Darn it, this is what I get for starting a thread and not checking on it - Well I've read through(and responded to) the first page and you guys have had some interesting thoughts and suggestions, thanks for sharing!
DArtagnan said:
Interesting, as the setting is generally the least of my complaints.
I'd rather have a good traditional setting, than something new just for the sake of being new.
However, if there's one setting that has not been done right AT ALL - it would be the Cyberpunk setting.
I so long for a good free-roaming Shadowrun environment - sort of like a serious CRPG version of GTA, with Deus Ex/System Shock as main inspirations for the mission approaches.
I agree… The setting complaint is relatively low on my list as well(below – intelligent/thought provoking/engaging, reactive/choices + consequences, immersive, complex, character development, story/plot/dialogue and level design)but across multiple genres and tastes the setting complaint tends to share at least some comonality. Oh and I agree, that setting/gameplay would make for an interesting game.
Prime Junta said:
Some IMO underused, or almost-completely-unused settings:
* Almost anything from pre-Columbian Meso- or South America. The Aztecs and Incas have way-cool mythoi!
*Atlantis.
Just had an age of empires flash back… I would play with my dad via LAN, good times.
(IMO)That's a very doable setting, it's legendary/mythical so it's entirely open to a variety interpretations…
Maylander said:
Also, Alpha Protocol is set in a modern setting - never even played an RPG in such a setting before, so that should be interesting.
Same here. I just hope it's really a spy RP experience and you can't go all army-of-one.
Alrik Fassbauer said:
I'd like to see some kind of Fallout setting, but with magic rather with technology as the cause of the "Fallout", and with typical fantasy creatures in it (Elves, Dwarves etc. …)
Apart from that I'm currently thinking about somthing that has heavily to do with ghosts/spirits. Friendly, helpful ones. Which live in harmony with "normal" beings. Side to side with them, so to say.
Mutant or ghoulish elves and dwarves?!?
Would the friendly ghosts/spirits living along normal beings setting be an rpg? I could see that setting work well as an action adventure/msytery game.
azraelck said:
Main difference in both is that instead of being long after some "golden age" where magic was vastly more powerful and made cool things like snapple and nerf balls, they both are technically set in their world's "golden age". No one race is in decline, etc… On the first, more traditional setting it's even set before the foundation of any major empires.
In the iconic or reminscent sense of a golden age there is typically little to no conflict… What would be the game's motivating force or direction?
fenris said:
Hmmm, if I ever have enough spare time and catch up on the back log of games I've been meaning to play that one should find a place on the list too, thanks for the link.
Zloth said:
In all the Final Fantasy games, I've never seen an elf. I don't think Tolkien ever said anything about chocobos, either.
X games from Egosoft - a completely unique space setting.
City of Heroes. A unique superhero setting. Plus they throw in an ancient Rome style setting in one zone. And there's Croatoa where fir bolg, red caps, and tuatha de Dannan fight it out - which is all old Irish I think. Plus the Shadow Shard with its floating islands, red waterfalls, and unique Rularuu enemies.
And these are all games I've played in the last week!! MasterKromm, I think you need to get out less.
Well I did specify western fantasy… I'm not a big fan of jrpgs(too linear IMO).
Good call on the X games. Love me some good Sci Fi(way under used IMO).
City of heroes, I vaguely recall that one. Wasn't it an MMO?
Yes, I have been meaning to address that issue, between work and play I have very little time for PC games.
Dasale said:
A mix of Lovecraft, Sherlock Holmes, Victorian Era, Steampunk with a more technological approach than used in usual CRPG.
A mix of H.P. Lovecraft and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?!? Wow, if someone could pull off an engaging crime/msytery game within a lovecraft inspired cthulhu mythos setting I'd be sold…
Tragos said:
I am all for space , alien races , X-universe like or even galactic civs .
Also a meta-life universe ( there is one game that deals with living after death but i forgot it's name) where everything we know has a totally different meaning and use.
Again, I love SciFi. I'm not sure about a meta-life universe, it has potential but creating the mechanics for such a universe might be difficult… Would it be separate and unique from say a "prime material plane" of existence?
Benedict said:
I'd also like to see some of the other White Wolf settings explored, the werewolf one would certainly translate pretty well to a computer game. The Mage one might be a bit trickier, their powers were just too open ended.
As much as I like White Wolf settings I think they tend to be a bit too controlling of their IP.
DeepO said:
A mushroom RPG would be nice.
Exploring world by mycelium, influencing it via spores.
Playing such an RPG while consuming shrooms would be quite the trip!
Prime Junta said:
I have a sketch for a game set in ancient Babylon. That's another almost unused setting with incredibly cool mythos, which has the additional advantage of being just familiar enough to have something to latch onto. I might eventually end up using it in one of my PnP campaigns.
Yeah lots of potential there and as you mentioned practically unused.
WorstUsernameEver said:
To be honest, a big problem is that the mechanics and setting need to complement each other. Sci-fi/fantasy settings have been used a lot, so they're very familiar with the players and you can easily create mechanics that complement both the feel of the setting and that are familiar enough with the player while still givin' you space for originality and a personal touch.
If you, for example, wrote a game with a 1984-like setting, how would you tailor the mechanics to that setting? You can't certainly simply put classes, you can't certainly just focus the game on combat etc… so it's really complicated.
Though, original settings have already been done in the past and I had a couple ideas in mind for a while, I'll post on that later.
I agree completely… Classes would almost certainly be out of the question. But you could still have skills, from base skills acquired by/in your origin/past(from parents/upbringing or even childhood activities) and of course there could be acquired skills through "banned" literature and maybe even "trainers". As for combat, I think it's overdone in a majority of rpgs so I would focus more on other elements(as an example - everything that goes into the building of an underground network/movement).