How blatantly ripped-off...erm, "cliched" do you like it?

[Melan]

We could look at it this way: the obvious and familiar elements in the game are the "common knowledge" player characters (but, in reality, the players, the only people who matter in the end) have. The weird and unfamiliar is what will be strange to both character and player. That's the best type, because, let's face it, as wondrous as a colour spray is to a PC, as mundane it is to experienced players. So in my eyes, a game should involve both things. Enough familiar material to create a comfort zone, and just the right amount of true strangeness to shake the players out of it. Not always, but often enough to create a sense of wonder.

Regarding stealing stuff: the best way to do it IMHO is not to lift wholesale (unless you can be certain the players are unfamiliar with your sources - mine don't read geographers from Antiquity and only the best known sword&sorcery authors, so Strabon, A. Merritt and Leigh Brackett are fair game, for example), but internalise the material enough to be able to create your own stuff in that spirit. E.g. I DM something like "old school D&D", but with a stronger sword&sorcery edge, and probably in a distinct style. My games owe a lot to Gygax, Jaquays and Bledsaw, plus several others, but they are nevertheless ndividual enough to be recognisable.

[Mr. Analytical]

I got a very successful Traveller scenario out of a newspaper article about the French government's hissy-fit over  the word "e-mail".

  Don't you mean "courriel"?

[Akrasia]

... So in my eyes, a game should involve both things. Enough familiar material to create a comfort zone, and just the right amount of true strangeness to shake the players out of it. Not always, but often enough to create a sense of wonder....

Spot on.

And 'Welcome' Melan!  

[Yamo]

I'll take inspiration from anything.

The important thing is where it goes from there. No source material survives contact with the players, and I think that is great.

[Melan]

Spot on.

And 'Welcome' Melan!  

Thanks, Akrasia. I have been considering joining the discourse for some time, and this is as good an opportunity as any. I was tempted to open with a humongous flamewar (and use a crossed out Wushu avatar for the purpose ), but maturity prevailed and here I am.

[RPGPundit]

but maturity prevailed and here I am.

Jesus, there's a line you won't see here often...

RPGPundit

[joewolz]

...but maturity prevailed and here I am.

And now I respect you even more.