Forked Thread: What makes a setting exciting?

[Shades of Green]

Forked from: What makes a setting dull?

Asking people to name their un-favoritest-settings seems to prompt the invevitable counter reaction and invite flamewars.

I think threads to the tune of "what makes a setting exciting" are generally more cordial.

So, what do you think makes a setting exciting and interesting?

In my opinion, the following four elements add a lot to a setting's appeal and interest:

1) Conflict, or, more accurately, conflict that the players can relate to and (at least eventually) take part in. Conflict creates plots and leads to adventure and makes things interesting; a good setting needs conflict that can be easily involved in the game.

2) Uniqueness. The setting must have something beyond the standard medieval-fantasy tropes - some hook or twist that makes it interesting. Not that these tropes in and by themselves make a setting dull; but if they are all that is in the setting than it might fall in the "been there, done that" category for too many players. A good hook or overall concept is usually one that can be summed up in a sentence: for example, "A post-apocalyptic world set after a failed magical experiment caused an ice-age".

3) Variety. Different players want different things; also, players tend to get bored with certain things after a while. The setting should have enough variety both to allow different types of play and to maintain player interest over long campaigns.

4) A chance for PCs to make a difference. PCs, especially in high levels, should be important and be able to create the setting's next heroic "big story" if they are lucky, smart and, well, heroic enough. NPCs and metaplots shouldn't steal this possibility from them.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Some big ones for me I can think of off the top of my head are:

A Theme or Focus: Something I can really get behind and explore. It needs something beyond just, "this is a fantasy world", some manner of overall hook for the setting. The theme or focus can be broad or specific but something needs to be there. Conflict could be seen as part of this too, in that the major conflict(s) in the setting could be the focus.

PC's First: The setting isn't built around being a history or anthrpological report on a fantasy world. It is a building place for adventures and stories built around the PCs, as such the setting should put forward first and foremost what sort of things the PCs could get involved in and build the setting toward adventuring.

Uniqueness: While this is obviously not a universal thing. If I am to use a setting either wholesale or take from it I like something beyond just medieval world with some fantasy trappings. Give me something like Sigil, Eberron, etc. In particular I like settings that adopt a New Weird feel. Two other specific aspects I like uniqueness wise in my settings are:

• Technology: From Steampunk to Dieselpunk and beyond I like them in my settings.
• Genre Mixing: Matches above somewhat, but I like my fantasy mixed with Sci-Fi, Noir, Pulp, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, etc. I have actually noticed when designing settings fantasy sources are the last source I use for coming up with ideas for my fantasy settings.

Overall stuff like the Bas-Lag novels by China Miéville would be considered a prime example of what I like to see in a setting. It is also very quickly becoming a favourite novel series of mine, perhaps the favourite fantasy series of mine.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Cosmology, history, geography, familiarity, strangeness.

 

[rounser]

I'm not convinced that ticking off entries on a laundry list will deliver the x factor that a good setting requires. The whole can be much less than the sum of it's parts.

But I will say this: the best role of a D&D setting is to serve the campaign arc and adventures, and is secondary and subordinate to them, not the other way around. Too often the reverse is promoted.

 

[FireLance]

Wahoo.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

A setting should be exactly as original as it needs to be - no more, no less.

Too little originality, and a setting will be dull. But too much originality, and a setting will end up being confusing instead of exiting. After all, you need to be able to explain the basics of the setting to all your players - and they might not have as much time as you do to read up on them.

 

[Jack7]

A lot of people have already named some good setting aspects. For me I like weird and completely unexpected and unpredictable things to happen. I also like a world in which bizarre, uncanny, and scary things happen. Creepy even.

I like mystery and for some things to remain unanswered.

I like a dangerous setting. Not just filled with monsters, which is only one narrow kind of danger, but dangerous on multiple levels. And in various ways.

I'm not convinced that ticking off entries on a laundry list will deliver the x factor that a good setting requires. The whole can be much less than the sum of it's parts.

But I will say this: the best role of a D&D setting is to serve the campaign arc and adventures, and is secondary and subordinate to them, not the other way around. Too often the reverse is promoted.

I also agree with this statement. A world, milieu, and setting should be real and sustainable and coherent, but it should also be the kind of place where the characters can become who and what they are through the acts of adventuring and exploring.

And I like a world to change over time. For cultures to change, for governments to change, for races to change, for everything to change. A setting should be a world like any other world, it changes as different things happen.

Too little originality, and a setting will be dull. But too much originality, and a setting will end up being confusing instead of exiting. After all, you need to be able to explain the basics of the setting to all your players - and they might not have as much time as you do to read up on them.

I think a milieu should be familiar enough to real life that the players can instinctively and almost instantly integrate into the setting as if it were "natural." It has to be new enough to be original and worth exploring, but familiar enough that they feel they could naturally be a part of that world.

It is a difficult admixture to achieve but you know it when you see it.