Whould you buy a system-free setting?

[Ranger REG]

Hi all,

I've been thinking about the present and potential future of the D20 market (well the RPG market in general, but it's the D20 one that I mostly write for) and was wondering if people would actually buy a setting, assuming you liked it, of course, that didn't have a game system included - it would expect you, I suppose, to convert to whichever generic system you liked best, GURPS, Savage Worlds, a D20 variant, True20, etc. So let me know which of the responses on the thread you think best fits your opinion

I'm not likely to be interested, if you provide a system-free setting product for games.

I'm more likely to be interested, if you provide a system-free setting product for print novels or motion pictures.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If I wanted a system-less setting I'll go to my book shelf and pull out books by Robert Howard books, Fritz Leiber, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and others fiction and non-fiction.

And in a very few cases, there's a supplemental book that lays those out with the information you'd need to run it in a game, but for the most part there's not, or it's simply unsuitable for gaming.

Where's the book that gives you the maps of Narnia, the populations, the religious leanings, what sort of money they use, who's in charge of each settlement and what happens if the players violate the law?

If there is such a thing, let me know, because I'll buy it. But I'm pretty sure the old "bookshelf full of fiction and non-fiction" that people refer to simply doesn't fill the same sort of need without needing so much work as to be the same as homebrewing at the end of the day.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

If I liked the setting enough I would.

 

[rgard]

And in a very few cases, there's a supplemental book that lays those out with the information you'd need to run it in a game, but for the most part there's not, or it's simply unsuitable for gaming.

Where's the book that gives you the maps of Narnia, the populations, the religious leanings, what sort of money they use, who's in charge of each settlement and what happens if the players violate the law?

If there is such a thing, let me know, because I'll buy it. But I'm pretty sure the old "bookshelf full of fiction and non-fiction" that people refer to simply doesn't fill the same sort of need without needing so much work as to be the same as homebrewing at the end of the day.

Well, hmmm...Narnia, not much map-wise and the like there, but there are lots and lots of what you ask about with JRR Tolkien's work. Other fiction authors include maps, time-lines, and other of what you want.

For historical non-fiction, you can find all of what you ask for either on-line, at the local Borders or the library. Enough people have already made a living providing information like what you want for just about every historical setting/period you could want.

My "bookshelf full of fiction and non-fiction" is substantial. For Non-Fiction, I can cover most European, Middle Eastern and Asian regions/periods from the Bronze age through the Age of Enlightenment. I majored in European History and Near Eastern History and rarely sold a book back to the book store.

Same goes for the fiction section, I have most of the 20th century's major sci-fi and fantasy works covered.

I hope that helps with your understanding of why a system-less setting really doesn't hold any interest for me.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[BiggusGeekus]

When I write the adventures the hard part for me is making sure the combat encounters are numerically where I want them so I don't have to fudge.

So, no.

On the other hand, I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Maybe you could focus your energy there?

 

[Thanee]

It really depends on the quality of the product... it works reasonably well for adventures, though there is always a bit of vagueness involved then, and I could see it work for more generic settings.

The bigger problem is, that setting-specific game rules could then not be done, and that would lessen the options one has when detailing a setting... it would have to stay at a fairly generic stage, I suppose.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Umbran]

I don't buy settings on a regular basis anyway. I am not particularly more likely to buy one that's system-free over one with a system.

I think that the system usually should have an impact on the setting - so any given system-free setting wil be more or less difficult to fit to a given system, depending on how distant the settin assumptions are from the system assumptions.

As an example, imagine Greyhawk, detailed but stripped of rules-material. Now try to refit it to Alternity. Or Word of Darkness 2.0. Or Marvel Superheroes! It wouldn't be easy. As soon as you get to somethign other than standard politics or human(oid) nature to explain, you likely need to invovle the system too.

I'd be happy to see it done well, but I'm ntoholding my breath.

 

[Xyanthon]

Sure if I liked or was intrigued by the setting. I bought the World of Khaas book that was set in the world of Arduin. I thought it was pretty good. I think I'd like to see more of that sort of thing actually. I tend to tweak system rules to my taste anyhow so I don't see what the big deal with buying a systemless setting is.

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

One upon a time I bought settings that I thought were cool irrespective of the game system.

These days I don't have time to stat up NPCs, monsters, and treasure. For better or worse if it's not OGL/d20 then it's not for me.

 

[Khairn]

Would I buy a a great setting that is system neutral? Oh hell yes.

I have an almost complete set of Harn material which is system neutral, and the Iron Kingdom World Guide is IMHO, the best IK book, and it is also system neutral.

My taste in systems has changed over time, but the great settings that made me go YOWZEE ! are still great today. Harn, Planescape, Birthright, Providence, Tribe 8, Fading Suns for just a few examples. Converting them is really fun, but having them system neutral to begin with would have been better.