Challenge

Through Juniper's story, I challenge myself to weave complex narratives that could easily transition into game scenarios. This practice helps me develop the skills needed to create intricate plotlines that keep readers engaged and invested in the story's outcome.

Juniper's transformation and subsequent journey offer a unique perspective on character development. Writing this novel allows me to experiment with Juniper's personality traits, challenges, and growth, providing a template for developing game characters that players can empathize with and root for.

To aid in the novel's development I have challenged myself in creating a complete world for Juniper's adventures. This practice is beneficial for designing game worlds that are not only visually appealing but also rich with lore, obstacles, and unique elements that enhance story telling. By detailing the world's ecosystem, history, and magic, I lay a foundation for creating immersive worlds that engage players or readers on multiple levels.

LitRPG, or Literary Role Playing Game, is a genre that merges traditional narrative techniques with elements of role-playing video games. It typically features protagonists who are explicitly aware of their existence within a game or game-like world, complete with systematized representations of character classes, attributes, and progress such as leveling up or acquiring new skills. For someone aspiring to become a game designer, writing in the LitRPG genre aligns perfectly with my career goals. It allows me to experiment with game mechanics through narrative, such as character development via classes, experience points, and abilities that evolve over time. This not only enriches the story but also deepens my understanding of player engagement, progression systems, and the balance of gameplay elements—crucial skills for any game designer.

The continent of Grotuwen

Grotuwen is a vast and sprawling continent of untamed beauty and diverse landscapes that serves as the backdrop for "Chronicles of the Amber Dragon". From the scorching deserts of the south to the freezing wastelands of the north, Grotuwen boasts a range of biomes that captivate the classic imagination of the high fantasy genre.

In the southern reaches of Grotuwen lies the Vastara desert, an unforgiving expanse of sand and heat that poses a formidable challenge to any who dare to traverse its arid terrain. To the north, the climate gradually becomes milder, offering respite from the relentless sun. Here, amidst rolling hills and fertile valleys, civilization thrives amidst the rugged wilderness.

Currently, the creation of Grotuwen is still in its early stage, with an estimate of about 30% of the map being completed. While crafting the continent, my focus has been primarily on the western regions, where the story begins and develops for the first couple hundred pages.

If you wish to learn more about the continent, you can find out every detail on my wiki, where you can find more info regarding the world building such us, kingdoms, races, divinities and creatures of the continent. You can also find more info regarding the LitRPG part of the novel, like the classes that appear throughout the novel and their levels, abilities and other game-like elements.

Map creation process

LitRPG

In the novel, I utilize tables to represent system messages or pop-ups, similar to game interfaces. In a litRPG setting, characters are typically able to visualize their game-like interface in various ways.

As an example, Juniper is able to get notification and navigate her status and ability panels which appear in front of her vision, almost like a VR interface.