Boxed Setting: Assessing Interest

[Agamemnon]

It's a fairly common feature for RPGs to come with some manner of prepackaged or boxed setting. Many games are written in such a way that the elements of that setting influence the rules themselves. Up to this point, I've largely resisted writing a dedicated setting for Sword & Scoundrel. I have a handful of reasons, not least of which is that I generally assume the setting you create with your players will be way more interesting than whatever I might write, but also because the game itself tends to work better with shared setting creation as part of character creation.

That said, I know a lot of you have talked about wanting a setting over time and there's no doubt that it makes certain things (marketing, for instance) easier. It probably will also help ease the transition into S&S-style gaming for GMs and players who come from more traditional RPG backgrounds.

So I'll leave it up to you guys. Should S&S come with an (optional) boxed setting in the core book? Toss a vote in the straw poll and let me know, along with whatever questions and comments you might have.

[thorgarth]

While S&S could very well be seen as a generic system for all kinds of scoundrel activity and adventures in any of multiple types of fantasy/pseudo-historic worlds, I rather tend to defend and indeed value more those systems that come with a setting tailored (but who also influence some design aspects of the system) for it. There are several parameters that are intrinsically connected to the settings, e.g. races/cultures, Magic, Religion and it's practical effects (read religious miracles/spellcraft), technology level (which has a huge impact on gear and knowledge available) etc, etc... And parameters such as this always translate and reciprocate into the system and vice-versa.

And like you say it will ease the burden of the GM new to the system, plus always being a very positive selling and marketing point, especially if you manage to create a memorable setting, which to this type of game calls (in my modest opinion) for a dark and gritty setting, which does not mean necessarily a low fantasy one, or at least a setting where magic is very low key or not powerful, though it tends to be rare and not without dangers associated.

Count me in for a "boxed" setting for S&S.

[Agamemnon]

As of now, the most popular option is "Do broad strokes." Nah is a close second, but even then the overwhelming majority are in favor of some kind of setting material being added. I'll have to add it to my to-do list somewhere along the lines.