Questions tagged [discussion]
The question you're asking is designed to solicit opinions or best-practices on a particular topic, with the goal of reaching community consensus.
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Inactive Sandbox 2017-18
In order to make the Sandbox easier to use, a new Sandbox question will be posted when the old one becomes too full. This Sandbox has been retired. You can check here for the full list of past and ...
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Inactive Sandbox 2014-2017
This sandbox got a little full, so we've created some more. You should still link to this one as we will update it whenever a new one is created.
Current Sandbox:
Sandbox for proposed Questions
...
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Catalog of Question Types
In an effort to start building consensus after asking: Enough is enough. NOBODY can obey rules that are only in someone's head, I'd like to start with what I hope will become a canonical catalog ...
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Inactive Sandbox 2019-2022
This version of the Sandbox is now Inactive. The next Sandbox is:
Sandbox for proposed Questions
Questions still active on January 1, 2023 will be automatically marked abandoned and closed.
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A proposal to finalize the "are real world questions on-topic" debate
If you would like to discuss this or explain disagreements, or want clarification please feel free to join this chatroom.
The moderators have discussed the recent re-invigoration of the on or off ...
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Anatomically Correct Series
This Query is part of the Worldbuilding Resources Article.
As you all know there is a series of questions that have been asked to create fictional creatures in a realistic evolutionary way.
And below ...
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What should be the subjects of our fortnightly topic challenges?
Worldbuilding is beginning its fortnightly topic challenges. In that trichoplax wrote
As this question is already being used for answers on how to approach this, would it be clearer to have a ...
HDE 226868Mod
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Why is my question "Too Story Based" and how do I get it opened?
See also: When should I close a question as "Too Story Based"?
Asking about plot elements such as the actions of characters, rather than about the world in which your story takes place, is ...
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Inactive Sandbox 2018
This sandbox is inactive. Please visit the next Sandbox for Proposed Questions
In order to make the Sandbox easier to use, a new Sandbox question will be posted when the old one becomes too full. ...
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How to deal with "Please develop my High Concept" questions?
"Hello Community... I have a great idea for my Worldbuilding. Assume Earth and history as we know it, but in my world, Hitler died from whooping cough as a baby. What is my world like after this ...
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Idea Refinement: Clarification and Examples of VTC Reasons for New Users
This page was written before the late 2019 changes to close-voting. However, much of the information is still relevant. -JBH
The Welcome to Worldbuilding.SE! page for new users is up and running. My ...
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What's wrong with "idea generation" questions?
We now have a dedicated "Idea Generation" close vote/flag reason!! What does it mean?
What is the problem with "idea generation" questions?
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Is Worldbuilding a What If Site?
A few months back, my participation on this site dropped heavily for various reasons, most of them real life commitments. Now I've come back, and there's something I've noticed.
When I left, the site ...
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Should our default position be that answers should be science-/logic-based, rather than magic-based?
We are seeing some questions which receive answers that deal with magic. There isn't anything wrong in building worlds where magic exists, but there are two main issues that I can see:
Magic systems ...
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How to write the perfect question
Writing good questions can be difficult. To help you, the community came up with ten yes or no questions that will guide you and help you prevent common errors.
Follow the links for more information ...
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We have a blog!
As you may have seen, over the past couple of weeks, Worldbuilding has been building not a world, but a blog.
The setup of that blog is now complete! You can come and visit us now.
We've got a ...
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Is a "real world" question off topic?
I recently came across this:
How do I know if my moon is full?
It's been closed as off topic by several high reputation users as not being about worldbuilding. It clearly is though, it's information ...
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Magic is primarily opinion-based by definition, so what does a POB VTC mean?
Considering the closure of Is magical rapid premature aging painful?
And relating to this meta question and this meta question.
Magic is Primarily Opinion-Based (POB) by definition. Without some ...
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Worldbuilding Scope - Risk Factors
TL;DR: This question is the foundation stone of an attempt to more thoroughly define the scope of Worldbuilding by defining "Risk Factors" that make something Out Of Scope.
The discussion of ...
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Welcome to Worldbuilding.SE!
Thanks for joining Worldbuilding.SE! We look forward to stepping foot on your world and enjoying another world of wonder and excitement!
Our site is a wonderful place for creative and imaginative ...
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Policy Clarification: Asking about commercial or third-party worlds
We have an unwritten rule that questions about commercial worlds (e.g. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, etc.) should be asked on the Science Fiction & Fantasy stack.
Or we might have one. That's ...
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Case Study Series
As discussed in chat and based on Tim B's recent post , I'd like us to have a series of case studies, where various users of the site post their five top-rated questions (or any five questions of ...
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When is "that's not possible" an appropriate answer?
Every once in a while, we do get questions where "that's not possible" is a valid answer to the question as asked (with perhaps further clarification in comments). Sometimes the question gives ...
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Creating a realistic world Series
There are a series of questions that go through the process of creating a realistic world step-by-step.
This is a series of questions that tries to break down the process of creating a world from ...
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Fortnightly topic challenge #1: Space
Yesterday I wrote up a post asking if people would like weekly - now fortnightly topic challenges. The answer from the community was a resounding yes.
So today will be the first one. As per some of ...
HDE 226868Mod
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If we can't burn the "reality check" tag, can we rename it?
Conclusion:
The tag wikis have been updated and the new reality-check tag made a synonym of science-based. Users can conveniently find links to the modified tags here: Please review the updated tag ...
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Fortnightly topic challenge #2: Flora
Previously I wrote up a post asking if people would like weekly - now fortnightly topic challenges. The answer from the community was a resounding yes.
So today will be the second one. As per some of ...
HDE 226868Mod
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Does [hard-science] imply [science-based] imply [reality-check]?
A July 2022 renovation of the reality-check tag and others has changed the context of this question. It is now obsolete. Please see the following question and the link under "Conclusion." If ...
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What is the Worldbuilding site about?
I just now stumbled upon this site while looking up "could Kaiju exist?" and I would be interested to know what type of questions to ask on here.
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Worldbuilding Site Design
I'm Kurtis, a product designer at Stack Exchange. First off, congratulations on your recent site graduation!
Graduation and Your Site Design
Graduation comes with a few perks. We have already begun ...
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Can there be done more to assure users that closing questions is not a Bad Thing?
Inspired by rage quitting user after they posted this meta question:
How can i prevent a raging moderator from blocking my questions?
Every closed question hurts. It hurts you double when you are ...
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Are software recommendation questions on topic?
There are lots of various software packages out there that assist in the creation of a world, from keeping track of details, characters and plots to map creation tools. Are questions asking for ...
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Checklist for the perfect post - Idea refinement
The post is now created, using the top 10 questions as of the 25th of may '16. But you can still feel free to add your helpful questions for interested users (make sure to use the template below).
...
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Fortnightly topic challenge #3: Creature Design
Today begins our Third topic challenge!
Topic: creature-design
Dates: 9 March - 22 March
Proposed by:
We've only had a handful of creature-design questions, but they've
been a joy to ask, ...
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The problem with opinion based questions
I've seen a few questions, including my own, being closed for being 'too opinion based'.
My question is, what's wrong with that? I think that in the SE philosophy opinion based questions are bad ...
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New blog post: With My Conlang, I Would Not Fail (previous: Salvage - Part 2 of Landed)
Welcome to the newest post on Universe Factory, the blog of the Worldbuilding community:
With My Conlang, I Would Not Fail, by Sean F. Larson
In all the talking and back and forth talk, my principal ...
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Reminder to close-voters
While conducting a normal review of the Reopen Review Queue, I was presented with this recent question. While I agree with the too-broad close reason, I was dismayed to notice that no comments had ...
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Should questions about painfully killing people be welcomed on this site?
Specific question in discussion: gruesome execution by slow dissolution in low-concentration acid solution
But lets talk more generic: Questions of how to kill a person, or set of people are ...
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Are answers solely referencing novels/movies/etc. okay?
In my time on Worldbuilding, I've seen loads of answers along the lines of
I remember reading a book with a similar scenario: [Insert book name here] by [Insert author name here]. In it, [long plot ...
HDE 226868Mod
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Should we rename Idea Generation?
Based on this question.
I don't really like "Idea Generation" as a reason to close. It seems like too much of a subtle reason to me, since really this entire site is about ideas.
Even the ...
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Fortnightly topic challenge #4: Magic
Today begins our fourth topic challenge!
Topic: magic
Dates: 23 March - 5 April
Proposed by:
When I joined Worldbuilding, I told myself that I would only answer
science-based questions. I'd ...
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Sandbox for proposed Questions
The Sandbox works best if you sort posts by "active" (click here to do so).
Welcome to the Sandbox!
This "Sandbox" is a place where Worldbuilding.SE users can get feedback on ...
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Congratulations, Worldbuilding is graduating!
It's a big day. You've been cleared for graduation by the Stack Exchange Community Team! Worldbuilding met our threshold for graduation-worthy sites and after a review, the Community Team determined ...
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Real Life cannot be an overriding limitation on any question unless specifically requested
I have finally found the perfect question to kick-start this discussion concerning what I believe is a growing undesirable behavior on Worldbuilding
How can the Sea of Japan be drained?
The OP wasn'...
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The many memes of Worldbuilding
This was inspired by The Many Memes of Meta and The many memes of scifi.stackexchange.
This is something I thought of a couple months ago, but decided to wait to actually propose. I'll quote the post ...
HDE 226868Mod
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Worldbuilding Blog - Phase 1 and 2: Raising the idea and definition
Disclaimer: Blogs are on hold for the moment and this thread will likely not lead directly to us having our own blog. Instead, this post is supposed to test the water. I think Worldbuilding is a good ...
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Sandbox cleanup
So I was sifting through the question sandbox...would it be totally inappropriate to remove items that haven't seen any activity for maybe...30 days? Talking about questions that have not been ...
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How should we deal with inherently open-ended fishing-for-ideas questions?
We've had a number of questions lately that, in my opinion, skirt the rules. They're not specific (per the new Help Center, THANKS! for that BTW).
Examples are:
Anti-Psychic Countermeasures
What ...
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Create Custom Help Center Articles
We need to prepare for our site to enter public beta, and one of the things we need to do is define what goes in the help center and the tour. This is one of The 7 Essential Meta Questions of Every ...
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Fortnightly topic challenge #5 : City Design
Now begins our fifth topic challenge!
Topic: city-design
Dates: 6 April - 19 April
Proposed by:
I've enjoyed these questions. I can see these sort of questions being asked:
-Given x ...
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