This question has been asked many times before. But as I try to develop my kung fu space setting I find myself still unable to answer: how much setting?

I can provide an overview of each region (in fact I did in this forum). But that seems a bit short sighted. After all, if i was going to buy a game i'd want enough of the setting defined to work with.

But then i don't want too much. Not least of all because it's boring to read and only parts of it will be passed on to the players as no character in any setting knows everything about everywhere.

I don't want to write a lot either, because it's also boring! Having to sit down and write something that's probably just as dull to read is not only a real bloody chore, but it seems to be denying the reader/player their own ideas. Once you start defining places and people you're setting everything in black and white and while people can change things as they see fit, you'r forcing them to do so. In short the setting needs to be dynamic and flexible but deep enough to work with (otherwise what's the point).

I think you don't need mountains of info but you do want to give enough that people can run the setting. Personally i dont mind filling in the blanks myself, in fact i like setting info to serve as a springboard. I think the most important thing is to provide the right kind of text so GMs aren't confused or uncertain about aspects of the setting.

Also info at a glance is always good. If you have a planet or political unit of some kind some sort of entry block tgat provides type of gov, political leaders, economy basics, etc is really useful.

This is very frustrating. Desiging a sf setting based in space is something I find very difficult. If I had chosen a fantasy setting it would be easier; setting it on terra firma seems easier. You can design a bunch of cities, the haunted forest, the mysterious mountains and the rural villages, etc.

You might think it would be easy to translate that into space, but i'm finding that not to be the case. I'm not sure how to resolve this. Space is...space. No matter how many planets you come up with it's just not the same as outlaws riding in the wilderness and visiting towns/cities and having adventures.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;473608This is very frustrating. Desiging a sf setting based in space is something I find very difficult. If I had chosen a fantasy setting it would be easier; setting it on terra firma seems easier. You can design a bunch of cities, the haunted forest, the mysterious mountains and the rural villages, etc.

You might think it would be easy to translate that into space, but i'm finding that not to be the case. I'm not sure how to resolve this. Space is...space. No matter how many planets you come up with it's just not the same as outlaws riding in the wilderness and visiting towns/cities and having adventures.

I would think of it in terms on the different species that colonized space and the different political groups that developed. It may help to examine the different galaxies and solar systems that are out there. i'd use those as a base. A well developed empire may run a whole galaxy. While smaller powers control several key solar systems.

It's kung fu in space so i think you can relax and not worry too much about the fine details of space travel.

In a fantasy iteration, the party would move around the rural environment - be it Sherwood Forest or, more appropriately, the Jianghu - and having adventures. That environment can change and have characteristics of its own. One day they may be travelling through a peaceful farmland, the next it might be through a haunted forest during a thundery night. In space, it's...space. In this context interstellar space needs to be more important, and i'm not sure i know how to make it represent that. Serenity/Firefly is probably the closest model, but that's a visual medium, like Star Wars, and a roleplaying game isn't. A picture is worth a thousand words. A film, even more.

I like settings that cover one particular thing about a particular locale in great detail, and leave the rest open.

I can't name specific products, but I've seen setting books where the material will cover, say, a mercenary group or a castle, and add a lot of fine detail, but the rest is glossed. That way, you get the best of both worlds -- the GM / players can use the highly detailed stuff if they want to, but they aren't obligated.

The best settings inspire more than they explain. They become a canvas for players to mix in their ideas as well.

Of course it's impossible to comment because there are settings are genre dependent and each genre is wildly different.

I mention Serenity but I doubt I would ever want to play it. I don't know if it would be fun, and I can see it being repetitive as each week you pull off some caper at the Alliance's expense.

I remember when I first brought Deadlands. i was very enthusiastic, loved reading the books, loved the idea behind the game. But when I came to pen an adventure I drew a blank. Even now I doubt I could think of anything.

I fear that kung fu in space ends up the same way. I'm not the first person to try it. Some guy on rpg.net posted his intention to write something, that thread died and his blurb sounded great. But a blurb isn't a game. It's very easy to pen a blurb that sounds exciting, but to put flesh in the bones and to thereofre create something of substance (otherwise what's the point) is another matter entirely.

I'm not so much doing settings these days as genre briefs. Setting is pretty much the GM's job.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;473618The best settings inspire more than they explain. They become a canvas for players to mix in their ideas as well.

Of course it's impossible to comment because there are settings are genre dependent and each genre is wildly different.

I mention Serenity but I doubt I would ever want to play it. I don't know if it would be fun, and I can see it being repetitive as each week you pull off some caper at the Alliance's expense.

I remember when I first brought Deadlands. i was very enthusiastic, loved reading the books, loved the idea behind the game. But when I came to pen an adventure I drew a blank. Even now I doubt I could think of anything.

I fear that kung fu in space ends up the same way. I'm not the first person to try it. Some guy on rpg.net posted his intention to write something, that thread died and his blurb sounded great. But a blurb isn't a game. It's very easy to pen a blurb that sounds exciting, but to put flesh in the bones and to thereofre create something of substance (otherwise what's the point) is another matter entirely.

I think self doubt can kill a great project. A little second guessing and review is fine, it is part of the re-writing process. But I say just go for it, be optimistic and hope for the best. You want to set your goal high rather than low, even if you don't quite hit the mark.

Dive in, have fun.

When I started writing my fantasy setting, it took almost a year before I was anywhere near happy with it. Starting can be soul-crushing.

+1 on "dive in and have fun."