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Best setting and geography of an RPG

deuxhero

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Vvardenfell has been mentioned plenty, so I'm going to give some points to New Vegas. It's a reasonably accurate translation of Nevada (plus bits of California and Arizona) with surprisingly varied environments for a place most people think of as just "desert", utilizing Charleston Peak, Red Rock Canyon, and Lake Mead to good effect. As underdeveloped as Honest Hearts was, Zion Canyon is also worth a note for being pretty like the real thing.
 

Serus

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Small but great planet of Potatohole
The more exotic, the better. If I want regular medieval castles and temperate forests I can just go outside.

Morrowind, Dark Sun, Kenshi, Conan Exiles. These games have the kinds of settings I love to explore.
Kenshi's setting is a lot like the middle east after the Arabs took it over. Lots of ruins, slave traders, and hideous cutthroat goyim in a desert of they created (the Akkadians actually turned Shinar into a desert). Did I mention that they're all backwards savages?
But Jarl can't just go outside to see it. At least not yet.
 

NecroLord

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517px-MW-map-Vvardenfell.jpg
MW-map-Regions.jpg

600px-Vvardenfell_Roadmap.png
521px-MW-map-Great_House_Influence.jpg
I have the HQ top map saved.
It's so good.
 

NecroLord

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What is your favorite setting in an RPG and what is its general geography?
My favourite setting in an RPG is high fantasy. With a rich history to the world. A lot of skills and classes, abundant weapons and armours, magic, and lore. My general geography preference is an abundant variety if possible. If I had to pick one though, it would be forests. I feel they are ripe for exploration and storytelling.

Do you like your typical high fantasy woods, forests and tall mountains?
Certainly.

Do you prefer something more out of the ordinary, like Morrowind's ash storms, swamps and a Blight spewing volcano?
No, I don't prefer it. But I am totally ok with it. I like high, low, dark, and obscure fantasy. A special note to swamps since they were mentioned. I think swamps aren't used enough. When they are though, I usually am quite fond of them.

Do you like realistic geography that makes sense? A North Pole, South Pole, extremes of temperature, different climates, and so on?
I prefer the geography to be based on earth's known geography. Something that can be traversed on foot, even if it is difficult. The occasional extraoridinary geographical area is fine, if done for a reason. If I am playing a space exploration type game, then anything goes.


What about you NecroLord ?
A preference for mountains, tundras and ice and nordic settings. Skyrim does pull this off quite well, for the most part, if you slap a HQ graphic mod on it, it can look truly stunning. Icewind Dale is another great one.
Post Apocalyptic is another favorite - Dark Sun and Fallout (especially Interplay Fallout, but I also like NV).
Morrowind is another favorite, but it is a special case. Not your average High Fantasy setting with horses and dragons. It has guars and silt striders instead!
 

Darkozric

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Edgy
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Exotic alien landscapes with interconnected islands
You like Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee?
Really awesome setting and a great game.
Truly a unique game, one of a kind.

I also like settings like the one in Ishar 2, or even better, imagine a Rivenese setting for a RPG. With unique ways to travel between alien interconnected landscapes/islands such as underwater constructions, intricate railway systems, or complex living organisms with teleportation abilities where you have to experiment to find your way (something like numenera's Bloom area).

That would be my dream RPG.
 

purupuru

Learned
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Nov 2, 2019
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415
Sewers.
With rats, slimes, half-eaten beggar corpses and blinking eyes in the darkness around the corner belonging to god knows what.
It's sad that although many great rpgs have beautifully done sewer levels, there aren't any rpg I can think of that's entirely set in a sewer. There are ones set in underground tunnels and ruins but that's not quite the same.
 

NecroLord

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Sewers.
With rats, slimes, half-eaten beggar corpses and blinking eyes in the darkness around the corner belonging to god knows what.
It's sad that although many great rpgs have beautifully done sewer levels, there aren't any rpg I can think of that's entirely set in a sewer. There are ones set in underground tunnels and ruins but that's not quite the same.
Fuck, this reminds me of those sewers/underground areas in Tribunal...
Nasty.
 

CyberWhale

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I like (almost) everything if done properly (execution >>> novelty), but I would like to experience:
  • an isometric/full party cRPG Discworld RPG
  • a single-player 3D action RPG in a swords and sorcery setting (with visuals mimicking Frazetta's painting style)
  • same as above, but a Vampire Hunter D licensed game (with visuals similar to Bloodlust movie)
  • JRPG ala FF9 in a Mouse Guard universe
  • Mass Effect (but non-shitty) cinematic RPG with late 80s and early 90s anime style (Neo Tokyo and Akira)
These are not even that exotic, but asking for more is unrealistic at this point.
 

NecroLord

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I'm really itching for another desert setting. Been a long time since I've played a good RPG that wasn't either set in generic mid Europe or icy wastes.
Wait for Elder Scrolls 6: Hammerfell...
:hearnoevil:
Although I don't think it has been confirmed that it will take place in Hammerfell...
 

Zlaja

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Aug 17, 2006
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Elex had a nice variety of environments. There was the forrest area, mountain area with snow, rocky area where clerics were, and also my favorite area which is the desert area where the outlaws base is located.
 
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Modron

Arcane
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May 5, 2012
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10,357
I appreciate that the snow area wasn't as convuluted/had better visibility than in Gothic 3, I put off going there for so long I was level 56 IIRC in Elex 1 before I went into Alb territory.
 

Fink

Educated
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Nov 9, 2023
Messages
102
The most elite RPG setting is tasteful high fantasy. Morrowind, Baldur's Gate 1, Planescape Torment, Dragon's Dogma, Gothic 1 and 2, (most of) Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1.

Best geography is when the gameworld strikes a balance between feeling real but also serves the gameplay really well. Gothic 2 is a shining example.
 
Joined
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4,570
Arx Fatalis... This is not exactly an epic or AAA game at all, but I really liked the setting and atmosphere and found it unique to first-person RPG's.
 

purupuru

Learned
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Nov 2, 2019
Messages
415
Eye of the Beholder?
Never played this one. Though it seems that the game starts in a sewer then goes further below when you tumble into ancient ruins and sanctums? I have played other dungeon crawlers with similar settings.
Suppose it's the closest we can get to a sewer game, having just sewers would be rather limiting.
 

Kabas

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Fantasy settings are best when they draw a bit more inspiration from mythology than usual, something like Dominions or Conquest of Elysium games. Though the generic fantasy is fine too as long as their authors don't act like they're being ashamed of writing fantasy, D.W. Bradley games are a good example even though i didn't complete any of them....
Fine with the vast majority of settings as long as they don't have grey/brown serious movie filter smeared all over everything, be it visuals or story.
Geographics wise i am partial towards mediterranean climates.
 

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