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RPGs need a new theme


lukematt
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Why are most RPGs, including Spiderweb Software games, set in a fantasy world? (OK, a few sci fi RPGs exist.)

 

Why not a contemporary setting such as a university campus?

 

Benefits

  • A university campus offers many different types of locations from a dormitory to an outdoor ampitheater to a sports science building to etc. etc. etc.
  • A university setting would probably attract a wider audience of players. Fantasy games only attact geeks like us. smirk
  • Think of the interesting possibilities for weapons: water balloons, spitballs, erasers, etc.
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Why would you want a computer game that mimicked real life? That's an actual question, not an attempt to belittle your proposal. I want to hear your point.

 

Personally, I find real life more fun... in real life. RPGs offer the opportunity to immerse yourself in something otherwise inaccessible. Admittedly, not everyone can go to college, but those that can and want to do, and those that can't and want to would probably just find a college video game frustrating.

 

(That's not to say you can't mix things up with a mystery, fantasy, or horror element in an otherwise mundane setting.)

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Maybe other mega complex RPGs have that, like you must train before being a mage,soldier,medic etc. I think it must be fun being college. And because RPGs focus more on the story and university is not actually a place of battle. Wait, ever heard a game called Bully? maybe that's what your looking for...

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Originally Posted By: Randomizer
Do you mean like TAG: The Assassination Game and Gotcha! ?

Thanks for the references, Randomizer. I looked at both of them, hoping they were RPGs with a contemporary setting.

"Assassin" is a real-life game (played on college campuses).

"Gotcha!" [i think my boys have this software] is a shooter.

I want a true RPG--inventory, quests, etc.--with a contemporary setting. I suggest a university campus. The "hero" could be a normal student, a nerd, a professor, etc.
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Originally Posted By: Actaeon
Why would you want a computer game that mimicked real life?

Personally, I find real life more fun... in real life. RPGs offer the opportunity to immerse yourself in something otherwise inaccessible.

Good question.

On the one hand, I never tire of playing good RPGs like Spiderweb Software games, even if they always have a fantasy setting.

On the other hand, I often wonder why RPGs must always have a fantasy setting. You asked, "Why real life?" I don't know. The idea that keeps popping into my head is an RPG set on a university campus. The story would be easy to write. A huge variety of quests would be easy to devise. If the game is good, every university kid /graduate with a computer would want to play.
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Being in a university myself, I can see your point. But the thing is, when someone says RPGs you imagine a magical world with spells and swords, surrounded with fantastic creatures or a future-based sci-fi theme. Though the term expands to 'role-playing' (which is very generally put), it has slowly acquired such a fixed definition in the minds of most players.

 

The kind of games you're referring to look like they belong to the simulation category (imitating real life), rather than being true RPGs. I think you should try The Sims 2 University.

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Thanks for your response, BMA.

 

Originally Posted By: BMA
when someone says RPGs you imagine a magical world with spells and swords, surrounded with fantastic creatures or a future-based sci-fi theme

I don't agree. A game's genre depends upon its "mechanics" (for lack of a better term), not its setting.

 

If a game has quests, if the hero (or band of heroes) has an inventory, if the hero constantly battles "enemies", if the hero gains experience points and levels up, if a hero has health and mana bars...it's an RPG.

 

A contemporary setting can have these same mechanics.

 

Originally Posted By: BMA
try The Sims 2 University

We have Sims 2 at home. How do we spell boring--S.I.M.S. grin The "mechanics" of Sims games are not RPG mechanics.

 

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The only thing that I could think of was this.

 

It's somewhat KoL-y, but it has the bonus of being worked upon by our very own Ephesos. I'm pretty sure it's browser only (and I think you can play on FB if you wanted to, for some reason), but what little I played of it way back when was kind of fun.

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If you want a contemporary setting and don't mind fantastical elements, there are at least a few options: two Vampire: the Masquerade games, the better known of which is at least partly third-person shooter. There are two tactical/RPG hybrids of interest, one with superheroes (Freedom Force) and one set in WW2 with a small dash of steampunk (Silent Storm).

 

Contemporary, or even real-world RPGs have several problems that keep them uncommon, though. One, you have to match the real world in your game, which takes effort. Two, real-world combat isn't fun, as RPGs go. People tend to die quickly and relatively randomly. Three, everyday life is too boring to run a plot on.

 

These aren't insurmountable, of course. I think you could make a great James Bond-inspired spy RPG. You could make non-combat games more like interactive fiction than the standard RPG genre in endless varieties (but selling them might be hard!).

 

—Alorael, who would say he couldn't imagine a straight university RPG, given the quotidian subject material, except for The Sims. People apparently will play simulated, relatively normal life.

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One example that's about half traditional RPG and half the sort of thing you suggest: the Persona series. The player splits time between exploring various demonic labyrinths, and living as a relatively normal high school student, cultivating relationships with peers and acquaintances. These relationships (known as "social links") allow the character to summon stronger mythical beings to aid him/her in battle.

 

To fully realize what you suggest sounds harder, though. You keep talking about 'RPG mechanics,' but what would those map onto? Would you, as an ordinary college student, be constantly plunged into combat a la a more traditional RPG hero? It would be really hard to maintain suspension of disbelief, given that combat IRL is very little like combat in video games. Alternatively, one could make combat very stylized, featuring heroic 'battles' against tests, papers, athletic competitions, and so on. This could be cool, but it would be too weird and comedic to sustain much serious plot and heavy drama. Still, I think it could work in a more comedic RPG (a la the Disgaea series).

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There are also some tabletop RPGs that are either based in a modern setting with no supernatural elements or can easily be adapted to one, like Breaking the Ice or Nicotine Girls. They tend not to be about collecting treasure or going on quests, though.

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THANKS

 

to A Creature I Don't Know, Blades of Von Neumann, Enraged Slith, meAzuma, Galanos, Othar Trygvassen: Gentleman, and Lilith (hope I didn't miss anyone) for the games that you recommended. I will take a look.

 

IMAGINATION AT WORK (that's what's needed, folks)

 

Originally Posted By: Blades of Von Neumann
could make a great James Bond-inspired spy RPG

Originally Posted By: Othar Trygvassen: Gentleman
could make combat very stylized, featuring heroic 'battles' against tests, papers, athletic competitions

 

FURTHER COMMENTS

 

  • or "heroic battles" against whichever type of person associated with universities is bothersome: jocks, little rich girls, geeks, overly ambitious Asian parents, fraternity / sorority members, condescending professors, students from Long Island, party animals, overzealous members of religious organizations, etc. etc. etc.
  • Originally Posted By: Blades of Von Neumann
    real-world RPGs have several problems that keep them uncommon, though. One, you have to match the real world in your game, which takes effort. Two, real-world combat isn't fun, as RPGs go. People tend to die quickly and relatively randomly. Three, everyday life is too boring to run a plot on.

    As you wrote yourself, "These aren't insurmountable". One and Three can be eliminated by NOT matching the real world exactly. For example, a locker room in a sports science building need NOT look exactly like a real-life locker room. It could map more like a dungeon crawl.

     

    Two--I didn't really understand "die quickly and relatively randomly", but I think that real-world combat could be fun when some designer hits upon the right formula....

  • Originally Posted By: Othar Trygvassen: Gentleman
    Would you, as an ordinary college student, be constantly plunged into combat a la a more traditional RPG hero?

    Not constantly constantly. In a Spiderweb game, for example, we are not fighting nonstop. We also explore the map and visit towns.

FINAL COMMENT

 

The most valid complaint seems to be..."Real life is boring". My response--Not real life exactly. More like a caricature of real life.

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What you seem to be aiming at is an RPG lampooning college life. It could be done, but satirical games, like satire in general, is hard to sustain in long-form. If you want a long RPG, you'd need some real drama to drive it, not just giggles.

 

Again, it's doable... but it would require a delicate balancing act and winning over fans more used to the standard fantasy, including modern fantasy, and sci-fi trappings and tropes. It's hurdle most designers don't feel compelled to tackle. Maybe they're scared off; maybe they just have plenty of more speculative stories to tell.

 

—Alorael, who also notes the very high risk of offending as soon as you make anything real a target. Jocks, geeks, sorority girls, Long Islanders and the religious all have feelings, too. (Condescending professors are largely unable to recognize themselves.)

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Lukematt, my brother played and beat bully, and had nothing but good things to say about it. There's no killing, no extreme violence, but there is alot of action, and much to do. You could go to class, try and get better with chemistry to make more pranks, learn fighting moves to get better in fights, there are different sides you can ally with (bullies, nerds, prepy, greasers).

 

I watched him play it and its also a very funny game as there is quite a bit of humor thrown in there. I would definitely recommend that game to you as i think that if you want something new, its the way to go. It's got a good story too.

 

Edit-by the way, bully is much more rpg than gta, if that matters.

 

 

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