What kind of weird RPG genres that maybe should not be could you envision? And how would you do them?

I'm thinking, for example: an RPG based on French Art Films. How would that work?

Or could one do an RPG that was inspired by Wes Anderson films?

An RPG based on the early French art films of Godard and Truffaut may work as they played a lot with noir and gangster films. A rules light approach to those genres with the ability to add mildly surreal effects could work. Which makes me think that a hack of Over the Edge may be the best fit.

Soap Operas. Ordinary world soap operas like Coronation Street, Neighbours, Eastenders or Shortland Street.

The set up is simple really, but could be based upon families (a la Pendragon) and/or multi character troupe style play (like Ars Magica). You need to base the interaction on a central location and stories based on events and the rivalries and pressures placed upon the characters accordingly. If it was set in a hospital, for example, then you have a ready supply of events based upon casualties and so on.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1005769What kind of weird RPG genres that maybe should not be could you envision? And how would you do them?

I'm thinking, for example: an RPG based on French Art Films. How would that work?

Or could one do an RPG that was inspired by Wes Anderson films?

I am the undisputed king of RPGs from unlikely genres, so you don't have to guess!

Preachy children's books like the Bearenstien Bears are overdue for a story game treatment with a narrative currency mechanic that forces brother to do something bad and forces sister to tell the parents and forces father to mess up the solution and gives full moral authority to whatever solution mother comes up with.  But it's not really an rpg, so maybe it should use some kind of bidding mechanic where whoever sends me the most money gets to win.

Quote from: flyingmice;1005788I am the undisputed king of RPGs from unlikely genres, so you don't have to guess!

Still waiting for you to release Primetime Soap Opera: The RPG. I call dibs on playing amoral tech mogul/womanizer J.R. Carrington.

Seriously, that's a game I would enjoy if it were done well and not too loosey-goosey, that is, I don't want to sit in a circle where each player just tells us what happened next in the story. I have no idea how you'd make it work right.  Have at it, Mr. Bowley!

(Also, I own Dallas, but I'm damned if anyone is ever willing to play it.)

Quote from: David Johansen;1005802Preachy children's books like the Bearenstien Bears are overdue for a story game treatment with a narrative currency mechanic that forces brother to do something bad and forces sister to tell the parents and forces father to mess up the solution and gives full moral authority to whatever solution mother comes up with.  But it's not really an rpg, so maybe it should use some kind of bidding mechanic where whoever sends me the most money gets to win.

Awesome! I once designed a game using fistfuls of cereal as the random mechanic - http://iflybynight.blogspot.de/2014/07/yer-after-me-lucky-charms-rpg.html - maybe you can use that idea?

Quote from: Voros;1005773An RPG based on the early French art films of Godard and Truffaut may work as they played a lot with noir and gangster films. A rules light approach to those genres with the ability to add mildly surreal effects could work. Which makes me think that a hack of Over the Edge may be the best fit.

I was going to say, a lot of the examples aren't actual genres but rather interpretations of other genres. I mean, I can play "Cheesy Low-Budget Italian Sci Fi Movie" with any decent system; the part preceding "sci fi movie" depends mainly upon the ref and players agreeing to adhere to certain tropes. Same with "French art film about a bank robber on the run" or "Wes Anderson movie about a family of nerds raising unresolved issues at a holiday gathering." Although the latter would require some novel rules to prevent it from being people telling stories to each other.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1005769What kind of weird RPG genres that maybe should not be could you envision? And how would you do them?

I'm thinking, for example: an RPG based on French Art Films. How would that work?

Or could one do an RPG that was inspired by Wes Anderson films?

If it hasnt been done as a straightup standalone RPG or expansion then in all likelyhood it can be done with any of the existing toolbox RPGs like Gurps, Mythic, FU, and many others. I mean we have an RPG about zombie cyborg schoolgirls, an RPG about rabbits, an RPG about crawdads being the inheritors of a post apocalyptic earth, an RPG and so on.

I guess the better question might be. "Does there need to be a targeted RPG for so-n-so when it could be done as an expansion or using an existing system?"

Fusion and BESM did a good job of adapting their system to various shows, or handing the players a toolkit that could do so.

Quote from: David Johansen;1005802Preachy children's books like the Bearenstien Bears are overdue for a story game treatment with a narrative currency mechanic that forces brother to do something bad and forces sister to tell the parents and forces father to mess up the solution and gives full moral authority to whatever solution mother comes up with.  But it's not really an rpg, so maybe it should use some kind of bidding mechanic where whoever sends me the most money gets to win.

Berenstain. You're thinking of the parallel universe, the one where the portrait of Henry VIII is holding a drumstick.

An rpg based on newspaper comics.  Broom Hilda, Apartment 3G, Beetle Bailey, Garfield, Cathy (ACK!)

I wouldn't do any of them.

Quote from: RunningLaser;1005832An rpg based on newspaper comics.  Broom Hilda, Apartment 3G, Beetle Bailey, Garfield, Cathy (ACK!)

I wouldn't do any of them.

Bloom County. Then you can use the Grandfather Clause to make jokes about a certain leader who looks like someone transplanted the brain of a billionaire into Bill the Cat.

Quote from: Krimson;1005827Berenstain. You're thinking of the parallel universe, the one where the portrait of Henry VIII is holding a drumstick.

Since I mentioned the Berenstein Universe, this usually goes hand in hand with the Mandela Effect, the phenomenon where people could swear Nelson Mandela died shortly after being released from prison. The same universe as the Berenstein Bears and the painting of Henry VIII with the drumstick.

So imagine this as a premise. You're playing in the real world, and the players are encouraged to tap real world knowledge. Only the things they remember aren't always right. Maybe Curious George has a tail, or Kit Kat has a dash in the spelling, or the Queen from Snow White really said "Mirror Mirror on the wall.." or Darth Vader really said, "Luke, I am your father." and then slowly gaslight them around whatever thing you come up with to use as plot.

Quote from: Dumarest;1005813Still waiting for you to release Primetime Soap Opera: The RPG. I call dibs on playing amoral tech mogul/womanizer J.R. Carrington.

Seriously, that's a game I would enjoy if it were done well and not too loosey-goosey, that is, I don't want to sit in a circle where each player just tells us what happened next in the story. I have no idea how you'd make it work right.  Have at it, Mr. Bowley!

(Also, I own Dallas, but I'm damned if anyone is ever willing to play it.)

Smallville is supposed to have an interesting soap opera structure and mechanic.

There was an actual published game about high-school dating. I never owned a copy and it sank like a stone but it was out there.

Do you mean Alma Mater with the 'infamous' Otus art or another game?