The majority of tabletop RPG and video game fantasy cultures are based somewhat off of real world cultures. There is nothing wrong with this, because a bit of familiarity makes it easier to relate to the fantasy world. There do have to be unique elements, however, or else what's the point of playing in this setting instead of playing in the real world with magic added in? Seeing as how my college major (computer science with game design) requires me to understand and utilize this distinction, as well as to write fairly quickly while doing many other tasks, I'm going to have a little experiment. Starting today, I'm going to something of a project on the subject lasting for the next three weeks.
The project is to create a group of regions of a new fantasy campaign setting based off of real world cultures. There will be 16 real world cultures used. For eight of them I'm writing with the aid of books, for the other 8 I will not use any resources. Each of these two groups contains 4 cultures I'm familiar with, and 4 I am not. Since cultures influence the cultures next to them, I am using cultures that are European or based heavily off of European settlers only. The cultures used are:
Cultures I am familiar with and using books:
Mexico
France
Russia
Canada
Cultures I am familiar with and not using books:
Australia
Italy
Scotland
Germany
Cultures I am not too familiar with and using books:
Sweden
Norway
Czech
Romania
Cultures I am not too familiar with and not using books:
Wales
Spain
Greece
New Zealand
The books used are all in the Culture Smart! series and published between 2005 and 2008. The books and Google Translate are the only resources permitted. This ends on November 12. I'm interested to see how much can get done in three weeks, as well as how much difference in work amount and quality there is between cultures I do and do not know and cultures where I did and not not use books. Materiel that I've written will be posted periodically, but not daily.
Since you are basing the world off real world cultures are you only using those cultures as they are (in the present tense) in these regions or possibly how they have been in the chosen regions dating to days before Rome and things in between?
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*Does a Arnold J. Rimmer Salute* Good luck to you.
Since you are basing the world off real world cultures are you only using those cultures as they are (in the present tense) in these regions or possibly how they have been in the chosen regions dating to days before Rome and things in between?
I'm not holding myself to either approach. I will pick a technology level (I'm not quite decided on one yet), then read the books (or do brainstorming for those cultures not allowing the use of books) and write what ideas pop into my head. Those ideas may reflect modern cultures, or they may reflect things I already knew about historical periods before I started this experiment. Most likely, it'll be a mix of both.
Some additional rules for this experiment:
The following books are permitted to use as much as desired:
Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design
The Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding
Eighth Day Genesis (A worldbuilding codex for writers and creatives)
Exploring Biological Anthropology: The Essentials, Second Edition
For purely technological subjects, geology, or physical geography, I may use what resources I want, but books should be turned to first. Favored resource is De Anza College Library, but San Jose Public Library and Santa Clara County Library can be used.
Any resource used should be recorded, so as to see how much research I had to do outside of cultural subjects.
Ireland is removed from the experiment and replaced with Mexico, for several reasons. The first is that I grew up heavily Irish, which cannot be said for the other countries being worked with. This gap in familiarity could mess things up. Mexico is still pretty familiar to me, but more in line with the other nations involved. The second is that Mexico has a nice mix of European and Indigenous that I think would be a good addition to the experiment. The third is that it brings the number of colonial cultures used to a comfortable 4. The fourth is I already have ideas relating to Mexico. The final one is that I have the feeling I'd end up adding a lot of Irish stuff in unconsciously when doing Scotland off the cuff, and I want to see if I do in fact create a mashup.
These are minor details thought up off the cuff while doing homework, but I like them:
There shall be a government agency or military unit that wears Dia de los Muertos inspired face paint, except when going incognito. This because of the Rule of Cool.
I shall turn Mexico into a fairly big wine drinking country. This shall not be difficult, as IRL Mexico probably would be a major wine drinking country if not for the 1699 prohibition on wine production in New Spain and the Mexican government's 40% wine tax. After all, Spain is a major wine country, producing wine was one of the first things the Spanish did after taking Mexico, and Mexico has regions whose terrain is highly conductive to growing grapes.