Another question, is the planet on an angled axis like Earth? This is what primarily constitutes for major weather patterns and changes, such as winter and summer, when the planet orbits the star. And could help determine other factors, such as storms, temperature, and precipitation.

Again, something that hasn't been settled on, though I planned for it kinda in the ocean currents map, with the north and south tropic lines wandering between the red and blue latitude lines. I don't know what angle that would tilt the axis, but I'm assuming its near Earth-like, for simplicities sake. The math will have to be done to see how much leeway I gave the map and if it was too much...

how will wars and border disputes be handled? Since there has been a country boom in the south i can see some conflicts arising.

We have a 'mechanics' discussion thread somewhere for things just like this. We haven't quite got everything figured out just yet.

I have a feeling that nations should be bigger, since you now see how much space there is left! Still curious if someone could make a winter map with frozen seas...

The nations are small to allow for other people to come in later. fmra drew up a territory map a while back, before everybody came in.

Ok, so I updated the territories map. Its just a model and remember you don't really have any control over a territory. It just gives examples of who you might know overland. Oceans create that opportunity in themselves (as long as your culture has boats and can sail) and are not marked. I gave the dead civs nada until they come back or are replaced. As far as a winter map... the maps on climate and weather should give you the idea about your local weather. Other than that, I'm not doing a winterized map. Oceans don't really freeze unless there's an ice age and in that case its really land glaciers meeting up and covering the ocean, not the ocean itself freezing. Anyway, it won't be getting that cold around here for a while... :)

Ok, first, this post is massive. Don't get discouraged if you just can't digest it all in one sitting. Second, All of this information I got through the worldbuilding workshop at http://imaginaryworlds.net, and has been boiled down drastically from his episode notes and reworded to apply to us. Its thirteen hours worth of shows and note stripped down as bare as is useful. That said, here are the bones and some comments to direct us (maybe) TONE: the emotional coloring of the world in general and your nation in specific. Tone is described by adjectives such as playful or solemn; humorous or solemn; light or dark, brooding; mocking or reverent; calm, bland, matter-of-fact or excited; sympathetic or critical; formal or informal; sarcastic; the list is endless. Example: The scenery in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is described as dark and gloomy. Plus, the house is portrayed in the same manner. I think this is a great idea if we're going to try to take this project further than just renting land space to concultures and dabbling in diplomacy. Finding out the mood of each culture and of Savukk in whole might be able to steer us toward what to do with it and help some of the mechanics emerge. Economy Stages in cultural evolution can be compared to Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs: Translating as (space age) informational society industrial society agricultural society hunting/gathering society each societal level built on fulfilling the needs at that level Each is built on the previous level and the collapse of lower levels will collapse those above. I think Savukk, in general, stands at the agricultural level, maybe bordering on industrial in a short time. Don't know, we shoud discuss. Worldbuilding Concepts Thematic subject: an abstract (idea, concept, something you can’t touch or see) word or a phrase that is the underlying meaning of a work; in other words, it’s what your world is about on a philosophical level. The subject is what the world or work develops or explores through its conflict. Usually, oppositional stances on a subject are developed to comment on differing aspects of the thematic subject. Examples of thematic subjects include: the nature of love, the reality of death, dangers of technology, the darkness of the human soul, the triumph of the human spirit, the power of faith, justice, revenge, violence (notice these are all one word or phrases). Theme: a theme is a complete statement about the thematic subject, and in some ways is similar to a thesis in that it is an opinionated stance on an issue, or a perspective on life or human nature. Sometimes a theme attempts to teach a lesson to us. Examples of themes: obssessive love often leads to self-destruction; violence is an irrational act that only leads to more violence; the power of a strong idea far outweighs the power of any weapon (these are all opinionatd claims about life, reality or human nature, that can explored, possibly proven or possibly countered by opposite viewpoints) Useful, like tone, but it can be boiled down to: how do you describe your nation in one sentence and what concept or idea does your nation embody? one aspect of the Tekann, for a relevant example, can be described as this: Tekann society illustrates the benefits and disadvantages of a culture trading in freedoms for innovation and wealth. There can be more than one, and this is only a sub-theme, but you kinda get the idea. It lays out what your plans are for how the nation will develop and interact with others. 3 laws of human nature: 1 – humans driven by resources relevant to them (economic resources) 2 – path of least resistance, people are lazy 3 – beliefs motivate people (least powerful) placing of people must be logical, no one will live where they have to work harder when they don’t have to what internal/external conflicts arise over land space and resources? “civilized” (large, rich, advanced) cultures develop around resources the art of writing develops after agriculture opens free time and introduces the need to people cultural diffusion: communication (ideas, technology) between peoples is easier east-west than north-south because climate isn’t as drastically different. Barriers (ocean, mountains, deserts) block idea trade Cultures able to trade ideas easily grow more rapidly Neighboring cultures will have some similarities and borrowed ideas (domesticated) Contradictions in the culture give depth. What are the stresses in your nation? What is important and what do they struggle with? Be careful with technology. Pick one piece and completely work on it. Extrapolate. Cultures change These are my notes taken at pain because none were posted to draw from. Hope they're legible. 1. Attitude Towards Age 2. Concept of Fate and Destiny 3. View of Human Nature 4. Attitude Towards Change 5. Attitude Towards Taking Risks 6. Concept of Suffering and Misfortune 7. Source of Self Esteem / Self Worth 8. Concept of Equality 9. Attitude Towards Formality 10. Degree of Realism 11. Attitude Towards Doing 12. View of the Natural World 13. Concept of Time Attitude Towards Age Americans do not really value age for two basic reasons: 1. Americans value accomplishments and getting things done. The older you are, the less you are perceived to be able to get things done. 2. Americans value “newness.” Older Americans are seen as not being “with it.” They may be less likely, and less eager, to adopt something new than younger generations. Concept of Fate and Destiny Americans don’t leave much up to Fate and Destiny. They believe in self-determination. You can do whatever you want to do with your life and, most importantly, you are the one in charge. If you don’t succeed, you have no one, and nothing, to blame but yourself. View of Human Nature Americans basically consider people to be trustworthy and good. Because of this, they are pretty friendly to strangers. They tend to look for the reasons why people go bad. Attitude Towards Change Americans love progress and are constantly seeking perfection. You can’t have either without change, so change is a good thing. Traditions have their place, but they should not be the ruling force. Attitude Towards Taking Risk One of the things that I took comfort in when starting my own business endeavors was the fact that many of the successful businessmen we know of today had their share of failures and disappointments. But that was ok. They simply learned from their mistakes and moved on. That exemplifies the American view towards taking risk. Failure is seen as a temporary setback. You will only improve your product via trial and error and if you don’t succeed at one endeavor, there are plenty of other opportunities just waiting to be tackled. Concept of Suffering and Misfortune If you are unhappy, it’s your own fault. You are the one in charge of your life and destiny, so find what it is that makes you happy and do it. Sources of Self Esteem/Self Worth In America, you are the maker of your own self worth instead of being born into it or being given it due to your position, rank, or age. You earn your own self esteem. Concept of Equality One of the things that the first settlers wanted to leave behind was the disabilitating class structure that was found in Europe. Because of this, American culture revolves around the notion of egalitarianism. Everyone is of equal value regardless of birth, power, fame, or wealth. Attitude Towards Formality Basically because of the concept that everyone is of equal value, Americans are usually pretty casual and informal when it comes to social and professional interactions. Americans don’t stand on ceremony and don’t really use titles or pay much attention to rank. Degree of Realism Americans are optimistic. One of the reasons could be the fact that they see themselves as being the ones in control. Americans tend to see things better than they are at times. Attitude Towards Doing Not only do you achieve because of what you do, but your survival is based on it. You can’t depend on others. Mere talk gets you nowhere and while the arts are nice, it’s the activities that lead to concrete results that are of the highest value. View of the Natural World There’s nothing unnatural about the natural world. It can be studied, predicted, and even manipulated and controlled. Concept of Time Americans view time exiting on a 365 day/year schedule, their days divided into twenty-four hours. They have a clear understanding of time as a mechanistic product of the planet’s orbit. And there is never enough time to accomplish everything one needs. The WHY: In considering why a culture values or devalues certain things, think about its GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY. For example, American culture is a result of its rebellious reaction to British, royalty, rule and values (HISTORY), as well as its vast amount of land and resources and isolation from other countries (GEOGRAPHY). Very interesting and maybe we should fill out forms to answer these points. Ok, if you burnt through that monster, take a break. The next is a list of excercises to work out details of your culture.

If you zipped here via most recent post, look up, there is more Some of these are just things to think about and maybe discuss. Others you might want to run off and try. Its mixed nuts that I didn’t sort, so peruse as you wish. 1. What are the musical themes of this world and its characters? What would the soundtrack contain? What instruments would best illustrate the tone of the world? Create a soundtrack that inspires the emotions of the Story World. 2. What is the core feeling or emotion of the setting? 3. What is the worldview presented by your nation and all the players in general? 4. What kinds of major conflicts will the nation face? How difficult are the levels of major conflict? Are the conflicts beatable (as in high fantasy) or impossibly dire (as in Lovecraftian horror)? 6. In what camp will the conflicts be based: physical, emotional, political and social threats, psychological threats, spiritual threats? 7. If this project was captured in a piece of artwork, what would it look like: color, texture, oils, watercolors, figures, subject…? If this world was captured as a movie, what would the first five minutes look like? 8. What is the fundamental philosophy of life adopted by the nation? What is the overall purpose of creating an effect? What emotion or series of emotions do you want to evoke in the audience, players, reader as they experience the world and its conflicts? 9. Create a chapter of a design bible for the world that contains colors, textures, images, lyrics and collections of written imagery and poetry that capture the emotional content of the culture. 10. Create a piece of artwork that clearly establishes the tone of the game(your nation or Savukk). Compose an instrumental piece of music that establishes the tone. Write the beginning of a short story 11. Where and when is this taking place? 12. Is it a world with conflict? 13. Look at the economy of your world and the challenges that will face the heroes in that world. 14. Pick a core thematic subject; you can go with a universal thematic subject such as: life and death, love, violence, chaos, hate, betrayal; or, you can explore a genre-specific thematic subject such as: the dangers of technology, the industry of war, the struggle for identity, or redemption. 15. Your thematic subject will suggest the types of characters that will be focused on in your culture 16. A World Premise will involve Multi-plot possibilities; in other words, the premise will suggest possibilities and potential for multiple characters (historic figures and people of note) with contrasting and dynamic points-of-view and courses of action centered around the central thematic subjects of the premise (the world should allow for opposing, complementary and varying points of view). 17. In interactive, collaborative storytelling, you want to define the action, the goals of the player, something that can be understood as a physical action; involve verbs (your actions) into the descriptions; most of these adventures should involve external conflict to drive the core movement of the story 18. When you have a thematic subject that makes sense, that can be supported with evidence from the story, try developing opposing philosophies that relate to your subject. See if you can create a system of characters that all react in different and oppositional ways to the thematic subject. 19. Pick one technology your culture possesses and talk about every way you can think of that it has changed your culture (iron, plumbing, cars, computers, tv) 20. Imagine an average citizen of your nation. What is he wearing, what tools does he have, what is he eating, where/how is he living (dwelling). Now trace each of those back to their raw states. Where did the fibers and dyes for his clothes come from? What are his tools made of and how were the materials processed to make the tool and by whom? Where did he get his meal, who grew/hunted it? How did he pay for these things? What does he live in and who built it and from what? Whew. Hope it inspires…

Awesome! I'll have to read through that several times to get it down.

1. What are the musical themes of this world and its characters? What would the soundtrack contain? What instruments would best illustrate the tone of the world? Create a soundtrack that inspires the emotions of the Story World. Ok, I gave this one a shot, but my selections are qualified and the music is esoteric enough that it may be an exercise in futility to share. Regretfully, its ecclectic enough to not have all of the examples that I wanted. Before the list, I wanted to answer some of the questions above. The tone I wanted to place over Skjeimitekann is a mixture of feelings. In the natural areas, there is mostly a peaceful feeling, though it depends on where one is. As you move more and more into civilization, there is a rising undercurrent of tension, though this might be masked at times by pastoral tranquility, industrious optimism, or the arrogance of wealth. Two songs have been dedicated solely to the ruling structure of the Tekann; the clergy and the military. For each I wanted to portray the burdening anxiety their presence places on the culture while also giving them their own voice. In this case, the clergy is somewhat self aggrandizing, while the military lurks and sneaks through the underground (secret police style). Near the end, I placed two more songs that would best describe the event of war, though the scale need not be that big, and its lingering moods. Finally, I chose this band's adaptations of music because the instrumentation lay in the lower end of the musical scale. The cello and double bass both stress the low level, obfuscated tension, while the violin provides a masking agent to help everyone go about their lives in ignorant bliss. NOTE: (Do not think of the lyrics or pay attention to the videos, just listen to the emotion of the music). 1) Dawn Over Skjeimitekann as played by String Quartet Tribute to A Perfect Circle - 3 Libras music only, ignore the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4PdQplQHtg 2)The Kxakla Desert as played by String Quartet Tribute to Pink Floyd - Money 3) The Grasslands as played by String Quartet Tribute to Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge music only, ignore the video http://youtube.com/watch?v=YYt74uH-vo8 4) Mountains of the Valley as played by String Quartet Tribute to Coldplay - Clocks music only, ignore the video http://youtube.com/watch?v=yPyte5Vw_TU 5) Through the Patu'e (jungle) as played by String Quartet Tribute to Evanescence - Tourniquet 6) Coastal Mangroves as played by String Quartet Tribute to Korn - Freak on a Leash music only, ignore the video http://youtube.com/watch?v=M8DsM2LN9Lg 7) The Heathen Tribes as played by String Quartet Tribute to Incubus - Drive 8 ) Life on the Farm as played by String Quartet Tribute to Nirvana - Come As You Are music only, ignore the video http://youtube.com/watch?v=PbtinRTX38Y 9) City Movements as played by String Quartet Tribute to Dashboard Confessional - Bend and Not Break 10) The Capital as played by String Quartet Tribute to Fallout Boy - Dance, Dance music only, ignore the video http://youtube.com/watch?v=sCUxUQCrdrw 11) The Church of Akjunn as played by String Quartet Tribute to Rolling Stones - Paint it Black 12) Generals and Soldiers as played by String Quartet Tribute to White Stripes - Seven Nation Army music only, ignore the video http://youtube.com/watch?v=LUio2SDnuB8 13) The Tekann go to War as played by String Quartet Tribute to Marilyn Manson - Beautiful People 14) Aftermath... as played by String Quartet Tribute to Tool - Parabol music only, ignore the video http://youtube.com/watch?v=gMRW7zw2RJ0 15) Night falls Over The Tekann as played by String Quartet Tribute to Nirvana - All Apologies

For me, I think this one song captures the entire feel of Raitolia. Sunset over the Gulf as composed and played by Dimrain47 http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/40434