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What is your dream setting for an RPG?
What is your dream setting for an RPG?
I'm not talking about established settings. But if you ever fantasized about making your dream game and the setting for it, what this setting would be?

I want multiple settings. I've always wanted a world hopping RPG similar to Robert Asprin's Myth series of books. That's been my dream for an MMORPG for about 20 years now. It could work for a single player game too via expansions or something. High magic worlds, high tech worlds, and every possible mixture of the two.
If we're going to talk about something more realistic and less ambitious, I'm going to pull a Ragglefraggle and say that we could use some more urban fantasy. Maybe in a city that never really gets any attention like Omaha.
If we're going to talk about something more realistic and less ambitious, I'm going to pull a Ragglefraggle and say that we could use some more urban fantasy. Maybe in a city that never really gets any attention like Omaha.
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rusty_shackleford
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any sci-fi setting that explores various, diverse planets/artificial structures
so, the first mass effect is a good example
so, the first mass effect is a good example
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A space station that serves as a hub for ambassadors from various worlds with wildly different cultures and agendas.
Humanity is introduced as a wildcard with nothing to lose into galactic politics because Earth's solar system is on collision course with an extinction-level natural phenomenon.
The mid-season plot twist is that the phenomenon was caused intentionally.
Endings would vary from Earth being destroyed and 1% of humanity surviving to full evacuation via allies to averting the catastrophe.
Gameplay would be a combination of political maneuvering and going on adventures to influence other species. (Find artifact, destroy outpost, solve mystery of border incursion, etc.)
Humanity is introduced as a wildcard with nothing to lose into galactic politics because Earth's solar system is on collision course with an extinction-level natural phenomenon.
The mid-season plot twist is that the phenomenon was caused intentionally.
Endings would vary from Earth being destroyed and 1% of humanity surviving to full evacuation via allies to averting the catastrophe.
Gameplay would be a combination of political maneuvering and going on adventures to influence other species. (Find artifact, destroy outpost, solve mystery of border incursion, etc.)
For me its grimdarkey stone age setting but mixed with some fantasy races and stuff like primitive shamanic or druidic nature magic. Also with dinosaurs still roaming around and even being domesticated by some tribes. Raptor cavalry ftw.
Always wanted to see something like that in rpg.
Always wanted to see something like that in rpg.
In my home games I've always tended towards high fantasy with a lot of magic-as-technology and pseudo-sci-fi, and I've always enjoyed lost Atlantean hyper-advanced precursor civilizations whose echoes continue to shape the setting. I guess it would be like Eberron but on a higher power scale. One of my home games was intended to climax with the party assaulting a fortress built by aforementioned precursors inside the Sun which served as the prison for the setting's spiteful sun goddess, but we didn't get that far.
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rusty_shackleford
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Come to think of it, I'm not sure there's a single western caveman/stoneage RPG.Fargus wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 15:58For me its grimdarkey stone age setting but mixed with some fantasy races and stuff like primitive shamanic or druidic nature magic. Also with dinosaurs still roaming around and even being domesticated by some tribes. Raptor cavalry ftw.
Always wanted to see something like that in rpg.
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Fellow Babalon 5 fanJ1M wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 15:50A space station that serves as a hub for ambassadors from various worlds with wildly different cultures and agendas.
Humanity is introduced as a wildcard with nothing to lose into galactic politics because Earth's solar system is on collision course with an extinction-level natural phenomenon.
The mid-season plot twist is that the phenomenon was caused intentionally.
Endings would vary from Earth being destroyed and 1% of humanity surviving to full evacuation via allies to averting the catastrophe.
Gameplay would be a combination of political maneuvering and going on adventures to influence other species. (Find artifact, destroy outpost, solve mystery of border incursion, etc.)
I myself am a fan of the dying Earth style settings and that's why I was looking forward to numanuma which sadly turned out to be just another weird a la Dr. Who setting instead of what it could have been. To clarify Dying Earth is different from post apocalyptic in that it doesn't deal with the aftermath of a catastrophe but rather with an entropic exhaustion of the world in the far future.
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rusty_shackleford
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I knew absolutely nothing of numanuma when I played the game and nothing that happened made sense. You just jumped from arbitrary area to arbitrary area with little connecting them or internal consistency. Easily the worst part of the game. A game that can be summed up as "a series of events that happen" without missing much at all.revenant wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 16:28and that's why I was looking forward to numanuma which sadly turned out to be just another weird a la Dr. Who setting
Planescape's setting is chaotic, yes, but it has internal consistency.
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Stone age setting is severely neglected in vidya.rusty_shackleford wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 16:20Come to think of it, I'm not sure there's a single western caveman/stoneage RPG.Fargus wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 15:58For me its grimdarkey stone age setting but mixed with some fantasy races and stuff like primitive shamanic or druidic nature magic. Also with dinosaurs still roaming around and even being domesticated by some tribes. Raptor cavalry ftw.
Always wanted to see something like that in rpg.![]()
EVO: The Search for Eden on SNES is probably to closest thing to a good stone age RPGFargus wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 16:43Stone age setting is severely neglected in vidya.rusty_shackleford wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 16:20Come to think of it, I'm not sure there's a single western caveman/stoneage RPG.Fargus wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 15:58For me its grimdarkey stone age setting but mixed with some fantasy races and stuff like primitive shamanic or druidic nature magic. Also with dinosaurs still roaming around and even being domesticated by some tribes. Raptor cavalry ftw.
Always wanted to see something like that in rpg.![]()
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MadPreacher
Both of my pen and paper worlds. One is superhero cyberpunk and the other is fantasy.
That game is great because if you play your cards right you can be a dragon in the final boss fight and then dragons rule the world.GhostCow wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 17:10EVO: The Search for Eden on SNES is probably to closest thing to a good stone age RPGFargus wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 16:43Stone age setting is severely neglected in vidya.rusty_shackleford wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 16:20
Come to think of it, I'm not sure there's a single western caveman/stoneage RPG.![]()
I have two "go to" settings for my home games:
The first one is inspired very heavily by Ashton Clark Smith's Averoigne stories.
The other one is something I've worked on from time to time, but haven't really put together yet. It's a modern(ish) world where the "secret histories" of Tim Power's books are true. It's sort of a mix of conspiracy and low fantasy.
The first one is inspired very heavily by Ashton Clark Smith's Averoigne stories.
The other one is something I've worked on from time to time, but haven't really put together yet. It's a modern(ish) world where the "secret histories" of Tim Power's books are true. It's sort of a mix of conspiracy and low fantasy.
I'd like something like Tyranny but done well. You're the lieutenant for the Big Bad who's close to/taken over the world, and now it's time to close out the conquest and govern.
It'd be a mix of martial combat, political maneuvering for resources/budget, recruiting of personnel, adjudicating the law... and none of this hogshit "I'll replace the Big Bad and take over to be the Big Good!" At least, not for a game or two. The focus would be on creating a believable, relatable scenario for the enforcement of "evil" rule.
It'd be a mix of martial combat, political maneuvering for resources/budget, recruiting of personnel, adjudicating the law... and none of this hogshit "I'll replace the Big Bad and take over to be the Big Good!" At least, not for a game or two. The focus would be on creating a believable, relatable scenario for the enforcement of "evil" rule.
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wndrbr
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Alien infiltration, but reversed.
Technologically advanced humanity sends their spies to infiltrate a less developed alien society. Player would have to learn alien traditions and customs, study their internal politics, then pick one of many ways to climb up the ranks, become an influential person, help other human infiltrators, and form The Deep State.
Now, why would you do such evil thing? Well let's assume that Earth is dying, and this alien planet has perfect conditions for colonizing. Or humanity is running out of resources, and the alien planet is rife with some magic fuel. Or the alien society is very ambitious and warlike, so it'd be better to sabotage their space program before they could become a space-faring race and pose us a serious threat. Etc etc.
Now that i've typed it I realized it sounds more like a general concept than a setting. Oh well.
Technologically advanced humanity sends their spies to infiltrate a less developed alien society. Player would have to learn alien traditions and customs, study their internal politics, then pick one of many ways to climb up the ranks, become an influential person, help other human infiltrators, and form The Deep State.
Now, why would you do such evil thing? Well let's assume that Earth is dying, and this alien planet has perfect conditions for colonizing. Or humanity is running out of resources, and the alien planet is rife with some magic fuel. Or the alien society is very ambitious and warlike, so it'd be better to sabotage their space program before they could become a space-faring race and pose us a serious threat. Etc etc.
Now that i've typed it I realized it sounds more like a general concept than a setting. Oh well.
I also wouldn't mind an RPG based on the ramblings of Francis E. Dec (Esq.) or in the very least an adventure game.
Something where psionics are done right.
Just like Yves, I chase tales
rusty_shackleford wrote: ↑ October 28th, 2024, 07:36Mediocre or bad games can still have parts that are good.
KotC 2 does them right. You can destroy entire armies with the power of your mind.
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rusty_shackleford
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Thank you for your attention to this matter!
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Yeah, I need to give that game a chance at some point or another.
Just like Yves, I chase tales
rusty_shackleford wrote: ↑ October 28th, 2024, 07:36Mediocre or bad games can still have parts that are good.
Dank Suns was a massive inspiration for KotC, so you can't go wrong.
I have developed an interest in african big game hunting and i would like to play a game about it.
I have two, both kind of dystopian sci fi settings. One in which humanity colonized the solar system but an alien species took notice an started a war, thinking humanity is a cancer on their garden galaxy. A bit like The Expanse without *******.Fargus wrote: ↑ April 23rd, 2023, 13:56I'm not talking about established settings. But if you ever fantasized about making your dream game and the setting for it, what this setting would be?
![]()
The other is total destruction of Earth and a few colony ships escaping, fast forward couple thousand years and these communities meet each other. Drama ensues. Pretty basic premises but very fun to play and DM in.
So we walked down the hill into all those fears and maybes, all that sorrow, nothing certain in our lives except the frozen earth beneath our feet.
Hollow Earth. Always liked going underground/in a cave and finding something grander.
Sounds cool. I remember reading about Arcanum's sequel that never happened - "Journey to the Centre of Arcanum". **** shame.Rigwort wrote: ↑ April 29th, 2023, 02:32Hollow Earth. Always liked going underground/in a cave and finding something grander.
https://arcanum.fandom.com/wiki/Journey ... of_Arcanum
The sequel was based loosely on Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth, where we planned to continue the adventures of the great explorer Franklin Payne. He has disappeared into the bowels of the earth, and his wife has hired you to find him. We had laid out most the storyline, and it included finding prehistoric monsters, subterranean humanoids, and most thrilling of all, a clue about how magic and tech can be reconciled in the same artifact, something that most learned people had believed to be impossible. Of course, none of this came to be, but our talks about using the Source engine led to our making Vampire: Bloodlines.
I'd like to see how an AI might enhance the ability to generate detailed worlds with massive cities, and lots of places to explore and interact with. The problem with open world games has always been (IMO) that they're mostly empty space in between points of interest. There needs to be so many points of interest that it'll make your head spin with information overload about all the **** you can actually do in the game. Nobody has made that game yet.