![]() It is based on the real world after all!ĭo fictional cultures need to represent real-world societies? Obviously this will require you to look at real world examples.Your world is a posteriori (low fantasy or somehow based on Earth).Although it should be noted that this is low realism, not utter nonsense, so eventually you will have to choose to make up stuff from scratch or look to real world examples. You don't really have to look to existing cultures to justify things because you chose not to.This is a LOT of research compared to the above. This requires you to educate yourself in social sciences like anthropology, dealing with highly abstract concepts and philosophies in the field, and lots of revision to keep internal consistency and realism. You build history and culture from scratch.The work is done for you and the only real burden of research is sifting through it all. After all, they are the best albeit the only examples you can look to. You follow the examples provided by cultures of Earth.You are going for high realism (things mostly follow the rules and patterns of our universe).Your world is a priori (high fantasy, set in another world).I would say in general, yes, it would pay off to research the cultures in the history of our world. Is there harm in simply taking aspects I’ve observed (this could also include location/person names), not attempting to represent any one culture, and putting them into my world in interesting combinations, without doing further research?ĭo you need to research real-world cultures to create a world with unique societies? I even feel as if a lack of research may help ensure that I don’t copy a culture. Why would I need to research Egypt in order to use the pyramid building design, as posts on this subreddit seem to suggest? (Sorry if that came off as mean or snarky I didn’t intend it as such.) However, I wouldn’t advertise my stories as representing those cultures (and thus run the risk of misrepresentation)-they would simply use some small things historians might recognize as belonging to those cultures. I’m feel as if I may inject small aspects of cultures I’ve studied. So I suppose what I’m asking is, do you need to research real-world cultures to create a world with unique societies? Can I just go in blind, not attempting to take off real-world cultures, adding in elements that interest me? I don’t want to have to research a ton of real-world nations-be them modern or medieval or in-between-in order to legitmize my own. I want to create a detailed world for my story, but don’t want to get bogged down in the world building process, and I want to denote more time to elements such as magic, religion, and geopolitics. So, there’s been a lot of talk in this subreddit concerning how and when you should take inspiration from real-world cultures-how to do this respectfully, how to meld cultures so as not to copy and paste an existing society, etc. ![]() We also encourage users to register an account. (#worldbuilding on :6667, or 6697 for SSL) Looking for more active discussion? We have live chat communities that are active just about 24/7! Make sure to read the chat rules first Discord Server Snoonet IRC Channel There is also a curated list of resources compiled via Discord. ![]() Remember to check out the wiki for lots of resources and tips on starting out! Unsure why context is important? Consider reading our Why Context? essay. Full Subreddit Rules Modmail ResourcesĮvery post needs context! Consider using our context template to get started. ![]() We have high standards for on-topicness, respect of other people and respect for creative effort. This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes. For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien, Le Guin and Howard, to the science-fiction universes of Burroughs, Delany and Asimov, and to the tabletop realm of Gygax, Barker and Greenwood, and beyond. ![]()
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