Location Archetypes
locationArchetypesReusable place concepts that Location Details draws on when it generates a location. Write them as tone directions, not encyclopedia entries: what makes this kind of place feel distinct.
"Reusable place concepts the AI can draw from when generating new locations for this world."
- Editor location
- Files → Other → Advanced → Location Archetypes
- Editor type
- Edit in Studio + View JSON
- Size limits
No character-length caps for this section.
Schema
{
"locationArchetypes": {
"<key>": "string"
}
}Example
{
"locationArchetypes": {
"Power Asymmetry": "Atmosphere:\n- Someone here holds authority that others cannot openly challenge\n- Deference is performed, not felt\n- The gap between official rank and actual leverage is visible if you know where to look\n\nTensions:\n- Every interaction carries the question of who is watching and what will be reported\n- Requests that look like requests are actually orders\n\nPatterns:\n- People speak carefully and move with purpose\n- Waiting is treated as a show of deference, not inefficiency\n\nSecrets:\n- The visible authority figure is not the one making the real decisions",
"Transit Point": "Atmosphere:\n- People here are passing through, not staying\n- Relationships are brief and transactional\n- The place exists to facilitate movement, not to be a destination\n\nTensions:\n- No one is accountable to anyone else here; the normal rules of social consequence do not apply\n- Someone is always watching the exits\n\nPatterns:\n- Strangers share tables but not names\n- The people who work here know everything about everyone passing through\n\nSecrets:\n- One regular here is not what they appear to be"
}
}Authoring tips
Write tone directions, not lore
Write each entry as a short thematic atmosphere direction, not an encyclopedia entry or location-type description. The AI doesn't need a lore summary; it needs to know what makes this type of place feel distinct.
Four-section entry structure
A well-structured entry uses four sections: Atmosphere (the mood and sensory register), Tensions (what social forces are active and unresolved), Patterns (observable behaviors that repeat in this type of place), and Secrets (one thing true here that isn't visible). Every entry Voyage ships uses all four, with three short bullets each.
Use thematic keys, not location types
Keys should be thematic labels ("Power Asymmetry", "Sanctuary", "Uneasy Alliance") not location-type labels ("Capital City", "Forest", "Dungeon"). All 11 entries Voyage ships are keyed this way.