Okay, this is a spin off thread from the WTF threads the Pundit started. Why is it there is no love for weird settings? A lot of the time the reasons given are various shades of the "I don't know what to do with it" or  "I can't relate to it" variety. Why is that?

Now, me I like all those weird settings. Tekumel, Glorantha (although it does seem pretty traditional to me), Jorune, Tales of Garganthir (sp?), Talisanta (certain parts) are really cool games. I don't really find anything hard to relate to in these settings. Okay, I don't really like trad settings. By this I mean my hat for elves and dwarves knows no limit

For instance, this is not even a weird setting but I really liked it. IMHO one of the more interesting settings that TSR came up with. Yes folks I'm talking about Dark Sun. I dumped the elves, dwarves and magic and ran it as a purely psionic campaign - okay I retained the theme about defilers and preservers, linking it with psionic use....I mean godkings, lifeshapers, survival on a blasted twisted landscape...what's not to love.

So why is it that folks have such a hard time relating to some weird settings? I mean if you think about it, a lot of the wonder of fantasy can be more easly established /sustained with these settings, precisely because they are weird.

So, what's not to love ?

Regards,
David R

I love strange settings, I just prefer to make them myself, so as they can be my own kind of strange.

When it comes to fantasy gaming, I'm a fan of old school swords and sorcery. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate weirdness per se, but I'm just not a fan of any of the WTF settings thus so far mentioned.

Quote from: AosI love strange settings, I just prefer to make them myself, so as they can be my own kind of strange.

Cool, but you wouldn't mind playing/running in some of these weird published settings right? I love creating strange settings myself esp stealing stuff from these strange published settings

Regards,
David R

Quote from: mattormegWhen it comes to fantasy gaming, I'm a fan of old school swords and sorcery. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate weirdness per se, but I'm just not a fan of any of the WTF settings thus so far mentioned.

Actualy what do you consider weird ? I think it would be interesting to find out what folks consider weird in the fantasy genre.

Regards,
David R

Quote from: David RActualy what do you consider weird ? I think it would be interesting to find out what folks consider weird in the fantasy genre.

Regards,
David R

I like settings that are either out of the ordinary or straight historical. I have limited patience for most fantasy. If a world doesn't feel organic, I can do better myself.

-clash

Quote from: David RCool, but you wouldn't mind playing/running in some of these weird published settings right? I love creating strange settings myself esp stealing stuff from these strange published settings

Regards,
David R

In theory... maybe. In reality I suck suck suck with published settings, vanilla or otherwise. I get bored really fast, and before you know it the characters are on a ship and headed off the map- which kind of nutralizes any need I might have for the published setting. I haven't played a character in over a decade, but even so, I'd be more interested in someone's generic vanilla ass homebrew than any published setting, regardless of genre. All my best gaming on both sides of the screen has been homebrew. I just like that personal touch.

Quote from: Aos... I'd be more interested in someone's generic vanilla ass homebrew than any published setting, regardless of genre. All my best gaming on both sides of the screen has been homebrew. I just like that personal touch.

Yeah, some of my gamers friends have said the same thing. The thing is, most of the homebrews I've seen have been pretty generic. I guess I would rather play - although like you, I haven't played in years - in a generic homebrew with that personal touch than in a published vanilla ass setting.

To me fantasy has always been about the fantastical and strange. The wonder of playing make believe in weird far out settings. As a GM I've found it easier to sustain that sense of "whoa" in weird settings rather than in trad fantasy settings.

And really most of these so called wierd settings just hide all the trad adventuring tropes behind interesting setting detail. Which is why I've never really had a problem relating to them.

Regards,
David R

Conan encounters a elephant god from another planet in one story.  That's pretty effin' weird, if you ask me.  But here's the trick: the story starts out in a stinking city of wretches and thieves.  One way to cross over into the phantasmagorical is to start firmly grounded and build from there into the uncanny.  Some settings seem to skip that first step.

Quote from: jrientsConan encounters a elephant god from another planet in one story.  That's pretty effin' weird, if you ask me.  But here's the trick: the story starts out in a stinking city of wretches and thieves.  One way to cross over into the phantasmagorical is to start firmly grounded and build from there into the uncanny.  Some settings seem to skip that first step.

BINGO! Start with pulp or something otherwise familiar. Then go deeper.

Quote from: jrientsSome settings seem to skip that first step.

Jrients and beejazz are you saying that some of the weirder settings out there, present the weird without first grounding the whole thing in something a little more accessible?

Regards,
David R

I don't feel that Glorantha is particularly weird. It just emphasises religion and community more than most, and has that stoner sense of humour.

Nobilis and Puppetland are among my favourite games, so it should be safe to say that I don't mind a little strangeness in the setting.

Quote from: jrientsConan encounters a elephant god from another planet in one story.  That's pretty effin' weird, if you ask me.  But here's the trick: the story starts out in a stinking city of wretches and thieves.  One way to cross over into the phantasmagorical is to start firmly grounded and build from there into the uncanny.  Some settings seem to skip that first step.

THAT is what I'm talking about. I agree completely.
Oh, and to add to the "weird" discussion, I don't really care for egregious genre-blending. Take the "Evernight" setting for Savage Worlds for an example: Vanilla Fantasy, except that ALIENS are invading. WTF?

Quote from: jrientsConan encounters a elephant god from another planet in one story.  That's pretty effin' weird, if you ask me.  But here's the trick: the story starts out in a stinking city of wretches and thieves.  One way to cross over into the phantasmagorical is to start firmly grounded and build from there into the uncanny.  Some settings seem to skip that first step.

By relying on standard fantasy tropes for the most part (e.g. "this is a dark and grim 'swords and sorcery' setting where life is cheap but the women are not ...") it is all the more surprising and cool when weird stuff happens.

The advantage of starting with a more-or-less 'standard' setting is that it will be familiar to everyone.  All the players know that wizards are strange, dwarves and elves don't get along, peasants' lives suck, etc.  So the GM doesn't have to spend a lot of time explaining how things 'normally work' -- the game can just get going!

But when it turns out that the friendly clan of halfling farmers nearby are in fact secret cultists who follow the dark ways of the Unspeakable One .... hooboy!