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Thread: Categorizing Settings
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2009-08-15, 09:26 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2008
- Location
- New York, NY
Categorizing Settings
How would you categorize the settings you have read/played (published, homemade, or otherwise)?
The list that first came to mind:
Prehistoric
Stereotypical Fantasy
Steampunk
Post Apocalyptic
Modern Day
Future
Surreal Realities
Please associate any additions with some material/source so I can read up on them.
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2009-08-15, 09:36 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
Re: Categorizing Settings
Try searching TV Tropes. They've got a solid list going of the various RPGs out there, and each of those is bound to list what type of game it is (Eberron is Dungeon Punk, for example).
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2009-08-15, 09:39 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- Texas...for now
- Gender
Re: Categorizing Settings
Bliss Stage: Giant Mech soap opera set in a post-apocalyptic world.
[/sarcasm]
FAQ is not RAW!Avatar by the incredible CrimsonAngel.
Saph:It's surprising how many problems can be solved by one druid spell combined with enough aggression.
I play primarily 3.5 D&D. Most of my advice will be based off of this. If my advice doesn't apply, specify a version in your post.
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2009-08-16, 08:24 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2008
- Location
- New York, NY
Re: Categorizing Settings
Sinfire: TY. I looked it over and it does help. I was hoping to go over categories with Playgrounders though, as I respect the community and everyone's opinions here.
Kid: Is that Giant Mecha, Soap Opera, or Post Apoc?
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2009-08-16, 08:29 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- Indianapolis
- Gender
Re: Categorizing Settings
Yes. Bliss Stage is weird- it's a Post Apoc world where the survivors have to fight for their survival in Giant Mecha that are powered by Soap Opera dramatic interactions with the other survivors. If you really must assign it to just one category, I would say Soap Opera is probably the core that really distinguishes the game.
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2009-08-16, 08:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Central Florida
- Gender
Re: Categorizing Settings
"Stereotypical Fantasy" is a little too broad. Medieval Fantasy like Greyhawk, or High Fantasy like Dragonlance? Two very different things.
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2009-08-16, 08:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Location
- Eastern NC
- Gender
Re: Categorizing Settings
Indeed, and then there's stuff like Eberron that I guess you'd call "Magitech Fantasy" or something, that's not quite generic fantasy but not quite Steampunk, either.
There's also Historical games, like Gunslingers & Gamblers or d20 Modern Past, which are not fantasy at all, nor are they Modern Day or Future.
Ooh, and then there's the kind of setting for things like Mouse Guard, Burrows & Bunnies, The Veggie Patch, and things like that, which aren't generic or stereotypical fantasy, but aren't "surreal realities" either. Stuff that's like the Redwall series or maybe Watership Down (though I never read that). I don't have a clue what you'd call that.Last edited by RTGoodman; 2009-08-16 at 09:01 PM.
The Playgrounder Formerly Known as rtg0922
Homebrew:
• "Themes of Ansalon" - A 4E Dragonlance Supplement
• Homebrew Compendium
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2009-08-16, 09:49 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Orlando, FL
- Gender
Re: Categorizing Settings
Let's not forget Cyberpunk, which can include magic in futuristic or modern settings.
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2009-08-17, 06:43 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2005
- Location
- Flawse Fell, Geordieland
Re: Categorizing Settings
Sci-Fi
Sci-fi, hard (Traveller, Cyberpunk Deep Space)
Sci-fi, soft (LUGTrek, BESM, Star*Drive, Blue Planet)
Space opera (Star Wars, LUGDune, Once & Future King)
Space opera, gothic (Rogue Trader)
Space passion play (Fading Suns)
Space comedy (HOL, Tales from the Floating Vagabond)
Spacewar (Starship Troopers, Mechwarrior, Bughunters, Aliens RPG)
Fantasy
Fantasy, Future (Tekumel, Dying Earth, Book of the New Sun)
Fantasy, swords-and-sorcery (Conan, AD&D Lankhmar, Iron Heroes)
Fantasy, sword-and-planet (AD&D Dark Sun, GURPS Barsoom, Earthdawn)
Fantasy, space (Spelljammer)
Fantasy, Arthurian (K.A.Pendragon)
Fantasy, baroque (Agone, Nobilis)
Fantasy, talking animal (Mouseguard, Burrows and Bunnies)
Fantasy, low (WFRP, GURPS Fantasy, SoI&F)
Fantasy, low, high magic (Ars Magica, Stormbringer)
Fantasy, high (Greyhawk)
Fantasy, glossy (Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms)
Fantasy, Over 9000!!! (Exalted, Scion, Wrath of the Immortals)
Fantasy, limp-wristed (Blue Rose)
Fantasy, urban (Underworld, GURPS Goblins)
Punkpunk
Dungeonpunk (Eberron, Iron Kkingdoms, Dragonmech)
Cyberpunk (Cyberpunk 2020, GURPS Cyberpunk)
Cyberpunk, satirical (SLA Industries, Judge Dredd, Underground)
Steampunk (Aetherscope, Forgotten Futures)
Magicpunk (Shadowrun, Castle Falkenstein)
Spacepunk (Shatterzone, Spacemaster)
Cowboypunk (Cold Steel Reign, Deadlands)
(an aside: the typo 'caberpunk' just inspired the best near-future genre EVER!)
Kitchen Sinkery
KS, gonzo (Over the Edge, Tabloid)
KS, played straight (TORG)
KS, overheated pubescent (Rifts, SenZar)
Horror
Horror, modern (Cthulhu and variants)
Horror, historical (Masque of the Red Death)
Horror, zombie (All Flesh)
Horror, Barkerian (Chill, Kult)
Horror, fantastic (Silent Vault)
Post-Apoc
Irradiated world (Gamma World, Mutant Future)
Lost in Space (Metamorphosis Alpha)
Machine World (There Is No Spoon, Zero)
Catch 22 (Paranoia)
edit: Of course, the only true way to categorise RPGs is by the retro-stupid-pretentious threefold model.Last edited by bosssmiley; 2009-08-17 at 09:48 AM.
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2009-08-17, 06:55 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Location
- Germany
Re: Categorizing Settings
Between Prehistoric and "Generic" Fantasy, I would add "Rise of Kingdoms" or something like that.
It's mostly like generic fantasy, but with much more wilderness and magical monsters and few magical industry orheavy armor. That time when all these massive ancient ruins of generic fantasy have been build and bare chested warriors drove the dragons and trolls into the mountains with only a big sword and their teeth!
On second thought, that's probably pretty much the same as sword and sorcery.Last edited by Yora; 2009-08-17 at 06:56 AM.
We are not standing on the shoulders of giants, but on very tall tower of other dwarves.
Spriggan's Den Heroic Fantasy Roleplaying
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2009-08-17, 07:12 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
- Location
- NY
- Gender
Re: Categorizing Settings
Enviromental - A setting defined by its single enviroment. A desert world, a water world, etc.
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2009-08-17, 09:00 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2005
- Location
- St. Paul, MN
Re: Categorizing Settings
I like your low fantasy with high magic category. Those settings are quite different from high fantasy and low fantasy.
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2009-08-17, 10:21 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
- Location
- The Final Chapter
- Gender
Re: Categorizing Settings
I like your list, BossSmiley, but where are the World of Darkness games? You'd think that they'd get a mention.
Oh, & F.A.T.A.L. is categorized as Fantasy, Psychopathic.
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2009-08-17, 10:34 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2008