A bronze age middle east based setting would be pretty cool.

[deuxhero]

More specifically, Judges era Israel based (just wait a bit before the mocking).


First of all, the Philistines didn't let the Israelites to be smiths to prevent them from arming themselves (they had to pay out the ass to a Philistine to get tools sharpened) so none of them had actual weapons, resulting in the need to use things like jawbones or sharp sticks as weapon.

The setting requires you either be blessed by a deity with incredible feats to be a combat character (Samson), or be a diplomat/guile/stealth character (Esther). Also, Samson was blessed on the requirement of keeping various vows. While Samson's vows (Don't drink booze, avoid corpses and don't cut your hair) would be a little hard to work into gameplay mechanics, the idea of having various vows that have to be kept to have any hope at all in combat (Ultima 4ish) has potential.


Bronze age equipment itself would be a pretty cool mechanic as well. At least it would be an interesting change from all the medieval crap. I recall seeing a documentary (OK, just R. Lee Ermey beating the shit out a dummy with various weapons including a bronze sword) that bronze weapons wore really quite quick, insuring that if you ever did get a weapon it would be something you only used in an important fight.


And above all, how many settings allow you to tie a bunch of foxes together by their tails, light them on fire and send them through the enemy's fields?

OK, NOW you can mock me.

 

[Baron]

I'm meandering on a middle eastern / fantasy mod, where weapons are just rocks, cudgels, daggers, etc (-and garotte if possible.) My inspiration was that venerable RPG classic, Unreal Tournament. Everything you picked up in that game could be used to maim and disfigure your opponent, and I see no reason why a cudgel, knife or grapefruit sized rock can't kill a monster or person.

I'm just so sick of battle axes, crossbows, and hand and a half swords. Sick of min-maxing damage output per second. Sick of owning more than one sword.* I just want a heavy length of wood to hit someone's face with, but I will settle for some sharpened woodworking tool to shove between their ribs. And if I misplace it, or trade it for water, or have it stolen by a pickpocket in the seconds prior to being garotted by a thug, then that's fine, I'll just look about for something else to use or punch or kick or bite. The last thing I want is to right click on my rock and check it's damage and durability. I do not wish to walk past another rock and ponder whether it is better, nor do I wish to collect all the rocks I pass by in case I encounter a weapons vendor whose inventory of rocks has run dry. I DO NOT ENJOY INVENTORY MANAGEMENT.

It's all about the damage stat. I just want fast, vicious, head caving combat just like Mum use to make. I want the kind of game where a person might favour themselves surviving a fight against two wine-addled ruffians, but would flee up the street from six guys with a religion and a single wooden mallet between them. DRAGON AGE 2 CAN SHOVE ABSURDLY BIG WEAPONS UP ITS ARSE AND THIRTY DIABLO ENEMIES IS COMBAT AT ITS MOST TIRESOME. I want a game where a guy coming at you with a knife as scary as it is in real life.

Health potions cause impotence. Why else do you think the priests make them?

* with notable exception to inhabitants of Rivia.

 

[Visbhume]

I want to play a habiru.

 

[FatCat]

Dialogs would be lacking in such setting imo.

I think that native American setting would be way more interesting.

 

[Malakal]

Once I read an excellent book about an ancient Egyptian doctor travelling the middle east during the bronze ages. There is a lot to this setting, glorious Egypt, trading Fenician cities, fertile crescent... Actually Palestine would be the most boring part since its unimportant to the greater events that unfold in the world.

 

[oscar]

The Dark Sun setting fits well. Weapons are primarily bone and obsidian with metal being extremely rare and expensive.

 

[Flatlander]

Once I read an excellent book about an ancient Egyptian doctor travelling the middle east during the bronze ages. There is a lot to this setting, glorious Egypt, trading Fenician cities, fertile crescent... Actually Palestine would be the most boring part since its unimportant to the greater events that unfold in the world.

Mika Waltaris http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Egyptian ? I'm currently reading his http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Etruscan . Inspiring books, especially the etruscan/mediterranean setting would be great for an (low magic) RPG.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

It should feature tons of tastefully done rape.

 

[Malakal]

Once I read an excellent book about an ancient Egyptian doctor travelling the middle east during the bronze ages. There is a lot to this setting, glorious Egypt, trading Fenician cities, fertile crescent... Actually Palestine would be the most boring part since its unimportant to the greater events that unfold in the world.

Mika Waltaris http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Egyptian ? I'm currently reading his http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Etruscan . Inspiring books, especially the etruscan/mediterranean setting would be great for an (low magic) RPG.

Yes, Sinuhe. Good book.

 

[Flatlander]

Re: A bronze age middle east based setting would be pretty c

bronze weapons wore really quite quick, insuring that if you ever did get a weapon it would be something you only used in an important fight.

I think I have read somewhere that bronze swords had more of an crushing than cutting effect. It might make sense to model bronze weapons so that even after they are worn they could be used as an effective club. Maybe have Crushing/Cutting/Penetration damage rates for weapons that decrease appropriately with use.

Edit: It seems to be hard find any actual facts about the usage and effect of bronze weapons. Most links I find are related to some stupid RPGs

 

[DraQ]

Once I read an excellent book about an ancient Egyptian doctor travelling the middle east during the bronze ages. There is a lot to this setting, glorious Egypt, trading Fenician cities, fertile crescent... Actually Palestine would be the most boring part since its unimportant to the greater events that unfold in the world.

Mika Waltaris http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Egyptian ? I'm currently reading his http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Etruscan . Inspiring books, especially the etruscan/mediterranean setting would be great for an (low magic) RPG.

Yes, Sinuhe. Good book.

 

[laclongquan]

Native American setting is boring as fuck. Nobody care about them and theirs.

Middle East got one thing going is that the antijoo can get their jollies by exterminating/making things hard for the joos. The conflict of Persia versus Egypt versus little kingdoms also interesting.

Too bad no one will do it.

 

[Chuftie]

Aztec setting.

Because going around in Carnival drag capturing enemies and sacrificing them vaguely appeals to me

 

[.Sigurd]

Aztec setting.

Aztec setting is boring as fuck. Nobody care about them.

Inca is the way.

 

[Flatlander]

Native Americans are all boring and gay new age hippies or boring and dumb bloodthirsty savages.

Only reasonable way to do an American setting is a center-of-the-earth-esque alternate history where Europeans and Arabs fight for dominance during 16th century. Damn injuns could be replaced with something actually interesting from indoeuropean mythology.

 

[Radisshu]

I'd like to see a setting that's really simple on a technological level, where a suit of plate would be like power armor to be people today.

There would probably be an emphasis on ranged weapons in a culture where melee stuff was limited.

 

[Chuftie]

Aztec setting.

Aztec setting is boring as fuck. Nobody care about them.

Inca is the way.

Inca is fine too, but they don't have as much flair as the pimped out Aztec war uniforms

 

[denizsi]

Give me ancient Mesopotamia with a perception of dark ancient gods and lots of mysticism. A better Teudogar with some more substance to the metaphysical.

I don't see why dialogue would be lacking in a game with ancient peoples. Modern perspective on ancients is severely misguided.