About Settings in RPG's

[RAG]

Space Opera for me too.

The one setting I cannot stand and does not make sense for me is steampunk. That's the main reason I can't bare to play Arcanum

 

[_Devon_]

The one setting I cannot stand and does not make sense for me is steampunk. That's the main reason I can't bare to play Arcanum

Most of the works that use steampunk explain it by saying that internal combustion engines were never discovered, although in Arcanum it is hinted that hidden dwarven colonies have much better technology.

 

[DraQ]

I dislike typical high fantasy for it's cliches, naivety and genericness.
I dislike typical space opera because I like my SF at least semi hard.
I dislike unaltered historical setting for some reason I can't put my finger on ATM with possible exception for some less exploited (directly or in altered form) settings.

I like settings that are consistent, original and not tainted by moral absolutism.

 

[Cassidy]

A Steampunk setting as dystopian as its Cyberpunk counterparts would be my choice.

Least favorite? Oatmeal Fantasy. Dark fantasy, including a history-inspired medieval Setting(with an Inquisition) based on Cthullu Mythos is much more interesting than generic Orc Cave #50001.

Also I'm not a big fan of Space Operas since I learned how lasers do actually work and why space battles wouldn't be "WW2 dogfighting in Space", and because they usually ignore the more interesting themes of social impacts of technology(cyberpunk), preferring a focus on "BOOM Space Battle!!!" instead.

 

[Section8]

...And I fucking HATE all those "punks" stuffed into everything. Whoever originally coined the term "cyberpunk" should be shot. Whoever started plugging the "punk" part elsewhere should be brutally sodomized and then shot.

Yeah, it's pretty bad. Almost as bad as appending "-gate" to something to describe a scandal. People are cunts.

Anyway, I went with Steampunk, though it's not quite my "ultimate" preference, just the closest thing to a Jules Verne-ish victorian sci-fi setting.

 

[Zomg]

Hard sci-fi or alternate history

 

[Keldorn]

I dislike typical high fantasy for it's cliches, naivety and genericness.
I dislike typical space opera because I like my SF at least semi hard.
I dislike unaltered historical setting for some reason I can't put my finger on ATM with possible exception for some less exploited (directly or in altered form) settings.

I like settings that are consistent, original and not tainted by moral absolutism.

IOW, you mistakenly perceive your subjective preferences to be universal & objective truths.

 

[Ghoulem]

I want my own Roman Villa, slaves from Gaul and a group of trusted advisors. Rome Total War RPG ftw.

 

[Azrael the cat]

how about latino-fantasy-punk

Not one of the options above, but I'd love to see more use made of non-anglo and non-chinese fantasy evirons. One of my favourite games ever made was Grim Fandango (oh adventure games, I mourn thee more than I mourn hardcore RPGs), and I'm amazed more games haven't tapped into the rich settings available. How about a south american latino fantasy setting, or an Australian aboriginal setting (hey imagine a Fallout sequel from the perspective of a secluded aboriginal tribe who has just witnessed the world go full circle from tribal living, to colonists, to 20th century decadence, back to spears and hunting and gathering - would be some amazing story and thematic potential there to be told). Amazing that we keep getting the same tolquien-eseque fantasy - I think gamers would jump at the opportunity to check out another culture's stories if marketed and developed respectfully.

 

[Ahzaruuk]

I grew up with High Fantasy and Space Opera.

I can't seem to get much into anything else on the basis of unconditional love.

 

[Callaxes]

I would realy like a WW1 RPG 'bout now.

 

[Atomic]

I'd have to go with Cyberpunk, with steampunk a close second.

 

[The Rambling Sage]

I usually prefer real world modern, historical, or near future settings with a hint of the paranormal or outright fantastic elements as long as they are either original elements, classical elements i like all the same, or interesting new interpretations of older ones. Things like the original Changeling: The Dreaming and Mage: The Ascencion settings in P&P, when in hands of a capable and not inclined to pulp adventure GM, or videogames like Pathologic and the like. Literary examples would be Zanoni, Melmoth, and others in that line, from a variety of genres.

I think it is called Magical Realism or some other shit on academical circles. I call it "The crap i like." Since neither option is present put my vote on the alegorical "Other - Especify in post" option.

 

[majestik12]

I'd love to see a fantasy setting that is not a lame DnD-like cliche fest. No elves, orcs, dwarves with scottish accent and uber mages at every corner please.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

I like that idea of Dungeonpunk or a more developed fantasy world with people in the world actually utilizing the aspects of it to the fullest instead of for no apparent reason stagnating in the Feudal Middle Ages or the equivalent. Also it would be nice for actual logic behind the "physics of magic", kind of like what Arcanum did to a degree. Hell, I've been kicking around an idea sort of like this for some time now. Pity I have no motivation to start on it.

Of course, if magic, fantastic creatures, and the like are explained withing a newly created set of physics, wouldn't it be science fiction? Or would it merely be fantasy told in the way of science fiction?

 

[kingcomrade]

Also it would be nice for actual logic behind the "physics of magic

Magic does not work that way!

 

[afewhours]

Generic high-fantasy has become a very useful shorthand over the years. Sure, it may not be a good way to dazzle people and it can certainly upset the jaded, but it has one big thing going for it. If your setting is familiar to your audience, it cuts the time you have to spend on exposition. You can jump straight into the dragon's belly, crack on with the narrative, and most people will know where they stand.

Obviously, this ain't gonna jive with games where exploration, lore accrual and discovery are a key component, but if you have a world that's restricted to say, a city or a labyrinth (ie. the early Wizardrys) then it's damn useful.

And because the definition is so broad, it can bend in a lot of places before it breaks. I think the Infinity Engine games make a good testament to that.

(By the way, hello people. This site is an oasis. I can't believe you've been carrying the torch all these years and I never noticed. Rock on.)

 

[Keldorn]

Where are the space dragons piloting the Mechlentian Blaster ?

When you, the futuristic space rogue, destroooyyyys his spaceship, he gets to don a mask and fly to safety towards the nearest planet.

Close in on the space dragon before he gets there and commence fire !




High-Fantasy Space-Opera *hybrid*.

 

[JarlFrank]

Steampunk ftw.

I also pretty much love our modern world combined with fantasy/mythology, but only in a limited way. Also low fantasy, where magic is powerful but only plays a minor role. Also, did anyone ever think of something like "Science Fantasy"? That is, Science Fiction with Fantasy-elements like magic and all that stuff. Would be neato.

 

[Saxon1974]

Voted High Fantasy, I know its been ton to death but it's still my favorite. I do like some of the others as well though.

 

[CrimsonAngel]

Well Dark fantasy and Dungeon punk are some what the same thing realy

Well Cyberpunk.
I could really go for a Cyberpunk game right about now.

 

[Flux_Capacitor]

Generally, setting doesn't matter much to me. In my opinion, a good RPG is a good RPG, regardless of the setting. However, I would like to see some more variety. Unfortunately, variety in this area doesn't seem to pan out too well, at least in business terms.

But, in addition to those in the poll, I would probably also be interested in seeing the following:

- superhero
- neolithic
- paranormal
- western
- horror
- mech/robot
- mythology

 

[cardtrick]

- neolithic

That would be fun.

I voted "dungeonpunk" although I think that may be the stupidest name of all time. Still, the description of it sounded intriguing. I don't play PnP, but if I did I'd want to play Planescape or Eberron -- I'm still hoping for an Eberron crpg at some point, which it seems would fit into this category.

 

[Solaris]

Nothing in that list quite fits for me. The closest I can say would be a combo of Space Opera and Dark Future. I always think of Star Wars as High Fantasy in space, and the Dark Future description is just a tad too bleak for my tastes....so yeah, a combo of the two probably.

 

[Brother None]

·Dark Future: This setting has a non-optimistic future, but it isn't cyberpunk and not post-apocalyptical either. There aren't any games that I know that use this setting, but is used in movies like Escape from New York and Children of Men.

Don't you just mean dystopia? 1984, Brave New World, Children of Men, Brazil, Escape from New York, Soylent Green, Atlas Shrugged, We (We is the forgotten father of modern dystopic tales)? That kind of dystopia?

Well, Atlas Shrugged was kinda turned into a game, which is a dystopia; BioShock.

"Dark future" is too hazy a wording for me. But I do think you mean dystopia, in which case there are plenty of games; BioShock, Beyond Good & Evil, Deus Ex, DreamWeb.

Technically, post-apocalyptic is a sub-genre of dystopia, which means Fallout is a game set in a dystopia, just like Planet of the Apes is technically a dystopic film. But I guess we can skip that sub-genrination.

Either way, it's a coin flip between cyberpunk or steampunk (I like both, if well executed, as well as gaslamp fantasy, a sub-genre of steampunk) and dystopia for me