Pathfinder's world is going to be built up one adventure at a time, as the campaign calls for it. This is perhaps the best way to go about world building, as it produces the most organic type of setting; it's also made me realize that I've gone a bit overboard on trying to define everything in my homebrew, so I'm going to "soften up" the map some, and not worry about developing certain areas until an adventure or idea mandates it. (I'm even considering the possibility, depending on what Pathfinder is really like when it comes out, of actually merging Varisia and Saern, my homebrew).
However, one thing that occured to me was what to do about the less defined areas?
Does anyone just say to their players, "Oh, I really haven't worked on that area much"? Seems like it would be obvious to them, but actually coming out and stating it also seems like it would hurt their ability to attach to the world, understand it, and immerse in it.
Or, do most people just wing it, and if asked, report what few ideas you have, and if pressed further, just riff off ideas spontaneously?
Or does it almost never come up in the first place?
Pathfinder's world is going to be built up one adventure at a time, as the campaign calls for it. This is perhaps the best way to go about world building, as it produces the most organic type of setting; it's also made me realize that I've gone a bit overboard on trying to define everything in my homebrew, so I'm going to "soften up" the map some, and not worry about developing certain areas until an adventure or idea mandates it.
However, one thing that occured to me was what to do about the less defined areas?
Does anyone just say to their players, "Oh, I really haven't worked on that area much"? Seems like it would be obvious to them, but actually coming out and stating it also seems like it would hurt their ability to attach to the world, understand it, and immerse in it.
Or, do most people just wing it, and if asked, report what few ideas you have, and if pressed further, just riff off ideas spontaneously?
Or does it almost never come up in the first place?
My players have always been intent on fishing for what they're "suposed" to be doing in a given adventure. Rarely do they inquire into things I have yet to develop. When it does occur I just wing it and come up with details on the spot.
Actually several great adventure ideas were developed out of such spontaneity.
If your players are pushing particularly for a homeland for their own character, this can be a great opportunity to get them to do some of the work for you.
"Oh, you're from beyond the mountains, are you? What's it like over there?" ;)
-The Gneech
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I try to scale the amount of information inversely to the distance of the whatever to where the players are. That is, I don't ignore the issue of what's on the far side of the ocean, but "wilderness" or "Chinese-esque civilization of brick-red-skinned non-humans" is about as much information as I usually have. This changes, of course, if there is a major plotline involving the brick-red-skinned non-humans (BRSNHs).
What I don't need to know is how the household guard of the emperor of the BRSNHs is armed and organized. (Even though TO&Es are really interesting to me. 8-)
That said, I find it useful to have some free-floating details around and available for immediate insertion when desirable. I have lists of character names and capsule descriptions, lists of town names, and lists of business names. When I need to make something up, out come the correct lists. Then, instead of "Bob, the barkeeper at the Steak and Ale; he's, umm, jolly and stout", it's more like, "He introduces himself as Horst Schwarz, owner and proprietor of the Fowled Dragon near Petershof. He's a smallish man, and thinner than the usual innkeeper. At first glance, the scar that just misses his left eye makes him look sinister, but after you order the first round, he says, 'Tell me about your travels, the next round's on me.'"
In the lists, this would be a Tavern name (Fowled Dragon), a town name (Petershof), and a character name and description (Horst Schwartz, scarred face, genial). If it turns out that you like him as an NPC, you can continue to elaborate his character by bringing him back as a recurring character. If he's uninteresting, he's easy to drop.
The trick is to then note the decisions you've made by putting the town, tavern, and character into your regular map data (so they're there when the characters would next run across them) and delete them from the unassigned list. Every once in a while, add some more as the lists start to get short.
The result is that you don't do too much extra work detailing things the players will never see, but you don't spend too much time in Generic World (tm) either.