Why does fantasy dominate RPGs?

[Morrus]

We have to be careful:

Do we? What happens if we're not?

And what do we say about games like WH40K and WarMachine, which strongly mix fantasy and science fiction elements?

I think we say they don't dominate the role playing hobby in the way that fantasy does.

Also, from a technical point of view, a lot of what is labeled science fiction or fantasy is historical romance, with a thin layer of either science fiction elements or of fantasy elements added, but with those additions hardly intruding on the core story.

I don't think the answer lies in semantics! I think we all know what's meant.

 

[darjr]

Dungeon crawling.

 

[Morrus]

Dungeon crawling.

Space dungeons.

 

[darjr]

But space dungeons are not satisfactory. And i think the major complaint is 'we should just do a fantasy dungeon'

Other games are for other things, but the most successful thing is dungeons. And people do those in fantasy.


I'm not we'd to that. Just can't really figure anything else cept that it is what it is. Sometimes it doesn't make any real sense. least none that can be pinned down in a forum post.

It's a good question.

 

[Morrus]

But space dungeons are not satisfactory.

You've been playing the wrong space dungeons!

 

[Celebrim]

Space dungeons.

Nuke them from orbit; it's the only way to be safe.

 

[darjr]

The very mature of a dungeon is unsatisfying in anything other than a fantasy game. Least that's the argument. Space games have so much more to offer why waste time doing the dungeon trope better served by fantasy anyway.

Space opera combat ship to ship in wide open deep space. Or blow a hole in that dungeon with tactical nukes.

But all that is ultimately, i wager for most people, is unsatisfying for one reason or another. So a dungeon is done, and those work better in fantasy anyways.

Name a space dungeon i should try. And if it haven't I'll consider trying it.

 

[Morrus]

The very mature of a dungeon is unsatisfying in anything other than a fantasy game. Least that's the argument. Space games have so much more to offer why waste time doing the dungeon trope better served by fantasy anyway.

Space opera combat ship to ship in wide open deep space. Or blow a hole in that dungeon with tactical nukes.

But all that is ultimately, i wager for most people, is unsatisfying for one reason or another. So a dungeon is done, and those work better in fantasy anyways.

Name a space dungeon i should try. And if it haven't I'll consider trying it.

The one I ran last week which was haunted by demons from a nearby black hole. It was friggin' awesome!

 

[darjr]

Why couldn't that be done in fantasy?

 

[Morrus]

Why couldn't that be done in fantasy?

It could. You said that sci-fi dungeons were unsatisfying. I said they aren't.

You can take most any concept from fantasy or sci-go and ask "why couldn't that be done in the other?" And the answer would almost always be "it could". That's not indicative of anything about either.