Poll: Why has no one made a Steampunk RPG recently

[RevRaptor]

I would love to see an Iron kingdoms game come out, that would be awesome.

 

[emeraldrafael]

They probably saw the sales figures for that Steampunk Alt. history FPS game Damnation and decided it wouldnt sell well.

Besides, you could always pay those free adbanner games that you have to pay for to get better stuff if you're really jonesing for steam punk (though at that point it gets to be an addiction).

 

[OneEyeX]

Yeah but you are making alot of assumptions there I'm pretty sure that a writer could come up with a background to explain a character in steampunk setting as much as any other.

For example two things there you could have a Fae companion who still uses a sword and charcters who use magic becuase in mythology iron is a anathema to magic and magical creatures. There are plenty of scenarios you could invent.

NO YOU'RE WRONG BAD AND SHOULD FEEL TERRIBLE ABOUT IS AND WITHDRAW ALL YOUR MONEY AND MAIL IT TO ME!

Your question for this thread was Why has no one made a Steampunk RPG recently. My answer, which uses assumptions, is a detail of the problems that plague the setting. I'm allowed to assume, because I'm just using my information at the time to get an objective look at things.

I'm not looking for anecdotes; a good writer can make a setting out of anything. Steampunk is just more difficult because of it's 'altered past' vibe and steamtechyness.
Talking about Fae and Irons Anti-Magic properties (always hated that in games, I like my mages like I like my food; with plates.) but in the end; it's not the swords that are the problem, it's the GUNS and technology that make armor and swords feel weird. That, and Steampunk also requires a lot of imaginative technology and such to make the setting vibe; and if people don't like that vibe then you're out of luck.

If Steampunk were a food; it'd be blowfish, if you don't get it done right, it's just terrible mess (of me dead on the floor).

 

[OneEyeX]

I would love to see an Iron kingdoms game come out, that would be awesome.

Privateer press is my gold standard for putting out Steampunk settings. Warmachine does it right, feels deep and has a lot intrigue to it.

 

[PoweD]

I wish some setting like Braid,Early 20th century or even older.But around that time.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Resonance of Fate is steampunk. I plan to get it sometime because it looks fun as hell.

 

[Mordekaien]

Project Nomads...

It's not RPG, but it is certainly fun game

 

[InnerRebellion]

I really don't know why. I absolutely love Steampunk to the point that I'm using a Steampunk Minecraft texture pack.

 

[Alar]

I'm fairly certain I remember this old Steampunk RPG that was Steampunk and magic... it was kind of similar to Evil Islands, but that's all I remember about it. I think I enjoyed it, and also believe it was released somewhere after Evil Islands.

 

[Axolotl]

Why has no one made a Steampunk RPG recently?

The OP mentions Arcanum, How is Troika doing now? Because there's you're answer.

 

[WolfThomas]

I've always dreamt of a sequel to Arcanum. I think a first person/3rd person rpg would be fantastic set in Tarant, the reason I'd want a 1st person perspective would be because the interactions would be vastly different if you where a halfing or a half ogre, people would bend down to talk to you or look up as you tower over them. Also if you where a gunslinger there'd be nothing cooler than looking down the sights of your modified pistol.

 

[CobraX]

I will now go see where I can buy this kick ass sounding "Arcanum"

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Yeah but you are making alot of assumptions there I'm pretty sure that a writer could come up with a background to explain a character in steampunk setting as much as any other.

For example two things there you could have a Fae companion who still uses a sword and charcters who use magic becuase in mythology iron is a anathema to magic and magical creatures. There are plenty of scenarios you could invent.

NO YOU'RE WRONG BAD AND SHOULD FEEL TERRIBLE ABOUT IS AND WITHDRAW ALL YOUR MONEY AND MAIL IT TO ME!

Your question for this thread was Why has no one made a Steampunk RPG recently. My answer, which uses assumptions, is a detail of the problems that plague the setting. I'm allowed to assume, because I'm just using my information at the time to get an objective look at things.

I'm not looking for anecdotes; a good writer can make a setting out of anything. Steampunk is just more difficult because of it's 'altered past' vibe and steamtechyness.
Talking about Fae and Irons Anti-Magic properties (always hated that in games, I like my mages like I like my food; with plates.) but in the end; it's not the swords that are the problem, it's the GUNS and technology that make armor and swords feel weird. That, and Steampunk also requires a lot of imaginative technology and such to make the setting vibe; and if people don't like that vibe then you're out of luck.

If Steampunk were a food; it'd be blowfish, if you don't get it done right, it's just terrible mess (of me dead on the floor).

I'm not saying it would be easy to do it right but it's not impossible which is what you seem to try and put across. Why I brought up the Fae argument is that you can think up reasons why people couldn't use the technology and prefer and sword and sorcery style instead, hell why even include swords and sorcery it's not compulsary.

I agree on the issue of making the inventions likable though but who doesn't like a top hat that deflects bullets and a monocle that acts like a scope Gamers tend to have that sort of love for gadgets anyway.

Sorry btw I don't mean to argue but I like to discuss

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

Because it's not what's popular right now, so it's not expected by publishers to sell. Although arguably Fable 3 was steampunk, and arguably an RPG.

What I'm working on is steampunk, not that that counts for anything.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I've always dreamt of a sequel to Arcanum. I think a first person/3rd person rpg would be fantastic set in Tarant, the reason I'd want a 1st person perspective would be because the interactions would be vastly different if you where a halfing or a half ogre, people would bend down to talk to you or look up as you tower over them. Also if you where a gunslinger there'd be nothing cooler than looking down the sights of your modified pistol.

I was thinking an oblivion style game, that would be awesome. Perhaps Bethesda could pick up Arcanum like they did Fallout that would be nice of them.

 

[moretimethansense]

Bioshock 3 is VERY Steampunk.
Wait for it to get released and enjoy yourself. It's high tech powered by steam engines, the best Steampunk can offer. (Play Thief 3 if you really want a Steampunk game. Even now that game is great).
Thief 4 is being developed in Montreal by the same company that does Deus Ex 3, therefore I am hoping for a nicely done stealth game in a Steampunk setting.

Don't hope too much, it's being done by a guy that said that he thinks that Deus Ex: Invisible War didn't have enough action.

OT
Would I like more?
YES!
Why aren't there more?
I thnik it's because people have no taste.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Not a genera, its a sub-genera.

Steampunk is just one type of setting to layer on top of a game. Dispute its apparently cult popularity there apparently aren't that many developers who have a thing for it. I suppose you could easily mod a game to be Steampunk though.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

As a big fan of the epic (but okay buggy) Arcanum I find myself longing for a game that mixes elves and steam trains, dwarves and hydraulic axes, orcs in tuxes and evil gnome inventors.

It does seem to be quite a thing with the girls [http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2010/11/13/sexy-steampunk-girls-pics/] and I'm already assuming you knew about Agatha Heterodyne [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/]

 

[Cowabungaa]

Yeap, I'd like to see more games like Arcanum too. It's one of my biggest game wishes, to see a spiritual succesor, direct sequel or just a modern remake of that game. Somehow I doubt it'll happen any time soon though. Dammit now I have to reinstall it again, after giving it up when I screwed up my save game.

But you'll have Bioshock Infinite to look forward too. Not a proper RPG perhaps, but by the looks of it definitely steampunk. Silverfall sounds pretty interesting too, gonna give that a quick google.

There are games that jump in with Steampunk, like Warcraft and Bioshock

Tsk tsk tsk! Bioshock is too advanced to be steampunk, hence why it's dieselpunk; WW2-ish era tech used for futuristic purposes, early electric systems, big greasy combustion engines. All covered with an Art Deco art style. Definitely not steampunk though.

No such thing as clockwork punk. Clockwork is a part of steampunk.

Really? I thought Clockpunk was basically Leonardo Da Vinci; Rennaissance-era tech used for futuristic machines.

Steampunk stuffs too much into a setting, theres so much to be done and the player has to figure it all out. Even Arcanum at times felt like there was just TOO much to figure out, and as a protagonist, they have be relatable.

Technically Arcanum combined two settings, both regular fantasy and steampunk. Steampunk doesn't per definition have magic in it, I myself prefer my steampunk as 'pure' as possible, like how the anime Steamboy portrays it (at least right until the end). In that case I wouldn't say it has too much stuff in the setting.

 

[Chris Dempsey]

It is notable that one of the top skin packs in Minecraft is a Steampunk theme. It's a favorite of plenty of people that I know and have seen on the internet.

Anyway, a decent Steampunk game would be wicked, and not just a RPG. Though IMO Steampunk is held back by the apparent "it must be victorian and alternate history OR ELSE" vibe held within. A perfect example of non-alternate history is in the game Rise of Legends, where you can find dragons and steampunk/clockwork mechs and walking statues with laser beams.

I'd say that Steampunk is as much of a derivative of Sci-Fi as Tolkien Fantasy is a derivative of normal Fantasy; if Tolkien Fantasy wasn't so mainstream and familiar then it would be seem just as strange as Steampunk does. All Steampunk needs is a good bit of mainstream media and then things will really get exciting.

Here's hoping Riese: Kingdom Falling is the start of it!