Okay let me first say I need your help with an RPG I have been trying to write.  It is known as Utopia RPG.

I should preface this by saying that I am disabled and am also a recovering alcoholic.  I do the game design thing to keep sane and keep sober.  So far it has been working, I just would like to have something to show for my efforts that would be worthwhile.

I am willing to take the game back to it's total roots at this point.
I am going to be facing a period of isolation over the next several days and I would like to not give into the temptation of drinking.  So your input will help me quite a bit when it comes to staying focused on the task at hand which is designing this game and keeping myself out of trouble!:D

Okay Here are some possible settings I have set up for the game.  I am set for the name Utopia RPG because I have purchased some domain names that intrinsically would work best for that name. (and no that wasn't a shameless spamming plug, LOL)

Setting #1

The setting is slightly in the future, say 20 years.  A stable wormhole has opened up in low earth orbit which allows for easy transportation to and from a planet known as Utopia.  Colonization has began there by man and the setting is more or less what a frontieer type setting would be.  The world is very much like Earth.

Setting #2

The Setting is farther into the future, say 100 years.  Man has learned how to travel to the stars cheaply.  Earth has become somewhat tyrannical under a single governement's rule (GlobalGov) and has started deporting all of it's convicts and politicial prisoners to a no-gaurd prison world known as Utopia.  The world is much like earth.

Setting #3
The setting is a mystical world known as utopia (think d&d) and the Great Mages on that world have kidnapped people and brought tracts of land from various worlds together to form a single land known as Utopia. (in another plane on another world NOT EARTH)  There would be some modern mixed with magic and sci fi aliens (think rifts)


I guess what I am asking by all of this, is which setting would make for the most appealing game?  Or if the ones that I have suggested are not compelling do you have any thoughts about a setting which would be a bit more compelling for a name such as Utopia RPG?

Thank you,

J Ward

I like #1, J - so long as the planet isn't an actual Utopia! Nothing oculd be more boring than that!

-clash

Quote from: flyingmiceI like #1, J - so long as the planet isn't an actual Utopia! Nothing oculd be more boring than that!

-clash

Well heavens no!  I mean how absolutely boring would it be if the flora and fauna couldn't kill you as soon as let you take them as your means of survival.  And what frontieer would be complete without having some nice villans who are looking to take advantage of new colonists and exploit the near lawlessness that the planet has!

Thank you for your response flyingmice!

see, that's why i'd go for #2.  it's billed as utopia, but certainly isn't!  and 100 years gives you plenty of setting leeway too.

Well Beeber, thank you for your quick reply.

Currently the way the game is envisioned it uses the #2 setting.  But I am just wanting to make sure that I am doing the right thing.  Hence the reason I am asking for advice on this forum.

So far that is one vote for #1 and one vote for #2.

Thank you,

J Ward

#2, but only if the Mad Maxian values are high enough.
Otherwise, #1.

Quote from: Sosthenes#2, but only if the Mad Maxian values are high enough.
Otherwise, #1.

Yeah gotta agree with Sosthenes. I would say that perhaps the planet along with being a depository for human refuse. Should be a depository for actual refuse (trash/junk) as well. Kinda of like the planet from "Soldier" and the civilization from "No escape".

Setting #1

The setting is slightly in the future, say 20 years. A stable wormhole has opened up in low earth orbit which allows for easy transportation to and from a planet known as Utopia. Colonization has began there by man and the setting is more or less what a frontier type setting would be. The world is very much like Earth.

Pros
Accessibility - Almost any player can imagine the world in 20 years
Flexibility - The world is more open to exploration
Control - You don't have to worry about crazy super technology

Cons
More work - You have a pretty high standard of realism. Stuff that exists today will still be around in 20 years...
Direction - Players do not have an easily accessible, immediate drive to create/move a story along. too many options may divide the group before the game is even started...
Inspiration - You will have to try and come up with realistic technical advances, political events, etc.

Setting #2

The Setting is farther into the future, say 100 years. Man has learned how to travel to the stars cheaply. Earth has become somewhat tyrannical under a single governement's rule (GlobalGov) and has started deporting all of it's convicts and politicial prisoners to a no-gaurd prison world known as Utopia. The world is much like earth.

Pros
Immediacy - The player's have immediate goals/drives. It almost becomes a pick up and play game
Cool toys - This is far enough in the future that you can pretty much include any tech you think is cool
Scope - All the chars should have similar power levels and motivations, so campaign design is pretty straightforward

Cons
Flexibility - You can only make certain types of chars
Appeal - The only chars you can make are actual criminals or political dissidents dumb enough to get caught (this may not appeal to all players)
Realism - You have to first decide what sci fi tech is and isn't available in the future and then decide which of the old and new tech can make it to a prison planet. The dilemma of this questions is that there is no right answer, someone will always disagree with your design choice...

Setting #3
The setting is a mystical world known as utopia (think d&d) and the Great Mages on that world have kidnapped people and brought tracts of land from various worlds together to form a single land known as Utopia. (in another plane on another world NOT EARTH) There would be some modern mixed with magic and sci fi aliens (think rifts)

Pros
Creativity - Well, this has the potential to be something that hasn't been done before. Full sci fi and full magic (the closest is shadowrun, but that is ore cyberpunk than sci fi)
Flexibility - If you open the system up, the players and group can enjoy endless combination of character ideas
Potential - the game can be about whatever you want, the moral actions of sci fi or the emphasis on right and wrong from fantasy

Cons
Pitfalls - A lot of fantasy has been done, you have to work hard not to replicate those other designs and communicate the thing(s) that are unique about your game
Drive - If the chars can do anything, then the group might not be able to ever agree on what to do
Cohesion - If the players can make any char, is possible that one or more characters may be rendered useless by the choices of the other (like one player makes a sci tech and then the players go into a dungeon where there is almost not technology)

  In the end it doesn't matter what we think. If you look at some of the more popular/successful games, no one would have been able to predict their success.
Exalted - Every character is a Monk/Paladin in a kung fu/anime inspired fantasy world
Paranoia - Every character is an expendable clone in a world they can't control or understand
Call of Cthulu - You play a char looking for a Cthulu cult who is most assuredly going to die or go insane if they get there too late
Dogs in the Vineyard - You play a Mormon-esque gunslinging paladin in a alternate wild west setting
  And that isn't even counting comedy games like Macho women with Guns where the setting is almost incomprehensible, lol

  The point of all this is, if you do not believe in the setting, no one else will either. So pick one that is the most engaging in your mind and run with it man, you will never regret it!
  Good luck man!

Personally, setting #2 sounds awesome to me.  With a century (perhaps a wee bit more) of development, you could have areas that have become relatively civilized and are trying to build up
a decent civilization, while you have other parts of the prison world in complete chaos, filled with scum among scum (which of course conflict with your folks trying to build a life, perhaps who were even born on Utopia, and whose only crime is who their parents are).  And with GlobalGov exiled political dissidents and undesirables, there'd be no end to the amount of different government, movements, cults, fringer groups, etc., that set up shop here or there.

Quote from: Zachary The FirstPersonally, setting #2 sounds awesome to me...

I agree.

A science fiction version of early/mid-19th century Australia.  :cool:

Quote from: AkrasiaI agree.

A science fiction version of early/mid-19th century Australia.  :cool:

I don't like to overuse this particular smiley, but might I say:

:emot-rock: