Advice/Help Lore

[Le Chevalier]

Bonjour!

Did not know if this should be categorized as Advice/Help or Viewpoint.

Working on an RP I'm really excited about, but something made me stop and think.

I personally do not like coming into roleplays with a lot of already establish lore, like heavy lore. Not because it isn't cool, it's just overwhelming for me and I feel like I am having to catch up, even though reasonably I know no one expects me to become masterful of that amount of lore.

I was going to go into gods and demon lords for a part of my lore when I thought, maybe I should ask those who end up taking interest in the RP if they would like to help and contribute with those (deities/demons/gods) instead? Or does that make it seem like I am shirking responsibility and expectations on potential players?

Genres are fantasy, elements (water, earth, wind, fire, lightning, plant) RP where these supposed demons and gods have separated themselves and essentially look down and accuse the other. It's intended to have a xianxia atmosphere and is a little bit inspired by Genshin (it is not a carbon copy or exact representation of Genshin). The overall plot is about 6 characters, each with a different element coming together to one, figure out what or who the true enemy is and then facing it as well as interpersonal relationships. It will involve characters playing off one another.

This is not an advertisement; I am curious about the opinion from the community if you prefer the GM coming up with the lore or contributing.

 

[Ayama]

Bonjour~!

Like with anything else, of course, different players will have different preferences when it comes to Lore. I have noticed, however, that when this topic has come up in discussion threads it seems that many prefer a 'Goldilocks' approach: not too little, not too much- juuuuuust right.

And I have also seen opinions from players stating that they feel more involved in the RP if they are given the opportunity to be a part of its worldbuilding so, putting all that together, I'd say establish a solid foundation for your world and its Lore, and then invite your players to be contributors. Odds are, if they're enthusiastic about building out this world, they will be excited about actually playing in it as well and more likely to be active in the story ^^

Bonne chance~!

 

[Solivagante]

I think this also depends a little bit on the scale of your RP. I've been toying with/developing some very small-scale ideas, usually with limitations on where the in-game action takes place. The solution I'm leaning towards there is that I will develop the specific game setting (e.g., a single island) in detail and provide some general guidelines for the rest of the world (technological development analagous to x, magic works like y), and then give players free rein; their characters can come from anywhere in the world, and they can decide the details of that place/culture, building on one another.

In your example, it might be worthwhile to have set lore for some things (maybe a creation myth, or a specific story about how conflict began - though it doesn't have to be true!) and let your players develop their individual factions' cultures and details? I'm not sure if I'm understanding your concept fully, but if there are ways you can draw the outline and let your players color in the details, that might strike the right balance. (I would also note that this is your strategy in the interest check, so folks who are interested in lore know that the RP will have it, just in a collaborative format rather than dictated by you.)

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

I personally do not like coming into roleplays with a lot of already establish lore, like heavy lore. Not because it isn't cool, it's just overwhelming for me and I feel like I am having to catch up, even though reasonably I know no one expects me to become masterful of that amount of lore.

This is easy. You need to set the genre and the tone of the setting. Which it seems you have already done later on in your post. Create a goal to see who is interested in working toward that goal in a xianxia universe. Then talk to those who are interested. Do not spoil what you will do per se, but see what they want. Some people want dark gritty themes and others want to build an empire while others want to go on a traditional hero's journey. find out! and build your lore around that.

and dont make a lore thread. Create the lore through your rping. Your players should find out about the god of war through actions in rp, not from a thread designated for lore. They should find out about demons by having to save a classroom of children in the setting, as opposed to a lore thread.

what you need to do is first

1. create a plan
2. Read what your players write for their characters
3. find out what everyone wants individually
4. write your plot in a way that embraces their wants and needs, while still injecting your personal style of plotting.

So what this means is if player a wants a traditional hero's theme. I'll find a pretty waifu to be the npc and be astonished by their latent prowess and offer to work with them directly. And if someone wants a gritty setting, ill start us off in the slums maybe in a game of dice that is rigged, but somehow let the player use their powers to over come it and have to have a near death experience settling the anger that will explode from the house losing the game.

It still requires your original ideas, plots and themes, but you do more work understanding your players before you set your heart on any lore deeper than the hook for the rp itself.