Lensmoor Style Guide

This document is written for the first-time builder. Whether you are applying for a demi position, or are working on your hero quest, this document provides guidelines, expectations, and a few hints that will help you on your project. No commands or building tools are necessary to understand these concepts. Content and style are the heart of building, and no fancy programs can replace that.

While there are exceptions to just about every rule, it is not the rule that must be met, but the expectation that the rule is meeting. By reading this document, the expectations will be provided. Then it will be possible to meet those expectations by whatever means you choose.

First Steps

There is certainly not a set prescription for inspiration, however, once the concept strikes you, there are a few things that can be done at that point, that will make it easier to complete the zone in the future. Take a little time in the beginning to flesh out the concept, and it may just save you a great deal of headache later on.

Have a Concept

The inspiration for a zone can come from many places. It could be an image in your mind, a character, a story. From wherever that concept hails, it must be nurtured and developed into something concrete and describeable, presentable. But you have to start out with a concept of some sort.

Theme

It is important that each zone fits into the world of Lensmoor. While it is not necessary that a zone appears as if it could only exist on Lensmoor, it is necessary for it to plausibly belong in the world. Some may be tempted to create a place that is a little out there, a little unusual, or perhaps somewhat alien, but having such a standalone zone means you will lose out on the strength that cohesiveness provides. Building a zone that is clearly Lensmoorish or Antrippan attests to a builder's understanding and familiarity of the world. The more it blends in, the more it enhances the world it is a part of.

The Big Picture

Once you have a concept and assure that it would be within the theme of the game, having an idea of the big picture will be vital to completing the zone. It is quite possible to plunge in and start building, then build yourself into a corner or a glut. This has nothing to do with styles of building. Whether you are digging one room at a time as you go, mapping the whole thing out, or something in between, it is still important to have a good understanding of what your finished product will look like. Some things may change as you go along, but knowing what you are working towards will provide direction when you meet a roadblock. Many a zone has gone unfinished because someone lost their way, or lost sight of the big picture. The stronger and more vivid the initial vision is, the more likely it will last to guide you.

Guidelines

Zone Purpose

On Lensmoor, we offer many uses for zones. Some are more suited to a given purpose than others. That is why groups do not quest in every zone, temples tend to be low on loot, and some places are harder to get to than others.

The main uses for a zone are: killing mobs, questing, exploring, RPing. Keep the intended uses of the zone in mind while building. Certain concepts will lend themselves more to certain activities. If you have ever gone on a group quest to a zone that is not particularly conducive to group questing, you will know what I mean when I say consider the user.

Killing mobs emphasizes the ease of finding mobs to kill. Questing emphasizes the ease of navigation. Exploring emphasizes the richness of details. RPing emphasizes the use of the zone as the stage for roleplay.

Length

We aim for an average of 4-5 lines per room. The average line length is both for the consistency of feel, and from our experience with how much people would like to read. There is nothing magical about this number. There are of course, exceptions. Please keep in mind that a zone that has an average of 3 lines per room will be considered sparse at best, compared to other zones in the game, and a zone that averages 8 lines a room will be considered wordy. If your room description is too long, consider using extra descs or objects.

Grammar

Grammar counts. Not every mistake can be fixed with a simple typo.

Room Titles

All of the important words in a room title should be capitalized. There is no policy for or against repeated room titles. This is often done on purpose to be vague, or to direct a player to a general area without pointing to a specific room. Just remember that people using scout and locate object will be using room titles.

Repetition

Repeating room descriptions is discouraged. If repetition is used, it should be intentional in order to express the feeling that the rooms could not be told apart. Aside from such specific cases, it is far preferred that the room descriptions be a little different than to repeat. Ideally, it should be avoided if at all possible. For heroes with minimum room requirements, two rooms with the same description does not count as two rooms.

Navigation

When linking a zone together, remember that players will be navigating around the area and using these links and portals. Links should be sensible and afford as much mobility as reasonably possible. An overlooked exit here or there can be pretty confusing. Try to run through the zone as if you were a player, and have others take a look if the situation is unusual.

Place

A room is a sum of more than its parts. The room should not be written in a vacuum. Rather, what can be seen around it from that vantage, and how that room connects to other rooms, should be noted at least part of the time.

Assumptions

A room represents a segment of a place in its entirety. When standing in a large field, the area nearby is more than the grass. The view of the rest of the field and what is around it, the air, the sky, are all part of that place. There is a lot of information that can be conveyed to describe that small section of the world, regardless of time, weather, mood or activity. The essence of the room should be preserved, while assumptions should be avoided.

These are some of the assumptions that are not appropriate:

Emotion

The room, the mob, the object, should not tell you how you feel.

Rather than "You feel scared" the text should describe a scary scene. Expect different reactions, and perhaps in this case the use of a fear spell.

Actions

It should not assume how you have entered or what you are doing unless there is no alternative.

Instead of "You walk into the room and..." consider what the description should say if the viewer had been sitting in the room for hours. If you want to be specific and refer to positions, by all means, use LML--that's what it's there for.

Direction

Even if there's only one way into the room, the player's position within the room can change, so the description should make sense if a character makes a complete circle.

While "As you approach from the north" or 'Approaching from the north" are an improvement over saying 'You walk in from the north", the reader might not be approaching from that direction at that time, so just describe what can be seen, and not how it should be experienced.

Time and weather

Pretty self explanatory; the sun doesn't shine all the time.

By all means, refer to time and weather if you please, with LML.

Mobs

Writing about mobs in a room is unnecessary. Sometimes mobs are killed, or move. Even if they are stationary and safe, it is unnecessary to be redundant. The room itself does not change because the mob is or is not there. The room is independent of the mob. It doesn't make any sense tot describe ea sword and talk about the monster that is presumably holding it. It also doesn't make sense to describe a room with the mob that is presumably occupying it.

Objects

Similarly, there is no need to be redundant. Objects have both a one-line description in the room, and an extra description field.

In all of these cases, there are exceptions, or work-arounds that would allow one to make an assumption with certainty. If that is what you like, use the tools available to make it happen. Given our plethora of tools, there is no excuse for laziness.

Adding Depth

It is the details that elevate Lensmoor above the norm. Each builder has their own style and this is reflected in the ways that they choose to add details to their zone. There are many means to do so. In addition to extra descriptions, exits and hidden object can add more information. Small touches, such as messages upon entry, conversing mobs, carefully placed LML, and subtly placed information, can add to the depth. A zone of Builder standards should have additional depth, and contain secrets. Here are a few ways to add them.

Puzzles

A puzzle does not have to result in a full zone quest. Any multi-part mystery that requires a few steps to complete can add another level of complexity to the zone. Whether you have parts that join into a new object, or mobs that have people run back and forth, or just leaving clues in the rooms themselves, stringing a couple steps together provokes a bit more exploration.

Story

Many zones have a story. Sometimes this was determined in the conceptual phase. Sometimes it is developed after the bulk of the zone has been built. Small touches can tell a subtle tale that brings the set together.

World

To increase the feel of an interconnected world, many zones borrow from or make references to other zones. A slave from Dronlek in Antrippa or a rug from Neradz aboard a merchant ship can add perspective, and draw upon the depth of the world.

These are only the basics of the standards that we strive for on Lensmoor. These are the minimum expectations that all builders should try to meet. If a zone is found un-openable or 'needing work', this may be a good place to re-read to see what has gone wrong, and what should be fixed. Stats on mob sand objects can easily be tweaked if there is something amiss, but there is no substitute for quality writing.

Summary

• Be in theme.
• Have a good idea of what it will look like.
• Remember what people will use the zone for.
• Aim for 4-5 lines.
• Use proper grammar.
• Repetition should be avoided.
• Rooms exist in relation to one another.
• No emotional, action, directional, time, weather, or content (mob or object) bias.
• Use LML, actions, and our various other tools if bias is necessary.
• Depth sets Lensmoor apart.
• There are many ways to add details--pick a few.

If you don't want your zone rejected, make sure you understand these expectations. If your zone was rejected, read this over again, then get some help working out the problems.