I''m just wondering what people prefer between fantasy and futuristic RPG''s and what elements of each you like the most? I personally really cannot decide between the two settings, I love so many things about both and I''m torn between the two when it comes to the production of my own game. I like the romantic notion of overcoming incredible odds, such as the battle of Helms Deep in LoTR2, I suppose this could come into play in either future or fantasy settings, but the feeling is greater in fantasy settings I think due to the fact that combat is much more face to face and brutal, whereas future setting combat tends to be more akin to fire and forget combat. Conversly I''m a big fan of Games Workshop''s Warhammer 40k, I love the dark gothic future setting, the feeling of awesome power behind barely controllable technology. I also love the Fallout series of games and it''s semi humerous take on a post apocolyptic world. I don''t know, it''s hard to capture the feelings that either kind of setting provokes, suffice to say I enjoy both kinds of game setting immensly and have always been driven by imagination, present day settings and largely factual based settings just do not hold much interest to me, I prefer to let my imagination run wild. So, what does it for you, which kind of game setting (mainly in reference to RPGs) do you prefer, and why do you prefer that setting? who knows maybe it might help me decide which to use... or maybe not

Definitely a game should let your imagination run wild. I get enough reality everyday, I don''t need it in a game. I usually play a game when I''m tired of working and, therefore, wish to escape reality for a while.

As for game setting, I tend to like a fantasy setting. I''ve been a Tolkien fan since I read his books decades ago. I was glad to see a great movie finally produced from those epic books. Now I''m looking forward to the release of Two Towers here in Japan - coming soon.

Whatever setting you choose, make your game original with a wild imagination and it should be enjoyed by many.

I second Okami, I prefer fantasy. Well, maybe I am not a big fan of futuristic. Star Wars and Star Trek never be my most favorite series. I am just not "into" it.

500

count me in for future

The reason I prefer future over fantasy is that a sci-fi story is "possible". It is something we can possibly aspire to. Fantasy is just fantasy...something that will never be. It can give us some insights through parables and allegory, but the same can be done with futuristic stories.

you know what.....Mephs, right now my game starts from fantasy and progresses forward in time to future, that way I get the best of both worlds. I think my idea is great (better copyright it as soon as possible).

I prefer a mix of the two. Just because something takes place in the "future" doesn''t mean it can''t have fantasy elements too. I swear, one day I''ll make a game with a centaur weilding a machine gun on a spaceship...

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MSN: nmaster42@hotmail.com, AIM: LockePick42, ICQ: 74128155
"It''s all part of the conspiracy of conspirators conspiring to conspire their own conspiracies..."

quote: The reason I prefer future over fantasy is that a sci-fi story is "possible".

Then maybe you should have "modern" RPGs as your preference, cause they would definetly be possible

C''mon. Do RPGs have to be either fantasy, medevil, future, or something abstract/mythical? cant it be something modern and real? Actually , I dont think I''ve ever seen a modern RPG....although parasite-eve comes to mind, but that deals with the super-normal. But in a very realistic way. Actually the mutations discussed in parasite eve about the linkage of mitochondria to one woman (apparenly named eve) is kinda true (or so thats what I gathered from what my bio teacher said). But other then parasite-eve, I dont think I''ve seen a modern RPG.



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Genre''s shouldn''t matter. Ever. A game is a game is a game. If you want your game to have swords, then by all means, have swords. Machine guns? Go for it. Stealth suits? Sweet. Take Arcanum for instance. Orks with flamethrowers and Necromancer Dwarves side by side.

Genre''s are a limiting factor in gaming today, they impair artistic vision by attempting to lead design along a set path.

-This is where the world drops off
-ryan@lecherousjester.com

I really think anyone thinking of developing computer RPG's should take a step back and look at old school paper and pen RPG's. I'm sorry, but I've yet to see anything in a computer RPG that comes even close to the amount of imagination and roleplaying that paper and pen games have.

I recommend looking at a game called Champions for a really cool system that's been around for about 20 years now. It's a truly generic system (I don't consider GURPS generic because you have to buy their supplements to play in different genres) that allows you to define just about anything you want. Consider it a paper and pen based programming language that lets you design any character, any skill, any power, any weapon, any skill, etc etc. What makes it so amazing is its ability to be anything in any genre or setting.

But there have been PPRPG's that fit no mold, like Amber (based on Roger Zelazny's Princes of Amber books), Castle Falkenstein (a game set in an alternate 1880's time period involving magic and steampunk...from which I'm sure Arcanum stole many of its ideas), or Paranoia (a game of black humor set in a Orwellian dystopia with a Simpsons twist....yeah, I know its hard to imagine, you have to play the game to understand).

I think fantasy and sci-fi are so common because it lets writers have pretty much free reign to do whatever they want. Plus no research is really involved. If you do anything, you have to at least base it somewhat on the real world and ensure some realistic considerations. Sometimes the fun though is in extrapolating what would happen if the game world "hook" really existed. I for one am partial to alternate history settings, and I like to imagine what would have been if a pivotal moment in history had not happened.

I really think my next project after my sci-fi game is to do an adventure game set in an alternate history where Paul had not converted to Christianity and religions as they exist now are nothing like they are in the game world.

[edited by - dauntless on February 11, 2003 12:52:31 AM]

Why not combine futuristic with fantasy? Let''s say that 2 universes merge and creatures you only see in fantasy are transported over to our world. You could fight dragons, tame them, ride them, kill knights, use swords, shields, and other of the such with futuristic weapons.