Structure Cultures in Your world.

[Kupotepo]

While I index the cultures in my world, I wonder how others organized the cultures in their world.

A culture is a standard norm in society.
It includes clothing, foods and drinks, social interactions, and common values. It is a really broad subject for me. It is true. It is so true that geography shaped the population, such as humans, elves, beast people, aliens, predators or whomever.

Tangible Factors which impact social behaviors :

1. Geography [A forest which encourages an eco-friendly attitude of most population because of the population lives near nature like @MushroomCake28's example.]
2. Technology
3. Natural Resources
4. Economic system
5. Immigrant/Settler
6. language
7. dietary practices
8. religious observances [what type of magic can population use? It doesn't have to law, but an unwritten law that the population should know.]
9. Social stratification

Intangible Factors which impact social behaviors:

1. Custom Ethics: common values like duty, family, honor [What deem a good behavior or bad behavior by society.]
2. Political mindset
3. Religious mindset
4. Acceptable gender roles and occupations
5. Social status [What is a society deem your worth?] popularity, influence, and usefulness

Here are examples:

1. Monoculture:
2. I think the typical example in a game would be like a culture for an orc race, for a demon race, and so on.
3. Multicultural: A common example in a game would a human race in the society where they are behave based on the social class's expectations. Or, a society with different ethnic cultures.
4. Subculture
5. Alternative culture: a culture exists outside the mainstream culture. Like you can wear whatever weird things you want.
6. counterculture: a culture that opposed a mores and wants to change the main culture for whatever reasons.

How do you group the cultures together? Thank you for helping me.

 

[MushroomCake28]

I think I'm doing a pretty standard culture organization in my project. Cultures are separated between geographical areas. There's also different cultures between races, but they tend to be located in different geographical areas, so the difference could be explained by the geography rather than the race.

There's not only one culture per race, there's one culture per region. For example, there could be a elf settlement in the forest. Their culture would revolve around nature, small village, dislike of outsiders, etc. There could also be a city of elf focused on studying magic. Elves there would be more open to outsiders, but would still consider themselves superior, especially intellectually. They would be far more developed than the forest elves and would seek to have a relationship with other nations to further their knowledge.

 

[Frostorm]

If you're going for realism/immersion then all cultures should be multicultural. Monocultures are just lazy world-building.

 

[Kupotepo]

@MushroomCake28, thank you for showing me your structuring.

I see that geography does shape the practices of local people like the elf. Only just how and where a creature originate. My geography class passed though my brain.

Humans are easy to organize just look in the world. I am concerned about goblins, beast people, and undead. I can go the traditional RPG reference, but still hope to find a new way.

@staf00, thank you for helping me with my writing and organizing.
Monoculture seem lazy and I hear you. However, the purity traditional culture would not want mix culture [those creatures are focused on preserve their cultures and prevent it from evolving]. It requires homogeneous population in order for that happened. The world is a big place and you have different form of cultures to exist.

 

[Frostorm]

My mind was just blown watching this video. I hope it brings inspiration for creating a number system for your fantasy cultures

 

[Kupotepo]

@staf00, thanks you for showing the video. I am not wishing to invent a number system and days of the weeks. I mean it would be neat, but I do not know it would impact the worldbuilding.

 

[Frostorm]

Artifexian has great videos for world-building in general.

Btw, I think socioeconomics is an important aspect of a culture. There will always be the haves and have-nots in any society. Imagine what poor elves vs rich elves would be like? lol

 

[Willibab]

My various race cultures are shaped by their history, most have conservatives and progressives among them who fight over which direction they should move forward in, but in different ways based on the race.
There are also counter culture movements in some time periods, like a big overthrow of a religion which ended up making that race more degenerate, which eventually lead many to believe it was because they had forsaken their god, and history repeats itself

I just look at american politics and game of thrones for inspiration tbh, i love stories where the reader never finds out the real truth but only gets perspectives shaped by narratives,bias and propaganda.
I dont want any good guys or bad guys either, i want a grey complicated mess xD


Nice video, i love stuff like that. Already made several languages for my races but they are not super in-depth.

 

[Kupotepo]

@Willibab, thank you for sharing your writing with me.

That is true that culture influenced by this history and common values. Some cultural. values are not influences by geography, but the mindset of the general population.

I just look at american politics and game of thrones for inspiration tbh

That is going to be a mystery to players for sure. lol

There are also counter culture movements in some time periods

I have a question about a counterculture. How does the counterculture work in the RPG world? Do you just focus on the religious aspect of culture? Or you are focus different usage of magic too? For an example, the elf society forbidden a use of black magic, some elves do not cared and practice the black magic in secret.

 

[Willibab]

@WillibabI have a question about a counterculture. How does the counterculture work in the RPG world? Do you just focus on the religious aspect of culture? Or you are focus different usage of magic too? For an example, the elf society forbidden a use of black magic, some elves do not cared and practice the black magic in secret.

Im not really sure what exactly counts as counterculture, if secret groups count then i have plenty

Like that with humans of a particular kingdom, the general population think of dark and blood magic as evil but the rulers practice it to keep themselves from aging. Mages that openly wield such magic are called Cultists because they are assumed to be in liege with demons. Yet it is not outright illegal either.

Another example is the dwarves, they believe mithril is literally the blood of one of their gods so they have always shunned its use (despite most of the world using it heavily) but younger dwarves want to change it (because its super useful). Not exactly magic but a magic ore

 

[Kupotepo]

@Willibab, I honestly do not know it either. I think the secret groups are counted as the countercultural movement. Yeah, the cultures are hard to organize because it is interconnecting with other aspects of life. That is why I need help with this subject.

Another example is the dwarves, they believe mithril is literally the blood of one of their gods so they have always shunned its use (despite most of the world using it heavily) but younger dwarves want to change it (because its super useful). Not exactly magic but a magic ore

I think you are doing great. I think the counterculture movement is focusing on changing the cultural outlook in society. "It typically involves criticism or rejection of currently powerful institutions, with accompanying hope for a better life or a new society."
[I think you are right that some population might form secret groups surely if they are in danger from speak openly about what they hope for.]