Okay so I've used this article many times to try and set up the population of nations in my Krenna setting. Every time I've done this the populations were huge, and I was wondering if I was doing something wrong. Yet I'd talk to other GMs, compare to real world countries, and even have people double check my math everything looked right.
Then it clicked, non of my forgotten realm books, or my pathfinder books provide acreage for realms.
I'd always seen the scale on the maps, so I had a feel for how long it would take someone to get from one town to the next, but never bothered to consider just how small a lot of the FR and Golarion realms were.
Most of my realms were larger than modern day germany, most FR and G realms are lots smaller than that.
So what to do? Dividing up some realms makes since, and its definitely a tempting thing to do, but it would be one more aspect of how my setting was like every other setting. Some of my incomplete realms could easily be broken into complete realms and incomplete neighbours. It wouldn't reduce the amount of work that needs to be done, but it would mean some of it was ready for a stage I wasn't thinking about quite yet. However, one or two realms are far enough along that breaking them up would make more work.
My current choice? Break some up, keep some intact, but cheat just a little. I've been doing these huge realms as one realm for the math in the article, but I was already breaking several of those realms into duchies or counties, after the math. I think in at least one realm that's been bugging me I'll turn around and do the splitup before doing the math, just to see what I get.
Showing posts with label realm generation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label realm generation. Show all posts
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Realm Sheet, and Scribus
Well I've gotten some more done on the realm sheet. Finished a revamping of the cover art... and with the help of Scribus, I've started to take a second stab at a fillable version.
One thing: Adobe's Reader EULA, as read by the people who work on scribus, actually prevents the reverse engineering and implementing of savable form pdfs. So even with the new one I won't be making a savable version... because I a) can't afford a copy of Acrobat, and b) think very poorly of their heavy-handedness.
At first Scribus was really annoying, but now I'm getting the hang of it. Here's some things I've learned:
OOo Draw import is lacking: If you have text in a OOo Draw file you want to import, save it as a Draw 1.0 file first... You'll then have to do lots of cleaning up but it's a start.
Masterpages: These are really handy. For this project I made a cover, internal right, and internal left master page. That allowed me to set the background on each page (and the color on the covers) really easy...
Don't apply properties to multiple objects at the same time... It doesn't always work... especially pdf properties.
PDF Properties: Is Bookmark is your friend... Works way better than the bookmarks OOo draw's export generates.
You'll probably also need a few other pieces of software: It auto-loads gimp for picture editing, and there's a few pdf things it doesn't handle well yet, that can be done in the free version of foxit.
Anywho, I'm a long way from posting a fillable copy... and I'll have to wait a bit to post a new flat, however I expect to have something available end of next month (November)... and I'm gonna try and talk Paizo in to making it a free download on their site to.
One thing: Adobe's Reader EULA, as read by the people who work on scribus, actually prevents the reverse engineering and implementing of savable form pdfs. So even with the new one I won't be making a savable version... because I a) can't afford a copy of Acrobat, and b) think very poorly of their heavy-handedness.
At first Scribus was really annoying, but now I'm getting the hang of it. Here's some things I've learned:
OOo Draw import is lacking: If you have text in a OOo Draw file you want to import, save it as a Draw 1.0 file first... You'll then have to do lots of cleaning up but it's a start.
Masterpages: These are really handy. For this project I made a cover, internal right, and internal left master page. That allowed me to set the background on each page (and the color on the covers) really easy...
Don't apply properties to multiple objects at the same time... It doesn't always work... especially pdf properties.
PDF Properties: Is Bookmark is your friend... Works way better than the bookmarks OOo draw's export generates.
You'll probably also need a few other pieces of software: It auto-loads gimp for picture editing, and there's a few pdf things it doesn't handle well yet, that can be done in the free version of foxit.
Anywho, I'm a long way from posting a fillable copy... and I'll have to wait a bit to post a new flat, however I expect to have something available end of next month (November)... and I'm gonna try and talk Paizo in to making it a free download on their site to.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Realm Sheet Flat file
Okay, so I'm guessing I can afford 8 bucks a month... so I've grabbed me a Media Fire Premium account, and posted the First Flat Version there. It's the "Kingdomsheet" file. I was lazy and haven't renamed it from my original concept project. Anyway... its there now. So download it and tell me what you think!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Well...
Here goes I guess. I meant to start this on something I hosted myself, but when you're broke... you take what's out there.
Realm/Region Sheet:
When I find a way to also post files... I'm gonna start with the realm/region sheet I've been working on for a while now. I think the design is solid, but getting it into an easy to use editor is not going so well. PDFs with fillable forums are nice, until you need to insert images into the file. The original document (and odg) would be fine for anybody willing to a) use open office draw, and b)go through the slow and painful method of entering items as individual text blocks.
That however is not what I want. What I want is something somebody can easily put all the info into in simple ways, and I don't want the user to have to be on any particular kind of pc or use any specific software (beyond something that will open the file in the first place).
As for now all I have is an undecorated flat file for printing filling out by hand, and a partially editable file that you'd still have to print, or have a large amount of working knowledge and production oriented software.
Anywho Here's a list of sections it has so far:
Each entry (or sub entry) has a full page devoted to it unless otherwise mentioned. It's huge so far... but I don't think it's overly bulky... It's not designed for whipping out some quick little cookie cuter region in 45 minutes... It's designed for those people that want to take a few days building a "living breathing realm or area". I've tried to use it twice... and so far I like it. I may expand the map section beyond a single page... but I was kinda thinking that when you needed maps of sub-regions or cities or some such, you'd also need to build all the information this "sheet" is designed to cover for them too...
Other Stuff:
On a side note, the "edit Html" window for building posts here is worthless... because while it parses html tags... it assumes lots of things.
Realm/Region Sheet:
When I find a way to also post files... I'm gonna start with the realm/region sheet I've been working on for a while now. I think the design is solid, but getting it into an easy to use editor is not going so well. PDFs with fillable forums are nice, until you need to insert images into the file. The original document (and odg) would be fine for anybody willing to a) use open office draw, and b)go through the slow and painful method of entering items as individual text blocks.
That however is not what I want. What I want is something somebody can easily put all the info into in simple ways, and I don't want the user to have to be on any particular kind of pc or use any specific software (beyond something that will open the file in the first place).
As for now all I have is an undecorated flat file for printing filling out by hand, and a partially editable file that you'd still have to print, or have a large amount of working knowledge and production oriented software.
Anywho Here's a list of sections it has so far:
- Overview
- Cultural Points
- Calendar and Holidays
- Superstitions, Rituals, and Festivals
- Important Laws, and Enforcement
- Rumors, and Suspicions
- Money and Trade
- History(two pages)
- Settlement Patterns
- Regions/Provinces/States
- Major Cities and Towns By Population
- People and Influence
- Organizations by Power
- Government
- Military
- Organization of Influence (three pages)
- Other Major NPCs
- Map
Each entry (or sub entry) has a full page devoted to it unless otherwise mentioned. It's huge so far... but I don't think it's overly bulky... It's not designed for whipping out some quick little cookie cuter region in 45 minutes... It's designed for those people that want to take a few days building a "living breathing realm or area". I've tried to use it twice... and so far I like it. I may expand the map section beyond a single page... but I was kinda thinking that when you needed maps of sub-regions or cities or some such, you'd also need to build all the information this "sheet" is designed to cover for them too...
Other Stuff:
On a side note, the "edit Html" window for building posts here is worthless... because while it parses html tags... it assumes lots of things.
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