Inside Scoop page 1

HINTS FOR NEW PLANET DESIGNERS

by Jezz

In a previous article, I talked about writing locations and using the map to stimulate the imagination of your visitors. This week I want to talk about some of the fun things that players have done with their planet directions without the use of events. If you're an experienced planet designer then obviously this article isn't for you. It's for people who are just starting out on that path.

Some things just have to be done with events, and currently that means writing in to Feedback with a description of what you want to happen on your planet so that Hazed can let you know how many slithies it will cost and write it for you. One example is the tarot card reading on Arcana Major, another would be the special menu or the coin on Pantheon. But there are many planet owners who have used the compass directions plus the ups, downs, ins and outs to make their planets more fun or more interesting than a two dimensional space without the use of events.

The non-compass point directions can be used in all sorts of ways. You may have a water planet where you have to get IN the diving bell and hit the DOWN button. Perhaps you need explorers to read a book. Florin has quite a few books. Locations can be used just like pages as visitors become engrossed IN the book and read the next chapter or take their noses OUT of the book and continue on their way. Sanitaria and Narcissus both have "programs" that you can enroll IN before being whisked off on a work detail or some other unpleasant duty. You could write in a computer terminal or something similar that tells you to "press the down button for more information or press up to return to the top of the page."

If you've explored Ritual, you'll know that you have to get IN the flitter to take a ride across to the other island. The flitter is written into the description so people have to read to realize that there is somewhere to go from there. Once inside you can head south and when you get OUT of the flitter you're on the other island. The trip back works the same way except that when you get IN this time you're actually stepping into a different location from the first, one that is pointing you northwards, so that when you get OUT of the flitter this time you're back on the first island. That is one extremely simple way to create an effect without an event. Lots of planets have very useful trains and shuttles that will take you to a different part of the map with an in/out. The planet writers managed to write the method of transportation into the descriptions very effectively, and that's really the trick to doing this well. Make your in/out or up/down logical within the context of the room descriptions. For instance, if your visitors are walking along a country lane with fields on either side and a clear blue sky above, it's not logical to expect them to go up or in unless you write in a large oak tree to climb or some sort of structure to explore.

Now, if you look around the Fed Galaxy you'll find examples of all kinds of creative effects. When you visit Castle Lab in the Ardeliu system, the lab is written as if it's part of the planet Carpathia. The descriptions tell you that you've landed and have left your ship. Then you do some walking before you are asked to "board" the tram. It's a fun effect that uses the space map as part of the planet. The only piece that doesn't quite fit is the automated message one gets when boarding, but I still think the way the locations are arranged is very creative and a great example of thinking outside the box. There are also planets that use the planet map as if it were space. The explorers can dock with a space station before being shuttled down to the planet. That's a nice effect but it's even better it the explorer knows why they have to dock with the space station. Maybe it's a water planet with nowhere for a regular shuttle to land. Perhaps it's a natural beauty spot or the planetary authorities don't like the noise of shuttle engines. Writing up an outline and then building on your planet story before you start to write locations will help you decide how to move people around the map in an interesting way.

Quite a few planets use locations that are separated from others on the map and yet have multiple exits. It's up to the visitor to work out which of those exits is the right one. Sludge, in the Java system has a puzzle set up where the right combination of moves is needed to successfully complete the test. One wrong move and you end up in the hospital having blown the facility to smithereens. Syrin was a good example of players having to make a series of choices in the right order to make landfall without being dragged to a watery grave by mermaids. Pantheon has similar locations that will send you back to the start if you pick the wrong way, but there is a clue in the description to help you find your way. Some kind of clue might be important if you don't want players to become frustrated as they explore.

There is something else you can use to relay information to your visitors without writing it into the room description... the no-exit messages. How about a no-exit message that says "Luckily the safety rail stops you from falling, but as you lean over the rail you can see a (clue to something else that is on the planet) that you couldn't see before"? No-exit messages can be very creatively applied all over your planet. Ainokea exchange is a favorite of mine when it comes to hilarious use of no-exit messages but they can convey anything you want. Moving the wrong way could make you bump into someone who tells you something about the planet or the owner. The possibilities are endless.

If you're starting to design your first planet, one of the best things you can do is get out there and explore others. Try going in the wrong direction and see how the designers used the no-exit messages. Try solving some player written puzzles. You'll get an idea of the various ways the map directions can be used and how to effectively write your descriptions. Then adapt what you find to fit with your own ideas. Ask the owners if you aren't sure how a particular effect works. If you do find that you really need an event written for you, don't be afraid to ask about it. It might not be as expensive as you think.

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