Which Real World Culture Needs a RuneQuest Book Next???

[homerjsinnott]

Hi TrippyHippy,

I have to disagree, Indonesia, Polynesia, and the Maoris in one book, would be like putting the Incas, the Hopi, and the Micmacs in one book. Just too spread out!

Much like the Maya and the Inca or Aztecs...

 

[Astromancer]

You've got a point homerjsinnott. Heck, Steve Jackson Games did a fine job with the Aztecs in "GURPS Aztecs," but it's clear that you'd need several books of similar size just to accurately cover the central valley of Mexico.

The best we can hope for is an Aztecs, Maya, Tolecs, book that isn't too swallow and has a solid bibliography.

Now, while you could put the Moari and Polynesia in general in one book, shoehorning Indonesia into the book would be a total mess. I wouldn't want to try to cover the Phillipines. Java, Sumatra, Bali, and Borneo, could fill several books! As with Mesoamerica, we just hope for something that isn't too shallow and has a solid bibliography.

 

[soltakss]

For a Real World/Alternate Earth RPG Supplement you really need it to be shallow.

Seriously.

Look at Glorantha. Gloranthan Supplements have a lot of background, in-depth history and so on because Glorantha is a made-up world and doesn't have the background material.

Real World/Alternate Earth isn't like that. I can go to the library and pick up as many books as I want about almost any ancient culture. They have histories, timelines, maps, descriptions of the political factions and so on. There is more information about the Ancient World on my bookshelves at home than there is about the whole of Glorantha and almost none of it is from RPG supplements.

So, give us a potted history of the area. Give us a short decription of the political factions, basic maps, descriptions of major cities and cultures. We cna look up the rest. The Internet has so much to offer in this regard that any Real World/Alternate Earth supplement should link to a web page with many more links for background and extra information.

For a RPG supplement we really need hard stats for things. For RQ that means stats for Races, Backgrounds, Professions, Equipment, Weapons, Religions and Magic.

If you have to wade through hundreds of pages of background material then you end up skimming through it and don't appreciate the depth of the material.

RQ3 Vikings and Land of Ninja were a bit skimpy on the background but were even more skimpy on the religions/cults. Mythic Russia (for HeroQuest) has an awful lot of background, arguably too much, but didn't skimp on religions and cultural stats, but that is a big book and I can't see Mongoose producing books of that size. Stupor Mundi had a bit of background, although it could have done with a little bit more, no maps but had reasonably good wirteups for the Religions and Cultures.

So, I am all for shallow when looking at RW/AE supplements.

After all, if you want an area written up in more depth you can always bring out more supplements. And that can only be a good thing, surely.

 

[TRose]

For me I would vote for
1) Elizabethan England , if it included enough information to play the Spanish conquistadors. I am always amazed more games have not covered this period , as here you got small groups of Conquistadors(Player characters) who are vastly outnumbered but end up either dying or getting tons of gold.
2) Arabian Nights is another period I think that is overlooked in gaming
BTW for though who dont know , The area where Sinbad wife is thought to have come from is a mythical version of Indonesia ,

 

[Astromancer]

For me I would vote for
1) Elizabethan England , if it included enough information to play the Spanish conquistadors. I am always amazed more games have not covered this period , as here you got small groups of Conquistadors(Player characters) who are vastly outnumbered but end up either dying or getting tons of gold.

I think the Conquistadors would fit into the Mesoamerican book, or far better, be a companion book!

2) Arabian Nights is another period I think that is overlooked in gaming
BTW for though who dont know , The area where Sinbad wife is thought to have come from is a mythical version of Indonesia ,

I know, Indonesia and the Swahili coast. Both wonderful exotic areas neglected by the gaming industry.

 

[master of reality]

For me I would vote for
1) Elizabethan England , if it included enough information to play the Spanish conquistadors. I am always amazed more games have not covered this period , as here you got small groups of Conquistadors(Player characters) who are vastly outnumbered but end up either dying or getting tons of gold.,

I became particularly fascinated with 17th century England as a role playing setting after reading the Baroque Cycle trilogy (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World) by Neal Stephenson. There is a great role playing game called "Flashing Blades" from Fantasy Games Unlimited. It's set in France during the 17th century. Think musketeers and swashbucklers. The sword combat is fairly detailed but surprisingly straight-forward. When attacking, you can choose whether to slash, thrust, or lunge. Defenders can choose to duck, dodge, side-step or parry. Queen Elizabeth died in 1603. So, technically this game is set a bit later than the reign of Elizabeth and the age of the conquistador.
Although I prefer "Flashing Blades" when role-playing in 17th century Europe or the Americas, a MRQ supplement dealing with the 16th century would still be pretty cool. At the very least I could use it as source material to expand "Flashing Blades", although I would not rule out using the MRQ rules, particularly if Mongoose does a really good job.

 

[Astromancer]

Just kicking this back up to the top of the page so that more folks can vote in the poll. I know this page has more than fourty-two readers/posters.

 

[klingsor]

Do historical settings frighten off some players? With fantasy you can excuse errors (indeed when are they errors - the GM is god) unless it is a well known and detailed setting such as Glorantha. I suspect Glorantha is better known than some historical settings!

 

[TRose]

Do historical settings frighten off some players? With fantasy you can excuse errors (indeed when are they errors - the GM is god) unless it is a well known and detailed setting such as Glorantha. I suspect Glorantha is better known than some historical settings!

I'm a history buff , but in my opinion unless its something really big, any errors I will overlook. Just the fact you have players running around doing things is going to at times change history , even if only in a small way. And if the Gm changes things around, I'm OK as long as it makes a little sense.
For example if some one was running a game set in the early exploration of the new world( my Spanish conquistador game) I would have a hard time with the Indians makeing guns, but if the Gm had a French trader selling guns to the Aztecs , I would be OK with that.

 

[The King]

BTW I just noticed there was nothing about the Far West (which is a kind of civilization in itself IMO) and the native (North) American cultures.

In fact I would put this in pole position.

 

[Astromancer]

It's nice to see that the three I want most, the Hellenistic Greeks, the Celts, and the Elizabethans, are ahead in the poll. :wink:


Please keep voting.

 

[Astromancer]

There are more than 48 people on this board!


Please Vote! Pretty Please

 

[lastbesthope]

There are more than 48 people on this board!


Please Vote! Pretty Please

[Dead Poets Society]
Exercising my right not to walk sir!
[/Dead Poets Society]

:lol:

 

[Astromancer]

Just trying for a few more votes.

 

[Astromancer]

I'm trying for a few more votes, it improves the survey!

 

[Lev Lafayette]

Delurking

Hello. If you need an author for a RuneQuest "Indonesia"* I may be the right person.

I lived in the region for over a year and traveled extensively throughout Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and East Timor. I speak one of the local languages (Tetum) with a some skill and can get by with Bahasa, and I know a little Balinese. I have more than a passing familiarity with the history, religion and culture.

I have also run a very long RuneQuest game set in the early 16th century (a most exciting period, for a number of reasons) in the past.

* Indonesia is a relatively recent political entity; "Malay archipelago" is the better term.

 

[Hrolfgar]

I voted for Hellenistic Greece, but I like the Celts, China, MesoAmerica ,and Vikings as well.

 

[The King]

This poll is great, but I hope it will be of use. May be we'll see Ancient Greece next year.

 

[GianniVacca]

I have also run a very long RuneQuest game set in the early 16th century (a most exciting period, for a number of reasons) in the past.

What do you mean by in the past? You were supposed to re-start it! :wink:

 

[calle]

Im for the first civilisations in our history, long live Gilgamesh, may Baal forgive us or strike us down for not placing his culture on this list.

Think of the cool producing/trading/military society that have a theocracy so intermingled with everyday life.

In a way Gilgamesh could be the forefather of Conan the barbarian (perhaps with slightly more thinking power).

So forward proud sumerians!

Perhaps we can mix you with the Babylonians (oh, i think Baal was a Babylonian god, sorry) to spice up a would be fantasy setting.

/Calle