World Basics

Worlds are persistent, interactive narrative spaces where your choices shape the story. Learn the fundamentals of how Worlds work.

What is a World?

A World in Soulfire is:

  • Persistent: Your actions and their consequences are remembered
  • Interactive: You influence the narrative through choices
  • Consistent: Actions must stay within the world rules
  • Structured: Quests, entities, and state track progress

Think of it as a text-based RPG meets collaborative storytelling, powered by AI.

World Types

Built-in Worlds (All Tiers)

Pre-built story experiences:

  • Curated by Soulfire team
  • Safe, moderated content
  • Great introduction to Worlds
  • All subscription tiers have access

Private Worlds (Plus)

Your own story spaces:

  • Create from scratch by providing the complete world blueprint
  • Full control over rules and narrative
  • Solo adventures only
  • Not visible to other users

Shared Worlds Concept (Coming 2026)

Community narrative spaces:

  • Multiple players can participate
  • Moderated character submissions
  • Shared events and timelines
  • Persistent community-driven stories
  • Actions taken in the world can affect other players
  • Items can be passed between players

World Components

Story Blueprint

The foundation of a World:

  • Lore: Background and history
  • Quests: Objectives and storylines
  • NPCs: Characters and their roles
  • Locations: Places to visit
  • Rules: Constraints and logic

Quest System

Structured objectives:

  • Main Quests: Primary storyline
  • Side Quests: Optional content
  • Hidden Quests: Discovered through exploration
  • Quest Chains: Multi-step objectives

Each quest has:

  • Description and objectives
  • Requirements and prerequisites
  • Rewards and consequences

The adventure state will automatically track current progress.

Entities

Things that exist in the World:

Characters:

  • Stats (health, skills, attributes)
  • Inventory
  • Relationships with player
  • Knowledge and dialogue options
  • Location

Locations:

  • Description
  • Connected areas
  • Contained entities
  • Special properties
  • Accessibility

Items:

  • Properties and effects
  • Usage limits
  • Requirements
  • Value and rarity

NOTE: Keep details extremely concise. The AI remembers better when the instructions are minimal and clear.

How Turns Work

Each action you take is a “turn”:

1. Player Action

You describe what you want to do:

"Ask the librarian about the ancient texts"

2. AI Interpretation

The AI interprets your intent:

  • Determines target (librarian)
  • Identifies action type (conversation)
  • Considers context (location, relationships, inventory)

Starting a World

  1. Go to Play Worlds -> New Adventure (top-right)
  2. Browse available worlds
  3. Click Start on the desired world
  4. Wait for opening scene. This can take 1-2 minutes
  5. Begin playing

Playing in a World

Effective Actions

Be Specific:

  • ❌ “Look around”
  • ✅ “Search the shelves for books about ancient magic”

Consider Context:

  • What’s in your inventory?
  • Where are you?
  • Who’s nearby?
  • What quests are active?

If unsure, you can ask the AI any questions like these.

Think Consequences:

  • Will this NPC react well?
  • Do I have time for this?
  • What are the risks?
  • Actions have consequences and cannot be undone.

Next Steps