World Builders' Guild Newsletter

Energy dictates outcomes.

I'm writing this special evening edition of the World Builders' Guild Newsletter for a couple of reasons:

1. Life happens. We show up anyway.
2. It's an experiment in energy.

It's likely you won't see this until Wednesday morning. Or, maybe you'll see it sometime around midnight local.

In either case, take a moment wherever you are and think about your energy level.

Are you reading this over coffee with the morning sun warming your face? Maybe you're lying in bed, the comforting glow of your phone tickling your retinas before you drift off to sleep. Hang onto that feeling.

I'm always running at 400 volts, myself. (Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash)

What's so special about energy?

Well, it is half of the fundamental building blocks of the universe (matter is the other, in case you forgot our pal Einstein). That seems like a big deal.

It's also the "fuel" that moves us throughout a world. In the "real world", energy is derived from the food we eat. You can trace the origin of that energy all the way back to the ball of gas we call "the sun." No sun, no climate, no animals, plants, water, food. No people. No energy.

The sun runs through a series of predictable 11-year cycles. Solar minima and maxima, as they're known. You may not be able to tell by standing in your back yard and staring up at noon (I don't recommend this in any case), but it's happening all the time.

Like the sun, your created worlds experience constant energy cycles. Those cycles are imperceptible to people on the inside of brilliantly crafted worlds.

Pretend you're at a football game and everybody in the stadium is cheering, full-volume the entire time. Every player running at top speed. No breaks between plays. The energy is maxed out.

It almost feels like chaos, doesn't it? Like the place might explode in a bad way.

Now, imagine the sleepiest library you've ever been in (no offense to librarians, I love libraries). No noise, no talking, no excitement. Energy is near zero.

That feels like lifeless torture.

The funny thing about both cases is that the people in those worlds are trapped by the energy level of their environment. They cannot change or grow under those conditions.

In order to challenge the senses of your inhabitants, you must create a contrast in energy levels.

The best music pulls its listeners into the space between the notes with its interplay of instruments, dynamic, chord structure, and tempo.

When you nail the energy balance, the world comes alive without anyone realizing what's happening. It's like magic.

How will you weave energy magic into your world?

Sharpening the Toolkit

• Virus lockdowns turn the video game industry up to 11 by introducing players to more titles with more time. “We’re not prone to return to pre-pandemic baselines round engagement or spending.”
• Reporters Without Borders build the virtual Uncensored Library in Minecraft to circumvent censorship of ideas and works.
• All-Elite Wrestling announces a new division, AEW Games, dedicated to creating video games based on their wrestling universes.

To future worlds,

Matt Ventre

If you received this email from a friend, be sure to subscribe to the World Builders' Guild Newsletter and follow me on social media for more exclusive content on world building and creative processes!

twitter.com/mventre

matthewventre.com

twitch.tv/PlayArchitect

matt@matthewventre.com

Love what you're reading? Tell a friend to join the World Builders' Guild today.