Room building question

by Richter

Back to Chronicles of the Basin.

Richter2005-08-08 23:46:57
Since I'm not a builder and can't ask the gods directly (*sniffle*) I wanted to ask...

Is having creatures in a room description appropriate? Like, "several cute bunnies play in the green grass that grows here", or "Igashos push wheelbarrows of coal around to blacksmiths at the forges" or stuff like that.

I'd never really thought about it, as my rooms have always been somewhat static. However, someone else who is doing rooms with me has much more movement, including creatures walking around and stuff.

Thoughts?
Lisaera2005-08-08 23:57:24
Generally we prefer to have actual creatures and people represented by mobs rather than in descriptions. The only time I don't mind it are for example in cities where it's ok to mention citizens occasionally going past and that sort of thing as cities have massive invisible populations.
Richter2005-08-09 00:08:28
Yeah, I was thinking along those lines. Would be easier if we had manse mobs, then it wouldn't even be a question really.

Thanks!

*goes back to room editing*
Unknown2005-08-09 00:32:27
Mine fit, Richter, because it's a factory setting. wink.gif
Ialie2005-08-09 01:02:47
I just went looking around to see how empty rooms mark creatures and that they are usually there.

What you could have in the description are signs of the creatures passings such as


Valley floor descending into a thin floodplain.
The stars twinkle in the clear night sky. Falling into a steep drop about the
height of two average furrikin, the shallowly sloping floor of the Oleanvir
Valley descends into the floodplain of the Estengare River. Clawmarks,
scuffings, and hoof prints mar the side of the slope, betraying the passing of
many creatures on their way between the fields of the valley and the wooded
river bottom.
Tall pines interspersed with a few hornbeam dominate the
scattered and thin woods, and the calls of birds can be heard from within their
boughs.




or




Sleepy meadow of soft grass.
The stars twinkle in the clear night sky. Soft, green grasses carpet the floor
of the valley and are sprinkled with bright gatherings of flowers. The grass
undulates in waving patterns, dancing with the slightest breeze to ruffle it. A
few tracts lead through the field where the grass has been disturbed by the
movement of creatures, and there are areas forced flat as though fairly large
creatures had lain there.
Richter2005-08-09 01:23:12
Guido's descriptions had like "Things are here, running around, doing stuff with other people."
Unknown2005-08-09 01:35:30
Hey, I got you 10 in two days. Quantity over quality my friend.
Richter2005-08-09 01:56:06
*rolls eyes*
Gwylifar2005-08-09 02:45:00
QUOTE(Ialie @ Aug 8 2005, 09:02 PM)
A
few tracts lead through the field where the grass has been disturbed by the
movement of creatures, and there are areas forced flat as though fairly large
creatures had lain there.

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Tracts?
Shiri2005-08-09 03:44:08
Of land?
Gwylifar2005-08-09 12:34:24
Either that, or those little pamphlets people give you in the airport. I think that's even more interesting. Proselytizing prairie dogs.
Exarius2005-08-09 18:55:13
My personal philosophy when I build is to not force the presence of large creatures, even within the context of a densely populated area. If you just describe the structures of a city and drop in a few wandering citizens, visitors will get the idea it's well populated.

The one place I do allow creatures to slip into my room descriptions is describing swarms of small ones who make themselves felt as a constant presence: numerous bugs scuttling back and forth through dead leaves, colonies of birds who nest overhead, that sort of thing. But I'd never do the same with a crowd of people or a herd of horses.
Richter2005-08-09 18:57:57
Impossible with manses, however. I know exactly how I'd make mine, but I can't add wandering mobs.
Exarius2005-08-09 19:03:48
QUOTE(Richter @ Aug 9 2005, 01:57 PM)
Impossible with manses, however. I know exactly how I'd make mine, but I can't add wandering mobs.
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Yeah. I know. Which is why I'm not writing manse descriptions that assume a lot of warm bodies around. I was speaking in overall theory, and the way I do things on my own little MUD.

But, then, I don't always use a one MOB = one creature ratio there. Like I have one MOB that's "a crowd of villagers".