Thursday 3 January 2013

A Post Apocalyptic World Part 1

Hi!

Well I am busily sculpting a couple of bits and pieces but wanted to post a few of my thoughts on the concept of gaming a post apocalyptic fantasy world.

I must admit that I have never been too happy with the Tolkieneque western European medieval fare that many fantasy rulesets have, especially when they tend to overlook some of the stunning landscapes that one can find in the more desolate regions of the world and the possibilites these bring. I have in the past waxed lyrical about this very subject but the more research I have done (ie watching lots of documentaries and collecting mighty tomes of books as I am unable to travel to said regions!) the more I find myself wanting to develop the idea.

For example why settle for the typical rolling green plains  interspersed with some trees and the occasional building when theres the likes of some of these sights available?

Instead of pleasant green hills with the odd cliff face why not use broken mesas, towering hoodoos and similar terrain?
 Rocky Mesas

 Interesting Hidden Valleys

 Breathtaking Arid Landscapes

Hoodoo!

Likewise, just looking at our own planet for inspiration theres some really fantastically unusual terrain that would make for a fantastical setting and look spectacular on the tabletop too!


Imagine steaming hot springs, dried out salt pans or acidic lakes, pools of strange yet oddly beautiful water or fantastical trees. With a little bit of work and some imagination the terrain of a setting can become a fascinating element of a game.

Imagine forces fighting over these elements, unsure as to whether their actions will break through the salt crust or trigger geysers of boiling mud, all these elements and more can be added to create a far more interesting game than simply lining up on a green board and having at one another.


Even the lowly vegetation can be imposing, beautiful and even deadly, with battles raging over the precious commodities that an oasis can provide or the dubious decision to take cover in a patch of cactus!



Likewise the very colours of the surroundings lend themselves to dramatic backdrops to games with orange dunes of shifting sand, dark rock and even the odd splash of blue, yellow and green could be used to liven up games dramatically.


Imagine playing on a board like this, with small pools of water dotted around which may contain all manner of nasties while the rock itself looks more like some sort of lizards skin!
Needless to say some of these terrain types are pretty impractical on the gaming table but it doesn't mean they cannot be represented in other ways and over the coming year I really am going to try to push the boat out with terrain and developing the world my games are set in.

Likewise the forces are going to differ from the usual fantasy type setting but more on that tomorrow in part 2! I do apologise for ranting so much but I really feel that gamers can too easily go for the simple approach when with a little effort one can do so much more!

All the best and until tomorrow!

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