Like some of you, I've always had trouble writing up worlds. How much detail is enough? How much is too much? How to moderate oneself, and yet provide enough of a sketch to make the description generally useful? Etc etc.
To get some answers to my questions, I examined the world writeups in the classic adventures. They're generally two to three pages long, and include a map. I broke the content down into categories and got these general guidelines -- which may have changed substantially in the intervening 30 years, but it's a start:
World Writeup Framework
1. Introduction
1a. Vital statistics - a text expansion of the UWP
<world name/location> is the <optional descriptor like "busy/infrequently visited/bustling"> (main)world in the # system, situated <general disposition of its subsector location> in the # subsector in the # (sector). <comment about its standing in the domain, sector, or subsector if significant>. Library data indicate the UWP for the world is
<name> <hex> <UWP> <codes etc>
<world name> is a (small/medium/large)-sized <water?/desert?> world with (no/a thin/a standard/a dense) atmosphere. Having a diameter of # kilometers and a circumference of # kilometers, it has an atmosphere with a (standard/exotic/etc) gas mixture <comment about noxious elements, corrosives, etc, if need be>. Seas of <water/whatever> cover #% of the world's surface. The planet (is uninhabited/has a # population of #) and has <government type, law level, tech level>. <comments about colony adaptations to inhospitable facets of the world, such as gravity or atmosphere or not enough living space (tiny asteroid or water world)>.
The planet has a # hour day and is # million kilometers from its central star. The local year is # standard days/years. It has # satellites, <general size or type of each; i.e. both small rocks, etc>. <significant or interesting information regarding the satellites, if any>
1b. Starport descriptive text
(10 to 90 words)
(<mainworld> (boasts/has/supports/etc)) OR (<starport name> is) a class # starport, <comment on location and/or history if significant> <comment on the reason for the quality if interesting>. <comment on current use and plans for the starport in the future>.
1c. System information
(10 to 140 words)
The system consists of a <brightness or class, etc> central star, a total of # planets, and # satellites. (Only) # is in the system's life zone, <disposition of life in the remainder of the system>. (In addition,) the system has <no/number> gas giant(s) <comment if significant>.
2. Maps
(Starport map and/or world map)
3. Physical Description
3a. Terrain
(100 to 360 words)
<standard map is shown on page #>
(If desert/water world) Most of <world> is (desert/ocean) / <world> is a <water/desert> world. <comment>
(If wet world) The equator passes through # out of # continents.
<general characteristics of hemispheres and/or important continents (minerals, settlements, urbanization, etc), or perhaps lack of knowledge about some areas>.
(The Sea/Seas/The Ocean): <general sizes or size ranges, how deep/shallow the seas are, dropoffs, trenches, whatever, if significant>. <are there dry "salt seas" in desert locations now? etc> <comment about polar icecaps. both poles? are they fragile? thick? accessible?>
<any significant geologic activity in the recent geological past?>
<Wetlands notes, if significant>
<Savannah notes, if significant>
<Desert notes, if significant>
<Foothills notes, if significant>
<Mountain range notes, if significant>
3b. Climate and weather
(80 to 360 words)
<world> is a (inferno/warm/temperate/pleasant/cold/freezing) world, with an average temperature of # C and (wide/normal/little) variation through the course of the year. Temperature decreases closer to the poles (# degrees per hex) and as altitude increases (# degrees per 1000m altitude).
<Occasional/Periodic/Common/etc>, (predictable/unpredictable), disturbances in the atmosphere produce <periods of storm and wet weather/whatever> <how bad do they get?>.
<rules governing weather based on proximity to oceans or seas or desert, etc>
<significant weather events, such as flash floods & heat prostration>
3c. Flora and Fauna
(30 to 100 words)
The animal and plant life of <world> is <unremarkable/short generalized description> (and corresponds to standard animal encounter tables) (with the following exceptions: <list terrain-related encounter tables>).
---OR---
The major effects on the evolution of local life formas have been the world's [list of <atmosphere/gravity/oceans/deserts/satellites/whatever>]. <is most life still in the seas, or has land life proliferated?> <how has land life adapted to the world's characteristics?>
4. City map (optional)
5. Social description
5a. Settlements and Government
(300 words)
<Capital city name, location, etc> <how is the world run?>
5b. History
(240 to 480 words)
<Most important date and its circumstances regarding this world: 1 paragraph>
<First known contact or settlement date and circumstances: 1 paragraph>
<1 or 2 Highlight(s) from then to now: 3 paragraphs>
To get some answers to my questions, I examined the world writeups in the classic adventures. They're generally two to three pages long, and include a map. I broke the content down into categories and got these general guidelines -- which may have changed substantially in the intervening 30 years, but it's a start:
World Writeup Framework
1. Introduction
1a. Vital statistics - a text expansion of the UWP
<world name/location> is the <optional descriptor like "busy/infrequently visited/bustling"> (main)world in the # system, situated <general disposition of its subsector location> in the # subsector in the # (sector). <comment about its standing in the domain, sector, or subsector if significant>. Library data indicate the UWP for the world is
<name> <hex> <UWP> <codes etc>
<world name> is a (small/medium/large)-sized <water?/desert?> world with (no/a thin/a standard/a dense) atmosphere. Having a diameter of # kilometers and a circumference of # kilometers, it has an atmosphere with a (standard/exotic/etc) gas mixture <comment about noxious elements, corrosives, etc, if need be>. Seas of <water/whatever> cover #% of the world's surface. The planet (is uninhabited/has a # population of #) and has <government type, law level, tech level>. <comments about colony adaptations to inhospitable facets of the world, such as gravity or atmosphere or not enough living space (tiny asteroid or water world)>.
The planet has a # hour day and is # million kilometers from its central star. The local year is # standard days/years. It has # satellites, <general size or type of each; i.e. both small rocks, etc>. <significant or interesting information regarding the satellites, if any>
1b. Starport descriptive text
(10 to 90 words)
(<mainworld> (boasts/has/supports/etc)) OR (<starport name> is) a class # starport, <comment on location and/or history if significant> <comment on the reason for the quality if interesting>. <comment on current use and plans for the starport in the future>.
1c. System information
(10 to 140 words)
The system consists of a <brightness or class, etc> central star, a total of # planets, and # satellites. (Only) # is in the system's life zone, <disposition of life in the remainder of the system>. (In addition,) the system has <no/number> gas giant(s) <comment if significant>.
2. Maps
(Starport map and/or world map)
3. Physical Description
3a. Terrain
(100 to 360 words)
<standard map is shown on page #>
(If desert/water world) Most of <world> is (desert/ocean) / <world> is a <water/desert> world. <comment>
(If wet world) The equator passes through # out of # continents.
<general characteristics of hemispheres and/or important continents (minerals, settlements, urbanization, etc), or perhaps lack of knowledge about some areas>.
(The Sea/Seas/The Ocean): <general sizes or size ranges, how deep/shallow the seas are, dropoffs, trenches, whatever, if significant>. <are there dry "salt seas" in desert locations now? etc> <comment about polar icecaps. both poles? are they fragile? thick? accessible?>
<any significant geologic activity in the recent geological past?>
<Wetlands notes, if significant>
<Savannah notes, if significant>
<Desert notes, if significant>
<Foothills notes, if significant>
<Mountain range notes, if significant>
3b. Climate and weather
(80 to 360 words)
<world> is a (inferno/warm/temperate/pleasant/cold/freezing) world, with an average temperature of # C and (wide/normal/little) variation through the course of the year. Temperature decreases closer to the poles (# degrees per hex) and as altitude increases (# degrees per 1000m altitude).
<Occasional/Periodic/Common/etc>, (predictable/unpredictable), disturbances in the atmosphere produce <periods of storm and wet weather/whatever> <how bad do they get?>.
<rules governing weather based on proximity to oceans or seas or desert, etc>
<significant weather events, such as flash floods & heat prostration>
3c. Flora and Fauna
(30 to 100 words)
The animal and plant life of <world> is <unremarkable/short generalized description> (and corresponds to standard animal encounter tables) (with the following exceptions: <list terrain-related encounter tables>).
---OR---
The major effects on the evolution of local life formas have been the world's [list of <atmosphere/gravity/oceans/deserts/satellites/whatever>]. <is most life still in the seas, or has land life proliferated?> <how has land life adapted to the world's characteristics?>
4. City map (optional)
5. Social description
5a. Settlements and Government
(300 words)
<Capital city name, location, etc> <how is the world run?>
5b. History
(240 to 480 words)
<Most important date and its circumstances regarding this world: 1 paragraph>
<First known contact or settlement date and circumstances: 1 paragraph>
<1 or 2 Highlight(s) from then to now: 3 paragraphs>