The Next Big Project (Patreon)

So, let's talk about the next big project that will follow in the footsteps of Brazenthrone and the Black Loch. I want to do something bigger this time. A lot bigger. I want to make a world.

It's not going to start as a world, though. That'd be a lot of blank space to fill at once, so we'll start with an island or two. And, like the Black Loch, I'll start adding locations to the islands and drawing maps of them, developing the lore along the way.

When the islands are fairly well developed, we'll expand the map. Add in a few more islands and start building those up. Give them their own inhabitants, their own identities, their own histories. Maybe a volcanic island with a viking culture, a tropical island with a wealthy trading hub like Zanzibar, an island of imperial ruins overrun by the undead. Maybe we'll add the tip of a continent at some point, or maybe it'll just be islands forever.

What I'm proposing is a project that wouldn't necessarily have an end. There is no "finished" with this. It would just get bigger. I'm proposing a project that could, in theory, continue for the rest of my life.

To be clear, this wouldn't really be a 'world' for a long time. It'd be an archipelago for at least a few years. Like the Black Loch, it would be something to insert into another, wider world. Maybe that's the best way to think about it for now. Some islands. Before I commit to any more than that, I'd like to see how it goes. I also want your input on it, which is a large part of why I'm posting this.

Speaking of which, I'd like to have this project be shaped by patrons' input much more than before. Ideas people submitted in the Black Loch Conclave had such a positive influence on how it turned out that I decided I wanted to make that a regular thing with the next project. So maybe every 3-4 months, I'll ask patrons for ideas for new locations, hold a vote and draw maps of the top 3. I'll probably also ask for your ideas on the themes of new islands as we expand.

I want to add that I will continue drawing maps that aren't a part of this project as well. There will still be maps of spelljammers and the feywild and all that. Also, I won't be getting started on this for a few months.

So, those are my thoughts. If you like what I'm proposing, if you hate it, or if you have a better way to do it, let me know. I really want to get an idea of where people stand on this.

Okay, I'm gonna get back to work. I'm currently drawing a map of the Generalife, a palace in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. I've been there, it's awesome. It'll make a great map, I promise.