless details? As an old-school Traveller player (and one who also loved FGU's Space Opera as well) I've spent endless hours with a notepad and a scientific calculator calculating every detail of a world down to excruciating detail.
Details which almost never get used in play. Much in the same way that I never cared about the details of how Ataturk International worked, just that it was there and my flights landed and left without incident. A designer needs to focus on details that make the game move. The things that players will notice. The things that affect the game.
As an example, let's say I'm planning an adventure where the party gets wrapped up with a criminal group and ends up fleeing across a world that used to be a booming mining colony, but has gone bust. What do I need to know?
1. The basic nature of the world. Can the characters breathe unassisted? How hard is it to survive on the surface? Are there unusual threats that make this planet "sing"?
2. Who lives here? What are the people like? Are they gruff and suspicious of outsiders, or do they bring strangers in without question and offer food and shelter? What are the social codes that may not be apparent? To go back to Istanbul for a moment, we learned the hard way that you are supposed to sit in the front seat of the Taksi (Taxi); to do otherwise is an insult to the driver. Little errors like that can change attitudes quickly.
3. What's the local government and law like? Who is in charge at the level the characters will be acting? The style of government and the harshness of law don't necessarily correlate. A benevolent dictator loved by his people might have a very light police presence, whereas a republic might have an extensive secret police force. Think of Hoover's FBI in the 1950s.
4. What is the local sustainable level of technology? Go to Afghanistan and you'll see that everyone has cell phones, and pilfered US laptops are on sale in the souks. Afghanistan depends on imports and outside technicians to sustain their cell network and computers. So what can this world actually build, and what does it need to bring in? This can be a huge issue if something high-tech breaks.
5. What is the economic situation? Istanbul is a rich city, and it shows. Lots of new construction in the New City, lots of newer cars, full store shelves. Sail to Athens, and you see a very different picture. So how the world is doing is a big part of the picture. Is the local starport sprawling and busy at all hours, loading and unloading cargo shuttles? Or is it nearly deserted? If there is an interstellar currency, how much can it buy locally? A bad economy might also mean that there is a Doom Trade in people trying to emigrate, willing to spend anything to get out.
There, a five-paragraph essay that gives a useful guide to a planet. I tend to use bold face on important keywords that can really impact play, like "high gravity" or "many areas off-limits to heretics." Any of these sections can be expanded if needed.
The same system can be used on anything normally given over to gearheading. Starships, vehicles, big pieces of equipment, all can be described rather than designed down to the last decimal point. You can also use this to record details of recurring setting and characters. A favorite bar, the broker they use when in town, whatever.
Game Masters and designers unite! You have nothing to lose but your calculators!
Istanbul has 39 Districts. The mayor is Mevlut Uysal. The city's area is Urban 1,539 km2 (594 sq mi), Metro 5,343 km2 (2,063 sq mi). The population is 14,804,116 as of 2016, with an average population density of 6,970/sq mi. The average annual income is $22,765 (US Dollars.)
That was informative and totally useless when it comes to describing what Istanbul was like to experience. It tells nothing about the crowded cobblestone streets of the Fatih District, or the magnificence of the Hagia Sofia and the Süleymaniye Camii. It doesn't give you the smell of the sea, or the taste of the food, or the alien sound of hearing the first call to prayer of your visit, which soon fades to a background noise, just part of the city.
The numbers don't do anything to truly immerse the reader in the Queen of Cities. So why do we, as the designers and writers of science-fiction role-playing games, spend so much time on these pointless details? As an old-school Traveller player (and one who also loved FGU's Space Opera as well) I've spent endless hours with a notepad and a scientific calculator calculating every detail of a world down to excruciating detail.
Details which almost never get used in play. Much in the same way that I never cared about the details of how Ataturk International worked, just that it was there and my flights landed and left without incident. A designer needs to focus on details that make the game move. The things that players will notice. The things that affect the game.
As an example, let's say I'm planning an adventure where the party gets wrapped up with a criminal group and ends up fleeing across a world that used to be a booming mining colony, but has gone bust. What do I need to know?
1. The basic nature of the world. Can the characters breathe unassisted? How hard is it to survive on the surface? Are there unusual threats that make this planet "sing"?
2. Who lives here? What are the people like? Are they gruff and suspicious of outsiders, or do they bring strangers in without question and offer food and shelter? What are the social codes that may not be apparent? To go back to Istanbul for a moment, we learned the hard way that you are supposed to sit in the front seat of the Taksi (Taxi); to do otherwise is an insult to the driver. Little errors like that can change attitudes quickly.
3. What's the local government and law like? Who is in charge at the level the characters will be acting? The style of government and the harshness of law don't necessarily correlate. A benevolent dictator loved by his people might have a very light police presence, whereas a republic might have an extensive secret police force. Think of Hoover's FBI in the 1950s.
4. What is the local sustainable level of technology? Go to Afghanistan and you'll see that everyone has cell phones, and pilfered US laptops are on sale in the souks. Afghanistan depends on imports and outside technicians to sustain their cell network and computers. So what can this world actually build, and what does it need to bring in? This can be a huge issue if something high-tech breaks.
5. What is the economic situation? Istanbul is a rich city, and it shows. Lots of new construction in the New City, lots of newer cars, full store shelves. Sail to Athens, and you see a very different picture. So how the world is doing is a big part of the picture. Is the local starport sprawling and busy at all hours, loading and unloading cargo shuttles? Or is it nearly deserted? If there is an interstellar currency, how much can it buy locally? A bad economy might also mean that there is a Doom Trade in people trying to emigrate, willing to spend anything to get out.
There, a five-paragraph essay that gives a useful guide to a planet. I tend to use bold face on important keywords that can really impact play, like "high gravity" or "many areas off-limits to heretics." Any of these sections can be expanded if needed.
The same system can be used on anything normally given over to gearheading. Starships, vehicles, big pieces of equipment, all can be described rather than designed down to the last decimal point. You can also use this to record details of recurring setting and characters. A favorite bar, the broker they use when in town, whatever.
Game Masters and designers unite! You have nothing to lose but your calculators!
