notes toward a roguelike, 3 - setting

As mentioned in the first of these posts, one of the biggest things I'd like to experiment with in a new roguelike is the setting and plot. In particular I don't want the plot to be a big MacGuffin hunt. Responding to that, Leonard correctly pointed out that Nethack is a MacGuffin hunt because it has no plot, and outlined some possibilities for doing something about that. In this post I'm going to outline the sort of plot I have in mind and how it might mesh with Leonard's suggestions.

The game begins in a country not unlike that of Hope Mirrlees' Lud-in-the-Mist. ( Read more... )

notes toward a roguelike, 3a - grab bag

Basic flavor elements:

• magic is wild; somewhat unpredictable, from the heart as well as the head
• The High Elves were Not Nice. I'm thinking more like Pratchett's depiction than e.g. Michael Moorcock's. Also, they're all dead.
• from Earthdawn: putting back together a very broken world
• keep the horror subtle, though (rugose, squamous ascii art! ha.)
• references to high fantasy kept small - mob monsters ok, plot monsters not
• take plot monsters from where? perhaps mythology?
• references to real world should not be exclusively European
• e.g. Chinese dragons, not European (also, dragons are much too badass to fight)
• steampunk technology is fun and could add interest
• high technology doesn't fit, though

Fun stuff:

• Ursula Vernon wombats and weird fruit
• Secrets of the Gnomes gnomes
• Nomadic carpet makers? Flying!
• Non-Euclidean overworld map
• ...gets more Euclidean as the plot advances?
• Jelaza Kazone-type sapient trees
• At least one type of magic done with bells.