In the previous columns I presented four perspectives on RPGs that provide boundaries to my own RPG design process: Simulation, narration, gaming and drama. I also looked at other games and, hopefully, I will be able select from among these the right inspiration to my own efforts. In this column I'll try to see how the four perspectives may impact the development of Rough Quests.

Simulation. This is a hard take. My aim is to design a generic fantasy rpg. What am I simulating, then? "Generic medieval fantasy" doesn’t exist as such or, to be more precise, it's an agregation of concrete settings, each with its own characteristics and requirements if translated into games. If I focus on "generic medieval fantasy" I risk coming out with a game that is not able to deliver the moment it is applied to concrete settings. The option – and an option that I've been following since the start of the Rough Quests project – is to develop my own fantasy setting, but then there goes the "generic". I'm facing a situation where I'm attempting to square the circle: Either I have a setting of reference to guide the game development, and then there goes the "generic"; or I don’t have a setting of reference, but then I don’t have direction on where to go.

Narration. Same problem, actually. Without a game world I can't define what type of stories should come out of play, what should be their tone, what's there for the characters to do.

Gaming. Once more, the same issue. How can I think a game system if there is not a setting to which it must be applied? How can I balance the different components of the game, things like combat, social interaction, interaction with the environment, etc.?

Drama. I have to repeat myself, I can't provide guidelines for the personal involvement of the players, I can't open a door to another reality just by saying "generic medieval fantasy". The emotions they are to experience and exchange have to be grounded somewhere.

Conclusion: I need a clear focus in setting terms, a precise source of inspiration, something that will constrain the game design effort and put it on track. Just saying "generic medieval fantasy" is not enough. In other words, I need to change track. Where to?

From "Generic Fantasy Rough Quests" to, what, humm, exactly what?

If I have to choose a setting of reference, it’s better to pick one that, a) I like; b) it's not too complex; and, c) it's easily accessible to you, the reader of this column.

Let's start with the last point: My best bet is to pick a fictional work that anyone can get for free or at a very low cost. This means a book that you can get in the net and that you don't have to pay for, in other terms, a work that is not copyrighted. Luckily there are plenty of excellent works that fit the bill at the end of a couple of mouse clicks in places such as Project Gutenberg.

Point b) above is important because it means that I'll have less effort while designing the game. The more complex the setting of reference, the more complex the game system has to be in order to simulate it properly. The best way to ensure reduced complexity is by cutting some corners. For instance, if I choose a setting where there are only humans I don't need to consider (at least from the outset) species variability in terms of attributes, characteristics, etc. Furthermore, if I pick a world without magic I don't have to worry about magic rules. Finally, if I choose a setting that is well known, I don't spend time explaining it to the reader of the game (and this column).

When I consider all of this I have to conclude that it's better to pick a book set in our own real world. After all, our world is well known to most of you, has no magic and no non-human creatures. Still, there’s a problem: A book with no human races, without magic and based on the real world may be "medieval", granted, but it is hardly "fantasy". True. I guess this is a sacrifice I have to make taking into consideration that "medieval fantasy" is an extension of "medieval". If the game works for "medieval", it should work for "medieval fantasy" as well the moment we add the "fantasy" to the "medieval".

I’m thus reduced to sources of inspiration that are about "medieval" adventuring, sources that can be downloaded for free… and sources that I like. Humm, humm, wanna know what I like? I like Romantic historical fiction. By this I mean the historical fiction written in the XIX century by writers like Dumas, Scott, Herculano. I grew up with such writers and their great fictional works. That's where I should search for my setting of reference for the Rough Quests project, specially among British and American writers since this is a project in English.

When I look in that direction three books come to mind: Robin Hood, The Black Arrow, and Ivanhoe. Which of these three books should be the source of inspiration for the re-directed Rough Quests project? (Yes, I could use the three of them but I prefer to stick to one since there are narrative differences among them.) Which one? My preferred one, of course. That's Ivanhoe for sure.

I guess this puts an end – for the time being, at least – to "generic fantasy Rough Quests". From now on it will be "Rough Quests for Ivanhoe". With this choice I get a concrete benchmark to the success of my rpg design. If the game does not deliver a faithful RPG experience of the Ivanhoe setting my efforts will fail, point. You are going to be the judge (If you don’t own Ivanhoe, just search for it at Project Gutenberg).

And Time for a Break

The Rough Quests project has been going on for almost one year and a half and 34 columns at RPGnet. I need a rest. Furthermore, I need to think deeply about the implications of moving towards "Rough Quests for Ivanhoe", something that does not go well with the rythms of a bi-monthly column. And I need to review the ground I layed down in the previous 33 columns. Add to this non-rpg projects that are coming, an RPGproject that I'm considering at the present concerning a game for children (a project that I have to take forward to play with my own children), work, family, etc., etc. and ... I need to put the Rough Quests column in the frezer.

For the next six months I'll stop with the column even if I'll continue working on "Rough Quests – Ivanhoe". After that I'll come back with the column and, hopefully, with a beta version of the game. In the mean time I'll have the occasion to dedicate myself to something I almost couldn't do for the last year-and-a-half: write RPGnet reviews. See you then.