Post by Vio on Apr 30, 2020 20:14:10 GMT -5
Hi, everyone!
With the decisive vote in, we’ll soon be starting the test run for the Island Update project, beginning with the Polestar Islands — the home archipelago of Loguetown. But, as this has been mostly kept out of sight for the time being, you’re probably wondering what the Island Update project is about. So, here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening and your role in it!
The Problem With Islands is that they take an awful lot of time and effort to complete, both on the member and staff sides. We need a certain level of quality and, for the most part, it’s not something that’s easy to make consistent between individuals and often takes several attempts to bring a single island concept up to snuff. On the other side of the coin, the odd member comes up with an incredible concept with an overwhelming amount of detail, and that poses its own problems. It’s a lot to read through, both in terms of approving it, and for those looking at the island’s description when concocting a plot.
To Solve The Issue we’re taking a big step in the direction of site wide participation. With the introduction of a new channel within the Discord server, we’ll be presenting you with the island’s intended theme — a short descriptor that says the core of what the island is all about, such as “Wild West” or “Medieval”. With this theme in mind, you’ll be allowed to discuss a series of core segments that compose each island, one at a time. Everyone will have the chance to tune in and present possible ideas throughout the process.
The End Goal is to create crisp, clear descriptions of each and every island, pondered by members and compiled in their final form by the staff in order to guarantee uniformity. Members should be able to easily read an island’s information in a concise, organised manner, quickly finding what they need to put together good plots for their characters. Descriptions won’t be over the top or overly elaborate — it’s a quick reference. Simplicity allows us to construct good plots and tell our own tales as members, meaning each thread can then have an impact on the island’s development. Shifts in power, destructive events, acts of heroism and more will be able to mold the wet clay structure we create!
The Categories of each island are going to be made uniform, with bullet points of information inside of each. Of course, every island will need a few core details — the name of the island, the name of its civilisation (assuming it’s different), where it is located in the world, and the island’s theme. What comes next is as follows:
- General Description will be a basic, concise overview of the island’s theme and core. This is the brief sentence that will nail what it’s all about, and will be compiled once everything else is sorted!
- Terrain & Geography will be used to describe what the island’s like in terms of its natural aesthetic. Some islands are vast seas of desert, while others might be hilly or mountainous. Others are very heavily urbanised, while some are forests, or even Sky Islands!
- Climate & Weather will describe what the island’s like in terms of climatic events. Grand Line islands typically follow a particular Climatic Type — Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring — but every island has its own weather. Some may even have unique weather conditions.
- Flora & Fauna is a description of the kind of life that can be found on the island. Unique species should be included here.
- Settlements & Landmarks is a brief description of the island’s own towns, villages, and other such places of interest. Not all landmarks have to be man made — some might be natural formations that have become tourist attractions or places to be avoided.
- Groups & Organizations is a description of the island’s prominent factions, and maybe a mention of NPCs by name. Some islands have their own resident Marine branches, while others will have criminal organizations, rebel groups, tribes and more.
- Culture & Traditions describes specific things of cultural significance. Some islands might hold festivals, have their own ceremonies, specific dishes, and more. Some might be very modern, others could hold certain reverence of particular things.
- History is self explanatory. This should be a brief list of major historical events that shaped the island. We don’t need to know about the island’s geological history, only things that mattered and molded what has become of it and its civilisation.
- Recent Events will be a final addendum to islands, documenting significant changes to the island that have been caused by the interactions of our characters. This will be used to further elaborate on certain characters and organizations and more that the island has.
So, that’s the gist of what’s happening! As the vote has decided, The Polestar Islands will be the test subject. It is canon, but the site has already shaped it in some way, and that is one thing we will be incorporating in the update. Canon alone gives us lots of freedom. Remember! This will be a test taking place over a series of perhaps several weeks.Cheers!
— The Bon Voyage Staff
