Author: David Mandrake (---.ev1servers.net)
Date: 05-03-2005 06:47
As someone from one of those cities you "make fun of as being hicks," I have some experiences in common with you. We had a Shadowrun group, and as a travel example, we'd go from Redmond to Tacoma in 15 minutes. When I moved to the Seattle area, I realized how laughable that was. But it was no problem back home when none of us knew any better.
So: creating a "realistic" environment means the gamemaster, at the very least, must be no more ignorant than any of the players. To create further interesting details, the gamemaster has to know at least a little more--the more the better, certainly, but intimate knowledge of a place isn't necessary for suspension of disbelief.
Where do we go to get a little knowledge? The Internet, of course! But seriously, some research through reading can help someone get that little bit of knowledge. Roger Axtell's Do's and Taboos Around The World, for instance, Lonely Planet guides, and travelogues all help.
With that little bit of knowledge, you can relate or create details about a culture, its inhabitants, its architecture, or what have you, that create that sense of strangeness and discovery that many of us like to feel. It'd be good to know a few words in a language to use on PC's so that they don't see just folks speaking Common with a funny accent.
That having been said, there isn't a perfect substitute for getting out there. I'd prefer not to travel, but as you and another poster have pointed out, even a walk in the woods can reveal things. Living among a people can show you things you might not learn elsewhere (like giving or receiving something with both hands as a sign of respect in some Asian countries, for instance).
So:
1. Get out there. Go someplace you (and more importantly, your players) have never been.
2. Keep your eyes and ears open, and be open to inspiration from the things you encounter.
DM
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