Does anyone else agree RPGs should move into the modern era?

[Netrigan]

I hope they don't move into the modern era. I like my rpgs to have a mix of mythical races like dragons and beast races, not to mention the roles you could play. If an rpg was set into the modern era what kind of classes could there be apart from using a GUN? I'm not saying they shouldn't abandon the idea all together but A mix of both would be joyful.

I don't see why classes have to be hard-wired. Fallout: New Vegas has a mix of skills and factions, allowing for different playing styles and an alligence system. But there's different classes that can come into play. A sci-fi RPG would have alien races that could be stand-ins for fantasy races. Jedis are Mage/melée. Troopers are armor/blaster. Recon classes could be thrown in there. Thieves, assassins, bounty hunters, etc.

A "realistic" modern RPG would have a lot less variety but you can easily introduce science as magic to create different classes. Like the hero of Infamous can't use weapons or drive in cars because guns and cars tend to explode when he uses them. Essentially he's a Mage. But even if everyone is in human norms, skills and factions can add the necessary RPG elements.

 

[SugarBit]

You want a...realistic modern RPG. Hmm, pretty sure you're playing one every day of your life.

Nah, the graphics are shit.

They have a patch for that now... it's called 'glasses'

Even better, try contact lenses. Life in HD.


But yeah, I'd love to see some modern RPGs. I'm really hoping the game of Inception that they're developing will be something along those lines.

 

[veloper]

The main problem with going contemporary with RGPs is that magic works to explain complex gameplay mechanics and without it the best you can do is throw grenades and use firearms. Stil it can be done.

I suppose you could as a concept take JA2 and add some more RPG elements, to make a good, non-fantasy tacticalRPG though.
The RPShooter set in this world should be even easier.

 

[Netrigan]

It occurs to me that Marvel Comics demonstrates how you can attach a fantasy element onto a modern setting. Iron Man can battle the Taliban or a giant pants-wear dragon. It's the world outside our window, but with all sorts of cool stuff thrown in. It's not like fantasy RPGs are a documentary of medieval times. It's just a historical setting that had a whole bunch of cool shit added to it.

 

[Premonition]

What I'd like to see is an RPG like the Anime Bleach. Set in the modern world but with a fantastic edge to it.

 

[Netrigan]

The main problem with going contemporary with RGPs is that magic works to explain complex gameplay mechanics and without it the best you can do is throw grenades and use firearms. Stil it can be done.

I suppose you could as a concept take JA2 and add some more RPG elements, to make a good, non-fantasy tacticalRPG though.
The RPShooter set in this world should be even easier.

see post above. Modern setting doesn't mean realistic. Just as medieval setting doesn't mean realistic. If we approached those classic fantasy settings the way you're approaching modern, then the skills would be sword fighting, farming, and applying leaches. A quasimodo-realistic RPG could probably work but I think almost everyone would sneak in monsters and magic but give it a scientic explanations.

 

[veloper]

The main problem with going contemporary with RGPs is that magic works to explain complex gameplay mechanics and without it the best you can do is throw grenades and use firearms. Stil it can be done.

I suppose you could as a concept take JA2 and add some more RPG elements, to make a good, non-fantasy tacticalRPG though.
The RPShooter set in this world should be even easier.

see post above. Modern setting doesn't mean realistic. Just as medieval setting doesn't mean realistic. If we approached those classic fantasy settings the way you're approaching modern, then the skills would be sword fighting, farming, and applying leaches. A quasimodo-realistic RPG could probably work but I think almost everyone would sneak in monsters and magic but give it a scientic explanations.

In that case it has already been done before and done well.
VTM:Bloodlines is in the now with guns and everything, only if vampires existed.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Don't think this is so much a problem with RPGs as it is a problem with the Fantasy Genre in general as far to many novels still take place in bland Medieval Agraria like they have for ages. Hell Oblivion takes place in one of most egregious examples of Bland Medieval Agraria that has ever been put on the screen, which is sad as Morrowind's setting was all kinds of interesting.

I'm kinda with you though, I want to see much more setting varieties in my RPG's. We need more Alpha Protocol's (in terms of setting) and the world could do with some cool Urban Fantasy RPG's (the two Vampire games are the only Urban Fantasy RPG's I can think of) and Assassin's Creed constantly reaffirms my love of the renaissance as a setting and I'd love to see an RPG set in a fantasy analogue of Venice.

 

[Danceofmasks]

VTM:B for me, too.

As amazing as that game is though, I prefer my modern games to be less rpg and more GTA.

 

[Netrigan]

You know what setting would make for a great RPG. 70s era Kung fu. Swords, guns, nunchucks, fists of steel. Mother fucking Kill Bill in video game form.

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

Well, there's Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines. Modern-era (ish) horror, secret society kind of setting. A great experience, if the bugs don't kill you.

I do think that RPGs are a little genre-fixed nowadays, but still less than most other genres such as racing, fighting, and shooter games.

I would like to see a modern one, admittedly, but a theme can't save a sub-standard game.

 

[Alexander Cron]

Call of Duty suffered from moving into the modern era. RPG's would lose most of their epicness if they moved into modern times because everything is known today. Science has destroyed every unknown. Back then there were unknowns that we could attribute to some great or mysterious force.

 

[Something Amyss]

It's my humble assertion that modern RPGs would benefit in much the same way as Call of Duty did by going over to more contempary settings. JRPGs really started doing this after FFVII, mixing sci-fi elements in alongside the fantasy, though I'm yet to see something truly contempary besides Earthbound (though that game wasn't exactly realistic). I'd like to see the western mature RPGs ditch the middle ages in favour of the modern mega societies of today, edgy stories more inspired by films like Pulp Fiction (or anything Tarantino really) or No Country for Old Men.

I'd love to see Bethesda move the Elder Scrolls to a circa 2020 setting one day, using their experience with Fallout 3 to give us guns, cars AND magic. My main problem with the middle ages is the godawful flute and string music. And basically all the arts and aesthetics sucked before the renaissance revitalized European societies. Really, I'd be happy with a simple 'renaissance onward only' rule.

The minute three games like this come out, there will be a cry for a change.

Sorry, but that's kind of the way it is. The minute we got a couple of Modern shooters, people started crying out for more "variety," and it's only gotten worse.

 

[Wolfram23]

Personally, I think the classic fantasy setting is fine, but I do agree it's overdone and I do think it would be nice to see some developers try to broaden the RPG horizons. I don't think a modern one would really be all that fun... oh wait. How about something along the lines of Socerer's Apprentice (yes, the one with Nick Cage)? Although maybe there could still be some "classic fantasy" species too... steampunk goblins? Futuristic elves? Dwarves with all the best ski resorts? (lol)

But I think more fun would be vicotrian era, or roman era... doesn't have to be moddern but at least give us different style! Instead of becoming a badass knight you can be a badass Legionaire you know? Instead of just a horse, you can get a Chariot!

 

[Worgen]

Asking JRPGs to adopt a more 'modern' and western setting kind of kills the whole idea of Japanese Role Playing don't you think?

As stated above, they're are tons of RPGs out there that fit the criteria that you're asking for. Unfortunately, it seems that you won't give them the time of day because of your COD business.

there are already jrpg games set in the modern area, the persona series and they are some of the best rpgs around period

 

[Dwarfman]

It's my humble assertion that modern RPGs would benefit in much the same way as Call of Duty did by going over to more contempary settings. JRPGs really started doing this after FFVII, mixing sci-fi elements in alongside the fantasy, though I'm yet to see something truly contempary besides Earthbound (though that game wasn't exactly realistic). I'd like to see the western mature RPGs ditch the middle ages in favour of the modern mega societies of today, edgy stories more inspired by films like Pulp Fiction (or anything Tarantino really) or No Country for Old Men.

I'd love to see Bethesda move the Elder Scrolls to a circa 2020 setting one day, using their experience with Fallout 3 to give us guns, cars AND magic. My main problem with the middle ages is the godawful flute and string music. And basically all the arts and aesthetics sucked before the renaissance revitalized European societies. Really, I'd be happy with a simple 'renaissance onward only' rule.

So you want Renaissance to modern post modern era. Ok. I'm not going to include science fiction apart from cyberunk style and post apocalyptic cause they may as well be modern....

For Tabletop - Shadowrun (Cyber Punk w.magic); D20 - Modern, Past, Apocalypse(Explains itself); Millenium's End(Strictly MOdern RPG no Magic or anything); Cyber Punk(Explains Itself); Anything by White Wolf publishing (Vampire the masquerade, Werewolf the Apocolypse etc); Call of Cthulhu RPG(Usually set in late 1800's early 1920's); Deadlands(Western/ STeampunk); G.U.R.P.S(Anything you want it to be baby); Paranoia(Think 1984 with clones); Conspiracy X(X-Files); In Nomine(Heaven and Hell smashing it out in the modern era); 7th Sea(Renaisanc arrgh pirates!).

For Computer - Deus Ex(Cyber Punk); Vampire the Masquerade (Vampies in the modern age); Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magiks Obscurum(Steam Punk); Fallout(Do I need to explain this one); Grand Theft Auto; Mafia(set in the maffia golden age 1920s to 1960s; Sam & Max (Don't Laugh it's a computer RPG and it's modern era); Monkey Island series(Renaisance); Police Quest series(modern era).

 

[DrEmo]

It's my humble assertion that modern RPGs would benefit in much the same way as Call of Duty did by going over to more contempary settings. JRPGs really started doing this after FFVII, mixing sci-fi elements in alongside the fantasy, though I'm yet to see something truly contempary besides Earthbound (though that game wasn't exactly realistic). I'd like to see the western mature RPGs ditch the middle ages in favour of the modern mega societies of today, edgy stories more inspired by films like Pulp Fiction (or anything Tarantino really) or No Country for Old Men.

I'd love to see Bethesda move the Elder Scrolls to a circa 2020 setting one day, using their experience with Fallout 3 to give us guns, cars AND magic. My main problem with the middle ages is the godawful flute and string music. And basically all the arts and aesthetics sucked before the renaissance revitalized European societies. Really, I'd be happy with a simple 'renaissance onward only' rule.

A Pulp Fiction RPG...
THAT'S something I'd pay money to see.

You make an excellent point. Why are all RPG's science fiction or set in middle earth? Why not one about a cop who gets thrown off the force by some crooked cops and now he has to clear his name and take the dirty cops down. To do this type of RPG, you'd have to get rid of all of your previous notions of what an RPG is, meaning it will be new, innovative and revolutionary. Something RPG's are in dire need of.

 

[Dr.Sean]

I always thought D20 Modern would make a great setting for a First-Person Shooter with RPG elements.

 

[subject_87]

Well, if you're going to stay with Tolkeinesque fantasy, at least mix up the cliches a bit; how about having Elves be ruthless, industrialized militaristic expansionists rather than pantheistic, ethereal hippies who commune with the plants?

Futuristic games in general have their own cliches too (everything being either perfect shiny iPod design or corroded gunmetal), but yes, I'd like to see one that's set now/in a few years.

 

[rokkolpo]

You want a...realistic modern RPG. Hmm, pretty sure you're playing one every day of your life.

Nah, the graphics are shit.

They have a patch for that now... it's called 'glasses'

Really there's a new patch?
I'm still running the eye-patch.

(your joke made my day)