settings for gaming?

[YPU]

Maybe you could give us some more insight into the factions you already have in mind, somebody might go "Oh that sounds a lot like..."

[Bayushiseni]

Hard core sci-fi?
Magic (psionics) mixed with tech?
Dystopia or utopia?
Aliens? Lots? Few? Friendly?
Star rise universe vs. Dune Universe?
Realist History or non-realistic?
Character driven or Unknown Soldier driven scenarios?

You can check this if it helps in some way:

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=71237.0

[Sangennaru]

Maybe you could give us some more insight into the factions you already have in mind, somebody might go "Oh that sounds a lot like..."

Hard core sci-fi?
Magic (psionics) mixed with tech?
Dystopia or utopia?
Aliens? Lots? Few? Friendly?
Star rise universe vs. Dune Universe?
Realist History or non-realistic?
Character driven or Unknown Soldier driven scenarios?

You can check this if it helps in some way:

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=71237.0

Actually, i've just some groups of 20-ish "pew-pew" soldiers that i want to contextualize, some more elite some less. I'm not looking for a vast setting, i'm looking for a famous and known setting.
In napoleonic wargames people try to follow the uniform colours for each faction, they immedesimate in the setting.

I'm looking for something similar: just like warhammer 40K, where you use a specific chapter of space marines and people know what you're using!
So: even if there are super-cool roleplaying settings around, i want something that is "common knowledge" rather than that.


Mixing District 9 and Elysium could work, but mixing too much will make something further from the "common knowledge", once again. :S

[Sangennaru]

Another interesting setting could be the Gundam universe: what do you know of that? Do you think there is enough reference for creating a few different factions? Or maybe some other scifi-esque manga setting? Akira (Jimbibbly docet)? Jin Ro?

[Sangennaru]

Sorry for the triple-posting, but i cleared my head about it, and here are some requirements:

• There must be a war, or some kind of reason why people from different factions (aliens? not necessary but not a problem either) fight each other
• It must be known by a few people, so it won't be us playing a misterious setting... at that point there's no different than choosing a RPG manual
• We need illustrations, or maybe a wiki, just like Gundam, Star Trek or Star Trek
• We are not 40K lovers... that's the evil, isn't it?

[FramFramson]

How about Star Wars? There's so many wildly different planets and peoples that you can use any minis you want and it lends itself well to skirmish games.

You don't need Imperial or Rebel troops - this could be a border conflict or proxy war between two planetary systems, a crime war, bounty hunt, or grey conflict between smugglers or militia. There's no limit to game scenarios or the figures you use. If you want to go for a different time period from the original trilogy, it's even easier. You can make up your own Republic uniform, jedi or dark jedi outfits, or uniform for whatever crime boss/border faction/insurgent group/dark jedi minion army that the Republic might have to fight against.

Star Wars as a background is something everybody knows, but you'll have lots of freedom to work out the details yourselves.

[Sangennaru]

How about Star Wars? There's so many wildly different planets and peoples that you can use any minis you want and it lends itself well to skirmish games.

You don't need Imperial or Rebel troops - this could be a border conflict or proxy war between two planetary systems, a crime war, bounty hunt, or grey conflict between smugglers or militia. There's no limit to game scenarios or the figures you use. If you want to go for a different time period from the original trilogy, it's even easier. You can make up your own Republic uniform, jedi or dark jedi outfits, or uniform for whatever crime boss/border faction/insurgent group/dark jedi minion army that the Republic might have to fight against.

Star Wars as a background is something everybody knows, but you'll have lots of freedom to work out the details yourselves.

ufffffff, star wars is laaaaaaaaame!

Just kidding... of course, it is a rather nicely developed universe (although a bit random). The problem is that the main factions (the one that are known) are really lame, and nobody knows the others. so we're back at the beggining.

[FramFramson]

Well, some others that are very visually distinct might be:

- Mad Max
- Fallout
- Blade Runner
- Terminator
- Mass Effect
- Firefly
- Aliens/Predator
- Cowboy Bebop
- Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers
- Godzilla and other KAIJU BIG BATTALLLLL films
- Netrunner
- Cyberpunk 2020
- Thunderbirds
- Ghost in the Shell
- Tron
- Judge Dredd/2000AD
- Half-Life
- The Matrix

Just about all of which have been gamed at some point, I think!

[has.been]

My vote is for Firefly.

[Ajsalium]

Seconded. From that nice list FramFramson has posted I'd say Firefly is the best option for scifi gaming. Or, if we are a bit pedant, space opera gaming.

[former user]

I would go for the culture universe
it is not in danger to become a franchise, You have anything You can want in it, and any kind of special circumstaces action will be small and skirmish like, planetary adventure.

and You can pop a spaceship battle game on top anytime  

[YPU]

Another interesting setting could be the Gundam universe: what do you know of that? Do you think there is enough reference for creating a few different factions?

Quite. Especially with many of the series taking place in the same universe you have two main factions, with many splinter groups, mercenaries and rebels who in a few cases were the focus of their own series. There are many eras and ages to choose from. BUT I'm not sure how you could play gundam without the gundams... They are a very big focus of the setting.

This does however remind me of something else. VOTOMS. Much more down to earth, still has multiple factions tough most of them are simply another colour uniforms more then anything else. The VOTOM robots are a lot less over the top then the gundams and infantry combat appears a lot more common. There is still a lot of source material to take from but less overwhelming quantities then gundam.

[former user]

http://theculture.wikia.com/wiki/Shellworld

that's a great picture! is it from a game?

[Hat Guy]

I considered something simliar with the 26th Century.

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/26th_century

 You have Humanity bumping heads with the Draconians and the Daleks bumping heads with both, Human colonies getting caught up in the Sontaran/Rutan war and as you say, the Cybermen popping up. My big problem was finding proxies for Draconians as I'm not keen on the Black Tree figures.

Thanks for this Onebigriver, it'll be great for my Who roleplaying!

[Diakon]

From FramFramsons list I'd suggest maybe Mass Effect. Loads of races and factions including a sentient race of Networked AI and 3 Mercenary companies with distinctive uniforms. There are a wealth of Games, comics and books. Also a detailed wiki with lots of information about the universe.  

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Mass_Effect_Wiki