Poll: Alternative Fantasy RPG's

[Miss Layton]

I have to admit, much as I'm a fan of roleplaying games, even I'm starting to get sick of the usual white, European, medieval hubaloo that comprises most Western RPG's. I know this has been brought up before, but can't we have a little more variety every so often?

So, I'd like to ask you, the fine community of the Escapist, for what you would love to see "done" as an RPG. This can range from fantasy to science fiction and every related sub-genre in-between. I'll set up a poll with set themes and settings, but if you vote for "Others," elaborate in the comments. Tell me what you would love to see in an RPG if you could make it happen. Would it be turn based? Action-based? Retro, modern? What do you visualize? This can be anything. For God's sake, there's an indie RPG called "To The Moon" that's basically a 2D retro version of Inception.

Fantasy RPG's, even Scifi RPG's, have become a little too "white" for my tastes, to boot. Let's get crazy, let's add a few ethnic spices into this old recipe!

What would I like? Personally, I would love a fantasy RPG based on Native American cultures, aesthetics, folklore and mythologies. Wouldn't that be something? You could incorporate all sorts of environments, you could base the plot on a famous story or mythological yarn, and you could take history into account. Why not something a little basic? I'm envisioning an RPG in which you play this young man who must venture forth outside his village on a rite of passage into adulthood. He must go to the top of the mountains, pluck a feather from the legendary thunderbirds, and return to the tribe.

That'd make for a great adventure.

 

[Savagezion]

You know, I quite like what Guild Wars 1 did with cultures of the world. The original was European, Factions was Asian, Nightfall was African, and Eye of the North was Viking. Really, I like the idea of fantasy being played more off folklore than fantasy itself. Folklore is usually much more potent material to start with as a source material as well.

That said, I agree Native American and even Meso-American is my top choice. You have a lot of wiggle room to be creative and a lot of lore to latch on to something.

 

[sanquin]

If anything, I'd like a sci-fi rpg where you can play as non-human aliens. And I don't mean just a different character model. I mean an entirely different culture and the way how people treat you and such.

 

[Miss Layton]

If anything, I'd like a sci-fi rpg where you can play as non-human aliens. And I don't mean just a different character model. I mean an entirely different culture and the way how people treat you and such.

So, are we talking something like the Oddworld series, but in RPG format?

 

[Doom972]

If anything, I'd like a sci-fi rpg where you can play as non-human aliens. And I don't mean just a different character model. I mean an entirely different culture and the way how people treat you and such.

So, are we talking something like the Oddworld series, but in RPG format?

Yes, please! Thank you! Can I have it today?

 

[scorptatious]

If anything, I'd like a sci-fi rpg where you can play as non-human aliens. And I don't mean just a different character model. I mean an entirely different culture and the way how people treat you and such.

So, are we talking something like the Oddworld series, but in RPG format?

Slig fires at Abe!

Abe takes 30 damage!

Mudokon Slave uses Scrab Cake on Abe!

Abe's health is restored by 50!

Abe uses Chant!

Slig is possessed!

Abe and Friends gain 100 EXP!

Give nickname to captured Slig?

OT: I like the idea of an RPG based on Native American folklore and mythology for some reason. Probably because I've never thought about that kind of stuff used in an RPG before.

 

[Miss Layton]

If anything, I'd like a sci-fi rpg where you can play as non-human aliens. And I don't mean just a different character model. I mean an entirely different culture and the way how people treat you and such.

So, are we talking something like the Oddworld series, but in RPG format?

Slig fires at Abe!

Abe takes 30 damage!

Mudokon Slave uses Scrab Cake on Abe!

Abe's health is restored by 50!

Abe uses Chant!

Slig is possessed!

Abe and Friends gain 100 EXP!

Give nickname to captured Slig?

OT: I like the idea of an RPG based on Native American folklore and mythology for some reason. Probably because I've never thought about that kind of stuff used in an RPG before.

Just for fun, I want you to imagine this. Imagine a Native American-themed Skyrim. You're climbing up the mountain, you're off to pluck a feather from the legendary thunderbirds... and then, thunder clouds roll into view. Briefly, in-between flashes of lightning you can see the outline of a large flying creature... you hear the flapping of wings, an earth-shaking cry, and then this gigantic fucking bird - lightning and wind trailing after it - comes swooping down at you.

How would that "not" be awesome?

 

[Miss Layton]

While we're at it... I've always wished there was an RPG based on the Avatar (Last Airbender/Legend of Korra) franchise. Friends and I have gone over potential character classes, plots, random encounters, and so on so forth. We always debated when it would be set (during the series, before, etc), because damn near everyone would want to be the Avatar. Unfortunately, if it's set during the show, that would mean they'd have to follow the story beat for beat...

 

[Auron]

Fantasy usually depicts quite an expansive array of civilizations/races, they're usually mostly(but not all, a common misconception.) European ethnicities and legends but it's just how the genre was setup. Fantasy has been evolving since the ancient era to the medieval stories to the basic setup Tolkien inspired in the 20th Century. It's hard to compete with that, I'd rather add to it or make something different(like Rokugan) than limit it to a mono-cultural fantasy setting.


On that note, I think we need more cyberpunk, everything's better with cyberpunk.


And you might wanna look up Werewolf the Apocalypse, it's never been used for games other than RPG(real RPG that you play with dice.) but it has a lot of native culture from the Americas in it.

 

[Miss Layton]

Fantasy usually depicts quite an expansive array of civilizations/races, they're usually mostly(but not all, a common misconception.) European ethnicities and legends but it's just how the genre was setup. Fantasy has been evolving since the ancient era to the medieval stories to the basic setup Tolkien inspired in the 20th Century. It's hard to compete with that, I'd rather add to it or make something different(like Rokugan) than limit it to a mono-cultural fantasy setting.


On that note, I think we need more cyberpunk, everything's better with cyberpunk.


And you might wanna look up Werewolf the Apocalypse, it's never been used for games other than RPG(real RPG that you play with dice.) but it has a lot of native culture from the Americas in it.

I know, I've dabbled in it. But I'm talking about video games (or PC gaming), which is still completely saturated in typically white, predictable, worlds and narratives. A little multicultural diversity would liven the genre up a bit, and it's about time we explored our mythologies, folklores and legends outside the standard set up of Christian, English, Nordic, Greek, Eastern European and Egyptian. We've seen enough of these bastards.

Come on, let's be brave and pull an Avatar or an Earthsea. Let's create fantasy worlds based on tropes and cultural conventions of entirely different peoples other than Europeans, for heaven's sake.

Hell, I'd settle for a game comfortably immersed in Slavic folklore myself.

 

[Miss Layton]

Besides, fantasy doesn't just belong to white people. Other cultures have had their own fantasies for ages, a little dabbling in it for gaming wouldn't hurt anyone. We could then come back to our usual, tired, milked European fantasy set up with a new perspective.

Oh, and we have enough cyberpunk RPG's in the form of Deus Ex and the upcoming game actually "called" Cyberpunk. Not to mention Shadowrun.

 

[Miss Layton]

I did have an idea for an African-based RPG... well, okay, it was more of an ARPG with Metroidvania elements, but here it goes.

You'd play as the trickster deity Anansi, and it would be based on one of his more famous tales. In the beginning, there were no stories, no imagination to fuel mankind's creativity. More importantly - to Anansi - there were no stories about HIM. Peeved, Anansi spoke with the local Sky God what price would it take to give mankind the art of storytelling...

So, from this set up, you'd have to travel to different locations to achieve certain objectives to get the ball rolling. You'll be able to unlock all sorts of nifty abilities, and you'll battle all sorts of demons, monsters and such from lore.

What do you guys think?

 

[Tayh]

I'm still looking/waiting for a good Nordic Mythology RPG.
... By that I mean RPG, not Action-RPG, Hack'n'Slash-RPG or any of the japanese abominations.

Admittedly, this is mostly because I'm a Dane.

 

[Miss Layton]

I'm still looking/waiting for a good Nordic Mythology RPG.
... By that I mean RPG, not Action-RPG, Hack'n'Slash-RPG or any of the japanese abominations.

Admittedly, this is mostly because I'm a Dane.

What about Banner Saga?

 

[BeCeejed]

I would love cultural diversity in a series - its true that the RPG world is dominated by Euro-myth and Sci-Fi based games and, where not, Asiatic and specifically Japanese based games, as well as a myriad of mixtures of those three.

There's a danger in the concept however and its that the standard fare for our RPGs is fairly 'safe'. Yeah people kind of would like more diversity, but if you play RPGs the roast-beef European-based fare will usually satisfy, even if you're still craving that spicy Indian or gamey Native American feel - you can usually get what you want out of the story and the characters even if its plan old MRE ration Sci-Fi. However, say a game company goes for a game of a more diverse setting - and get it wrong. Whoo boy! Incoming media shitstorm.

To do it right requires a level of research into and an understanding of the culture involved by the dev team that they don't just have 'out of the box,' like they do the ridiculous amount of standard Euro-flavor/maybe Sci-fi/possible Eastern fantasy setting.

This is reflected strongly in our selection of fantasy fiction novels as well-primarily Euro-myth or Tolkein-foundation or Sci-fi...though there one Author could spend a lot of time delving into Navajo myths and then write an absolutely stellar fantasy novel (and they do). With games you have a significantly larger number of cooks in the kitchen - by which I mean devs on the design team. You'd have to spend more time in Pre-production bringing everyone up to the understanding you want, or you'd have to have one person be the visionary and control the elements that go into the game.

Or you'd have to have an excellent IP from a non-game media that accurately conveys the cultural aesthetic you desire - and design your game around that. Because then its no harder than understanding an external IP rather than understanding the nuances of an entire cultural mythos and avoiding offensive stereotypical portrayals of it.

Or hire a dev team entirely from the culture you wish to portray.

Anyways, it can be done. But requires extra work. And from a business PR perspective carries a level of risk I don't think some developers are willing to take.

TL;DR: Devs probably won't do it on their own for business reasons but the idea is inherently valuable, so get some people from the culture you desire for your aesthetic to work on it or start hitting the books yourself, because damnit I'd sure like some other flavors.

 

[Miss Layton]

I would love cultural diversity in a series - its true that the RPG world is dominated by Euro-myth and Sci-Fi based games and, where not, Asiatic and specifically Japanese based games, as well as a myriad of mixtures of those three.

There's a danger in the concept however and its that the standard fare for our RPGs is fairly 'safe'. Yeah people kind of would like more diversity, but if you play RPGs the roast-beef European-based fare will usually satisfy, even if you're still craving that spicy Indian or gamey Native American feel - you can usually get what you want out of the story and the characters even if its plan old MRE ration Sci-Fi. However, say a game company goes for a game of a more diverse setting - and get it wrong. Whoo boy! Incoming media shitstorm.

To do it right requires a level of research into and an understanding of the culture involved by the dev team that they don't just have 'out of the box,' like they do the ridiculous amount of standard Euro-flavor/maybe Sci-fi/possible Eastern fantasy setting.

This is reflected strongly in our selection of fantasy fiction novels as well-primarily Euro-myth or Tolkein-foundation or Sci-fi...though there one Author could spend a lot of time delving into Navajo myths and then write an absolutely stellar fantasy novel (and they do). With games you have a significantly larger number of cooks in the kitchen - by which I mean devs on the design team. You'd have to spend more time in Pre-production bringing everyone up to the understanding you want, or you'd have to have one person be the visionary and control the elements that go into the game.

Or you'd have to have an excellent IP from a non-game media that accurately conveys the cultural aesthetic you desire - and design your game around that. Because then its no harder than understanding an external IP rather than understanding the nuances of an entire cultural mythos and avoiding offensive stereotypical portrayals of it.

Or hire a dev team entirely from the culture you wish to portray.

Anyways, it can be done. But requires extra work. And from a business PR perspective carries a level of risk I don't think some developers are willing to take.

TL;DR: Devs probably won't do it on their own for business reasons but the idea is inherently valuable, so get some people from the culture you desire for your aesthetic to work on it or start hitting the books yourself, because damnit I'd sure like some other flavors.

Which is precisely why my mates and I - being the nerds of varying practices we are - are not only doing heavy research, we're also attempting to create our own indie titles based varying cultures. For instance, we're working on a 2D RPG Native American fantasy, a platformer based on the tales of Anansi the Trickster, etc.

The process is slow, and we're still fiddling around with RPG Maker, but, hey. We're getting there.

All the same, you've made an excellent point, and I know. It "is" a far heavier risk and it carries simply one too many potential consequences that any studio wouldn't dare touch the subject with a ten foot pole.

But I can dream, can't I?

 

[Anachronism]

I'm still waiting on a sequel to Jade Empire, preferably with a world map that contains more than two villages and a city. That world had tons of potential, it's just a pity that console limitations meant we could barely see any of it. A current or next generation RPG set there could be fantastic.

Still, the alternative fantasy RPG that I really want is an Arabian Nights game. Scheming viziers! Flying carpets! Forty Thieves! Unpredictable djinn! I know Prince of Persia explored this sort of thing, but I'd love to see a big fantasy RPG with a really fleshed out Arabian Nights world. I think there's potential for loads of fun stories there - they could even use the whole Scheherazade thing as a framing story for the narrative, which would be pretty neat.

And, naturally, I'd really like to see another game set in Planescape, but I fear that's just a pipe dream. At least the Numenera Torment looks pretty cool.

 

[Manji187]

I would very much like to see/ play a RPG in the style of Magi The Labyrinth of Magic. In other words, in the style of One Thousand and One Nights.

 

[Miss Layton]

I would very much like to see/ play a RPG in the style of Magi The Labyrinth of Magic. In other words, in the style of One Thousand and One Nights.

Good God... I can't believe I never thought of that. I just feel silly... should have added that in the options.

An RPG based on One Thousand and One Nights? Even if it sucked ass, I'd still buy it.

 

[Miss Layton]

I would very much like to see/ play a RPG in the style of Magi The Labyrinth of Magic. In other words, in the style of One Thousand and One Nights.

I'm still waiting on a sequel to Jade Empire, preferably with a world map that contains more than two villages and a city. That world had tons of potential, it's just a pity that console limitations meant we could barely see any of it. A current or next generation RPG set there could be fantastic.

Still, the alternative fantasy RPG that I really want is an Arabian Nights game. Scheming viziers! Flying carpets! Forty Thieves! Unpredictable djinn! I know Prince of Persia explored this sort of thing, but I'd love to see a big fantasy RPG with a really fleshed out Arabian Nights world. I think there's potential for loads of fun stories there - they could even use the whole Scheherazade thing as a framing story for the narrative, which would be pretty neat.

And, naturally, I'd really like to see another game set in Planescape, but I fear that's just a pipe dream. At least the Numenera Torment looks pretty cool.

I'm with you there, I'd love to see someone take the same time and effort they put into, say, Dragon Age or Planescape, for an Arabian Nights-style RPG. Think of what sort of character classes you could come up with, not to mention the environments, creatures and storylines alone... my God. I feel silly for not adding that as an option in the poll.