Thinking about settings which would facilitate a game about recruiting, training, and combining monsters.
One of the key elements to consider in these games is the "cockfighting" element.
Forcing animals to fight other animals is... pretty grim. And if it turns out those animals are sentient, that's slavery.
Obviously you can simply ignore these thoughts. Pokemon does.
But even though you can ignore them, I can't. It's impossible for me to enjoy making a world where the player does that.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •One option is the Persona route: the monsters you summon are basically just your own personality fragments. Anything that makes them "not an analogue for real people or animals" would work.
Another option is the freedom fighter route: sure, slavery is bad, but your recruits are fighting against it!
When I try to think of worlds where these things are possible, I keep getting drawn to the more abstract, psychedelic concepts.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •For example, if it's going to be psychics with psi-constructs, I'd want to go all out on a weird world of crystal toga bullshit.
Something that lets me build the entire world around the concept, rather than just stuffing it into an existing setting.
If it's going to be real monsters, I could get away with something more standard as a deconstruction. IE, the "Hermione Was Right" setting.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •I can't seem to get excited for a deconstruction, because I'm not enough of a fan to be done with the genre.
So maybe crystals and togas is the right option.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •One reason we keep gravitating towards schools for these games is simply because the majority of them are schoolkid adventures. Pokemon, Persona, and several others focus heavily on kids, with the monsters representing either the challenges of growing up or the joy of childish adventures.
I think it is important that the monsters do represent something. To give structure and resonance.
It doesn't have to be themed around childish adventures, but it's expected to be.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •When it comes to discovering and befriending a bunch of weirdos, the natural choice is to make it a story about kids discovering the big wide world.
Another obvious option would be an explorer, whether purposeful or isekaiish.
But the discoveries need to be linked to the explorer. To have meaning.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •This basically boils down to-
The monsters represent the wide world. Everything that's not your cozy home.
What kind of stories and settings work with that and DON'T involve simply conquering and harvesting.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •It's also worth remembering the "friend factor". A lot of people enjoy the fun pal you want to be with side of things, whether petlike or humanlike.
But training your friends to fight for you is highly suspect.
Irenes (many)
in reply to Craig P • • •Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •So here's the issue.
These monster + kid dynamics have always been a metaphor even if the games forget.
Persona is about kids discovering new sides to who they are as they grow up.
Pokemon is about the joy of going to a park with your dog and pretending to fight dragons together.
However, you need to be careful to keep those concepts at the forefront, since it's so easy to slide into the literal truth of the setting: go somewhere you're not welcome and force the locals into deathsport.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •Pokemon is clearly rooted in the widely-accepted Japanese childhood pasttime of beetle fighting.
But a) we don't have that hobby and b) a sentient dog is not a beetle.
So I'm searching around for a better arrangement.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •A lot of possibilities, but here's a fun one.
You bring monsters to school and have to trick everyone into thinking they're human.
Craig P
in reply to Craig P • • •There's millions of options.
People become monsters in dreamland. Help them explore dreamland until they wake up. See you again tomorrow... as a new monster.
Irenes (many)
in reply to Craig P • • •Irenes (many)
in reply to Craig P • • •yeah - it isn't a monster-recruiting game, but Ultros goes that route
it's okay? we kind of wanted more substance out of it rather than just vague allusions to the importance of managing emotions and so on
silverwizard
in reply to Craig P • •Craig P
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silverwizard
in reply to Craig P • •Craig P
in reply to silverwizard • • •Craig P
Unknown parent • • •Craig P
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