Seeing a lot of similar settings

[buzz]

Not that this is necessarily a problem or anything, but I've been noticing a lot of similarity among current and upcoming releases for d20M. Basically I'm seeing a lot of...

Mystical, often religious-themed and "end-times" settings:

• WikidNinja's Dark Revelations
• Mythic Dreams's Dark Inheritance
• Holistic Design's Rapture: The Second Coming
• ...and to a certain extent Celestus-Ex's Nebular Cross

Real-world military sourcebooks:

• Green Ronin's Ultramodern Firearms
• Holistic Deisgn's Real-Life Roleplaying series (Afghanistan, Somalia, Colombia)
• Blood & Guts: Modern Military
• Blood & Guts: War on Terror

...and Stargate SG-1 type settings:

• Eden Studios' Odyssey Prime
• Second World Simulations's Second World Sourcebook

The mini-games in Poly, the near-forgotten Digital Burn, the revised Darwin's World, and the upcoming Gamma World seem to be the only d20M products that I'm seeing break this pattern. Urban Arcana deviates as well, though it's still "modern fantasy," much like the end-time settings mentioned above.

Any reason for this? What's out there that I'm missing? Where's the diversity?

 

[Vigilance]

Well- speaking as the author of the Blood books, I've done 4 d20 modern books so far, a mystical game (ennie nominated Blood and Relics), a martial arts game (blood and fists), and the two military books you mention.

I am currently working on the modern version of Vigilance: superhero d20.

So speaking only for myself, I dont see a lack of diversity in my product selection, which is all I can really control.

My publisher also does the Darwin's World books.

If you have any suggestions Im always looking for a fresh idea, but I see more diversity in the modern products out there (Darwin's World, the Blood books, Gamma World, Spycraft, the Modern Player's series, Dark Inheritance) than I see in fantasy games.

But again- if you have a diversity increasing idea, spill it and I will listen

Chuck

Not that this is necessarily a problem or anything, but I've been noticing a lot of similarity among current and upcoming releases for d20M. Basically I'm seeing a lot of...

Mystical, often religious-themed and "end-times" settings:

• WikidNinja's Dark Revelations
• Mythic Dreams's Dark Inheritance
• Holistic Design's Rapture: The Second Coming
• ...and to a certain extent Celestus-Ex's Nebular Cross

Real-world military sourcebooks:

• Green Ronin's Ultramodern Firearms
• Holistic Deisgn's Real-Life Roleplaying series (Afghanistan, Somalia, Colombia)
• Blood & Guts: Modern Military
• Blood & Guts: War on Terror

...and Stargate SG-1 type settings:

• Eden Studios' Odyssey Prime
• Second World Simulations's Second World Sourcebook

The mini-games in Poly, the near-forgotten Digital Burn, the revised Darwin's World, and the upcoming Gamma World seem to be the only d20M products that I'm seeing break this pattern. Urban Arcana deviates as well, though it's still "modern fantasy," much like the end-time settings mentioned above.

Any reason for this? What's out there that I'm missing? Where's the diversity?

 

[Max]

What's out there that I'm missing?

Dog House Rules is updating the ENnie nominated d20 western game, Sidewinder: Wild West Adventures to use the d20 Modern rules (which didn't exist when Sidewinder first came out).

The new version will be called Sidewinder: Recoiled.

Max

 

[buzz]

If you have any suggestions Im always looking for a fresh idea, but I see more diversity in the modern products out there (Darwin's World, the Blood books, Gamma World, Spycraft, the Modern Player's series, Dark Inheritance) than I see in fantasy games.

But again- if you have a diversity increasing idea, spill it and I will listen

I didn't mention Spycraft because, well, it's not d20M.

And I'm not really complaining, but more noticing a trend of sorts. I mean, there are a bunch of mystical-end-times-type settings coming out. But maybe that's just a general RPG trend.

As for diversity, I'd love to see mini-games like Pulp Heroes, Iron Lords of Jupiter, and Genetech fleshed out with setting books, not to mention, like everyone else, I want to see d20M Dark*Matter.

And to not let Spycraft corner the market, how about an official d20M espionage setting? More cyberpunk/Minority Report stuff? (Though I realize that the upcoming d20 Future will probably cover that.) More hard SF? Steampunk? Technothriller?

I guess it's just a matter of time.

 

[Vigilance]

I just think most of the genres have been covered- there have been a few d20 Modern cyberpunk offerings already, some upcoming western ones, and so forth.

I considered doing a Blood book about espionage and I still might.

I think most of the major genres are being hit.

As for mini-games, my publisher and I have discussed that, and when I have a break in my other projects, expect to see Blood and Whiskey, the first ever mini-game offering from us.

Chuck

 

[JPL]

As for diversity, I'd love to see mini-games like Pulp Heroes, Iron Lords of Jupiter, and Genetech fleshed out with setting books, not to mention, like everyone else, I want to see d20M Dark*Matter.

And to not let Spycraft corner the market, how about an official d20M espionage setting? More cyberpunk/Minority Report stuff? (Though I realize that the upcoming d20 Future will probably cover that.) More hard SF? Steampunk? Technothriller?

Amen.

I'd especially like to see a good steampunk book.

 

[midknight12]

Well, I am currently working on another project that is very fantastical and with a heavy emphasis on steampunk. I don't know if I will make it d20 modern based or dnd 3rd ed. based. However, it is another much-heavier religious themed rpg so it may not count for breaking the mold.

Robert Taylor
Crown of Thorns Studio
Publisher of Nebular Cross

 

[Psion]

...and Stargate SG-1 type settings:

• Eden Studios' Odyssey Prime
• Second World Simulations's Second World Sourcebook

I'm having a real problem seeing Second World Sourcebook as a "Stargate SG-1 Style Setting." I think you are stretching a bit here to make a trend out of this.

(Not familiar with Odyssey Prime.)

It seems like SWS is much more comfortably paired with Urban Arcana and perhaps "Quickshots" (as "real world/fantasy crossover" type games, though SWS and UrbA are sort of mirror images; SWS is more typically "modern people thrust into the fantasy world" and UrbA is more "fantasy folks thrust into the modern world", though lots of SWS stuff like the Wandering Damage columns do resemble the "incidental modern fantasy", much like seen in Quickshots.)

 

[Vigilance]

Im also not sure Id consider Urban Arcana and Dark Inheritance to be the same type of game.

They're both fantasy, but that's as far as it goes.

Chuck

 

[buzz]

They're both fantasy, but that's as far as it goes.

I still think there's a thematic connection. SWS (point taken Psion), UrA, DI, DR, and Rapture (and even Shadow Chasers while we're at it) all seem to be focused on this "fantasy and the real world meet" theme.

Which is fine, but it seems like a lot of settings exploring fairly similar ideas. Ditto all the military stuff.

Though it's very good to hear about the other products mentioned in this tread (and let's not forget the continually-upcoming Atomic City supers RPG from FDP), I'm just curious as to the reason for the trend.

I mean, I'm suspecting that the announcement of d20 Future has put a damper on companies releasing SF settings, but what about conspiracy? True crime? Espionage? Straight-up fantasy (hey, it could happen)? Pulp? Historical action?

I'm not really complaining, just wondering and hoping. And saving my shekels for Gamma World...