All Questions
35,849
questions
82
votes
21
answers
9k
views
Is it physically possible for a planet to have seasons of different lengths?
Those of you who have read Game Of Thrones will know that in the GOT world seasons do not have a fixed duration, e.g., a winter might last three times longer than the previous one.
I find most ...
- 2,187
27
votes
6
answers
2k
views
What differences are there (if any) between building a world for rpg-gaming and building a world for story-writing?
From my own perspective I don't necessarily see any immediate differences, but I'm newish to the field. What differences have you come across in regard to building for these two different scenarios (...
- 1,265
20
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Population Range for a Booming/Dying Frontier Town
I'm designing a town in the Ozark mountain range circa 1871, and am unsure what population size to give it.
River Bend is an isolated town in the Ozark highlands of Arkansas founded in 1845 on the ...
- 663
63
votes
15
answers
40k
views
Would the human body support living on planets with a greater gravity than Earth?
I once read a novel about a prison-planet which was chosen to make the prisoners suffer. One of the different "tortures" was a gravity three times higher than that on Earth.
Would the human body ...
- 2,187
16
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Would a human individual adapt to a change in the day-night cycle?
I'm thinking on the colonizing of another planet by humans. The conditions of this planet are quite different from Earth, and particularly the day-night cycle is much larger.
In my fictional planet, ...
- 2,187
43
votes
3
answers
12k
views
How (un)likely is a split of one major river into two others?
I inherited a worldbuilding project, and the former authors liked some things that seem unrealistic. One of them is that one of the world's biggests rivers splits into two other rivers some 300-400 ...
- 2,929
14
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Why would a civilization want to contact with a hypothetical extraterrestrial civilization?
Mankind has been always interested in making contact with another (extraterrestrial) civilization. We have launched the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes with plaques explaining where the Earth is located. ...
- 2,187
42
votes
10
answers
10k
views
What effects would a change in the nature of human sexuality have on society and infrastructure
Consider a group of humans at a bronze-age to early iron-age technological level colonizing a new earthlike planet. There is just one difference - there exists on the planet something which changes ...
- 48k
33
votes
7
answers
5k
views
Explaining "Half-Breeds" in a world with multiple races
In a hypothetical world where multiple humanoid races develop independently of each other (such as a world that contains Elves, Dwarves, and Humans for instance) what are the conditions for half-...
- 1,886
5
votes
1
answer
600
views
What and how main technological breakthrough we have today could be replaced with magic? [closed]
In my opinion, magic can lead to its very own kind of technology, possibly very similar to ours.
If it is a kind of magic where you use one energy source to trigger one other event (like in The ...
- 12.3k
30
votes
7
answers
1k
views
How can the terrain of a large area change abruptly in a short period of time?
By "short period of time", I'm referring to the timeframe of weeks to months (not days or hours). For example: at the start of one day the land is flat, but after a few weeks or months there is a ...
- 948
17
votes
7
answers
2k
views
What would be the next technological step for a civilization after it has depleted all resources that allow for conventional technologies?
Imagine a world that reaches the end of its resources in silicon, petrol, coal, metals... everything that allows for conventional technology — even before it has found a way over it (renewable energy ...
- 12.3k
17
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What effect would elemental magic have on the work force
Imagine a society where everyone controls a variation of one of the four elements: earth, fire, water, and air. What I mean by variation is some might control metal, but not rocks. Others control ice, ...
- 7,507
45
votes
7
answers
13k
views
What software is available for map creation?
I'm looking for recommendations for software to build my world, physically. I want to be able to create maps of the entire world and then drill down to individual areas and define the towns and ...
- 3,365
26
votes
8
answers
3k
views
What could cause rock formations (small stones, boulders, islands...) to levitate?
You see this in quite a bunch of movies / books (think avatar). What could be a reasoned physical explanation of such phenomenon? Would this explanation impact other things on a planet?
Like most ...
- 12.3k
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
If technology allowed for instant brain to brain transmission of knowledge, how would society change? [closed]
The things I'm thinking of are for example relationships between people, military communications, and other technologies deriving from this one...
Would that be very different from what we know now ...
- 12.3k
-2
votes
2
answers
374
views
Is it reasonable/realistic for a 6 year old to not be very different in 6 years? [closed]
above in a image of Vivio Takamachi with her Godmother Fate on the left and Adoptive Mother Nanoha to the right. Given how Einhald is not in the image it would be set during Magical Girl Lyrical ...
- 867
27
votes
5
answers
2k
views
What physical and social effects could two stars cause?
Suppose a planetary system works in such a way that there is a rotating planet in the direct centre of a binary star (the star system's centre of gravity, also known as barycenter), such that the two ...
- 948
15
votes
5
answers
538
views
What are some possible reasons for people not taking long journeys to "other lands"?
If you've read Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, you might get the reference.
In that story, the protagonists, after fulfilling their duty, decide to journey over a large mountain chain to explore the ...
- 417
16
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How far apart can two cities/towns/etc be, given that order must be (effectively) maintained?
Given a monarchy, how far apart can two cities/towns/etc be situated, while still maintaining order and power? Alternatively, think about it this way: given any random settlement area, what is the ...
- 417
5
votes
2
answers
5k
views
In a world of science AND magic, how is magic explained scientifcally? [closed]
Obviously there are multiple ways to explain this, so the correct answer in this case would be the most reasonable and detailed answer with as many explanations as possible.
user88
26
votes
8
answers
3k
views
How could a generation ship maintain a source of potable water?
A generation spaceship (a spaceship designed for multiple generations of humans to live in) could sail through the galaxy for hundreds of years before finding another planet, let alone a planet with ...
- 643
48
votes
13
answers
3k
views
What are the necessary conditions for a worldwide government?
Fictional worlds, usually ones set in the future, often depict planets with a single worldwide government. (In fact, it's such a common trope that one Babylon 5 episode made a point of saying "hey, ...
- 19.5k
37
votes
8
answers
3k
views
Are "planet of hats" realistic?
Planet of hats is the name of a trope where all inhabitants of a planet share a defining characteristic, of which there are many sub-tropes like environment or economy. I'd like to focus on the ...
- 2,850
27
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What considerations does a city built on an oceanic platform have to make?
In a world without enough land for a massive (and growing) population but plenty of water surface, experimental cities have started to spring up along the edges of various continents. The first is a ...
- 643
51
votes
17
answers
4k
views
What would be the most effective way of keeping a psychopath with a spaceship from wreaking severe havoc in a suicide crash?
Any spaceship over several hundred tons is an extremely dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, particularly if it's intended for reentry. Made mostly of metal and possibly shaped to be able to breach ...
- 3,282
44
votes
10
answers
3k
views
Would instantaneous teleportation encourage or discourage warfare?
Imagine that there are two nations at war, but fighting is limited to a small section where their nations border each other. Travel is "conventional", forces from one nation can block the other from ...
- 2,850
19
votes
6
answers
2k
views
How would technological progress occur in a society that outlawed computerized technology?
Most technological progress today seems to be founded on the innovation that is happening in the realm of computers. If a society were to outlaw the use of computers, but the drive for scientific ...
- 596
117
votes
6
answers
40k
views
How would having multiple moons affect tides?
We know that planets can have multiple moons, sometimes quite a few (like Jupiter). Assuming that a planet with several moons were habitable in the first place and has significant oceans (greater ...
- 19.5k
23
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Ship design that could navigate on the edge of an incredibly strong vortex
I'm developing a game set in a colossal landmass at the center of a vortex, with water walls dozens of kilometers high. The continent is somewhat circular, and no civilization has yet developed ...
- 453
43
votes
3
answers
2k
views
For designing a vocal language for an intelligent species, how to decide on phonemes?
When you are designing a language for a species that uses vocal communication, one of the early decisions you need to make is that of which phonemes can be used.
How does one determine what phonemes ...
- 28.8k
29
votes
6
answers
4k
views
What is the smallest planet that a civilisation could develop on?
The size of a planet affects its gravity, its climate, and its likelihood of developing life.
Earth is large enough for an advanced civilization to develop. A smaller body such as Europa, while able ...
- 392
45
votes
10
answers
4k
views
How would societal development be impacted if humans were not an apex predator?
We are used to a world where humans are basically an apex predator; we don't really need to worry much about becoming some other animal's next meal.
If that wasn't the case, and humans had to be wary ...
- 28.8k
29
votes
3
answers
66k
views
Are ravens a genuinely realistic way of carrying messages?
In many fantasy worlds people send messages using ravens, they're often portrayed as being intelligent birds.
To the best of my knowledge, on earth only homing pigeons have been used to carry ...
- 18.4k
76
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Are geographically typed planets realistic?
In many science fictions we see planets which are designated by a particular terrain type. For example, Dagobah is a swamp planet, Tatooine is a desert planet, and Kamino is an ocean world.
However, ...
- 18.4k
10
votes
1
answer
680
views
How would priests having access to real miracles influence the development and spread of religion? [closed]
In a world where priests can cast actual miracles, how would that affect the world's development? In particular, how would it alter the interactions between different religions? And how would these ...
- 225
37
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What Factors Could Cause a World to See "Northern" Lights Much Closer to the Equator?
I'm currently designing a world where the inhabitants see the Aurora Borealis on an almost nightly basis almost all the way to the equator. The lights are so strong they rarely see the stars beyond.
...
- 18.4k
30
votes
3
answers
699
views
Physical speed of insectoid lifeforms
Would humanoid sized insectoid lifeforms be relatively slow considering that their exoskeleton would have to be rather heavy since it takes more 'armor' to get the same relative protection? Generally ...
- 48.8k
12
votes
1
answer
555
views
How does one go about developing the sound of a language for a particular culture in a world? [closed]
In Worldbuilding, linguistica communication within and between cultures can greatly affect how the world is shaped.
How does one make an invented language's aesthetic qualities sound authentic as ...
- 239
44
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How do you simulate the organic growth of a city when designing it?
Most cities don't just spring into existence, they aren't planned to be the way they are (there are a few exceptions, see Milton Keynes in England for example) but grow organically over time. However ...
- 3,365
20
votes
4
answers
746
views
Can a world sustain constant low-pressure and high-pressure areas?
Would a world be able to sustain a constant low pressure area such that there would be a constant wind from one side to the other?
Imagine that on one side of the world is a desert with some rocky ...
- 2,203
127
votes
21
answers
10k
views
In space, do "shipping lanes" make sense?
In settings with space travel we often see stories that rely on ships encountering each other, such as space piracy (which means you need to know where to wait in ambush), or distress signals that ...
- 19.5k
81
votes
5
answers
9k
views
How quickly and accurately should news travel in a rural medieval setting?
I'd like to have a realistic idea of how, and how accurately, ordinary people in a rural low-tech (medieval-equivalent) setting should expect to hear news from outside their own communities. If you ...
- 19.5k
27
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Regulating the usage of magic in the modern era
If magic were to manifest in the modern (present) age, how would first world governments attempt to classify and regulate its usage? To be more specific (and an example), if the USA created a ...
- 2,772
83
votes
17
answers
9k
views
Must magic be tied to medieval tech?
Most settings with a magical component, whether this means wizards, magical races, or something similar, seem to be parked at a medieval level of development in terms of technology and society. Is ...
- 19.5k
7
votes
5
answers
250
views
Creating order in a settlement [closed]
What one concept/ideology is most important in a group of people to encourage them to stop acting as individuals and begin acting in the interest of the whole settlement?
- 2,772
156
votes
21
answers
110k
views
What is the minimum human population necessary for a sustainable colony?
How many humans are needed in order to sustain and grow a steady population in a habitable area? Assume resources are adequate and the environment is favorable.
To further refine this question, let'...
- 2,772
138
votes
11
answers
9k
views
How can I break down the task of creating a world into manageable chunks?
Creating an entire world is a daunting prospect, though something I've thought about often.
Ideas about different regions, religions, people, history and relationships all blending into a cohesive ...
- 3,365
36
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How to Survive Mountain Environments With a Tribal Culture?
Assume we have an Earth-like environment.
If a tribe with only early medieval technology were to settle in a mountain environment:
What resources would be needed to deal with the elevation, cold, ...
- 2,772