Crowdsourcing Advice - First Time Setting Creation - Choosing Game and Idea

[Ducky4u2]

Hey Everyone!

So it has been a while since I posted on here. Life kind of took me away. However, I find myself with a creative dilemma. I have been kicking around the RPG world (D&D, Deadlands, WoD, M&M, etc.) as a player and GM for about 25 years. I got into DMing because I didn't have a group, but I did have friends interested in learning. I am kind of turned DM teacher for the past 10 of those years. Now that I have a little more free time, I find I am kind of tired of running the same old thing. I love the premade stuff, but like anyone, I want to make my own setting. I sat down and started looking over everything I have and started just trying to brainstorm ideas. That... was awesome and a problem. I don't know where to start. This place has always been awesome in providing advice. I know I need to focus 1 at most 2 ideas to develop out, but I think I need advice from all you wonderful creatives on which ones are worth pursuing and which ones are best put in a binder somewhere to look at another time. Let me know what you think, and if there are any veterans of these systems advice on world building would be awesome.

1 D&D&Duh - This one had to be here. My idea is a world removed from time by two gods who set it up to be destroyed and reincarnated 13 times. They have a bet. The one god says the world will be corrupt, the other says they will keep to the light. The people are allowed to grow and change and evolve, and through their faith, they can even form their own minor gods, those all those gods answer to the two major ones. Every time the world ends, the sins are weighed and the winning god gets to impose a stipulation on the next reincarnation. The world is remade, seeded with objects from previous worlds, and then the experiment starts over. Who has the majority after the 13 runs will get the final reincarnation for themselves.

2. M&M - Gods, as they were in the past, are just the first mutants (I know I know... Apocalypse yeah I know, still a good storyline). On a dig in Mesopotamia, an ancient relic is found, and through it, the first of the "New Gods" are born into our time. This kicks off a new "God Rush" as it were as tomb robbing and other relics are sought after. Wars break out, bloody massacres. When the order is finally restored, There is a group of individuals who wear the "mantles" of godhood to protect the world and to ensure the safety of the other "mantles". However, this doesn't happen before other mantles are taken by forces most nefarious, making the whole good guy vs. bad guy dynamic possible.

3. Hollow Earth Expedition - It is 1942, and the world still has yet to be fully explored. Made rushes for legendary cities take place consistently. The war between science and superstitions starts to reach a peak, even in the respect North Star Seekers Adventuring club. However, in an attempt to cement names in history, one generous sponsor, Dr. Thadeus Gray, has agreed to fund an expedition around the world to finally cement down the corners unknown. The game is more about exploration and historical villainy.

4. Starfinder or Fate Core - Humanity has reached the stars. Not by design, but by necessity. Overpopulation, climate change, and wars from dwindling resources have pushed it to the brink. In an attempt to release the pressure valve, countries pooled resources to discover planets worth inhabiting. They discovered a three-part solar system nicknamed the Triumvirate on the out reaches of the galaxy. Great arc ships, sponsored by countries and corporations alike head out behind automated ships carrying terraforming devices. Years have passed, we have made ourselves at home, but the corporations that sponsored the ships have set up territories, and rule as governments. The players are a crew of the inbetweeners, taking jobs, legal or otherwise, just to keep going. (also, not sure how this could work, but I would like to incorporate "created" life such as animal-human hybrid, and/or artificial intelligence.)

5. Deadlands (Classic) - Ghost rock is found in the town of Perdition, a mining colony on the border between the North and South territories. Overnight, an all-new standoff takes effect. Knowing the volatile nature of the ghost rock, and the fact the vein is one of the few large ones to be found outside of The Great Maze, a tentative standing truce is made. The main road literally is renamed Mason-Dixon Avenue, and each side of the city has its own enforcement. However, with this discovery also comes a heap of weird trouble.

6. Mouse Guard - Honestly, for this one I just want to see if anyone has ever run it and their thoughts. I freakin love this game but have never had a chance to play it or run it.

7. Overlight - Picked it up at GenCon, love it, and I want to see if anyone has tried running it yet.

Anyway, This is what happened. I really can't pursue all these stories. What do you wonderful people think? I am thinking about again 1 to 2 stories and suggestions there of. My players aren't bothered ha ha, they just want to play.

Also, to any moderators, I hope I put this in the right place, if not let me know and I will try to move the post.

Thank you all!!

Ducky4u2

[Thundersteel]

So, as someone who also likes to run weird RPG's and has a whole bag of them he's been sitting on, I guess my advice is to think about not just the setting but also the story you'd like to tell therein, and what themes you want to explore.

For example, both your DND and MNM games seem to focus on some level of divine transcendence and the relationship between the mortal and the divine. I'm a big fan of those types of stories, and it sounds like you are too, so perhaps start looking into what it is you want to do with those ideas.
If you are having your players assume the mantle of Indo-European style gods, you can start asking questions like "what is a god's responsibility to mankind?" and "how do god's determine their place in the world?"

You might even be able to combine these ideas into a single game; one wherein mortals are uplifted to divine status, but done so at the agency of squabbling higher divinities.