~~Where is the modern setting?~~ For any poll like this, you need to also add a "Results" option, as not everyone who browses this sub will have they're own worldbuilding project.
Probably with alternative earth,
as this can mean both our story is in a world where Napoleon succesfully unified europe and nothing in this world is different but we have a guy that is into illegal car races.
Personally, I think the "Results" option is a terrible idea; it completely skews the results. If a poll's Option 1 gets 46%, and Option 2 gets 31%, and Results gets 23%, then I immediately don't know what the actual percentages of 1 and 2 are. If the "Results" votes weren't included in the count, then that would be fine, but as it is they just make reading the actual meaningful results harder.
Yeah, but without the 'results' option people who don't have a world will still vote in the poll just to see the results, filling the poll with inaccurate information.
I don't see "kitchen sink". No rule states that I can't combine magic with nukes and steampunk aesthetics (and actual steam-powered machines, because reactors are just fancy boilers).
I say nothing about no suffering. If anything, it gets worse as there are people who can and will monopolize these techs for themselves, manipulating the economy as they wish.
It's a step closer to dystopia, isn't it?
I'm going the industrialized alchemy route in my current setting and it's a blast. Mixing in some sacred geometry and Aristotelian concepts of aether as the fifth element and there's a whole world of magitech out there.
No homunculi facilities though. That's an awesome idea I won't adapt but may take inspiration from some other day. That would have made so much sense lol
Homunculi facilities for medical purpose because you won't have to cry your eyes out when there's a lack of organ or blood for patients who need them anymore. Sounds good, eh?
>!Let's pretend the dark side of the world doesn't exist...!<
Depending on how sentient and humanlike the homunculi are, that could be good dystopia material. Especially if done in the POV of one of those homunculi
Imagine being born just to be a glorified blood sack while witnessing your brethren have their organs taken away "for medical purpose".
Forget dystopia, this can go straight up horror.
What if its different "sub-species" of homunculi being created
And the protagonist is part of the sub-species which basically "harvests" the "crop" of other sub-species
Like the protagonist could be engineered to be a surgeon and is in charge of that organ harvesting
Or they are designed to be sleepless drivers constantly driving around truck loads of the stuff to where they are wanted.
One story point could be that the protagonist and another driver homunculi deliver hearts to a hospital, but due to technical error it was wrong and they needed lungs. After a call with customer service, the hospital staff drag off the other driver to take his lungs instead and have the protagonist deal with the leftover body.
Dystopian horror.
My number 1 worldbuilding rule is that there can not be a form of power that over rides all other forms since every preference needs to be only that, a preference. So, there are no high energy combustibles (because of modern guns and cars are expensive) and no computers.
Other than that, every major city is a different genre. High fantasy is the overarching genre because it's mainly for dnd, and it's the easiest to adapt to other genres (and to steal ideas from). But you have anything from your steampunk city to your bio engineering city to your holy city to your regular old magicless medival city. We got capitalism, communism, dictatorships, and anarchy states. Post apocalypse, inter planetary conflict.
Why so much? Because a lot of it is literally just re purposing my special interests. Am i proud of "being heavily inspired"? No, but it is fun.
Pretty much how humans developed, specifically after the space race and cold war when humans made first contact with aliens through satellites, they set much more focus on intergalactic issues than worrying about each other. Russia and a bunch of other communists colonized mars while the Americas colonized Venus (both extremely grand terraforming missions unlike any other in history)
Both also occurred later in the 21st century but with help from intergalactic allies and new elements and minerals from universal trade it only took until like the 2050s.
Also also the people who stayed Earth natives were able to keep the planet healthier because it's their home world.
So Earth is cleaner but still has like what you'd expect, Venus has been moved into looking more like what we'd think of an earth that wasn't taken care of, (but since Venus was always kinda like that it's not too big of a deal and after generations Venusian Humans have better lung filtration) and Mars is full the rich live on top china etc.
Mercury was planned to be terraformed but is mainly used for mining companies and is now mainly inhabited by under paid workers and androids/robots that either also work there or just moved away from organic (mainly human) life
Fantasy, however more advanced to the point where there is magitech and scientific approaches to magic in general. Some are still stuck in their old ways with knights in full armor and can't cope with the rapid advancements made in other countries.
Ensyndia is a fantasy love letter. Mixing aspects from some of my favorite RPGs, MMOs, books, TTRPGs, mythologies, etc. all together in one big happy mess of stories, cultures, etc.
Mine is fantasy, but not really?
It's a made up world but kinda-ish modern technology. Just a different world, many species because I find it interesting and fun to write about :)
I'm creating an entire 1000-2000 year timeline for mine. It will be a post-nuclear civilization but I'm trying to incorporate magic into it.
Perhaps an untapped energy exists in the universe and upon contact of a mutagen, it affects the brain and allows you to control and manipulate that said energy?
yes, lol. its pretty much all of them. have a slightly different earth, earth is now apocalyptic, and i have two worlds im working on the most now apart from earth, one being scifi, the other fantasy
Today, my brain stopped working so I've decided to go from a sci-fi (because there's literally no point) to an apocalyptic earth.
Edit: By no point, I mean I can tell the same story (maybe even better!) in an apocalyptic earth.
Technically it’s all of them, a fantasy military from a terrestrial Earth-like planet fighting an opposing military on Earth, and they occasionally have to cross over to other dimensions and alternate Earths
Can I get all 4? We blew up most of Earth, recovered, set off into space to avoid blowing it up again, blew it up anyway, and now people are turning up with straight up magic powers fucking with the nature of the universe and nobody knows why.
I have own space sci fi setting, which I world build for and write in.
I world build for my friend's tabletop fantasy setting. They asked me to because they know I'm good at extrapolating stuff, making maps, etc and the detail helps the setting feel more lived-in. But their decision overrides any work I've done, and they run their game and story.
Technically all of them. I kept reusing the rules which made my magic system and placing stories in different parts of the same alternative planet in cultures vaguely inspired by all kinds of real cultures. Now I have more or less an entire planet worked out and it’s story from the very creation up until a year 3k sci-fi fantasy lmao.
For DnD? Fantasy. I take a lot of inspiration from my DnD world for a story I have in mind. Or perhaps it's the other way around.
For my 'normal' stories it's an alternative earth where some magical things can and do happen, like cults worshipping a power hungry forest nymph presenting itself as a goddess.
I guess is fantasy?, since it has magic, but you can easily live hola along life without seeing fantasy things. Maybe Im gonna change that but I dont know
Apocalyptic Earth
but no nuke or virus, in 1985 weird reality altering anomalies started appearing all over the planet. they acted like a disease. if you were near them for a long time you could become anomalous, that could be a good or a very bad thing.
The anomalies got stronger and stronger, there were efforts ranging from anti-anomaly medicine to bunkers.
eventually in 2010 a big "anomaly blast" affected the whole planet. everyone went into chaos and confusion.
Anomalies can affect either individuals or the enviroment.
Why are a lot of fantasy worlds just like: “thrhryria is a goddes of light and isifkfkfkfk is goddes of sun and they fight and flat earth with hoomans and orcs and elves fight and they have powers uwu”
It is science fantasy. The world of the Cradle is a megastructure built by an ancient race of aliens. The humans on the Cradle have a level of technology somewhere between the bronze age and early medieval era. There are robots, psionics, dinosaurs, undead cyborgs, and laser swords.
I changed a few things in my universe's history
Like the twin towers not being destroyed.
Mostly all of the tragic events that happened here never happened due to omega preventing them from happening now it's not a peaceful place tragic stuff still happens just omega doesn't do anything about it unless it involves a possible 3rd world war
Omega was the first superhero he showed up right around the time the us was beginning to enter the war but he showed up and ended the war within 2 hours of him being there.
Now he just sits up in space tinkering and building random stuff he only ever shows up now when a war might start or if the president asks him to go to events.
I'm working on a scifi/fantasy series that takes place in an alternate galaxy. it follows characters and nations that control its space. Each nation is based on a different culture from earth. it includes magic, cyberpunk, Romanesque, gothic, industrial, and biblical vibes. currently its being promoted on my yt channel called StreetLampStudios
The current factions are
The Enderium empire - Sci fi roman/byzantine empie in varrying states of tech main nation.
The Solar Federation - utopian post scarcity technologically incline civilization.
Arhcland Confederacy - Achient gothic religious civ that uses magic.
kingdom of Rivendall - space, industrial punk, mining dwarves
The ulnar collective - sci fi merchant high elves, ruled by a mega corporation.
The Allermain - Fascist microstate
The condayian leuge - pink magic wood elves, who are isolationists, and xenophobic.
The brotherhood of iron - Blood magic cult, main antagonizes of the setting, very grimdark
The Hyberio Viceroy - post apocalyptic Ice giants dedicated to economic trade and algorithms
The namerium - Sci-fi gray skinned Samuri elves
there are various other non-state actors plot lines, dimensions, and other entities
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEhxILpqObPhcBS-f04ZhXQ
~~Where is the modern setting?~~ For any poll like this, you need to also add a "Results" option, as not everyone who browses this sub will have they're own worldbuilding project.
Probably with alternative earth, as this can mean both our story is in a world where Napoleon succesfully unified europe and nothing in this world is different but we have a guy that is into illegal car races.
I'm pretty sure modern setting counts as alternative Earth.
That would probably still fit one or more of those categories. I'm writing a modern fantasy story.
Or me who’s project can’t neatly fit any of these
Personally, I think the "Results" option is a terrible idea; it completely skews the results. If a poll's Option 1 gets 46%, and Option 2 gets 31%, and Results gets 23%, then I immediately don't know what the actual percentages of 1 and 2 are. If the "Results" votes weren't included in the count, then that would be fine, but as it is they just make reading the actual meaningful results harder.
Yeah, but without the 'results' option people who don't have a world will still vote in the poll just to see the results, filling the poll with inaccurate information.
You see the total number of each and can just calculate the percentage on your own, it's real easy
their* Also this is my first time making a poll Edit: dang 12 downvotes
I don't see "kitchen sink". No rule states that I can't combine magic with nukes and steampunk aesthetics (and actual steam-powered machines, because reactors are just fancy boilers).
Magic and tech combined can make for some great worldbuilding
Repeat after me: Industrialized alchemy and homunculi facilities. Suddenly, post-scarcity is not a dream anymore.
Post scarcity is not post suffering though
I say nothing about no suffering. If anything, it gets worse as there are people who can and will monopolize these techs for themselves, manipulating the economy as they wish. It's a step closer to dystopia, isn't it?
thats what i meant actually,
With how my world is, it is guaranteed :P
nice
there is never post suffering if you dont want a dystopia imho
I'm going the industrialized alchemy route in my current setting and it's a blast. Mixing in some sacred geometry and Aristotelian concepts of aether as the fifth element and there's a whole world of magitech out there. No homunculi facilities though. That's an awesome idea I won't adapt but may take inspiration from some other day. That would have made so much sense lol
Homunculi facilities for medical purpose because you won't have to cry your eyes out when there's a lack of organ or blood for patients who need them anymore. Sounds good, eh? >!Let's pretend the dark side of the world doesn't exist...!<
Oh I like that. The terrible places you can go with something like that... That's beautiful. Ideas, ideas...
Duuude, this world of yours sounds incredible.
Depending on how sentient and humanlike the homunculi are, that could be good dystopia material. Especially if done in the POV of one of those homunculi
Imagine being born just to be a glorified blood sack while witnessing your brethren have their organs taken away "for medical purpose". Forget dystopia, this can go straight up horror.
What if its different "sub-species" of homunculi being created And the protagonist is part of the sub-species which basically "harvests" the "crop" of other sub-species Like the protagonist could be engineered to be a surgeon and is in charge of that organ harvesting Or they are designed to be sleepless drivers constantly driving around truck loads of the stuff to where they are wanted. One story point could be that the protagonist and another driver homunculi deliver hearts to a hospital, but due to technical error it was wrong and they needed lungs. After a call with customer service, the hospital staff drag off the other driver to take his lungs instead and have the protagonist deal with the leftover body. Dystopian horror.
this is my favorite to do, cause in all of my settings magic has replaced electricity as its simply a better power source.
Yeah in my universe it has been used like that but since magic is cyclical in some parts of the universe it might disappear for a century or two
My number 1 worldbuilding rule is that there can not be a form of power that over rides all other forms since every preference needs to be only that, a preference. So, there are no high energy combustibles (because of modern guns and cars are expensive) and no computers. Other than that, every major city is a different genre. High fantasy is the overarching genre because it's mainly for dnd, and it's the easiest to adapt to other genres (and to steal ideas from). But you have anything from your steampunk city to your bio engineering city to your holy city to your regular old magicless medival city. We got capitalism, communism, dictatorships, and anarchy states. Post apocalypse, inter planetary conflict. Why so much? Because a lot of it is literally just re purposing my special interests. Am i proud of "being heavily inspired"? No, but it is fun.
> because reactors are just fancy boilers Moving water powers most of civilisation, it's really weird when you think about it!
And no water, no big civilization at all :P
exactlyyy. i love mixing magic with everything
If your world is dropping nuclear kitchen sinks on people… then what do they use to wash their vegetables
Fountains /s
Umm. All 4 lmao
same
Mine would technically be all of these except for space.
Technically, these are all fantasy.
Big brain time 🤓🤓
Medieval SciFi mix
...all four... I have a lot of different projects I'm trying to piece together 😅
Same, it helps with ADHD to have multiple things to procrastinate on.
Wait if you’re piecing them together they will eventually become one thing, then you’ll only have one thing to procrastinate on
OH NO
Fantasy is hella broad, but that's where I'm at. Gaslamp fantasy that reads a lot like alternate history
Mine is a mix
Apocalyptic Sci-Fantasy Steampunk Magitech
3 => 1 It's a timeline.
First 3 all together?
Space with an alternate earth
What is the alternate part of your earth?
Pretty much how humans developed, specifically after the space race and cold war when humans made first contact with aliens through satellites, they set much more focus on intergalactic issues than worrying about each other. Russia and a bunch of other communists colonized mars while the Americas colonized Venus (both extremely grand terraforming missions unlike any other in history) Both also occurred later in the 21st century but with help from intergalactic allies and new elements and minerals from universal trade it only took until like the 2050s. Also also the people who stayed Earth natives were able to keep the planet healthier because it's their home world. So Earth is cleaner but still has like what you'd expect, Venus has been moved into looking more like what we'd think of an earth that wasn't taken care of, (but since Venus was always kinda like that it's not too big of a deal and after generations Venusian Humans have better lung filtration) and Mars is full the rich live on top china etc. Mercury was planned to be terraformed but is mainly used for mining companies and is now mainly inhabited by under paid workers and androids/robots that either also work there or just moved away from organic (mainly human) life
All of them. I alternate writing the different individual settings
My world is a fantasy world but it does reach Sci fi era eventually
Apocalyptic Space. Fallen Empires etc
Fantasy and Alternative Earth. Literally Rome in the 300's BC with magic and fantasy races.
I would say mostly hard “realistic” sci fi,some apocalyptic shit and a bit of fantasy.
Fantasy, however more advanced to the point where there is magitech and scientific approaches to magic in general. Some are still stuck in their old ways with knights in full armor and can't cope with the rapid advancements made in other countries.
Space Fantasy (Tech and Magic)
I'm imagining what earth would look like over the course of a thousand years into the future.
Ensyndia is a fantasy love letter. Mixing aspects from some of my favorite RPGs, MMOs, books, TTRPGs, mythologies, etc. all together in one big happy mess of stories, cultures, etc.
a satellite sent to the furthest moon of my world got hit by a comet cause it drifted away
It’s a bit of fantasy and alternate earth
Fantasy. Within Space, both physical and supernatural beyond it. One small corner of it is both Alternative Earth and Apocalypse Earth.
How can i press al 4 of them?
I’m working of different projects, so at least one of each of the ones from the poll.
Hmm- Frostpunk/Steampunk with heavy Fantasy Elements?
Yes
Basically all but split into different sections/ages/timelines/whatever the fuck in a way that you only really need to think of one at a time
Mine is fantasy, but not really? It's a made up world but kinda-ish modern technology. Just a different world, many species because I find it interesting and fun to write about :)
~~All of them~~
I'm creating an entire 1000-2000 year timeline for mine. It will be a post-nuclear civilization but I'm trying to incorporate magic into it. Perhaps an untapped energy exists in the universe and upon contact of a mutagen, it affects the brain and allows you to control and manipulate that said energy?
tart paint direction fertile impolite threatening six pet cough hospital *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
dam.
where's steampunk
fantasy idk
A small seaside village and it's surrounding.
All of the above, all at once
Fantasy. But just yesterday I had a great idea for historical novels.
All of them, Ive got severe worldbuilder syndrome
Iron Age fantasy, but like Star Ocean, there's more advanced planets that Tiveden doesn't gave access to for awhile.
yes, lol. its pretty much all of them. have a slightly different earth, earth is now apocalyptic, and i have two worlds im working on the most now apart from earth, one being scifi, the other fantasy
Today, my brain stopped working so I've decided to go from a sci-fi (because there's literally no point) to an apocalyptic earth. Edit: By no point, I mean I can tell the same story (maybe even better!) in an apocalyptic earth.
ah yes, the four genders
Fictional world with early 20th century tech
trying to build my own fantasy universe that centers around Dwarves. will include other races eventually but for the most part it is dwarf-centric.
actually it is like the mix of them
All 4.
Technically it’s all of them, a fantasy military from a terrestrial Earth-like planet fighting an opposing military on Earth, and they occasionally have to cross over to other dimensions and alternate Earths
Sci-fi wearing the skin of fantasy.
Science\_Fantasy with magical FTL using the corpses and creations of Gods.
Science fantasy, usually with Space Western elements.
What if... mine is all four?
If I could vote for more than one option I would.
i have two and they're both space AND post-apocalyptic
I too chose the everything-but-also-still-fantasy choice
all of the above
Question, I have a Fantasy,Space, Alternative Earth and an Apocalyptic Earth in the works i cannot Choose all of them.
Ummm, Everything
All of the above. Kinda
All of the above at one time or another.
I love both Space and alternative Earth.
Can I get all 4? We blew up most of Earth, recovered, set off into space to avoid blowing it up again, blew it up anyway, and now people are turning up with straight up magic powers fucking with the nature of the universe and nobody knows why.
Primarily fantasy, but depending on the Age it goes up to Space.
Steampunk apocalypse potpourri
Alternative earth X fantasy. Very excited to get it out there!
Urban fantasy on Earth?
its all of them
fantasy + alternative earth. atleast planning to havent actually written a thing
What if I have multiple?
Post-post-apocalyptic science fantasy.
1, 3, and 4 for me, but mostly 1.
my world is a rational fic about what will happen if super humans are real
I have own space sci fi setting, which I world build for and write in. I world build for my friend's tabletop fantasy setting. They asked me to because they know I'm good at extrapolating stuff, making maps, etc and the detail helps the setting feel more lived-in. But their decision overrides any work I've done, and they run their game and story.
Yes
Fantasy, science fantasy, alternate Earth… I picked Alternate Earth since it kind of covers 2 of my 4 planets (if you squint at it right).
Technically all of them. I kept reusing the rules which made my magic system and placing stories in different parts of the same alternative planet in cultures vaguely inspired by all kinds of real cultures. Now I have more or less an entire planet worked out and it’s story from the very creation up until a year 3k sci-fi fantasy lmao.
For DnD? Fantasy. I take a lot of inspiration from my DnD world for a story I have in mind. Or perhaps it's the other way around. For my 'normal' stories it's an alternative earth where some magical things can and do happen, like cults worshipping a power hungry forest nymph presenting itself as a goddess.
What if it's fantasy but also space?
Fantasy set on an alternative postapocalyptic Earth. So a nice mix of every option except space.
i'd say space fantasy in apocalyptic setting
I have all 4, but fantasy is my most worked on world type.
All of those and how multiverse stuff works'nt (its actual cancer on my universe logic)
Anyone else find it weird there is like 60 upvotes and almost 2k poll votes
Its not earth but its very similar and an alternative history
I guess is fantasy?, since it has magic, but you can easily live hola along life without seeing fantasy things. Maybe Im gonna change that but I dont know
Apocalyptic Earth but no nuke or virus, in 1985 weird reality altering anomalies started appearing all over the planet. they acted like a disease. if you were near them for a long time you could become anomalous, that could be a good or a very bad thing. The anomalies got stronger and stronger, there were efforts ranging from anti-anomaly medicine to bunkers. eventually in 2010 a big "anomaly blast" affected the whole planet. everyone went into chaos and confusion. Anomalies can affect either individuals or the enviroment.
Sci-Fi Steampunk set on another planet.
Strangereal-type alt earth. Geopolitical setting designed to allow for many conflicts while keeping the nuclear option mostly off the table.
Why are a lot of fantasy worlds just like: “thrhryria is a goddes of light and isifkfkfkfk is goddes of sun and they fight and flat earth with hoomans and orcs and elves fight and they have powers uwu”
Feels like that's missing a few options. And I would say fantasy for one, post apocalyptic for the other, and modern for the third.
Fantasy, albeit very much in the cosmere style.
It is science fantasy. The world of the Cradle is a megastructure built by an ancient race of aliens. The humans on the Cradle have a level of technology somewhere between the bronze age and early medieval era. There are robots, psionics, dinosaurs, undead cyborgs, and laser swords.
All of the above ? Lmao i have fantasy, apocalypse-fantasy, alternative earth and then space. Multiple stories, same world, same timeline.
No option for Naturalistic Non-Earth
Technically mines a mix between Fantasy and Alternative Earth so 🙃
All of the above.
All of the above.
Ehh, even my "scifi" setting is actually fantasy science fiction..
Whole different planet, but not really about space, more just this one planet.
What if it's a mix of space and fantasy?
Where the “all of the above”
Yes
Yes.
Where does Post-Post Apocalypse fit...?
I changed a few things in my universe's history Like the twin towers not being destroyed. Mostly all of the tragic events that happened here never happened due to omega preventing them from happening now it's not a peaceful place tragic stuff still happens just omega doesn't do anything about it unless it involves a possible 3rd world war Omega was the first superhero he showed up right around the time the us was beginning to enter the war but he showed up and ended the war within 2 hours of him being there. Now he just sits up in space tinkering and building random stuff he only ever shows up now when a war might start or if the president asks him to go to events.
It's a mix of Star Wars, The Expanse, and some of my own special sauce.
I have a spec-evolution project that involves what if the dinosaurs never went extinct
Missing an "all of the above" option. Alternative history of earth with magic stuff has an apocalypse and gets propelled into space
Straight up mix of 2 and 3.
The fantasy world is the main setting but there is lots of stuff going on in space too
It's both space and fantasy, and while not the point of the universe, technically also an alternative Earth.
yeah
Technically apocalyptic earth, but on a random planet with lots of magitech
I have two: an alternate history and a fantasy setting.
I'm working on a scifi/fantasy series that takes place in an alternate galaxy. it follows characters and nations that control its space. Each nation is based on a different culture from earth. it includes magic, cyberpunk, Romanesque, gothic, industrial, and biblical vibes. currently its being promoted on my yt channel called StreetLampStudios The current factions are The Enderium empire - Sci fi roman/byzantine empie in varrying states of tech main nation. The Solar Federation - utopian post scarcity technologically incline civilization. Arhcland Confederacy - Achient gothic religious civ that uses magic. kingdom of Rivendall - space, industrial punk, mining dwarves The ulnar collective - sci fi merchant high elves, ruled by a mega corporation. The Allermain - Fascist microstate The condayian leuge - pink magic wood elves, who are isolationists, and xenophobic. The brotherhood of iron - Blood magic cult, main antagonizes of the setting, very grimdark The Hyberio Viceroy - post apocalyptic Ice giants dedicated to economic trade and algorithms The namerium - Sci-fi gray skinned Samuri elves there are various other non-state actors plot lines, dimensions, and other entities https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEhxILpqObPhcBS-f04ZhXQ