Thanks for the info! It will only help add to my vision of gnomes.

Very glad to have been able to help. :smile:


Originality is always good, and having your version of gnomes different from the standard D&D ones will only help even further towards avoiding those potential copyright issues that come from using published source material. Though from D&D it should mostly be fairly safe to use as is, it's still better safe than sorry. As for having met one, let us know if you ever do. :wink:


I don't know about any dictionary, Shasarak, but clearly there are other folklore versions of gnomes historically beyond the D&D definitions, but as Avaeryn rightly points out, a variety of sources can only help add to her vision and originality when she starts building her world's gnomes. :smile:

Well, originality is always good, except when it isn't; if your target audience has preconceived ideas about how things should work, you don't want to depart too far from those. The further you depart, the more you risk turning people off from it. For example, if you went around saying that a magic missile spell created an exploding arrow, you might cause some confusion; that can be gotten over, of course, but enough small things like this might make the experience just "weird" enough that people might be put off.

EDIT:
I don't really think there's an issue of copyright here, as you can't copyright ideas (e.g. a game design). You can hardly copyright the concept of "little dude that lives in caves" or something like that. And since the word existed long before any of these modern productions came about, you're safe there, too…

True enough, David.

That's one reason I wanted to gather together general information then come up with my own idea for gnomes. It's my own idea, not something from Tolkien or D&D or AD&D. It just helps to know where I'm going with something as a general sense of things. These gnomes won't be like any others, I can promise you that :)

Well, if you're trying to go 'all-original', you probably wont come up with many if any ideas. Chances are, it's been done. However, just adding new twists and spins in the areas is what makes it original. There might be six dwarven areas but they don't have to all be the same. I don't build and when I did work on MUDs I would try and write as much code as possible to get rid of the need for builders since they're impossible to find and keep when your MUD isn't active..

My suggestion is just start working on something. A layout is a good way to start. I used to write areas(with no descriptions, I spell horrible and my grammar is that of a five year old) and I'd focus on interesting ways to get around the areas. Levers, portals, traps, illusions and so on. IMO if you can't get a solid layout for your area it will suck. Doesn't matter how good your descriptions are, if the area isn't just like 'whoa' so to say, it's not very fun. Anyone can run n,n,n,n,e,e,e,w,n,e,e,n,w,n,e,e,e,s,e… Now, if you actually have to figure stuff out it might be more fun..

Then again, I'm a strange breed and like to have things more complicated than they need to be. lol

Also, I didn't read anything past the first few posts. I wanted to remain on topic with this post before I continued any further.

Me

Well, to give a counterpoint to that, if your descriptions are no good, it doesn't matter much to me how good your layout is, it won't be "just like 'whoa'". It's hard to isolate the components and say that a good layout compensates the need for the descriptions. Remember that your vision of an area is highly biased by the fact that you know what the layout is supposed to represent; somebody else looking at your layout doesn't see the picture unless you give it to them in the form of descriptions.

I already have a unique layout for the area. Traps, levers, and other things to occupy the creative sort will abound. I don't make the usual n, e, w, s type area. Thankfully our coder has modified the code to allow ne, nw, se, sw directions as well. My areas usually have several different "mini-areas" that include unusual ways to get into said area, or remain in said area. Trust me, when it's all said and done the players will have to think about things to get through the area. I think for them to continue exploring the gnome's laboratory the player will have to solve/defuse/repair gadgets that are left behind. Only then can the player advance to the next level of the laboratory. I also have several false laboratories set up. It's up to them to find the right laboratory.

Never a dull moment.




I completely agree with you, DavidHaley. Good descriptions can give clues as to where players might look for hidden levers, objects, etc. The descriptions also hold the area's theme together. A good layout and good descriptions go hand-in-hand.

I never said you don't need well written descriptions but I've played some MUDs that had awesome descriptions but the area was still so bland that it wasn't enjoyable. At least for me, but that's what makes everyone different. I like to add it too much detail. So much, that it turns a lot of people off. lol Other people don't even read the descriptions and just try and get max level so they can PK or whatever it is that they enjoy doing(Not saying everyone is like that, just saying adding it in about how everyone's different. :p). heh

I completely understand your point, Kjwah. I have been in areas that were so confusing I felt as if I had a first-class case of vertigo with no cure in sight! Then there were the sewers in one area that kept saying: It's muddy and dark. You're in the sewers, what did you expect? Definitely a lack of creativity there :P

I think there's a balancing act that takes place between the area layout and the descriptions that go into it. For each builder and mud it is different. As long as you, and your mud, find it acceptable that's all that ultimately matters. :smirk:

Gnomes revisited! I thought I would share just a few of the progs I have written thus far for the area–I'm at approximately the 25 room mark of a 250 room area. It will be quite prog intensive as you can probably guess by looking at the early examples. The more intricate items will be found deeper in the laboratory. Enjoy!