Worldbuilding: Diagnostic Skill

Diagnose world-level problems in fictional settings. Identify what’s missing or unconvincing and recommend specific interventions.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Setting feels like a painted backdrop
• Technology/magic hasn’t transformed society
• Institutions feel designed rather than evolved
• Economy doesn’t make sense
• Cultures lack depth

Do NOT use this skill when:

• Story problems are character-focused (use character-arc)
• Plot structure issues (use scene-sequencing)
• Need to generate worlds from scratch (use systemic-worldbuilding)

Core Principle

Worlds fail when they feel designed rather than evolved.

Good worldbuilding creates the perception that the setting has history, internal logic, and processes that operate independently of the plot.

The World States

W1: Backdrop World

Symptoms: Setting exists but has no independent logic Interventions: systemic-worldbuilding (trace consequences)

W2: World Without Consequences

Symptoms: Technology/magic exists but hasn’t transformed society Interventions: Consequence Cascade Analysis

W3: Institutions Without History

Symptoms: Organizations feel designed last week Interventions: Organic Institutional Design

W4: Economy Doesn’t Make Sense

Symptoms: Trade exists without supply chains; prices arbitrary Interventions: economic-systems

W5: Belief Systems Are Shallow

Symptoms: Religion is flavor without theological depth Interventions: belief-systems

W6: Culture Without Depth

Symptoms: Traditions feel random; surface-level aesthetic Interventions: memetic-depth

W7: Flat Non-Humans

Symptoms: Aliens/species are humans in costume Interventions: conlang, alien-sensory frameworks

W7.5: Language Feels Generic

Symptoms: Names sound like English; no linguistic texture Interventions: conlang, language-evolution

Consequence Cascade

Apply to any major speculative element:

Initial Element
├── 1st Order: Direct practical effects
│   ├── Who gains immediate advantage?
│   ├── What becomes obsolete?
│   └── Technical limitations?
├── 2nd Order: Systemic adaptations
│   ├── How do economic structures adapt?
│   ├── How do power structures respond?
│   └── What resistance movements arise?
└── 3rd Order: Cultural evolution
    ├── What new language emerges?
    ├── What ethical questions arise?
    └── What becomes normalized?

Key Diagnostic Questions

For Technology/Magic

• What’s your initial divergence from our world?
• Who gains power? What becomes obsolete?
• How would the powerful try to control this?

For Institutions

• When was this organization founded?
• What crises has it survived?
• What are its internal contradictions?

For Economics

• What’s the fundamental scarcity?
• How is value determined?
• What’s the underground economy?

For Belief Systems

• What explains existence?
• How do beliefs affect daily decisions?
• What are the schisms and debates?

Common Anti-Patterns

The Monoculture

One unified culture for entire planets/species. Fix: Add regional variation, class differences, schisms.

The Convenient Technology

Technology exists when plot needs it. Fix: Trace consequence cascade.

The Static History

World unchanged for centuries. Fix: Add recent disruptions, reforms in progress.

The Evil Empire

Antagonist nation uniformly evil. Fix: Add internal debates, ordinary people.

The Rubber Forehead Alien

Non-humans with minor cosmetic differences. Fix: Start with biology, trace to cognition, trace to culture.

Depth vs Breadth

Go Deep When:

• Element is central to plot
• Element will be examined closely
• Element creates ongoing conflict

Stay Shallow When:

• Element is background detail
• POV character wouldn’t know depth
• Mystery is more interesting

Related Skills

• systemic-worldbuilding – Build worlds from initial divergence
• belief-systems – Deep theological design
• economic-systems – Economic logic
• governance-systems – Political structures
• conlang – Language design
• settlement-design – Cities and geography