Let''s talk about a field of RPGs I have never seen before. RPGs set in the present time. Sure, lot''s of RPGs are set in medieval times, a few are set in the future, but are there any that take place TODAY? It''s a field ripe for the taking, and I have yet to see an RPG set in modern times. I plan to do one myself. Let the discussion begin! - DarkMage139 ++++++++++++++++ I can do things, things you never knew, I can change your world if you only knew. I can do miracles if you want me to. Anything is possible, I'll prove it to you.

I think the reason for this is simply lazieness. I mean, look at it: When you come up with some fantasy world, it doesn''t have to be pseudo-medieval (has there ever been an RPG playing in a really medieval setting? That would have been one dark, depressing game...), just totally created with your imagination, then YOU define all the rules, the history, just everything that goes on in YOUR world. These worlds are usually, of course, simplified, and will never have the complexity of the real world, plus you know everything about this world because you created it, and when you don''t like something about the world, you cange it. If you were now to make a game in the real world, you would have to deal with a lot more complexity, you would have to take care not to break the rules of the real world; no one cares if your typical fantasy-village consists only of five huts, but you can never simulate, let''s say, a city like New York as accurate. And you also would have to be very educated, since you would have to know everything (well, not everything, but everything that could possible have anything to do with your game) about THIS world, and since everybody who plays your game already knows at least a bit about the real world, he has certain expectations; noone will think your game is stupid when you put gray orcs in your fantasy game instead of green ones, because, well, there is just no real definition for the color of orcs; but there are common definitions of a lot of things int the real world.

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Ghosts crowd the young child's fragile eggshell mind...

Well Now,

What about an RPG set in a war such as WW2 or Vietnam. You wake up on a stretcher and have to go from there. Go on missions find out about your past, that sort of thing. What do you think?

STVOY

Mega Moh Mine!!

I discussed that possibility with some older friends of mine, and they seemed offended; even if the game was anti-war. I tend to agree with them, it''s kinda tasteless. War is hell.

But, have any of you seen Shen Mue for the Dreamcast yet? Holy crap! It''s exactly what we''re dicussing here: An RPG of INCREDIBLE DETAIL set in Japan in the 80s. Man...

I LOVE present day ... it allows the designer to really tie the game into relevant themes and ideas that all gamers can relate to. However, I don''t make RPG''s, I make adventure games, and I have noticed the surprising lack of present-day RPG''s. To any willing to hunt for it, I recommend you check out an old PSX RPG called Persona ... it''s a funky, primarily dungeon-based RPG about leading a bunch of highschool students through modern day (and by dungeon I DON''T mean medieval dungeons, just the idea of going through mazes and meeting up with endless baddies).

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Changing the future of adventure gaming...
Atypical Interactive

The best way to describe my game is an adventure game (like Zork) meets an RPG (like Ultima) and it's set in the modern world.

I'll redo the design later, but that's what's in my mind right now.

- DarkMage139
++++++++++++++++
I can do things, things you never knew,
I can change your world if you only knew.

I can do miracles if you want me to.
Anything is possible, I'll prove it to you.

Edited by - DarkMage139 on July 16, 2000 7:26:26 PM

No, it''ll be set in the present time. I know I can pull it off. And despite what nes8bit says about "Reality Sucks", the real world isn''t as boring as some people might think...

- DarkMage139
++++++++++++++++
I can do things, things you never knew,
I can change your world if you only knew.

I can do miracles if you want me to.
Anything is possible, I'll prove it to you.