Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2016 18:51:02 GMT
This is a condensed version of the building guidelines according to the Wiki, for builders to use for reference when building content for Domdaria. The intent of these guidelines is to create a professional quality product. Please run through this as a checklist especially when finishing a complete zone.
The unabridged Building Guidelines can be found here: domdaria.gamepedia.com/Building_guidelines
Lore and the notes regarding races/cultures can be found here: domdaria.gamepedia.com/Lore
Overall Building Guidelines
- All spelling, grammar and vocabulary must be international standard English.
- Descriptions should be a light-read, short but sweet and meaningful, with occasional pieces of humor every-so-often.
- Avoid using "you" inall most cases.
- Refrain usually from forcing the reader's character to do, think or feel anything.
- Usually verbs should not be in names or descriptions.
- Each race/culture has notes in the Lore section, please refer to these when creating words from other languages, including names.
- Take care when adding to or referring to specific lore, referring to relevant builder notes.
- Game text should never be of a quality which would detract from the enjoyment of the Domdaria experience.
- Sprinkle in a bit of humor here-and-there, amidst the drama and horror.
- You may build a personal "scratch" zone to get the hang of building and to test out ideas.
- You may build personal items for your Game Master character.
- You may make personal NPCs for use a Game Master.
Zone Building Guidelines
- Maps should be of a similar quality to Afara's work, or a detailed draft to be drawn later.
- Files should be a .PNG at 96 dpi.
- Maps should "blend in" to the maps around it in most cases.
- Consider sending Afara a layered .PSD file.
- Be mindful of the creature / item spawns.
- Avoid using NE, SE, SW, NW for directions, but make sure to link those exits for appropriate vision.
Room Building Guidelines
- Room names should be capitalized like the title of a book, for the most part.
- Prepositions after a comma should be capitalized in the room name. "On the City Street, Near a Bakery"
- Use a dash in the room name of parts of a structure. "A Lavish Mansion - The Master Bedroom" if not "The Master Bedroom in a Lavish Mansion"
- Streets and Intersections should generally have room names of the street name to facilitate navigation.
- Avoid punctuation in room names, other than a comma or dash, except in special circumstances, such as a death trap!
- Be careful of accidentally creating a sequence in room names / descriptions; generally players may enter the room from anywhere.
- Refrain from describing people, animals, etc., in room text.
- Refrain from describing weather or time of day; it is always day at this time.
- Room descriptions should generally be one sentence long, sometimes two, and rarely three.
- Within the brief descriptions use room objects to add layers of depth to the room.
- Use the movement flags on rooms to simulate difficult terrain.
- Take care when designing appropriate traps; death traps should be extremely rare.
Non-Playable Character Building Guidelines
- Be mindful of capitalizing names -- stick to lower case when in doubt.
- Keep individually named characters the minority; those intended to be hunted should usually have a generic name.
- Descriptions should be 1 sentence long, 2 very rarely, and 3 almost never.
- Describe clothes/items only if they will not be included as actual items.
- It's useful to put in a zone reference or "set" reference in the devname for an NPC if not in the display name. For example, "restless" is used for NPCs in the restless zones.
Item Building Guidelines
- Consider an item's rarity to dictate its uniqueness and power.
- Read and follow the item stat guidelines: domdaria.gamepedia.com/Item_stats
- Do not create ranged weapons at this time.
- Use discretion making quest item / keys too easy or too cryptic.
- Until there is a way to utilize keywords in a key, (for example all 'crowbar' named items can open a sealed door,) there is a set of tools (sic. keys) to be used across the world. 'Useful' is the adjective used to differentiate them. "useful iron shovel"
Quest Building Guidelines
- Consider if the quest should be accomplished solo or in a group, then plan and reward appropriately.
- Denote the zone the quest is found in by using a short string in the devname. "SWMP" for Liar's Swamp
- Otherwise denote the race/class or other distinguisher for the quest by using a short string in the devname. "G-TMP" for Templar Guild
- Avoid over rewarding, and under-rewarding.
- Consider the intended difficulty of the quest, design appropriate level hints or instruction on how to complete it.
- Consider the method of how the player will find the quest, plan and design appropriately.
- This:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=otAkP5VjIv8
and this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur6GQp5mCYs
The unabridged Building Guidelines can be found here: domdaria.gamepedia.com/Building_guidelines
Lore and the notes regarding races/cultures can be found here: domdaria.gamepedia.com/Lore
Overall Building Guidelines
- All spelling, grammar and vocabulary must be international standard English.
- Descriptions should be a light-read, short but sweet and meaningful, with occasional pieces of humor every-so-often.
- Avoid using "you" in
- Refrain usually from forcing the reader's character to do, think or feel anything.
- Usually verbs should not be in names or descriptions.
- Each race/culture has notes in the Lore section, please refer to these when creating words from other languages, including names.
- Take care when adding to or referring to specific lore, referring to relevant builder notes.
- Game text should never be of a quality which would detract from the enjoyment of the Domdaria experience.
- Sprinkle in a bit of humor here-and-there, amidst the drama and horror.
- You may build a personal "scratch" zone to get the hang of building and to test out ideas.
- You may build personal items for your Game Master character.
- You may make personal NPCs for use a Game Master.
Zone Building Guidelines
- Maps should be of a similar quality to Afara's work, or a detailed draft to be drawn later.
- Files should be a .PNG at 96 dpi.
- Maps should "blend in" to the maps around it in most cases.
- Consider sending Afara a layered .PSD file.
- Be mindful of the creature / item spawns.
- Avoid using NE, SE, SW, NW for directions, but make sure to link those exits for appropriate vision.
Room Building Guidelines
- Room names should be capitalized like the title of a book, for the most part.
- Prepositions after a comma should be capitalized in the room name. "On the City Street, Near a Bakery"
- Use a dash in the room name of parts of a structure. "A Lavish Mansion - The Master Bedroom" if not "The Master Bedroom in a Lavish Mansion"
- Streets and Intersections should generally have room names of the street name to facilitate navigation.
- Avoid punctuation in room names, other than a comma or dash, except in special circumstances, such as a death trap!
- Be careful of accidentally creating a sequence in room names / descriptions; generally players may enter the room from anywhere.
- Refrain from describing people, animals, etc., in room text.
- Refrain from describing weather or time of day; it is always day at this time.
- Room descriptions should generally be one sentence long, sometimes two, and rarely three.
- Within the brief descriptions use room objects to add layers of depth to the room.
- Use the movement flags on rooms to simulate difficult terrain.
- Take care when designing appropriate traps; death traps should be extremely rare.
Non-Playable Character Building Guidelines
- Be mindful of capitalizing names -- stick to lower case when in doubt.
- Keep individually named characters the minority; those intended to be hunted should usually have a generic name.
- Descriptions should be 1 sentence long, 2 very rarely, and 3 almost never.
- Describe clothes/items only if they will not be included as actual items.
- It's useful to put in a zone reference or "set" reference in the devname for an NPC if not in the display name. For example, "restless" is used for NPCs in the restless zones.
Item Building Guidelines
- Consider an item's rarity to dictate its uniqueness and power.
- Read and follow the item stat guidelines: domdaria.gamepedia.com/Item_stats
- Do not create ranged weapons at this time.
- Use discretion making quest item / keys too easy or too cryptic.
- Until there is a way to utilize keywords in a key, (for example all 'crowbar' named items can open a sealed door,) there is a set of tools (sic. keys) to be used across the world. 'Useful' is the adjective used to differentiate them. "useful iron shovel"
Quest Building Guidelines
- Consider if the quest should be accomplished solo or in a group, then plan and reward appropriately.
- Denote the zone the quest is found in by using a short string in the devname. "SWMP" for Liar's Swamp
- Otherwise denote the race/class or other distinguisher for the quest by using a short string in the devname. "G-TMP" for Templar Guild
- Avoid over rewarding, and under-rewarding.
- Consider the intended difficulty of the quest, design appropriate level hints or instruction on how to complete it.
- Consider the method of how the player will find the quest, plan and design appropriately.
- This:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=otAkP5VjIv8
and this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur6GQp5mCYs
