Co-creation of a world

So I've been thinking bout AD&D for the last few months and trying to sort out my own homemade campaign world, when it occurs to me, why don't people co-create worlds for campaigns? I mean, the world really takes life when players are in it, fleshing out the NPCs and events, but .. wouldn't a "pre-game" collaborative event with other DM's be more constructive? Has anyone here ever sat down and bounced ideas off another DM for creating a world? Maybe a great, new, interesting campaign world could arise from collaborative creation.

I like that idea, so one can be open to other possibilities

I just use Earth, it is 25OCT866 in my world and I just insert all of the magic and non-humans. Face it there is no way to create something as complex and chaotic as we already live in. I give them news and info from the wider world, they are currently heavily involved with the edge of the Holy roman Empire* where it abuts with the Kievan Russians and the Byzantine Empire, they have not travelled to the West, there I have my own creations. * Probably the remnants of the Carolingian at this point, actually.

I have thoughts that make sense to me but could be argued against so always nice to consider a co-op world, setting don't matter much, more like home-brew rules and nuances is more like what puff is saying I think?

I'm creating an open end sandbox world. There's several plot points and situations going down all over the small corner of the world where the PCs would be starting out in. The world will be changing around them, regardless of what they do. They can spend all their time hunting owlbears or trying to help People A or People B or trying to destroy People C ... irregardless my goal is to create a fictional world that transpires somewhat realistically. I have a few modules I've read up on from Dungeon Magazine that I weaved into my story line, and I borrow some ideas from real life/fiction for NPCs and plot points. Maybe I'll make this world more concrete then bounce it off you Chad. Or just RP a character through it ! Warning though, 3d6 x6 is all you get !!! As for history, i was a history major in college. Then I became an adult vs. reality... You should be RPing for the same reasons most of us are - to escape! **spoiler alert, tsunami in 869 !!

I'm currently doing this on FB we almost have a whole campaign setting down :)

Fb is the devil

yep I use it to aggravate people lol

I give out bonus experience to players that contribute to the world. Interesting NPCs, organizations, gods, etc all give xp.

Puff, are  you still working on the collaborative world?  I did this with a friend of mine who was just a PC for quite a while.  I had a section of an entire world that I was using, but there was a large amount of area that was only framed -not fleshed out.  He took another section and generally used the "frame" to construct his own section of the world.  Then he ran a campaign that I played in and I continued the one he played in.  There were some overlaps between our adventures even.  I still have other sections of my world framed out and they have played roles in the politics of the world and major events from abroad do come up in my main areas, but there has been no real fleshing out of the remaining frameworks.  Like you wrote, it is open world and players can do what they like (I petition the group for what "flavor" of adventuring they are interested in), but the world does its thing.  If they are level 3 and want to wander around the dragon lands, good luck, dragons aren't suddenly all babies they have a chance of defeating! ;)

Interesting concept is to take earth and then throw spanner in the works. Hollow Earth / Dimensional Rift or something with other creatures/races coming to earth and magic also becoming active. Can make a sci-fi/fantasy or fantasy setting depending on when event happens.  And although it is earth things will be different because of the event.  Suddenly the witches are real witches with real powers :D And the Devil is real :D

AquaAlex said: Interesting concept is to take earth and then throw spanner in the works. Hollow Earth / Dimensional Rift or something with other creatures/races coming to earth and magic also becoming active. Can make a sci-fi/fantasy or fantasy setting depending on when event happens.  And although it is earth things will be different because of the event.  Suddenly the witches are real witches with real powers :D And the Devil is real :D I like this twist.  My friend/first campaign world DM used this idea, but put it far into the future post apocolyptic/post GammaWorld, which added an interesting blend of possibilities in adventuring.

yeah it is awesome and you mix some reality with it so it is almost the world the players knows but not exactly

Hi Karl, I am still interested in collaborating with other DMs to share ideas and critique worlds. I have a lot to say about it but would rather create (or join, if one exists) a group of DMs who have their own take on worlds and piecing it together.  Maybe even open up a room on roll20.net during the week to talk about campaigning tricks, backstories, maps, scripts you're using the game, etc for an hour or more.   If anyone else has a similar interest, please let me know. About me and my goals: I'm planning on running a game this winter at my cousins' house, so I'm rekindling interest in RPGs. I believe a good DM should build on his or her weaknesses.   I had a couple campaigns on roll20 and the last one ended because I failed to engage the players, I suppose.  Only one player really put in the effort, and some put in no effort at all. I'm still not sure how much I'm to blame - it's impossible to generate intrigue when a player shows up 90 minutes into a session... From AD&D I have found the World Builders guide and reference handbooks (catacombs, villians, and creative campaigning) to be very helpful - as well as Dragon Magazine.

Yes, per the other thread we're running, that sounds like a winner!  Do you want to create a room or should I?  I understand the frustration of not inconsistency.  It is a game, in the end, but so much "work" goes into it on the DM side and it's not something the players really understand.  I have created many adventures that end up not being used because enough people begged out and it just got shelved- even short story arcs completed (as much as they ever are complete) that haven't been used. Love Dragon Magazine!!!  Many of the supplements are quite handy.  Nothing you can't imagine on your own, but sometimes the thought just hasn't hit you yet.

Send me a link if you set up an AD&D DMing Thinktank

Karl, you should create the group and I will help you as much as I can. I'm not sure how selective we will be on letting people join, but it should be a factor. Luckily, people's bio's have stats on them and maybe that can be a starting point. Looking forward to nerdin' it up with you folks!

Good job, DM's! Now that this is rolling, you guys please start the new Game and transfer the continuing discussion to the new Game's forum, to keep the message-traffic on the Tavern forum manageable for the membership here. As the founder of the 2E Tavern, I'm quite happy to see yet another campaign idea sprout out of Tavern meet-ups and participants. Karl , I would say, go ahead and start a new Game as you and Puff have talked about here. Feel free to advertise it or share the LFG or Join link here, as you like, or simply ask people from here to send you a message if they want to get involved going forward. Since this is well underway now, with ongoing discussion, I would ask if you can please do most of the planning-discussion going forward on your own campaign page or private messages. Since every message posted here in the Tavern thread is sent as a Notification to the full membership (200 Players), I would like to keep the discussion trim here to save everyone from deleting a lot of Notifications, and ask you guys to move the detailed discussion to a new Game with its own forum for your ideas, to advance your idea and share in world-creation. Thanks everyone, thanks Puff for starting this idea some time ago & following up at this season. Note: I will not be closing your thread here. You can still talk here. This is permitted. Just keep in mind the Notifications to everyone and shift discussion to private-messages or your own game-forum when you are able.

I made a group for this. PM me for a link if you are a DM looking to brainstorm with other DMs about world/campaign/idea creation.

Thanks Gold and also OSC. I'll be hitting you up since you already have a site!