worldmight

Worldmight is a fictional metric used in speculative fiction, worldbuilding, and related games to indicate the overall influence, resilience, and potential actions of a civilization, faction, or polity on planetary or interstellar stages. It is typically conceived as an aggregate of domains such as political stability, technological capability, economic strength, cultural reach, military power, and diplomatic influence.

Origins of the term are not tied to a single work; it arises from worldbuilding practice in online communities and fiction since the early 2000s. It serves as a shorthand for why powers act as they do and how balance of power shifts over time.

Usage varies by setting. In fiction, worldmight is typically described qualitatively through scenes and dialogue. In games and guides, it may be given a numeric score or tier, sometimes on a scale from 1 to 100 or in qualitative levels such as low, mid, and high. Some systems separate components—security, technology, economy—and recombine them into a total rating.

Variants and related concepts may appear, such as worldpower or worldwill, emphasizing different aspects of capability or intent. Worldmight often interacts with internal dynamics like political factions, social cohesion, and external factors such as alliances and threats.

Reception of worldmight is mixed. Proponents view it as a practical tool for planning plots and balancing encounters, while critics warn it can oversimplify complex political and cultural processes. In practice, it is used as a flexible framework rather than a strict rule.