Difference between revisions of "Themes"
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= Mythology and folklore = | = Mythology and folklore = | ||
* African mythology | * [[African mythology]] | ||
* American Folklore (Tall Tales, Historical Legends, etc.) | * [[American Folklore]] (Tall Tales, Historical Legends, etc.) | ||
* Arabian (e.g. Arabian Nights) | * [[Arabian Tales]] (e.g. Arabian Nights) | ||
* Arthurian legend | * [[Arthurian legend]] | ||
* Asian Blend (Chinese, Japanese, maybe Korean, Indian, SE Asian) | * [[Asian Blend]] (Chinese, Japanese, maybe Korean, Indian, SE Asian) | ||
* Australian (Aboriginal myth, more recent folklore, and/or the pop myth of Aussie-land) | * [[Australian]] (Aboriginal myth, more recent folklore, and/or the pop myth of Aussie-land) | ||
* Aztec Mythology | * [[Aztec Mythology]] | ||
* Celtic Mythology | * [[Celtic Mythology]] | ||
* Chinese Mythology and Folklore | * [[Chinese Mythology]] and Folklore | ||
* Egyptian Mythology | * [[Egyptian Mythology]] | ||
* European Fairy Tale Setting (could be more Disney, could be more Brothers Grimm) | * [[European Fairy Tale]] Setting (could be more Disney, could be more Brothers Grimm) | ||
* Greek Mythology (or the Romanized version) | * [[Greek Mythology]] (or the Romanized version) | ||
* Indian Mythology | * [[Indian Mythology]] | ||
* Japanese Mythology | * [[Japanese Mythology]] | ||
* Norse Myth | * [[Norse Myth]] | ||
* North American Indian Myths | * [[North American Indian Myths]] | ||
* Traditional English folklore | * [[Traditional English folklore]] | ||
* Russo-Finnish Mythology (esp. the Kalevala) | * [[Russo-Finnish Mythology]] (esp. the Kalevala) | ||
= Historical and pseudo-historical = | = Historical and pseudo-historical = | ||
* Aerial Warfare (First World War might be ideal) | * [[Aerial Warfare]] (First World War might be ideal) | ||
* Alternative History: we've discussed an alternative Middle Ages, where Egypt ruled the Mediterranean instead of Rome, leaving behind a rather different cultural heritage when it fell | * [[Alternative History]]: we've discussed an alternative Middle Ages, where Egypt ruled the Mediterranean instead of Rome, leaving behind a rather different cultural heritage when it fell | ||
* Ancient Egypt | * [[Ancient Egypt]] | ||
* Ancient Rome | * [[Ancient Rome]] | ||
* Dinosaurs (semi-realistic) | * [[Dinosaurs]] (semi-realistic) | ||
* Gladiator (simple setting, combat intensive, time for the highly detailed and lethal "realistic" combat model) | * [[Gladiator]] (simple setting, combat intensive, time for the highly detailed and lethal "realistic" combat model) | ||
* Gold Rush! | * [[Gold Rush!]] | ||
* Heian-Era Japan | * [[Heian-Era Japan]] | ||
* Medieval Setting | * [[Medieval]] Setting | ||
* Organized Crime action, probably in the Prohibition Era USA | * [[Organized Crime]] action, probably in the Prohibition Era USA | ||
* Pirates | * [[Pirates]] | ||
* Pre-Columbian North America, with whatever borrowing from native mythologies | * [[Pre-Columbian]] North America, with whatever borrowing from native mythologies | ||
* Renaissance | * [[Renaissance]] | ||
* Solo infiltration mission into a Nazi held castle (I think some game may have used this premise before :-) | * Solo infiltration mission into a Nazi held castle (I think some game may have used this premise before :-) | ||
* Stone Age (hunter-gatherer) | * Stone Age ([[hunter-gatherer]]) | ||
* Stone Age (primitive agricultural) | * Stone Age ([[primitive agricultural]]) | ||
* Stone Age (Mesoamerican level) | * Stone Age ([[Mesoamerican level]]) | ||
* Wild West | * [[Wild West]] | ||
= Fantasy = | = Fantasy = | ||
* D&Dish stock fantasy world | * [[D&Dish stock fantasy]] world | ||
* Children's Fantasy (Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, etc.) | * [[Children's Fantasy]] (Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, etc.) | ||
* Conan-style world (mighty swordsmen, relatively rare (but powerful) supernaturalities, very human dominated) | * [[Conan-style world]] (mighty swordsmen, relatively rare (but powerful) supernaturalities, very human dominated) | ||
* Dinosaur Sword and Sorcery (with semi-humanoid hero dinos) | * [[Dinosaur Sword and Sorcery]] (with semi-humanoid hero dinos) | ||
* Fantasy, but PC is a monster (dragon, gryphon, demon) who must grow from the weakness of childhood by rampaging across the countryside, terrorizing the peoples, defeating or avoiding the bold knights and cunning wizards and sneaky elves, gathering a hoard of treasure, and establishing oneself as Monster Supreme | * Fantasy, but [[PC is a monster]] (dragon, gryphon, demon) who must grow from the weakness of childhood by rampaging across the countryside, terrorizing the peoples, defeating or avoiding the bold knights and cunning wizards and sneaky elves, gathering a hoard of treasure, and establishing oneself as Monster Supreme | ||
* Fantasy in modern high school (ala many Japanese/Korean fantasies) | * Fantasy in [[modern high school]] (ala many Japanese/Korean fantasies) | ||
* Fantasy, non-cliche, centered on exploration rather than combat | * Fantasy, non-cliche, centered on [[exploration]] rather than combat | ||
* Fantasy with small animals as protagonists | * Fantasy with [[small animals]] as protagonists | ||
* Gothic | * [[Gothic]] | ||
* Lovecraftian Horror | * [[Lovecraftian]] Horror | ||
* Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion stories (or better, a rip-off) | * Michael Moorcock's [[Eternal Champion]] stories (or better, a rip-off) | ||
* Middle-Earth (it's been done; although not mixing it with D&D-generica would be new, problem is, | * [[Middle-Earth]] (it's been done; although not mixing it with D&D-generica would be new, problem is, it's hard to do a pure Middle-Earth RL) | ||
it's hard to do a pure Middle-Earth RL) | * [[Modern + supernatural]] (e.g. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy) | ||
* Modern + supernatural (e.g. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy) | * [[Narnian]] (can take talking animals, human children, and mythological creatures and make a new "Narnian" world) | ||
* Narnian (can take talking animals, human children, and mythological creatures and make a new "Narnian" world) | * [[Oz]] (old enough and rich enough to rip off) | ||
* Oz (old enough and rich enough to rip off) | * [[Underwater]]: fantasy (sea elves, merpeople, no fire elementals) | ||
* Underwater: fantasy (sea elves, merpeople, no fire elementals) | * [[Vampire]] Gothic (modern "gothic") | ||
* Vampire Gothic (modern "gothic") | * [[Wild West]] + supernatural | ||
* Wild West + supernatural | * [[World without spells]] | ||
* World without spells | * [[World without magic items]] | ||
* World without magic items | * [[Wuxia]] (Chinese kung fu action fantasy) [calling the martial arts superheros "ninjas" is not a new theme!] | ||
* Wuxia (Chinese kung fu action fantasy) [calling the martial arts superheros "ninjas" is not a new theme!] | |||
= Science fiction = | = Science fiction = | ||
* A universe of giant bug theme races. No humans. | * A universe of giant bug theme races. No humans. | ||
* Alien invasion of Earth | * Alien [[invasion of Earth]] | ||
* Earth's invasion of Aliens | * Earth's [[invasion of Aliens]] | ||
* Aliens ripoff: fight alien monsters in underground passages | * [[Aliens ripoff]]: fight alien monsters in underground passages | ||
* Barsoom ripoff (i.e. sword & sorcery in space and with "science" replacing sorcery) | * [[Barsoom ripoff]] (i.e. sword & sorcery in space and with "science" replacing sorcery) | ||
* Comic SF (e.g. Red Dwarf, Hitch Hiker's Guide, Galaxy Quest, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians) | * [[Comic SF]] (e.g. Red Dwarf, Hitch Hiker's Guide, Galaxy Quest, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians) | ||
* Cyberpunk | * [[Cyberpunk]] | ||
* Fantastic Voyage ripoff (get shrunk and travel the human body) | * [[Fantastic Voyage]] ripoff (get shrunk and travel the human body) | ||
* Fugitive on an alien planet | * [[Fugitive]] on an alien planet | ||
* Fusion of Mad Max and Cyberpunk | * Fusion of [[Mad Max]] and [[Cyberpunk]] | ||
* Futuristic dystopia | * Futuristic [[dystopia]] | ||
* Gamma World style post-appocalypse | * [[Gamma World]] style post-appocalypse | ||
* Huge "generation ship" sci-fi setting | * Huge "[[generation ship]]" sci-fi setting | ||
* isolated interstellar colony (no FTL) | * isolated interstellar [[colony]] (no FTL) | ||
* Jack L. Chalker's Well of Souls rip-off, specifically the mix of many "worlds" into a single world, multiple races, technologies, etc. | * Jack L. Chalker's [[Well of Souls]] rip-off, specifically the mix of many "worlds" into a single world, multiple races, technologies, etc. | ||
* Mad Max style post-appocalypse | * [[Mad Max]] style post-appocalypse | ||
* Martian colony | * [[Martian colony]] | ||
* Mecha | * [[Mecha]] | ||
* Paranoia RPG's Alpha Complex | * [[Paranoia]] RPG's Alpha Complex | ||
* Play a sentient starship | * Play a [[sentient starship]] | ||
* Robot World | * [[Robot]] World | ||
* Salvage mission into alien base/starship | * [[Salvage mission]] into alien base/starship | ||
* Space exploration and commercial exploitation | * [[Space exploration]] and commercial exploitation | ||
* Space Opera | * [[Space Opera]] | ||
* Starship Troopers ripoff: fight alien monsters in a very powerful and cool powered battlesuit | * [[Starship Troopers]] ripoff: fight alien monsters in a very powerful and cool powered battlesuit | ||
* Steampunk | * [[Steampunk]] | ||
* The AIs have turned on humanity! (or for bonus originality points, the AIs have turned on some alien species!) | * The [[AIs have turned on humanity]]! (or for bonus originality points, the AIs have turned on some alien species!) | ||
* Time Travel | * [[Time Travel]] | ||
* Ultratech Sci-Fi (advanced biotech, nanotechnology) | * [[Ultratech]] Sci-Fi (advanced biotech, nanotechnology) | ||
* Underwater: science fiction (bioengineered or just properly equipped) | * [[Underwater]]: science fiction (bioengineered or just properly equipped) | ||
* Virtual Reality setting | * [[Virtual Reality]] setting | ||
* High-tech world with almost extinct humans gone savage (Blame!, GUNNM) [You can't go extinct *and* go | * High-tech world with almost extinct [[humans gone savage]] (Blame!, GUNNM) [You can't go extinct *and* go savage. Really.] [Doh!] | ||
savage. Really.] [Doh!] | |||
= Other (the unusual, the crossovers, the hard to classify) = | = Other (the unusual, the crossovers, the hard to classify) = | ||
* Alien planet where battle is sex to submission by orgasm | * Alien planet where [[battle is sex]] to submission by orgasm | ||
* Anime themes | * [[Anime]] themes | ||
* Antarctica (penguin based?) | * [[Antarctica]] (penguin based?) | ||
* Atlantis has resurfaced. Explore. | * [[Atlantis]] has resurfaced. Explore. | ||
* Cartoon based | * [[Cartoon]] based | ||
* Completely new world "as little related to ours as possible" | * [[Completely new world]] "as little related to ours as possible" | ||
* Dimensional crossover (mixing themes) | * [[Dimensional crossover]] (mixing themes) | ||
* Dream world: may be used as a solo idea or in conjunction with another world concept | * [[Dream world]]: may be used as a solo idea or in conjunction with another world concept | ||
* Escape from Hell (after arriving via clerical error) | * [[Escape from Hell]] (after arriving via clerical error) | ||
* Furry (any other theme, but races are anthropomorphic animals) | * [[Furry]] (any other theme, but races are anthropomorphic animals) | ||
* Highlander (set in present day or progressing through a series of temporal settings) [note: would not be hard to change the premise a little to create a new semi-immortals battle across history background] | * [[Highlander]] (set in present day or progressing through a series of temporal settings) [note: would not be hard to change the premise a little to create a new semi-immortals battle across history background] | ||
* Indiana Jones style archeological digs | * [[Indiana Jones]] style archeological digs | ||
* James Bondesque (or Austin Powersesque) "spy" adventures | * James Bondesque (or Austin Powersesque) [["spy" adventures]] | ||
* Jungle Adventure | * [[Jungle Adventure]] | ||
* Lost Valley (PC explorer from modern times, Victorian, 1920's etc.) | * [[Lost Valley]] (PC explorer from modern times, Victorian, 1920's etc.) | ||
* Pimp roguelike (and yes, that's pimp in the literal sense) | * [[Pimp]] roguelike (and yes, that's pimp in the literal sense) | ||
* Pulp Adventure | * [[Pulp]] Adventure | ||
* Rescue Worker: could be fantasy or sci-fi setting, but your job is to deal with crisis situations and rescue people, animals, and property | * [[Rescue Worker]]: could be fantasy or sci-fi setting, but your job is to deal with crisis situations and rescue people, animals, and property | ||
* Shakespearean Roguelike | * [[Shakespearean]] Roguelike | ||
* Sports (including futuristic or fantasy): try a career as a jockey, a charioteer, a stock car driver,zero-gee soccer/football note: this would be a difficult theme to pull off, IMO, but doable | * [[Sports]] (including futuristic or fantasy): try a career as a jockey, a charioteer, a stock car driver,zero-gee soccer/football note: this would be a difficult theme to pull off, IMO, but doable | ||
* Superheroes | * [[Superheroes]] | ||
* The Quest to Get Laid: Probably modern, seek out and explore strange new sex partners; requires parental warning label (sex could work, romance elements could be used in a roguelike, but can't be central because sex is the mechanics, romance is too intangible for the RL world to adequately handle) | * The Quest to [[Get Laid]]: Probably modern, seek out and explore strange new sex partners; requires parental warning label (sex could work, romance elements could be used in a roguelike, but can't be central because sex is the mechanics, romance is too intangible for the RL world to adequately handle) | ||
* Underwater: alien (create your own exotic realm of the deep) | * [[Underwater]]: alien (create your own exotic realm of the deep) | ||
Some of these ideas can be combined, others are obviously | Some of these ideas can be combined, others are obviously | ||
incompatible. | incompatible. | ||
Revision as of 06:44, 5 June 2005
Possible themes for a roguelike, presented in an orderly way:--Rdanhenry 22:15, 8 May 2005 (CEST)
Please feel free to adopt one of these for your own roguelike project, select one of the zillion worlds described on a world construction hobbyist's website, or come up with your own ideas. I hope on the wiki, this list will finally grow.
Mythology and folklore
- African mythology
- American Folklore (Tall Tales, Historical Legends, etc.)
- Arabian Tales (e.g. Arabian Nights)
- Arthurian legend
- Asian Blend (Chinese, Japanese, maybe Korean, Indian, SE Asian)
- Australian (Aboriginal myth, more recent folklore, and/or the pop myth of Aussie-land)
- Aztec Mythology
- Celtic Mythology
- Chinese Mythology and Folklore
- Egyptian Mythology
- European Fairy Tale Setting (could be more Disney, could be more Brothers Grimm)
- Greek Mythology (or the Romanized version)
- Indian Mythology
- Japanese Mythology
- Norse Myth
- North American Indian Myths
- Traditional English folklore
- Russo-Finnish Mythology (esp. the Kalevala)
Historical and pseudo-historical
- Aerial Warfare (First World War might be ideal)
- Alternative History: we've discussed an alternative Middle Ages, where Egypt ruled the Mediterranean instead of Rome, leaving behind a rather different cultural heritage when it fell
- Ancient Egypt
- Ancient Rome
- Dinosaurs (semi-realistic)
- Gladiator (simple setting, combat intensive, time for the highly detailed and lethal "realistic" combat model)
- Gold Rush!
- Heian-Era Japan
- Medieval Setting
- Organized Crime action, probably in the Prohibition Era USA
- Pirates
- Pre-Columbian North America, with whatever borrowing from native mythologies
- Renaissance
- Solo infiltration mission into a Nazi held castle (I think some game may have used this premise before :-)
- Stone Age (hunter-gatherer)
- Stone Age (primitive agricultural)
- Stone Age (Mesoamerican level)
- Wild West
Fantasy
- D&Dish stock fantasy world
- Children's Fantasy (Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, etc.)
- Conan-style world (mighty swordsmen, relatively rare (but powerful) supernaturalities, very human dominated)
- Dinosaur Sword and Sorcery (with semi-humanoid hero dinos)
- Fantasy, but PC is a monster (dragon, gryphon, demon) who must grow from the weakness of childhood by rampaging across the countryside, terrorizing the peoples, defeating or avoiding the bold knights and cunning wizards and sneaky elves, gathering a hoard of treasure, and establishing oneself as Monster Supreme
- Fantasy in modern high school (ala many Japanese/Korean fantasies)
- Fantasy, non-cliche, centered on exploration rather than combat
- Fantasy with small animals as protagonists
- Gothic
- Lovecraftian Horror
- Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion stories (or better, a rip-off)
- Middle-Earth (it's been done; although not mixing it with D&D-generica would be new, problem is, it's hard to do a pure Middle-Earth RL)
- Modern + supernatural (e.g. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy)
- Narnian (can take talking animals, human children, and mythological creatures and make a new "Narnian" world)
- Oz (old enough and rich enough to rip off)
- Underwater: fantasy (sea elves, merpeople, no fire elementals)
- Vampire Gothic (modern "gothic")
- Wild West + supernatural
- World without spells
- World without magic items
- Wuxia (Chinese kung fu action fantasy) [calling the martial arts superheros "ninjas" is not a new theme!]
Science fiction
- A universe of giant bug theme races. No humans.
- Alien invasion of Earth
- Earth's invasion of Aliens
- Aliens ripoff: fight alien monsters in underground passages
- Barsoom ripoff (i.e. sword & sorcery in space and with "science" replacing sorcery)
- Comic SF (e.g. Red Dwarf, Hitch Hiker's Guide, Galaxy Quest, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians)
- Cyberpunk
- Fantastic Voyage ripoff (get shrunk and travel the human body)
- Fugitive on an alien planet
- Fusion of Mad Max and Cyberpunk
- Futuristic dystopia
- Gamma World style post-appocalypse
- Huge "generation ship" sci-fi setting
- isolated interstellar colony (no FTL)
- Jack L. Chalker's Well of Souls rip-off, specifically the mix of many "worlds" into a single world, multiple races, technologies, etc.
- Mad Max style post-appocalypse
- Martian colony
- Mecha
- Paranoia RPG's Alpha Complex
- Play a sentient starship
- Robot World
- Salvage mission into alien base/starship
- Space exploration and commercial exploitation
- Space Opera
- Starship Troopers ripoff: fight alien monsters in a very powerful and cool powered battlesuit
- Steampunk
- The AIs have turned on humanity! (or for bonus originality points, the AIs have turned on some alien species!)
- Time Travel
- Ultratech Sci-Fi (advanced biotech, nanotechnology)
- Underwater: science fiction (bioengineered or just properly equipped)
- Virtual Reality setting
- High-tech world with almost extinct humans gone savage (Blame!, GUNNM) [You can't go extinct *and* go savage. Really.] [Doh!]
Other (the unusual, the crossovers, the hard to classify)
- Alien planet where battle is sex to submission by orgasm
- Anime themes
- Antarctica (penguin based?)
- Atlantis has resurfaced. Explore.
- Cartoon based
- Completely new world "as little related to ours as possible"
- Dimensional crossover (mixing themes)
- Dream world: may be used as a solo idea or in conjunction with another world concept
- Escape from Hell (after arriving via clerical error)
- Furry (any other theme, but races are anthropomorphic animals)
- Highlander (set in present day or progressing through a series of temporal settings) [note: would not be hard to change the premise a little to create a new semi-immortals battle across history background]
- Indiana Jones style archeological digs
- James Bondesque (or Austin Powersesque) "spy" adventures
- Jungle Adventure
- Lost Valley (PC explorer from modern times, Victorian, 1920's etc.)
- Pimp roguelike (and yes, that's pimp in the literal sense)
- Pulp Adventure
- Rescue Worker: could be fantasy or sci-fi setting, but your job is to deal with crisis situations and rescue people, animals, and property
- Shakespearean Roguelike
- Sports (including futuristic or fantasy): try a career as a jockey, a charioteer, a stock car driver,zero-gee soccer/football note: this would be a difficult theme to pull off, IMO, but doable
- Superheroes
- The Quest to Get Laid: Probably modern, seek out and explore strange new sex partners; requires parental warning label (sex could work, romance elements could be used in a roguelike, but can't be central because sex is the mechanics, romance is too intangible for the RL world to adequately handle)
- Underwater: alien (create your own exotic realm of the deep)
Some of these ideas can be combined, others are obviously incompatible.