Thread by @FreyjaErlings

A real fun in tabletop game development is trying to design according to a vision or consistent notion, because every single tabletop game is a kitchen sink setting that includes absolutely everything and people are just sort of used to that and get surprised by anything else

People always cite RIFTS or whatever as "the" gonzo setting but CP2020 had psychic powers, Shadowrun has magic and tech, D&D has changed its entire cosmology multiple times to accomodate new mechanics despite its cosmology being tiny and inconsistent to begin with etc

In fact, here's an exercise;

When is the last time you saw a sci-fi setting in tabletop games that *didn't* include psychic powers.

I'd say "Battletech" but I wanna hedge my bets because the Clans have a lot of shit going on.

No joke, a few times I've discussed Hard Wired Island, I've had people outright ask "okay, and where's the wizard class, who's got the magic powers" *without blinking.* It's a built-in expectation. Saying that there isn't one is what garners shock.

Now I said "every single one" so it's time to walk that back and talk about the major exception;

Indies. Indies are real good at being about what they are, and not trying to include everything.

But we are all grappling with an audience expectation of pure gonzo kitchen sink.

My take on it: if you're gonna go gonzo, be upfront about it and don't try to hedge it.

I really want to do a sci-fantasy game one day in the vein of the Wizardry/Might and Magic series, in fact. But muskets and spaceships survive together only so far.