I think an rpg needs a setting to inform the rules and play-style.
But if it's a set of rules, devoid of setting, genre or context, then setting books should follow, like GURPS did so successfully. In your case, a sci-fi horror setting, hard scifi, star wars style space opera, star trek style, blade runner, doctor who style time travel, dune-style family houses, etc. etc.
Start with the style of scifi you love the most for the first setting book.
A thoughtful piece. I tend to think that sci-fi settings are best described on a spectrum which reflects that of the source fiction: from hope (Star Wars, Star Trek in all its forms, The Last Starfighter) to despair (Alien, Bladerunner, Silent Running, X-files, Starship Troopers) and the odd neutral one (2001, 2010, Ad Astra, Close Encounters) in-between.
Sorry, dumb idea, but: What type of game would *YOU* like it to be ? What type of game would you prefer to be playing or DM'ing ? Conversely: what type of game would you really dislike to be DM'ing or playing ? Perhaps answering questions like these could help you determining what kind of setting you would like to see and create. YMMV.
That's not a dumb idea at all and it's one I already have a pretty good answer for. However, I still need to answer the further question of how best to design and present the game in a way that conveys that to others so that they'll find it compelling.
Ah. Thanks for the clarification. I honestly have no idea on how to best go about presenting your likes in a TTRPG friendly format, but: when it comes to the visual presentation of the material (like the physical layout of the book), please do not make it look anything like 'Mörk Borg'. Yes, I get it, it's new and fresh and looks artistic to some people. But to me, it makes the game entirely unplayable because the way the material is physically presented; the way it looks makes the material totally impossible to interpret to me. Things like a readable and reasonably large enough font, 'logical' layout (both of the individual pages and the chapters), enough contrast between the text and the background, non-glossy paper for readability, etc. mean a lot to me.
There is no danger of that. I like Mörk Borg as a game, but I'm not a fan of its layout or graphic design and, in fact, it acts against its being taken seriously by people who might otherwise appreciate its genuine virtues. The kind of "presentation" I'm talking about isn't so much graphic design but content, voice, etc.
I think an rpg needs a setting to inform the rules and play-style.
ReplyDeleteBut if it's a set of rules, devoid of setting, genre or context, then setting books should follow, like GURPS did so successfully. In your case, a sci-fi horror setting, hard scifi, star wars style space opera, star trek style, blade runner, doctor who style time travel, dune-style family houses, etc. etc.
Start with the style of scifi you love the most for the first setting book.
A thoughtful piece. I tend to think that sci-fi settings are best described on a spectrum which reflects that of the source fiction: from hope (Star Wars, Star Trek in all its forms, The Last Starfighter) to despair (Alien, Bladerunner, Silent Running, X-files, Starship Troopers) and the odd neutral one (2001, 2010, Ad Astra, Close Encounters) in-between.
ReplyDeleteSorry, dumb idea, but: What type of game would *YOU* like it to be ? What type of game would you prefer to be playing or DM'ing ? Conversely: what type of game would you really dislike to be DM'ing or playing ? Perhaps answering questions like these could help you determining what kind of setting you would like to see and create. YMMV.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a dumb idea at all and it's one I already have a pretty good answer for. However, I still need to answer the further question of how best to design and present the game in a way that conveys that to others so that they'll find it compelling.
DeleteAh. Thanks for the clarification. I honestly have no idea on how to best go about presenting your likes in a TTRPG friendly format, but: when it comes to the visual presentation of the material (like the physical layout of the book), please do not make it look anything like 'Mörk Borg'. Yes, I get it, it's new and fresh and looks artistic to some people. But to me, it makes the game entirely unplayable because the way the material is physically presented; the way it looks makes the material totally impossible to interpret to me. Things like a readable and reasonably large enough font, 'logical' layout (both of the individual pages and the chapters), enough contrast between the text and the background, non-glossy paper for readability, etc. mean a lot to me.
DeleteThere is no danger of that. I like Mörk Borg as a game, but I'm not a fan of its layout or graphic design and, in fact, it acts against its being taken seriously by people who might otherwise appreciate its genuine virtues. The kind of "presentation" I'm talking about isn't so much graphic design but content, voice, etc.
Delete