Roleplay Terraining

Greetings everyone! This is my first post here although I do stop by to read some things from time to time.

Anyhow, I'm a fairly experienced terrainer (and roleplayer - I did some brief work on DoBRP and other things back in the day) and I'm currently working on a new RP map project of mine.

The thing that peeves me most about most (all) roleplay maps is the terrains, but that's primarily because I share a different philosophy behind designing them than what I guess is the "norm".

Roleplay terrains are to me very unconventional. The problem is that in a roleplay map you're already giving the players the tools to design and create as they please. However, you must find a happy medium between how much you make "pre-created" and how much you leave to the hands of the players. Some don't want to spend too much time having to build up, while others believe too much pre-made stuff will hinder their ideas.

You're basically creating a frame for them- but that isn't to say there isn't opportunity for you to be creative either.

If it were entirely up to me, the terrain would be almost completely in the hands of the players in-game. There would be only a generic base environment, with no indoor or unit selection areas. To me, these areas are only taking up space in an already limited area. There would also be no pre-generated "castle", "graveyard", or "cityscape" areas (unless that was the theme of the map). They seem out of place and silly whenever they're not utilized, and they're all things that can't be reverted but can be created manually. This would be the optimal terrain for creative roleplayers.

That said, I proposed this idea back during the DoBRP era and it was rather unpopular; so it most likely won't be the direction I take with my new RP map. People like their unit selection and indoor rooms I guess.

What do you think? How much of your ideal RP map is pre-generated terrain and how much is not?

Depends how lazy you are.

I agree that freedom is essential, though pre-generated places are very usefull when it comes to chain-roleplays. You only have to change a little bit and you can start. Leaving more time to roleplay and people that have only 3 houres can also do more then to wait for everyone to finish.

I think my ideal rp map would not contain any pregenerated places, however it would need places that are flat so you can build fortresses, towns and other things. On these places it would also not be smart to place doodads other then rocks(Rocks almoste always fit in).

Lol i wanted to say that

Originally Posted by Anarki

Depends how lazy you are.

you see there are people who dont want to bicker (or however its spelled) with terrain cuz their too lazy like me.

I say, don't make maps with too many cliffs! And make small things like rocks and flowers removable.

I too am an experienced terrainer, and I hate to see how terrible RP terrains can be.

Hello there, Gleeful, welcome to the Hive Workshop. If you want to introduce yourself to the community, do so in our Introduction Forum.

What I think what should happen is:

Every RP franchise must have a poll about which terrainsection is being RPed.
So like in Castle A there a lot of RPs. But in Castle B, rarely any RPs.

So that means you can get rid off B and plant maybe a forest there. Simple.

Hmm, i do have to agree that alot of premade stuff can constrict you, and i would like to see some stuff removed.
On the otherhand, youd need to make like a Graveyard builder, a Castlebuilder, etc etc.
Although im not that great of a terrainer, i learn everynow and then. I think that RARP Empires has a real nice open castle, just a basic outter wall(custom wall), with towers, and a nice castle gate. The inside is real open, so the player can do pretty much anything he wants.