What type of setting do you prefer?

[valleytree]

Hi all
I prefer to play RPGs (mostly on PC). Now, these RPG's are set in different worlds. Some are Sci-fi others fantasy and some are whatever you would call Fallout's universe. What I find interesting is that in some settings you can save the day and always make a change for the better. Here I am thinking of Oblivion and to some extent Skyrim.

Spoiler

I mean, you can destroy the Brotherhood instead of joining and you save the world from a great evil in the MQ

But, then there are games like Dragon Age 2 and the Witcher 2 where power politics rages around you and your actions won't help solve the world's big problems. Even if you try to do good, the world is going to end up burning (not necessarily literally).
So my question to you all is this: What type of setting do you prefer and why?

 

[aguspal]

Well...


Lets see, I played both Skyrim and Fallout: New vegas.


I liked Skyrim better, and its partially because of the setting. Weird, I usually prefer non fantasty settings. It must be that the ambientation in Skyrim was done well? I honestly dont know. But I prefered it.


As for Dragon Age 2 and the Witcher, well, I strongly disliked them both (I havent played Dragon Age 2, but I played the original and its the most boring game I have ever played. I doubt the sequel could be any better. And the Witcher just plain sucked. The end) So yeah, Give me Skyrim/Fallout over this ANY DAY.

Even WITHOUT taking into account the games themseleves, I rather prefer a game where my actions actually mean something, thank you very much.

 

[Gatx]

I prefer settings that have visual variety. That's why I was a bit worried about Skyrim at first, since it looked like everything would be mountainous and snowy but that turned out to not necessarily be the case. Generally I like anything that's not apocalyptic for RPGs. I want to experience the immersion of living in a fantasy world, and I would not want to live in a shit hole.

 

[Vault101]

Im a sucker for sci fi

I also prefer storys that focus more on the induvidual charachters and their quests rather than big earth shattering events..you dont need to end the world to have high stakes..

heroic fantasy to high fantasy you could say

hence why Mass Effect series ticks both thease boxes..on one hand it had great charachters..on the other shepard is a bit of a "space jesus"

 

[The Wykydtron]

I like more a more focused and/or personal story. It's why I hold Persona 4 way above Persona 3. (amongst other factors) P3 is all about saving the world whereas P4 is about saving a village, solving the most badass mystery ever and helping friends.


I wonder if Persona 5 will have as much of an emphasis on mystery as Persona 4. I hope so. Oh wait who cares I live in the UK so Persona 5 will never see the light of day over here anyway.

I'll like any setting that has had a good amount of effort put into it stylistically. Deus Ex: High Resolution was pure black and gold and most people will agree that it looks awesome. Bastion, Skullgirls (R.I.P) even Dark Souls to an extent.

Though I never bothered to look for the cool landmark artsy stuff in Dark Souls because I had no time to notice it between deaths. I never noticed that you can almost always see Anor Londo from any point in the game. Blighttown can be seen from Firelink if you squint, Undead Burg can be seen from the higher places in the game and so on.

The enemy design is amazing in DS I will give it that. Good enemy designs is a very high selling point to me thinking about it. You seen the enemy designs in Dishonoured? There's dog/crocodile hybrid things! SO HYPE!

As for choices meaning something... Well I really liked DA2's ending as it portrays a chosen hero of the land who ultimately can't do shit to save the people s/he loves. Power? Wealth? Badass swords? Maximum persuasion skill? Nope, not gonna cut it.

I like it when choices mean something sure, but i'm not going to think any worse of the game if choices are meaningless overall. Unless they made choices a big selling point to begin with of course.

 

[Lady Lucky]

I'm an old school RPG'er from way back when. I remember playing Shining Forces and loving it! So I guess my first choice would be a classical fantasy setting, LOTR style stuff. My second choice would be Sci-Fi, Metroid and lets not forget Mass Effect.
I LOVE Mass Effect.

 

[Pebblig]

I prefer a fantasy RPG such as Oblivion/Skyrim (With a medievaly/magic theme) or a Sci-Fi fantasy, but most of those (Sci-Fi) I've played have RPG-elements as opposed to being a full-blown RPG.

 

[Monsterfurby]

To be honest, the one game I would immediately buy is one with a realistic "career". For example, if in Skyrim you could actually start out as a lowly legionary in the Imperial army, be the smallest of possible influences on numerous battles and through luck or skill eventually be promoted - instead of the typical "chosen one" type storyline where you are "special ops" from the very beginning and get kicked upstairs through the ranks up to "personal go-to-guy/girl/khajit" for the supreme commander of the Imperial forces in a matter of days.

I don't WANT to be the chosen one. I want to make a difference despite who my character is, not because of it. Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, whatever, then, all are equally fun.

 

[Zyst]

I prefer games where I'm a tiny cog and have barely any effect on the world around me said no one ever.

 

[In Search of Username]

I love how nobody's answering the actual question and they're all just going 'sci-fi!' or 'fantasy!'

I'd say I prefer the way the Witcher does it, in that whatever you do you're not just going to make everyone happy, there will always be negative consequences for someone and you'll always have to be uneasy allies with some fanatic or other, no matter how hard you try to keep your individuality.

There's one choice I remember really well from that game, where a bunch of people were trying to kill a noble who'd done something terrible (I forget what) and you could either try to give him a fair trial or just let the peasants go wild. And if you sent him to trial he'd eventually get free anyway due to his position of power - so you're essentially choosing between mob justice or no justice. I like that; it kind of sums up the game's attitude that you can always try to stick to your principles but never have a guarantee that it will go how you'd hoped.

 

[dimensional]

I suppose I go for more of a fantasy setting dosent matter what can be high fantasy, dark fantasy whatever although I also like steam punk settings. Im not to fussed though I wont buy or not buy a game due to its setting it really means very little to me as long as its done well.

 

[Reaper195]

I'd love to play a decent zombie apocalypse RPG game. Similar to Dead Island, but not shit. Which is depressing, since before it's actual release, Dead Island looked almost exactly like what I have been waiting for. Them it was poo.

Yes, there are an abundant amount of zombie games, but there is such a small and shallow pool of damn good ones. Before Dead Island, the closest zombie apoc game that was good was Dead Island (And 2), and that game wasn't very RPGey (Short of levelling up a random skill with each level up. Which you didn't control. I was level thirty before I had more than four health blocks.)

 

[DSK-]

I'm not too bothered about the setting; I'd be far more interested/concerned in how well fleshed out the characters, character interaction and story were.

 

[valleytree]

I love how nobody's answering the actual question and they're all just going 'sci-fi!' or 'fantasy!'

I'd say I prefer the way the Witcher does it, in that whatever you do you're not just going to make everyone happy, there will always be negative consequences for someone and you'll always have to be uneasy allies with some fanatic or other, no matter how hard you try to keep your individuality.

There's one choice I remember really well from that game, where a bunch of people were trying to kill a noble who'd done something terrible (I forget what) and you could either try to give him a fair trial or just let the peasants go wild. And if you sent him to trial he'd eventually get free anyway due to his position of power - so you're essentially choosing between mob justice or no justice. I like that; it kind of sums up the game's attitude that you can always try to stick to your principles but never have a guarantee that it will go how you'd hoped.

I personally love this aspect of the Witcher games, but I can see how this might annoy people. I suppose people (myself included) play video games to escape from reality, perhaps looking for a simpler and better place to unwind.

 

[SckizoBoy]

I prefer dystopian... introducing you to an ostensibly 'everything's so perfect and fine' with a distinct undertone of fuk'd-up-ness. A story that charges through it smashing the veneer of order aside can be kinda fun. 'sides suits my somewhat dour personality... -_-

 

[MammothBlade]

I prefer deep webs of intrigue and mystery-solving. The whole saving the world is part of a process. That's why renaissance-style aesthetics make so much sense, from Deus Ex HR to Final Fantasy XII. I'm not too fussy about the chronological or geographical setting, I feel at ease in any, especially if it's a wide, open world with atmosphere.

Characters' backstories are good too, but if I help you get over your family issues/debt collectors/childhood trauma will you help me save the world or rule it?

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

I'd like to see more whimsical fantasy.
Colorful worlds with different races more along the lines of a Studio Ghibli film.

I'm tired of elves and dwarves.

So pretty much, more like Okami and Ni No Kuni.

 

[King of Asgaard]

As long as a setting is done right, I'll like it.
Case in point, DA:O's setting was the only thing done right, as well as some characters, in my opinion, and it made the game bearable, to a point.