Real World Research?

Discussion in 'All Things LitRPG' started by A J Bishop, Jan 11, 2019.

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  1. A J Bishop

    A J Bishop Level 9 (Burgler) Citizen Aspiring Writer

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    So I was thinking about putting some time into actually going to visit some of the places i want to write about.
    Since one of the ideas I eventually want to get too is a 'Real World' Setting in a game.

    I can guess it would be well worth visiting these places but what sort of things should I be looking at?

    -In my case i would be roaming London (kings cross station, the wax works, etc) and some of the other locations around the city.
     
  2. Alexis Keane

    Alexis Keane Level 14 (Defender) Roleplaying Beta Reader Citizen Aspiring Writer

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    London Eye, Big Ben/The Clock Tower, Tower Bridge (which is what most people thing London Bridge is), London Bridge (which is a disappointment), Blackfriars Bridge, St Pauls Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, Houses of Parliament (Westminster Palace), Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Greenwich, The Globe Theatre, King's Cross, St Pancras, lots of galleries and museums (don't discount the small ones either, the sir john soane museum is great - has Hogarth's The Rake's Progress inside), Madame Tussaud's (the waxworks), Horse Guard's Parade, Downing Street, Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican (which is an ugly brutalist monstrosity), Highgate Cemetery, Hyde Park, Albert Memorial
     
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  3. A J Bishop

    A J Bishop Level 9 (Burgler) Citizen Aspiring Writer

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    All good places to hit up :) though was more thinking "what should i be looking at in these places"
     
  4. TravisBach

    TravisBach Level 15 (Guardian) LitRPG Author Citizen

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    If it were me, I'd go for three things.
    1. Things that tell you about the society and it's systems. Like a tower which was built by the Romans and then turned into a tax-collection facility by a corrupt Publicani then later repurposed by a King as a place to exile his enemies to. (I made all that up in lieu of research BTW haha.) Point is, learning how people lived is incredibly useful when world-building time comes back around.
    2. Places that would be totally sweet for a battle. Not just forts, but places with quirks and nuances to their terrain that the people centuries ago used to their advantage. These are priceless tidbits when it comes time for your future heroes to clever their way out of desperate situations.
    3. The "Research" tax deduction. ^_~ look it up, it's an author's best friend.
    have fun!
     
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  5. Allen White

    Allen White Level 7 (Cutpurse) LitRPG Author Citizen

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    Also, take LOTS of reference photos! I utilized a real location in Tokyo, and since I visit almost every year, I took tons of photos of the place during one trip. It really helped, because when writing the actual scene, I was unclear on some specific details, and I needed to clarify these by returning to the actual spot to take shots.
     
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