I _really_ like this map. It actually not only shows good world building if it fits on your world, but it can be used to actively build events. A few points to consider: 1. The zones are dynamic, and change causes conflict. Conflict is adventure. Shifts in the zones, either from the zones moving or the people, especially the party, moving from one zone to the other, tend to be when adventures happen. There's a famous adventure called Keep on the Borderlands. I've never played it, but from what I understand it's about the players trying to establish a little piece of civilization on the edge of the wild frontier. Alternatively, the classic orc/undead horde that emerges from the wilderness, punches through the borderlands and strikes at civilization is movement in the opposite direction. 2. These zones work at multiple scales. If you make a map of a city state, you'll have the secure areas, like the city itself is blue, the trades people who nearby or in outlying villages are in the yellow, and the farmers outside the walls are red. Even a single city itself tends to work mapped out like this. The guard barracks and lord's manor are blue, you're safe there. The merchants quarter is yellow, it's patrolled, but there's thieves. The slums are red, the guards don't go there because even they get mugged. 3. These maps can represent things other than locations. You could overlay this sort of thing over a diagram showing political factions or a guild hierarchy. Your allies are blue, the impartial people are yellow, and your rival is red. They're likely to work against you, but you stand to gain a lot if you can make them your friend. 4. The zones are contextual. Consider how the city map changes if you're running a game about rival gangs duking it out against each other and the police. If you're part of the army here to overthrow the evil overlord, the danger and potential reward for acting within those zones is suddenly reversed from what you'd normally expect. As a DM, if I can remember these points this actually goes a long way to inspiring fun games. What zone shift does the party need to respond to, or what dangers happen because they are moving from one zone to another? You don't have to build a whole world for a party that's just delivering a message across town, but high level adventurers probably want to be doing stuff with high rewards. Make sure they have to go to the wilderness to get it. Politics can have just as terminal a result as fighting a dragon, and just as great rewards. Sometimes the risk of an area comes from the lack of stability and resources rather than an active foe trying to thwart you. Make the party defend a treasure instead of looting it. Have the dragon hire the party to go bring _it_ a treasure. Start the adventure with the party being branded as traitors and having to flee into the dangerous wildlands because that's the only place they can hide from a society that now wants them dead. I could say more, but this has already ballooned far beyond what is really reasonable for a TH-cam comment.
@@CowCommando a log of it is just logical extensions of points made in the video itself. Keep on the Borderlands is even actively mentioned as being, spoiler alert, in the borderlands lol. You're right, this map is a very good primer for considering interactions in your game setting on just about any scale. That's why seeing it prompted me to make an entire series of videos on world building philosophy.
@@drivinganddragons1818 Yeah, I knew they were just logical extensions. I figured I'd list them out for anyone watching your video who didn't think of them. I know I don't always think about things beyond what is directly presented, so I appreciate it when people help me see the next step and was trying to pay it forward. I'm sure there are other ideas that I didn't think of that someone else will see that I would love to have, and maybe my comment will encourage them to share those ideas with me. To clarify, my comment wasn't directed at you specifically as I tend to treat the comments section as a group discussion board rather than a letter to the editor. My post is meant to be a next step for anyone watching your video to help them see some additional ways to apply what you covered. I'm sorry if my original comment came off as a critique as I wasn't attempting to make it one. I've seen you get those with some regularity, so I should have tempered my excitement and taken more care for how my comment might be perceived.
The 280Z is a beautiful car. My first car was a 300zx Z32. I still have it to this day but it does need a lot of love and care. Also, very good insights with the map and world building. It's changing my mindset towards map design. I like the zones and thinking about what events will look like that change or push those lines.
@@Pantherrrr more than anything it's the difference between world building for story telling vs world building as an adventure writer. While this works for both, for GMs it helps determine the kinds of encounters and challenges players should find in an area as well as the resources they should have access too. That's awesome you still have that 300, I remember how the first 300ZXs felt almost like flying an 80s era sci-fi space fighter with the digital displays and angular dash design.
I _really_ like this map. It actually not only shows good world building if it fits on your world, but it can be used to actively build events. A few points to consider:
1. The zones are dynamic, and change causes conflict. Conflict is adventure.
Shifts in the zones, either from the zones moving or the people, especially the party, moving from one zone to the other, tend to be when adventures happen. There's a famous adventure called Keep on the Borderlands. I've never played it, but from what I understand it's about the players trying to establish a little piece of civilization on the edge of the wild frontier. Alternatively, the classic orc/undead horde that emerges from the wilderness, punches through the borderlands and strikes at civilization is movement in the opposite direction.
2. These zones work at multiple scales.
If you make a map of a city state, you'll have the secure areas, like the city itself is blue, the trades people who nearby or in outlying villages are in the yellow, and the farmers outside the walls are red. Even a single city itself tends to work mapped out like this. The guard barracks and lord's manor are blue, you're safe there. The merchants quarter is yellow, it's patrolled, but there's thieves. The slums are red, the guards don't go there because even they get mugged.
3. These maps can represent things other than locations.
You could overlay this sort of thing over a diagram showing political factions or a guild hierarchy. Your allies are blue, the impartial people are yellow, and your rival is red. They're likely to work against you, but you stand to gain a lot if you can make them your friend.
4. The zones are contextual.
Consider how the city map changes if you're running a game about rival gangs duking it out against each other and the police. If you're part of the army here to overthrow the evil overlord, the danger and potential reward for acting within those zones is suddenly reversed from what you'd normally expect.
As a DM, if I can remember these points this actually goes a long way to inspiring fun games. What zone shift does the party need to respond to, or what dangers happen because they are moving from one zone to another? You don't have to build a whole world for a party that's just delivering a message across town, but high level adventurers probably want to be doing stuff with high rewards. Make sure they have to go to the wilderness to get it. Politics can have just as terminal a result as fighting a dragon, and just as great rewards. Sometimes the risk of an area comes from the lack of stability and resources rather than an active foe trying to thwart you. Make the party defend a treasure instead of looting it. Have the dragon hire the party to go bring _it_ a treasure. Start the adventure with the party being branded as traitors and having to flee into the dangerous wildlands because that's the only place they can hide from a society that now wants them dead.
I could say more, but this has already ballooned far beyond what is really reasonable for a TH-cam comment.
@@CowCommando a log of it is just logical extensions of points made in the video itself. Keep on the Borderlands is even actively mentioned as being, spoiler alert, in the borderlands lol.
You're right, this map is a very good primer for considering interactions in your game setting on just about any scale. That's why seeing it prompted me to make an entire series of videos on world building philosophy.
@@drivinganddragons1818 Yeah, I knew they were just logical extensions. I figured I'd list them out for anyone watching your video who didn't think of them. I know I don't always think about things beyond what is directly presented, so I appreciate it when people help me see the next step and was trying to pay it forward. I'm sure there are other ideas that I didn't think of that someone else will see that I would love to have, and maybe my comment will encourage them to share those ideas with me.
To clarify, my comment wasn't directed at you specifically as I tend to treat the comments section as a group discussion board rather than a letter to the editor. My post is meant to be a next step for anyone watching your video to help them see some additional ways to apply what you covered. I'm sorry if my original comment came off as a critique as I wasn't attempting to make it one. I've seen you get those with some regularity, so I should have tempered my excitement and taken more care for how my comment might be perceived.
@@CowCommando that's how your comment was taken, these comments sections should be a discussion board where ideas are explored.
The 280Z is a beautiful car. My first car was a 300zx Z32. I still have it to this day but it does need a lot of love and care. Also, very good insights with the map and world building. It's changing my mindset towards map design. I like the zones and thinking about what events will look like that change or push those lines.
@@Pantherrrr more than anything it's the difference between world building for story telling vs world building as an adventure writer. While this works for both, for GMs it helps determine the kinds of encounters and challenges players should find in an area as well as the resources they should have access too.
That's awesome you still have that 300, I remember how the first 300ZXs felt almost like flying an 80s era sci-fi space fighter with the digital displays and angular dash design.
Nice, lots of food for thought!
@@johnmagowan6393 thanks
more videos like this one!!!!
@@TheOGGMsAdventures lol most of my videos are like this, but unfortunately drama and debate gets all the exposure.
3:09 The poster looks really great. Where does it come from?
@@T_U3721 I saw the graphic in a Facebook group
@@drivinganddragons1818 Could you tell me which one as I've tried searching for it on FB but to no avail. Thanks!
I'll do you one better. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxYnuF642YpOtF-MUV0QKPNbcptL7bm294?si=jXOjnKaoLwpthf-I
@@drivinganddragons1818 Awesome!!! 👍👍👍
🤘👍🏻
❤