Post originally by Idiot Face at 2003-05-26 08:13:39
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I tried to read this item and the letters were all out of place. I could't make heads or tails of it, and vowels were far and few in between. Therefore, it must be Cthulhu's game... sort of a gaming Necronomicon if you will.
Post originally by access.denied at 2003-05-26 08:24:17
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I sure hope you mean Neuroshima and not the review--I really tried my best to include as many vowels as I could
Still, I'd like to point out that Cthulhu does not use as many z's as the game does, and has a penchant for more apostrophes. I think it's more of a Nyarlathothep flavour, myself.
OTOH, the z's might represent the Great Cthulhu's eternal sleep.
Post originally by His Divine Shadow at 2003-05-27 23:36:48
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There are a few, the German Endland has it's own fictional setting, and the Finnish-published Taiga is set in Russia. The problem with these settings is however the lack of recognition; even if not living in the US, most people have a least some idea what to expect when you say "the game is set in a post-apocalyptic version of western USA"; at least they've seen some movies.
Post originally by access.denied at 2003-05-28 01:30:42
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Weren't at least some of the Mad Max movies set in Australia? What with them forming just about the definition of the post-apocalyptic genre.
Obviously, the line between an interesting and incomprehensible setting is a precarious one; however, I still don't think that it's an excuse to avoid putting in any original touches whatsoever. Not every space opera needs to be a Star Wars ripoff--hopefully the success of Core Command will demonstrate that point .
I'd wager that quite a lot of Polish roleplayers read e.g. Strugatskys' "Roadside Picnic." While not post-apocalyptic per se, it offers lots and lots of material to base a post-apoc game on. Same with Vasilyev's "The Witcher of Kiev Major."
Of course, putting out a setting very familiar to the future users (btw, I forgot to mention Fallout-inspired perks used extensively within the system) might guarantee a commercial success. It just leaves me a bit underwhelmed (I like a game to provide both a good system for genre emulation AND ideas I have not come upon before. Otherwise I'd be happy with just a ruleset).
Post originally by His Divine Shadow at 2003-05-28 06:09:09
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Mad Max is set in Australia, but it could be just as well set in practically anywhere that has deserts with roads, it doesn't have all that much "local" flavour. The events could just as well take place in the Mojave desert, and it wouldn't make a difference.
Maybe I've watched too many B (or even Z) class rip-offs of Mad Max, but somehow deserts seem to go hand in hand with the post-apocalypse, and would probably find it hard to get into the proper mood on the steppes of Russia, or the dense ruins of Western Europe.
The desolation and openness of the Western US seems oddly appropriate for the genre, especially since Fallouts are familiar to players who otherwise have little familiarity with the genre (which is probably one reason for the Fallout-inspired perks in the game).
Personally, I've been constantly tempted to take my current post-apocalyptic game (using Fuzion rules) into Europe. OTOH, I used Fallout references to lure in the players, so I'm not sure how it would go with them. Not that there's all that much Fallout-inspiration in my campaign, but I've found that it makes it easier to refer to the computer games in may cases, rather than to launch into a long-winded explanation of my more original concepts I had in mind for the game. After all, we get only around 4 hours of gaming a week, and all goes more smoothly when you don't have to explain basic concepts.
Strugatsky's "Roadside Picnic": isn' that the one sometimes known as "Stalker"? The Russian movie went by that name, IIRC, though it's ages since I saw it or read the book.
Post originally by access.denied at 2003-05-28 10:53:40
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Yes, the movie was called Stalker (though I haven't heard of the book being released under that title--not that I know much about English editions of the book, anyway). In my opinion, however (and I loved the movie), the two are quite different. The book has more of a gritty punk attitude while the movie is much more sedated and slow-going.
And yes, Mad Max could have been set anywhere, but that's why I see no reason to introduce local flavour from the U.S. (and Neuroshima does that--Texas is that, Utah is that etc.; all of it hackneyed stereotypes, of course).
And another yes, a Russian post-apoc game would not be a Mad Max clone; it would have to find its own tone--though hard-bitten Cossack mechanics scavenging parts to run their precious dilapidated Kamaz truck would fit right in (and would require much less fantastic elements than anything of the kind in the U.S.)
Post originally by His Divine Shadow at 2003-06-03 07:31:52
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The Finnish game company Burger Games (who made Taiga a few years ago) is now in the process of making Strugatski's Roadside Picnic, a.k.a. Stalker into a RPG, with Strugatski's permission, apparently.
It's going to be published in Finnish first, with possible translation into English, or so I gather.
Post originally by kamill at 2004-03-16 04:09:57
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If my memory serves, maaaaany years ago there were plans to create Stalker in Poland. Some advertisements in RPG magazines showed up... And nothing. Apparently whole enterprise simply died
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