What is your favourite aesthetic for a setting?

>19th century/20th century Europe with orientalist influences

Bonjour gozaimasu, my name is Jules Brunet-sama!

I'm a 27 year old French Japanophile (that's admirer of Japanese culture for you British). I draw orientalist art in my sketchbook, and spend my days perfecting my craft and enjoying superior Japanese art (Kabuki, Dogū, Ukiyo-e).

I train with my Katana every day, this superior weapon can cut clean through steel because it is folded over a thousand times, and is vastly superior to any weapon found in Europe. I earned my sword license two years ago, and I have been getting better every day.

I speak Japanese fluently, both Kanji and the Osaka dialect, and I write fluently as well. I know everything about Japanese history and their bushido code, which I follow 100%

When Japan is incorporated into the French Empire's sphere of influence, I am moving to Tokyo to attend a prestigious military academy to learn more about their magnificent culture. I hope I can become an ashigaru or even a daimyo!

I own several kimonos, which I wear around Paris. I want to get used to wearing them before I move to Japan, so I can fit in easier. I bow to my elders and seniors and speak Japanese as often as I can, but rarely does anyone manage to respond.

Wish me luck in Japan!

>He hates Landsknecht
Could you be more of a pleb?

I'd love to play in an "alternate timeline" game where the Space Race became THE defining element of the Cold War, leading to adanced 60s-80s inspired spacefaring technology.

Smoke and blood in the air.

>he hates pike squares and manouver-era warfare
He can be more of a plebe.

>Landsknecht
never heard the term but it's definitely what i mean. it's fine if other people like, just my opinion, but i fucking hate it.

never said i hated the combat of the era, just the aesthetic

Cavemen and savages.

Over the top high fantasy. Especially inspired by eastern MMOs and RPGs. This is not due to weeabooism, but more because I just get really bored of grit and gritty "realistic" settings that seem to dominate the game sphere.

Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

Or

Morrowind

There is nothing more glorious than a Landsknecht. Death has never looked more fabulous.

pulp style Sword & Sorcery Fantasy

Would you say Bladerunner also fills this niche?

post apocalyptic, Nothing can be more badass

Somewhere vaguely between 15th and 17th century Europe.

Now THIS is a man who knows what he wants.
9/10 made me laugh.

Detroit: The RPG

Strange, alien architecture that doesn't look like it came from any real-world culture. OP's pic (House Redoran architecture from Morrowind) is a good example, as are the some of the rather strange designs of Sigil in Planescape: Torment, and the straight-up surrealism of Zeno Clash.

That's an unfortunately accurate description of me user

Just realized you're referencing a historical figure, oops

Definately cyberpunk. Nothing beats subtle Japanese superiority/nationalism that totally isn't WWII-era nationalism like Japanese worldwide economic domination

Ghost in the shell/Akira/Appleseed retro futurist 80s cybertech

Studio Ghibli, turn of the century, feudal industrial, not quite Japan but close, frontier with magic

Zelda: breath of the wild untamed expanse littered with ancient magitec and a ruined empire worth of architecture, threats and allies around any corner, mystic relics unearthed daily

A mix of Sword and Planet with doses of realism.

>Studio Ghibli
ugh

The doses of realism mostly regarding:

> Lingering / permanent injuries
> Healing
> Carry Capacity (specifically quantity of items, not overall weight)

>late 19th century/20th century Europe with orientalist influences
This but with "orientalist influences" meaning Ottoman Turkish, not East Asian.

Sand

Original Scooby Doo but I run world of darkness.

I unironically like Victorian settings. Not so much cogfop, but I like the "we're breaking new ground here and don't really know what the fuck we're doing or where we're going but we're making this train to ride it" feel of the era. The darkest parts of the map were getting explored. Technology was booming. The world was changing and there's so much potential for storytelling. All of it is within my ability to understand because I'm a child of that era. I don't have to jump hoops to understand the mind of a Ruhr steelworker like I do to understand the mindset of a Egyptian Pharaoh.

It's also a setting I can toss weird shit in to. I can make it steampunk, I can make it arcanopunk. I can do weird west or weird London. It's an aesthetic that is easy to picture because of its popularity so I can focus less on building individual settings and more on cultures and the world itself.

You, sir, are a bad person

you, sir, have shit taste

Studio Ghibli has put legitimately good settings into film. Howl's Moving Castle and Nausicaa are fantastic from a setting and visual perspective. I also realize this is Veeky Forums and being contrarian is par for the course but come on.

>Howl's Moving Castle
>good setting
next you will tell that Spirited Away is an excellently directed film and not a shitty overhyped flick

A slightly kinder mixture of France, Spain, and britain. Pic related architecture. The wilds can range from scotland-like to russia-like. Idk how better to describe it. Could probably be called idyllic

Spirited Away is lauded for its art and animation. Go be contrarian elsewhere.

You see that's curious to me cause when I get into a world I favor the ones that are more divorced from reality. You mentioned punk stuff which would have my interest, but even then I'd prefer to play a space marine over some earthy fellow who's just doin his job and get thrust into adventure. For me what really drives me to get invested in a world is how intricately the world is built - I'll go Ravenloft over standard DnD. Although, my experience is pretty limited so far so maybe I should be trying to do characters which hit a little closer to home, cause I know my last Paladin was more lawful stupid than anything else. Also, ever hear of Fallen London?

probably not, seeing as Bladerunner defined cyberpunk

>Spirited Away
>good art
ok reddit-kun, im sure you can show your normie-core knowledge somewhere else. somewhere where people will actually believe your bs

Oh god. Your aesthetic makes my dick wet.

Morrowind was my first RPG so it is the standard by which I judge all others. I love an alien look that feels realistic. I also enjoy civilization on the edge of wastelands/frontier. Not post apocalyptic though. More like rich trade city in middle of desert.

The highest of high fantasy, pic related

Cozy mid-fantasy that secretly takes place thousands of years after a sci-fi setting was destroyed by atomic war. Bonus points if airships are a major means of travel and combat.

That's a tough one. The first thing that popped into my head was overgrown/partially flooded cities, post-apocalyptic or not doesn't matter.

I also really like the 1800s in general. With magic and monsters, or a more steampunk style with airships and whatnot. Where technology is rapidly advancing and there's a clash of new and old.

Anything with ridiculously enormous megastructures makes me happy. From space stations taking up nearly half of the night sky to enormous dwarven monuments carved out of a mountain. Actually, I think I like oversized things in general. I love fantasy with giant plants and creatures (like a frog bigger than an elephant or an island-sized turtle).

You. I like you.

The most important thing is that the setting shouldn't be monocultura/"monoaesthetical". The second most important thing is that there should be at least a shred of originality to everything.

Vvardenfell was a really cool place. It felt like a fantasy story set on an alien planet because of the bizarre flora, fauna, people, culture and whatnot.

It's hard to find properly in fiction or otherwise, so if you can help me out with any and all recommendations of whatever media, I'd certainly appreciate it.
I think my premiere, ultimate, most beloved setting is Mythic Sci-Fi. Somewhee berween "The Sword and Claw", and the lore of Destiny.

- Magic, but it isn't spells, something more ethereal.
- Space Travel, but it isn't a cake walk, it's still a little gritty
- Knights, with swords, but more adapted to the future and inequilibrium with guns (maybe lasers or lead, who can say)
- Religion, or any sense of spirtuality that plays a big role.
- Grandiosity
Mythic Sci-Fi Sword and Shield Space Theological Opera

Have any ideas? I'll take even take just pictures if they'll illicit that feeling I'm after.

Really, I'll take anything.

Anything.

read the Hyperion Cantos fucking right now

I ALREADY HAVE YA DAFT CUNT THE ENDING OF THE FIRST BOOK MADE ME FEEL MORE EMOTIONAL THAN ANY OTHER BOOK I'VE READ

IT WAS LIKE HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD

Stop yelling :(

Okay, then read Enders Game and it's sequels. The first one is a prequel, the rest are the real story with grandiose space magic drama.

Then I guess A Fire upon the Deep would be a book to your liking even though it doesn't actually fit the criteria.

based 18th century Europe

I don't know why I never thought of this combination, that's actually really fucking cool.

I'm torn between apocalyptic fantasy ala Dark Sun and cyberpunk settings.

My Carthaginian.

the best settings have both so I can have either in the same game depending on my mood.

This
Truly the best.

Ever read Dune?
Because that sounds like a lot like Dune.

I love high fantasy Arabian Nights. Genies, deserts, bandits, giant monsters, magical bazaars and beautiful fashion and architecture. I don't give a shit about the real Arabia but the fantasy version of it is fucking awesome. It's shame it doesn't get more use and maybe because of the trouble in the middle east people might be afraid to publish shit related to it, which sucks. It's such an amazing setting.

What I'd give to be a part of a great Arabian Nights or Al-qadem themed campaign.

I really love the possibility for city adventures in those kinds of settings but I dunno how fun the classic huge fucking desert outside them would be. Desert temples can be cool though.

Yeah, it's fucking hilarious how old this whole Japanophilia thing is.

As for OP's question, whatever THIS is.
Early Miyazaki's fantastic creations (Nausicaa and Shuna both) just tickle my fascination bone hard.

Gothic neo-rococo?

Maybe the picture isn't as representative as I hoped it is, because those are maybe the very last words I'd associate with this art style. It's actually a mixture of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Steam-punk/late 19th century and Post apocalyptic aesthetics.

Pre-reality. Figuramancers summon familiars of various 2 dimensional shapes, bringing color to a world dominated by the myriad whites and blacks battling over an infinite plane. Ordered vertex cults attempt to honor the new messiah, Euclid, in preparation for a new world, while the twisted followers of Mandelbrot seek to reduce all their works to a single point. Sight and sound resonate as one, entities staking their territory according to the harmonic node they occupy.

You obviously abridge long travel. Even the novels skip the more mundane parts. But you can have caravans, roving bandits, giant monsters.

You don't have to specifically have the campaign in the sandy desert if you don't want to. There's jungles and islands to explore as well as a lot of material for a seafaring campaign. Sinbad didn't just stay in the sandy desert, that nigga went to far off lands and saw many interesting and fantastic creatures and locales.

Colorful tropical magitech settings with island hopping.

He-mans techno barbarian style needs to be used more.

The fun thing about fuck huge deserts or likewise hard to travel landscapes is that it forces people to make decision they may not like, such as traveling with companions you'd rather not, force you to think through your action because you just can't bail on a town on impulse or ignore people in distress because you and the people your with just can't risk it. You have to weigh your actions more than normal.

That's true I guess, sort of like a ship adventure only on land. Ports (oases, towns) are limited and just hiking (swimming) your way someplace without prep is going to get you killed.

Frank Frazetta.

My comrades of darkened complexions

This desu. It's the perfect blend of high fantasy and grittiness

C18th europe/new world with a folk horror or lovecraft vibe. basically shit like Darkest Dungeon or The VVitch gets me rock solid. give me flintlocks, candles, powdered aristocrats and strange ghosts

Lovely choice. I grew up on Frazetta.

Post-post-apocalypse. The world ended and society had to rebuild, but they did so successfully. There are still hints of an old world if you go outside the walled cities, but you have to search for them.

>high fantasy
>high tech
>high magic
>ancient civilizations
>dimension hopping
>super human feats
>down to earth drama
>esoteric lore
outlandish fashion
>those dorky, dorky naming conventions

Seriously, what's not to love?
youtube.com/watch?v=vOsHoqhbUIU

It's hard for me to settle on one I like, but if I had to choose an existing work that captures what I dig the most visually it'd be Legend of Mana.

Other than that it's hard for me to pick a look and feel for a setting that I'd explicitly like. As long as it's not humans only grimdark shitfarmers the setting I can usually find a couple of things to latch on to.

Art Deco/Noir Deco Cyberpunk. 1920 prohibition Era Mobsters but with modern Scifi elements

>tfw no dirtpunk farmer setting
how would you make one of these Veeky Forums

I'm really growing fond to modern bright futuristic aesthetics. "Consumer-friendly" and "eco-friendly" designs, stylistic minimalism, cutting edge tech, utopistic environment, you name it. I would only add more bright colors, because the white-green-blue palette grows boring very quickly.

While I like other aesthetics, I love renaissance aesthetic the most, especially Ottomans/Persians mainly because of the fancy uniforms. Also in fantasy settings its fun to have massed armies of landsknecht running around.

i love medieval fantasy set after an apocalypse, where magic has come back to earth and fairies and elves and gnomes have come back again.

it's cozy, rustic and the ancient ruined cities are full of adventure and danger.

>People who play a hobby that is 95% theater of mind, 1% rulebook art, and 4% minis and whatever grid maps the GM decides to shit out talking about what appeals to them visually

I actually really, really like the faggy French masquerade aesthetic from Dragon Age. It's a shame the rest of the setting is so garbage.

Masquerade balls are mandatory high society events in any setting I DM.

I like a lot of different stuff that's been mentioned in this thread; I don't really get hung up on a single specific aesthetic.

I do have a certain love for dark fantasy, especially when it moves into gritty psychological territory and more mythical themes.

Not so much aesthetic as a genre, but I do love Magical Realism above all.
It's really not easy to pull off really. You basically HAVE to be a talented literate to make it work, otherwise it will degrade to cheap urban fantasy or something of a lol-so-rundumb stuff.

I used to have an old Russian friend: an artist whose work was well... it was mostly awful: terrible generic manga-inspired fantasy, silly mag-scifi, clichéd and tasteless stuff. However, ever now and then he would sit down and Master an AMAZING magical realism / surreal one-off rules-light campaign full of melancholy, wonder, genuine mix of mundanity and awe, fairytales and myths woven into well-observed ordinarity of boring contemporary world... I had no idea where it came from, but those were the best campaigns I ever played.

I've been trying to create a few magical-realistic sessions for my friends a few times, with varying degrees of success. As I said, it is NOT easy to pull off.

>Kentucky Route Zero
My user

I agree though; good magical realism is so rare. It's a pity, as urban fantasy really doesn't do it for me.

Do... do you not see the world in your mind when you game?

>I agree though; good magical realism is so rare.
I suspect that is because magical realism cannot be "build" in the same way you normally world-build, as it's not a product of rules or tropes. You have to have find and reflect something genuinely magical or beautiful about real world, and then still be a competent narrator to capture it. And it's twice as difficult in a tabletop because you have to build it essentially on the damn spot as your players naturally move the plot forward instead of you. And it's ambient nature does not lend it to heroic stories very well either. Oh yeah, and you have to not have absolute tossers for players too, because one meta-gaming asshole is going to run it into ground in a matter of minutes.

Man, I remember when we were setting up a Kafka-inspired city larp once. Shame it never worked out. We had quite a lot ready...

Speaking of videogames that managed to capture it, there are a couple.

Post-post apocalyptic mega city, or New England suburbia. I also like whatever the fuck The Zone from stalker is

...

>I love medieval fantasy set after an acopalypse
>pic related is subtitled "Germanische Tracht zur Eisenzeit" (Germanic clothing during the Iron Age)