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Fasih Sayin (Narrative Director, Campfire Cabal)
Location: Room 2016, West Hall
Date: Wednesday, March 22
Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass
Topic: Design
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: All
RPG can mean a lot of things—but perhaps, due to the undeniable influence of Dungeons & Dragons, there seems to be a certain expectation of dragons and, well, dungeons. When fantasy is the preferred format, fireball is the weapon of choice. But against all odds, the developers of the Expeditions series have been creating historical RPGs for more than a decade now.
This session will focus on the challenges of creating a roleplaying game set in the real world, and how developers can overcome the problems created by such a proposition and potentially turn them into opportunities and advantages. Most of this information is based on the experience of developing Expeditions: Rome, an RPG set roughly in the year 50 BC in ancient Rome.
A variety of topics will be tackled, including but not limited to: representation of history, restrictions of realism, morality, the role of female characters and the handling of contemporary morality.
Attendees will gain new insight into overcoming difficulties of creating a historical game that is set in the real world—such as ensuring cast diversity, or enabling player agency without compromising authenticity—as well as differentiating their product by defying genre conventions and audience expectations.
This is for designers or writers of all levels of experience who are interested in drawing upon historical settings, or setting their work in the real world whilst limiting their use of supernatural elements or speculative fiction.