A Strange New World
Scope
The motivation behind building A Strange New World
I want to create my own version of Rifts Earth in the original Palladium Rifts timeline before the Coalition War with Tolkeen.
The goal is to use it for an open-world sandbox style tabletop RPG with the potential of turning into a West Marches campaign.
The goal of the project
I want to create a world that can be used to give the players a new adventure every day. There should be a good mix of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, uban fantasy and cyberpunk and any other genre the players might find entertaiing.
EXPLORATION is going to be a necessary part of the game.
A Strange New World's Unique Selling point
I want to create a world that feels so absolutely real that the players forget they're playing a game.
Theme
Genre
The world at large has a steampunk feel to it. Man's technology level is about equivalent to the mid to late 19th century. But because of the presence of magic, wondrous inventions and abilities abound. This applies to small to mid-sized towns and frontiers.
Large population centers exist wherever there is access to high technology. In this case, high technology has a more cyberpunk feel to it, with advanced weaponry, robots, cybernetics, powerful corporations and fascist empires.
Finally, there are the magic zones, some with large cities as well, where technology is avoided and awe-inspiring magic abounds.
Large population centers exist wherever there is access to high technology. In this case, high technology has a more cyberpunk feel to it, with advanced weaponry, robots, cybernetics, powerful corporations and fascist empires.
Finally, there are the magic zones, some with large cities as well, where technology is avoided and awe-inspiring magic abounds.
Reader Experience
The world should feel like a low level adventure where everything seems new and exciting and, most importatnly, dangerous. Large untamed expanses hide secrets and terror in equal parts.
The Golden Age of Man was three hundred years ago. Historical ruins and artifacts should tell the story of the fall of man and his attempts to rebuild.
Reader Tone
The tone of this world is "what would earth be like if..." There should be some awe-inspiring brightness as well as darkness; freedom as well as oppression, and cyberpunk dystopia as well as raw primitive fantasy.
Recurring Themes
Super-powerful entities try to influence people and events, for good or ill.
Mere survival should always be threatened, a moment away from being lost.
Character Agency
Characters should feel like they are witnessing amazing things and feel like they are able to not only take part in them, but change their course and eventually drive them.
But most important of all, I want the players to be able to have fun just exploring and adventuring without the pressure of a huge responsibility of they so choose. On the other hand, we can give the players key roles in starting or stopping world-shattering events if they so choose.