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[chiyeung]

What are your views on a historical rpg, lets say set in Pre-Bolshevik Russia, around the early 1900s. Focusing on being a rebel and attempting to overthrow the Tsar.
What would your take be on this? Would you implement a battle system or something else? The setting would be around the October revolution

[Retired-Pine]

Sure. Battles are always good. Though is this case the historical focus is a big big deal.

BTW: maybe you should add fiction and make the Revolution outcome something better. Like the Romanovs winning.

[chiyeung]

Yes, I was looking over several rpgs and couldn't find too many with such settings.
I believe it would be fun to implement the main character as Lenin, and set the game through out his life.
Though the only trouble I can see is how the battle system would work. Soldiers vs soldiers? Unless as you said, add fiction and create
an alternate reality where this world has magic or innate abilities and different outcomes.

Recreating the country of Russia would be fun.

[Retired-Pine]

There is always something about historical setting that is tricky, and it's that your aim shouldn't be creating a part of history through an rpg.

You should take the setting, the events that everyone knows that happened, and make your own story taking place in said period.

I know this, as I have a game on the make that is based on this principle.

[godslittledude]

I am creating a game with a historical setting as well, so hopefully I can give you some advise.
What I'm aiming for is to create a game that is accurate, but not with a story that makes people feel as if they're reading some text book.
You should conform time to fit within your game, not conform your game to fit in with time.

[Super Stick Lyon...]

BTW: maybe you should add fiction and make the Revolution outcome something better. Like the Romanovs winning.

I knew there was a reason I loved you, man.

Long live the Emperor!!


but yeah, historical is the way to go--as a history enthusiast myself, games within the genre almost never fail to give a spicy boner.

[chiyeung]

I am thinking about a RPG based on Lenin's life.
Or Russian in general. I feel like historical rpgs are great
because there is already a story. One can do research and have a great background
and ideas for a story.

[Kovu]

Historical is something we're all missing out on here.

Even a Fictional Story based in the historical world would be good.

E.G. "Darek Eckhart, estranged son of Dietrich Eckhart opposes his fathers beliefs in the Thule Society as they embark on a journey to cleanse Germany of its Jew and Aristocrat problems. Darek must stop his father from realizing his dream of a world ruled by the National Socialist Workers Party and the Occult. But can Darek face up to his father, former mentor Karl Haushofer, family friend Rudolf Hess and Adolf Hitler? Can he stop the Nazi's rise to power on November 8th 1923? If he does, what will he face in the future?"

And so forth, you get the picture. Maybe magic can be added to it since the Occult and Thule believed in mysticism. Hell, you can add Simo Hayas gun or even the Spear of Longinus as weapons in the story .

Historical is fun as long as its made well.

[Raven The Dark A...]

As far as references to other rmvx games that are historical the one that comes to mind is Americana Dawn. You can't play it but it might give you some ideas maybe.

[EZaxess]

Based/Inspired on true events: yes, I support. If done properly I'd find it more than appealing especially if you have a great mind able to blend fiction with historical events.

Reproduction of true events: no, I'm still looking for a twist, something I won't expect and not play what I can read or already read. In that case I just don't bother.

(speaking for RPGs only, not shooters and other genre for which a reproduction can be fun nonetheless)

[Retired-Pine]

But shooters are normally not entirely historical

[EZaxess]

But shooters are normally not entirely historical

True that, but I would mind it a lot less than a RPG.

[longfellow]

I study history and there is one point you should always, always, always remember. When you read about a certain period or theme from the point of a historian he will more often than not be focused on political history (who were leaders, when did something happen etc.). There are, of course, a lot of others who focus on social and religious history, but again they very often talk about masses and only very important people get into the spotlight. Historians are not psychologists nor are texts that deal with history novels full of character. They will focus on the things a person wanted and did, but they will tell you this in need to explain why something happened. To shorten the whole story, they do not focus on the human, but rather his position in a much larger scale of things.

What does this mean for you? When you want to make a game like this remember to use the history as a setting, but don't overuse it since you will get a game filled with info but no character. Allow the people to move story. It's not different than setting a game in a fantasy setting. Really, it isn't. In those games you used the story to move you around the world which was, again, a stage. They key difference here is that you don't have to create a world or a setting since it already offered to you. Character, character, character. Channel the story through the facts, not the other way around.

I am sorry I can't help you with your current idea since I've only gotten as far as the medieval ages in my studies, but I'll help with something different.
Since the most popular settings (including fantasy settings) are very "medievaly" in nature, I recommend to the people that they read this book by a famous historian called Jacques Le Goff called Medieval Civilization 400-1500. Available here: http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Civilizatio...f/dp/0760716528
By seeing how things moved in reality it can greatly help you enhance and deepen your world as well as make it more believable. It goes without saying that if you want to set a game in a true medieval setting, get this book.

This post has been edited by longfellow: May 4 2011, 07:26 AM

[chiyeung]

Thank you for the great advice. I am also a fellow historian/ history major. I agree with you concerning the aspect that very few focus on the masses. Thus it may be harder for us to have a idea of the individual. It is why it is important to read accounts of individuals and even biographies or autobiographies. Assuming these individuals represent the majority of the population and not the elite or upper class who can read/write.

Yes history provides a basic setting and characters will move the story.
Just like how Lenin moved russian history!

[Lady Aendaine]

I think a game based on historical events would be really interesting.

I actually really like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games, and one of my favorite games in the series (ROTK X) had a teensy bit of roleplaying, where you could get involved in major events that took place, and reshape the history by preventing some things from happening. However, I certainly think they could have done a better job at immersing the players into the history and the environment. The events were okay (certainly a good foundation to build off of) but during the periods where nothing was happening were rather boring, and I didn't feel like I was really a part of the grand scheme of things. And when the events DID pop up, I felt important... for all of two seconds.

Really what I'd like to see is something based off history, but allowing you to be FULLY immersed in it. And it doesn't have to be historically accurate, either. Adding your own story elements will definitely make it a unique experience, and I think people will enjoy the new perspective and spin on things.

Another game I enjoyed was Jeanne D'Arc, while of course, it was based on Joan of Arc, they added magic, demons, monsters in the wilds and all that jazz, and it was really an interesting game to play through.

So yes, I would LOVE to see more games like this, and while I love medieval history a lot, it'd certainly be interesting to see a different time period take center stage.

You also mentioned being a rebel trying to overthrow the Tsar (not sure if you're still running with that idea), but I would suggest taking a look at the Suikoden series for ideas on gameplay elements. Recruiting others to your cause and fighting strategic battles against the enemy army... stuff like that.

Good luck!
~ Matty