All Questions
2,145
questions
4
votes
4
answers
220
views
Why has my 7 year old question suddenly been made off topic?
This is the question.
I don't know why this question has been closed - the reason given is "This question does not appear to be about worldbuilding, within the scope defined in the help center&...
- 6,051
2
votes
5
answers
271
views
Why are some things impossible in fiction?
Ok, so this is kind of a meta worldbuilding question, but it doesn't really fit meta. It is more about worldbuilding itself. I have been browsing the site for a while, and I have gathered that things ...
user98873
-1
votes
5
answers
147
views
Speculative but factual Books: Worldbuilding or not?
Reference question: Is an atmosphere's oxygen partial pressure or concentration more biologically significant?
While discussing with the OP why they were looking for so much detail the OP said the ...
- 122k
-2
votes
1
answer
159
views
What rationale was used to justify the VTC as Opinion-Based and how can we avoid using this VTC reason in the future?
I'm a firm believer in quickly closing questions that need improvement — but I'm also a believer that the "Opinion Based" VTC reason is the least useful, if not completely useless, reason to ...
- 122k
2
votes
1
answer
82
views
What criteria was used by the Community user to delete this question?
Referring to: https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/236367/40609
Does anyone know what the current criteria is for the Community user to automatically delete a question?
I looked at this criteria ...
- 122k
4
votes
1
answer
110
views
An Invitation to Meta visitors to participate beyond reading posts
Most Meta posts are visited 75-150 times. Those same Meta posts tend to accumulate (at a rough guess and on average) a total of 8-12 unique votes.
Meta works because you're willing to move your mouse ...
- 122k
1
vote
2
answers
189
views
Should the Worldbuilding-Process tag be discontinued?
Relevant test question on Main:
Magic Systems: Advice for developing opposing forces
The roll-over text for the Worldbuilding-Process tag reads:
For questions about the process of creating a new ...
- 122k
1
vote
2
answers
93
views
Are ARG-related questions allowed?
Am I allowed to ask questions on Worldbuilding for an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) that I'm creating?
- 101
3
votes
5
answers
236
views
Why is "brainstorming" in of itself against the rules -- why was my question closed as "opinion based"?
Regarding this post.
Initially it was accused of being a "brainstorming" question, and unclear based on the phrasing "how would they stay in business. I edited the question to be more ...
- 275
2
votes
3
answers
103
views
Is there a reason we can't give bounty-like facilities to questions on Worldbuilding?
Worldbuilding is a unique SE site in that, users often spend as much, if not more time, to craft and moderate questions than answers.
A person that asks the question has to do research, formatting, ...
- 3,759
0
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Are questions about game mechanics in litrpgs allowed on this site?
In a recent question, the idea of discussing worldbuilding in the context of game mechanics and litrpg things was discussed. KerrAvon2055 and sphennings stated that game mechanics were off limits for ...
- 38.8k
0
votes
2
answers
51
views
(How) Can I filter out closed questions?
As far as I can tell, the "custom filter" offers no such option. Is there another way I am missing?
To be specific, I'd like to modify the list of questions on https://worldbuilding....
user91641
4
votes
3
answers
165
views
Should I edit/improve my 6 year old but still being voted/commented on (accepted) answer?
My answer to the question What would make scientists realize they were on a flat world? still keeps getting votes and comments. I've long since concluded that some of them are spot on and my answer ...
- 22.4k
1
vote
4
answers
116
views
Does building a character's backstory count as world building?
Does the worldbuilding stack accept questions relating to a single character. For example, how they might have gotten a specific injury, or what might have lead to them having a certain type of ...
- 1,409
3
votes
1
answer
60
views
This Meta has an invalid HTTPS certificate
I came here for a different reason, but was welcomed with an error as follows.
- 455
1
vote
2
answers
48
views
Inhouse widgets?
Some of the other SE sites have some real formatting wizardry going on: chess allows for move by move playback in the post, others have video embedding features.
Although not all posts on WB would ...
- 8,779
1
vote
3
answers
141
views
Can I get rid of dumb perfectionism anxiety attack fueled questions? (And other question fixes)
I have perfectionism anxiety about my creature design and world building, which sometimes come in attacks that compel me to ask a question on here that was dumb or obvious to me later. At least three ...
- 2,503
-2
votes
3
answers
163
views
What is the third-party world rule? [duplicate]
I've seen a lot of comments on questions that say things like 'Questions about third-party worlds are not on topic'. If you like to comment this, then that's fine. You're as free to say it as you are ...
- 16k
-3
votes
3
answers
139
views
Does using third-party "Ideas" make a question off-topic for WB:SE?
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery
...and everyone does it.
I have been badgered quite heavily with accusation that inserting "Mi-Go-like" creatures into my world somehow forfeit'...
- 8,179
-2
votes
3
answers
141
views
Canonical Delphicity is the line we must observe in judging third-party worlds
Entirely too much bandwidth and moderator time is being invested in quashing the victimless crime of using borrowed terms in a query under the false pretense that such terms invade some third-party ...
- 8,179
3
votes
5
answers
209
views
Are questions involving mythical creatures on-topic? Is folklore different from 3rd-party worlds?
This discussion spun off from the most recent ACS debate but it should by no means be taken as an opinion either way on the ACS format. Whether that specific tag/series is kept or axed makes no ...
- 14.4k
-18
votes
7
answers
1k
views
Is it time to officially close and terminate all questions applying to the Anatomically Correct Series?
The Anatomically Correct Series has been a treasured Worldbuilding tradition for seven years. Some amazing questions and even more amazing answers have contributed to the series. But...
Back in 2020 a ...
- 122k
3
votes
3
answers
144
views
How far can we push the term worldbuilding?
I don’t know how much discussion has been on a topic like this already, but allow me to explain.
The term "world-building" was first used in the Edinburgh Review in December 1820 and ...
- 2,285
6
votes
1
answer
107
views
Please review the updated tag wikis for internal-consistency, science-fiction, science-based, and hard-science
The tag wikis for the following tags have been updated based on the results of If we can't burn the "reality check" tag, can we rename it?
internal-consistency
science-fiction
science-...
- 122k
4
votes
0
answers
69
views
Please Help Clear the Tag Synonym Queue
The tag synonym approval queue is not part of the regular review queues. In fact, it's a bit hard to find. There are currently five synonym suggestions dating from 2017 (yeah, five years ago) waiting ...
- 122k
0
votes
3
answers
68
views
Does using the tags [science-based] and [time-travel] in tandem make any sense?
IMHO, time travel (into the past) is fantasy. It is proven to be nigh-impossible, affects causality, there are dozens of resources discussing the vagarities and impossibilities of time-traveling to ...
- 14.6k
4
votes
3
answers
177
views
Is there a stack exchange similar to Worldbuilding Stack Exchange but for suggestions on developing plot/character rather than setting/lore?
Looking for a stack exchange where I can ask a question describing the context of a story/character idea, and request ideas on how to fill in certain holes or develop it so that it fits certain events ...
- 189
17
votes
3
answers
361
views
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 ...
- 122k
1
vote
2
answers
87
views
How am I supposed to get people to use "facts and citations" for a question about a completely fictional environment?
Relating to This question, how can I ask contributors to include "facts and citations" in a question about a completely fictional world?
It's science fiction, so all facts are relative to ...
- 1,409
4
votes
3
answers
171
views
Close voters could consider editing flawed questions instead of closing them
Lots of questions get closed on WB stack. Sometimes the reasons are obvious and fixable: a good example is that the new user put too many questions into the single question.
When new users get their ...
- 305k
0
votes
2
answers
68
views
Would a very-specific "How would X influence Y" question be closed?
If you're go on Worldbuilding often enough, eventually your bound to see a closed question that sounds something like this:
How would human society be different if a super-cosmic-death-ray was ...
- 199
3
votes
2
answers
259
views
Why does this question have to be an encyclopedia?
This question is currently closed for lacking details. However, the details it has been accused of lacking seem suspect. Specifically, the sorts of details asked of it are facts and definitions of ...
- 16k
2
votes
2
answers
96
views
Is there a way to message a user?
I was looking at Worldbuilding just now and noticed a question that had been closed because it was asked "in character" - unfortunately it was also locked because of some unfortunate ...
- 21.8k
-1
votes
2
answers
77
views
Should the Writing stackexchange be added to the list of sites for migration?
I've done a vote-close on a number of bugs where I would have liked to mark it as needing to be migrated to https://writing.stackexchange.com, but the only migration destination location available in ...
- 19.2k
2
votes
3
answers
91
views
Are there hidden questions where there is an onus on the reader to explain all background?
In a previous question, L.Dutch, a moderator, noted as a standard that mecha were impossible. and so the burden was on us to explain why they were possible.
That very element making mecha possible in ...
- 38.8k
-1
votes
3
answers
160
views
What if an opener uses tags that can prevent story-based closure?
There's this question.. several peer mods labeled this as story based in the comments, but in my opinion there is no close reason, because of the tags, which point at the political system, not ...
- 14.9k
5
votes
2
answers
143
views
Is it acceptable for a question to have no accepted answer?
I posted a question which is getting a great amount of traction and some great answers, which are all making my imagination spark and buzz.
On other Stack Exchange sites, questions usually have one ...
- 483
0
votes
4
answers
160
views
Unhappy about my answer being deleted
Science based methods to increase the damage of melee weapons?
May at least as to check again that comment deletion is in fact best course of action in this case?
Thanks
- 2,433
2
votes
2
answers
64
views
Are down votes no longer considered after a question is Deleted? Is it reasonable to request this as a feature?
Are down votes removed from reputation after a question is removed by its author?
This provides tons of great information -- but in some circles has reputation on being hard on the users who post ...
- 2,421
0
votes
0
answers
16
views
Can I ask questions based on some other website / authors work? [duplicate]
Is it appropriate to ask questions based on other people's work?
I found this really cool sci-fi invention on someone else's page. Can I post the material here and ask for a second opinion? Should I ...
- 2,421
3
votes
2
answers
108
views
Do we need to justify every worldbuilding question with scientific criteria?
I recently made a question about giant mechs. I was criticized heavily for not justifying my answer by not having mechs, as mechs are scientifically implausible.
For example Graham said this.
@...
- 38.8k
1
vote
1
answer
95
views
What is this site (Worldbuilding Meta Stack Exchange) for?
I usually wouldn’t ask a question like this, purely because most of these Stack Exchange sites are self-explanatory. This site on the other hand just feels like a duplicate to the Worldbuilding one ...
- 1,260
2
votes
0
answers
69
views
Why was this "realistic map" question reopened?
This question – Is my map realistic? – was closed for being too vague and/or opinion-based. The asker was advised to clarify the nature of the question and provide necessary information. The asker ...
- 13.1k
4
votes
1
answer
74
views
Please help me fix my question
My question over here: Integrating Earth into interstellar empire
Despite getting a decent amount of upvotes and answers it was closed as being too story-based. Earlier sphennings indicated that it ...
- 1,967
12
votes
0
answers
176
views
Call for action: realistic map wiki
I have noticed that quite often we get questions along the line of "I am creating my world, I have come up with a map, does it make sense?"
You can find a list here
These questions do rarely ...
L.DutchMod
- 287k
0
votes
2
answers
147
views
Common Points don't make a Duplicate
Human creativity, while extremely powerful, is not infinite; we are bound by our inspirations and our extent in time, so that even all the ideas in the world can be noted down upon a finite sheet
Our ...
- 16k
-2
votes
1
answer
59
views
Should the Feudalism and Neo-feudalism have separate tags?
I was considering adding the neo-feudalism tag but thought to ask here first.
They are distinct concepts but I predict it is nuanced and specialized enough that blindly making the tag will see ...
- 8,179
16
votes
3
answers
442
views
Can we extend mhchem support in MathJax to include physical units?
You may or may not be aware that Worldbuilding.SE (partially) supports the mhchem MathJax extension, that allows for nice rendering of chemical formulae. I only discovered it quite recently. It lets ...
- 74.5k
-2
votes
2
answers
123
views
Could Neverland be built on Worldbuilding Stack Exchange today?
Let me open by saying, worlds are big
It is fair to say that many novels have more than double the content involved in worldbuilding as they do in story and plot. Publishers have a special allowance ...
- 8,179
3
votes
1
answer
220
views
Advice to Querents asking "is X plausible or realistic?"
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 ...
- 122k