So, general question: Should I work on creating an actual timeline of past events for each campaign?

So, general question: Should I work on creating an actual timeline of past events for each campaign?

So, general question: Should I work on creating an actual timeline of past events for each campaign?

Let me start by saying that I’ve always disliked the Date-PersonName-Event thing in history lessons, my mind immediately rejects the information. Like bleep blanked as soon as it enters.

You’ll note that in the current version of the Core preview, I’m purposefully vague about when things happen. I tend to talk about the past in terms of “in the past decades” or “centuries ago”.

Making a discrete timeline means a lot more work making sure it all “works”, timing-wise. It’s an extra system that has to be plausible. 

On the plus side, creating a historical timeline requires creating a time-keeping structure and language, which can help build the setting.

Basically: I have personal reasons to NOT do it, but as consumers of campaign settings, do you appreciate a defined timeline?

9 thoughts on “So, general question: Should I work on creating an actual timeline of past events for each campaign?”

  1. A useful compromise might be something like:

    Still in the Newsfeeds

    * Omnicorp introduces telepresence cloning

    * Cyrix Tertius vaporizes in freak seismic event

    * Johnny Chiba, galactic celebrity, defects to Notromulans; cites inspiration from their “emotional purity” 

    A Few Years Back

    * Emperor Nihhon assassinated; son missing, suspected assassin

    * Guncorp-Defenseco War ends with treaty of Harnward

    Back in the Day

    * AI revolution on Dravidius Prime; 7 million dead in uprising and millions more dead in effort to contain it

    * Experiments in trans-warp teleportation result in destruction Centurius System

    Ancient History

    etc. etc.

  2. Maybe also vague references with one or two concrete dates. “The Rebellion fell 960 yearcycles ago, since then, x,y,z have happened, with a and b most recently in living memory.”

  3. Edgar G – concur. Now maybe an example of suggested guidelines, but I think a timeline would lock things in too much. I (mostly/somewhat/) like Traveler’s rules, but I ignore the background. If I want to build a timeline based on the group’s brainstorming I can use something like Aeon Timeline.

  5. Plus, if one group decides that FTL travel happens via a wormhole and another group decides it happens via some obnoxious Steampunk thing, how would you mark that on a timeline?

    “In one universe, in the year 124 C.E. scientists discovered the ability to fold space through a wormhole, making Faster Than Light space travel possible. In another, some douche scientists discovered brass and steam make spaceship go zoom-zoom.”

    grin

  6. Jesse R Well, if it’s a bunch of wand-waving arrogant sots in robes piloting those steampunk violations of natural law, I do believe their stock answer will be “it’s magic, old bean”.

  9. I vote for vague allusions to past events because I like to create a unique dated timeline for each play universe. I build universes based on what the players and I create for the present world, placing events in the past that are logical precursors to what we’ve got now. Because UW allows a lot of flexibility in creating the present, I would prefer to have the past just as open.

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