RPG Roundtable #1, Part One

The first installment of RPGVault’s new “RPG Roundtable” feature has been posted. In it, five developers are asked about the classic fantasy setting in RPGs, why developers continue to use it for hte majority of RPGs, and what other settings they feel gamers might like to see. Here’s a snippet of the commentary from Bethesda’s Todd Howard:

Now, if you look over the landscape of games that have come out, especially with the number of RPGs (and even more so the online ones), more and more games are being released in other settings, including many science fiction settings. Developers are trying to set themselves apart from the “classic fantasy” settings in any way they can. We did much the same with Morrowind. By setting the game in the land of Tamriel’s dark elves, it opened huge new avenues for creating cultures and sites that are not traditionally seen in a fantasy setting. At the same time, we made an effort to keep the classic fantasy setting of our “Imperial” culture, so that the player would see familiar things, which creates even more contrast against the unfamiliar.