Author Topic: City creation  (Read 9658 times)

Offline srl51676

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 114
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #15 on: February 14, 2010, 03:39:39 AM »
I am working on Spokane, WA pop 500,000 and have had no trouble finding interesting tidbits to use. Check the local paper or police sites for unsolved crimes, every town has local ghost stories or haunted locations Google haunted *city name* or just try this site http://theshadowlands.net/places/ as a starting point. I take my digital camera and drive around looking for creepy local places, think up a story and them mark them on a Google map. This works even better if you have Street View where you live. just some ideas post anything you think of.
Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.
"The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived."

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: City creation
« Reply #16 on: February 14, 2010, 03:51:32 AM »
I am working on Spokane, WA pop 500,000 and have had no trouble finding interesting tidbits to use. Check the local paper or police sites for unsolved crimes, every town has local ghost stories or haunted locations Google haunted *city name* or just try this site http://theshadowlands.net/places/ as a starting point. I take my digital camera and drive around looking for creepy local places, think up a story and them mark them on a Google map. This works even better if you have Street View where you live. just some ideas post anything you think of.

That site is perfect.  I even found a couple of places in the town where I work that can be used.

Offline Ihadris

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 109
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #17 on: February 14, 2010, 06:15:00 AM »
I was suprised, it has quite a lot of stuff for the UK, did a bit more reseach and wow. Enough weird goings on around Sheffield to fuel many a campaign.

Offline Rel Fexive

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 276
  • Shadow Sorcerer
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #18 on: February 14, 2010, 02:21:03 PM »
I was suprised, it has quite a lot of stuff for the UK, did a bit more reseach and wow. Enough weird goings on around Sheffield to fuel many a campaign.

Sheffield eh?  Got to be more interesting than Matlock, I bet.
THE DOCTOR: I'll do a thing.
RIVER SONG: What thing?
THE DOCTOR: I don't know. It's a thing in progress. Respect the thing!

Offline Ihadris

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 109
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #19 on: February 14, 2010, 03:13:18 PM »
Sheffield eh?  Got to be more interesting than Matlock, I bet.

I gave up Chapel-en-le-frith as a non starter and buxton had potential but since I will be playing with Uni friends it seems sheffield was the much better choice.  :D

Still, Matlocks bound to have a big Fae presence,  I mean its in Derbyshire and theres a few big peaks and rivers near by right? Wouldnt be too hard to imagine a version of something like the alphas running around in the countryside. If my memory serves a religious retreat centre as well. Sounds like a sound source of True beleivers.

Offline Rel Fexive

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 276
  • Shadow Sorcerer
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #20 on: February 14, 2010, 04:12:16 PM »
Could be.  Plus, who knows what could be going on at the nearby Heights Of Abraham and Gulliver's Kingdom? :)
THE DOCTOR: I'll do a thing.
RIVER SONG: What thing?
THE DOCTOR: I don't know. It's a thing in progress. Respect the thing!

Offline Ancalagon

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 52
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2010, 01:14:31 AM »
the cities of Europe have such rich history that it must be really neat designing a Dresden-city... although some of that history may be things you want to skirt around. 

North American cities are much newer and "thinner" history wise, but in general they are a lot less bloodier.  While it may be "fun" to say that "ooh, the firestorm in Dresden in WWII was caused by a battle between fire elementalists!"... it might be a bit crass.  I'm really not sure what to do with that kind of historical events.

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: City creation
« Reply #22 on: February 15, 2010, 01:44:55 AM »
the cities of Europe have such rich history that it must be really neat designing a Dresden-city... although some of that history may be things you want to skirt around. 

North American cities are much newer and "thinner" history wise, but in general they are a lot less bloodier.  While it may be "fun" to say that "ooh, the firestorm in Dresden in WWII was caused by a battle between fire elementalists!"... it might be a bit crass.  I'm really not sure what to do with that kind of historical events.

Was Sherman's march during the civil war precipitated by a need to wipe out some hostile group (being that he burned his way through a large number of southern cities)?  While our history may be a little thinner, we have our share of home grown conflicts that will have to be worked with.  As long as the members of your particular group are all right with it, I say let it ride.  I think that bringing in the players to the city generation portion of the game is going to be able to allow you to defuse all of those (possible) mine field items before the game even starts.

Offline srl51676

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 114
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #23 on: February 15, 2010, 05:43:19 AM »
While it is fair to say that New World Cities may be "thin" with respect to European history there are places that bring more than enough historical baggage and blood. Mexico city had a huge population long before the Spanish arrived Teotihuacan had a population of 200000 people around 500 AD. As for histroical baggage in the south you have the massive deaths of the Civil War, Slave Ships packed with African slaves and Voodoo Add to this the Mound builders of Cahokia, The Trail of Tears, general Native American genocide, Scores that died to feed the industrial revolution (see the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire), Big Foot, the Jersey devil, Not to mention the heavy Asian influence in cities like San Francisco and Seattle (you can't tell me that the Jade court has not made inroads along with the Triad, the Tongs, and the Yakuza) If you feel that any major city in the new world is thin then you are not looking hard enough. Don't forget the wild west and the Chicago fire (miss O'Leary's cow my ass) Sorry to get preachy but I teach social studies.
Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.
"The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived."

Offline the wizard

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 59
  • i once fought a panda with a spoon
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #24 on: February 15, 2010, 08:21:56 PM »
is there any plans for a place where we can put up citys that we have made so others can get ideas

Offline SaintAndSinner

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 176
  • Dresden Files Playtester (Bleeding Alpha)
    • View Profile
    • A Saint And A Sinner
Re: City creation
« Reply #25 on: February 15, 2010, 08:28:34 PM »
There's the Evil Hat Wiki at

http://evilhat.wikidot.com/

probably a good place to start.  There's also a lot of material at the FATE Yahoo group at

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/FateRPG/?yguid=330634645

I'm not sure which they would prefer though.
"Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart."
Blessed Mother Teresa, Ora Pro Nobis

Offline iago

  • The Merlin
  • Posty McPostington
  • *******
  • Posts: 3071
  • I'm the site administrator.
    • View Profile
    • Deadly Fredly
Re: City creation
« Reply #26 on: February 15, 2010, 08:33:07 PM »
is there any plans for a place where we can put up citys that we have made so others can get ideas

Haven't sorted that out yet.
Fred Hicks
I own the board. If I start talking in my moderator voice, expect the Fist of God to be close on my heels. Red is my Fist of God voice.
www.evilhat.com * www.dresdenfilesrpg.com
Support this site: http://www.jim-butcher.com/store/

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: City creation
« Reply #27 on: February 15, 2010, 08:34:24 PM »
Haven't sorted that out yet.

If we get to vote I'd go with the Wiki.  Not everyone has a yahoo account (which is required iirc to use groups).

Offline Lanodantheon

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 439
  • A Wizard is as a Wizard does...
    • View Profile
Re: City creation
« Reply #28 on: February 15, 2010, 08:34:55 PM »
While it is fair to say that New World Cities may be "thin" with respect to European history there are places that bring more than enough historical baggage and blood. Mexico city had a huge population long before the Spanish arrived Teotihuacan had a population of 200000 people around 500 AD. As for histroical baggage in the south you have the massive deaths of the Civil War, Slave Ships packed with African slaves and Voodoo Add to this the Mound builders of Cahokia, The Trail of Tears, general Native American genocide, Scores that died to feed the industrial revolution (see the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire), Big Foot, the Jersey devil, Not to mention the heavy Asian influence in cities like San Francisco and Seattle (you can't tell me that the Jade court has not made inroads along with the Triad, the Tongs, and the Yakuza) If you feel that any major city in the new world is thin then you are not looking hard enough. Don't forget the wild west and the Chicago fire (miss O'Leary's cow my ass) Sorry to get preachy but I teach social studies.

I have only five words to contribute to San Francisco as being Asia-influenced: Big Trouble in Little China.
Rick Neal has the stats for Lo Pan and the 6-Demon Bag.
www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/the-emerald-city  (Nov 2012 Campaign of The Month)

fate-accelerated-star-wars-the-infinite-empire.obsidianportal.com/
(June 2016 Campaign of The Month)

My name is Lanodantheon Thul, Conjure that by your own risk....But first, you have be able to spell it...

Offline SoulCatcher78

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
    • dA page
Re: City creation
« Reply #29 on: February 15, 2010, 08:38:50 PM »
I have only five words to contribute to San Francisco as being Asia-influenced: Big Trouble in Little China.
Rick Neal has the stats for Lo Pan and the 6-Demon Bag.

This might get my wife to try an RPG,lol.  She can nearly recite that movie.