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Can novels make or break a setting for you?
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<blockquote data-quote="ha-gieden" data-source="post: 3380982" data-attributes="member: 50207"><p>I am on both sides of this issue. </p><p></p><p>I actually don't like anything I've ever read for Forgotten Realms, and avoid that setting partially for that reason. On the other hand, I'm considering running a game in the Wheel of Time setting simply because I enjoyed the novels. </p><p></p><p>To complicate things further, I have actually written a novel and RPG set in the same world. I didn't mean to do it. </p><p></p><p>I wrote the novel first, and was fascinated with the concepts and world (otherwise, I wouldn't have been writing it <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> ). I wanted to make sure that I kept everything consistent, so I kept a second file where I jotted down everything in game terms. Basically, if someone worked magic, I kept a record of how they did it, what kind of magic it was, and so on, and wrote mechanics for that action so that for the rest of the novel, anytime magic was touched upon, it followed a similar set of rules. I did the same for the creatures, political factions, religious groups, even the weather. I was fairly meticulous, and by the end of the novel, I had the RPG halfway done. </p><p></p><p>After completing the novel (and receiving a publishing contract on it), I went back over the RPG and made sure that it could stand alone. I took out any reference to specific characters, I made sure that all the combat and magic were broad enough to encompass many different playing styles, I "updated" the given locals so that they represented what the novel's settings would look like 50 years later, I added rules for putting any current map (fantasy or real life) into the game, ect. I made sure that there was lots of open space for gamers to create their own stories (the novel only touched upon one small piece of the world during one short period of time). We playtested the heck out of it. Then I submitted it to the publisher.</p><p></p><p>I don't think that you'd have to like the game to like the book, or the book to like the game. (Even though you'd have to buy into the concepts at least somewhat to like either.) Secretly, I hope that when people like one, they will decide to try the other. Realistically, I know that I can't count on that. And that's fine. If they cannot stand alone, they deserve to fall.</p><p></p><p>I hope that people will try whichever one (novel or RPG) interests them, regardless of whether or not they care about the other. By the results of the poll, I'd say there's a decent chance of that <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ha-gieden, post: 3380982, member: 50207"] I am on both sides of this issue. I actually don't like anything I've ever read for Forgotten Realms, and avoid that setting partially for that reason. On the other hand, I'm considering running a game in the Wheel of Time setting simply because I enjoyed the novels. To complicate things further, I have actually written a novel and RPG set in the same world. I didn't mean to do it. I wrote the novel first, and was fascinated with the concepts and world (otherwise, I wouldn't have been writing it ;) ). I wanted to make sure that I kept everything consistent, so I kept a second file where I jotted down everything in game terms. Basically, if someone worked magic, I kept a record of how they did it, what kind of magic it was, and so on, and wrote mechanics for that action so that for the rest of the novel, anytime magic was touched upon, it followed a similar set of rules. I did the same for the creatures, political factions, religious groups, even the weather. I was fairly meticulous, and by the end of the novel, I had the RPG halfway done. After completing the novel (and receiving a publishing contract on it), I went back over the RPG and made sure that it could stand alone. I took out any reference to specific characters, I made sure that all the combat and magic were broad enough to encompass many different playing styles, I "updated" the given locals so that they represented what the novel's settings would look like 50 years later, I added rules for putting any current map (fantasy or real life) into the game, ect. I made sure that there was lots of open space for gamers to create their own stories (the novel only touched upon one small piece of the world during one short period of time). We playtested the heck out of it. Then I submitted it to the publisher. I don't think that you'd have to like the game to like the book, or the book to like the game. (Even though you'd have to buy into the concepts at least somewhat to like either.) Secretly, I hope that when people like one, they will decide to try the other. Realistically, I know that I can't count on that. And that's fine. If they cannot stand alone, they deserve to fall. I hope that people will try whichever one (novel or RPG) interests them, regardless of whether or not they care about the other. By the results of the poll, I'd say there's a decent chance of that ;) [/QUOTE]
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