Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?

WildBaboons · Dec 31, 2020, 5:14 AM

Figured the advertisement board wasn't the place for this.

I am curious was there have been a few (3 I think? At least 3) games set in Maine and all of them have been large cities that don't exist in the state.

As a state we are largely rural and heavily forested with a low population density especially once you get above North Massachusetts (Portland, ME). The largest city has less than 70,000 people and the state 1.3 million

Are people aiming for the old colonial time history with spooky, desolate woods to go with it? I totally get why no one chooses NH though. UNH is there and screw those losers.

Testament · Dec 29, 2020, 10:18 PM

Is this because Stephen King wrote a lot of books that were based in Maine?

This is literally my only explanation for this.

Auspice · Dec 29, 2020, 10:18 PM

@wildbaboons

I was literally talking to @Aria about this.

My theory is that people are drawn to it because of Lovecraft and Stephen King, but feel like they need a CITY for their WoD/WoD-Lite setting.

The thing is, small town was sort of why those stories worked. The lure of Maine, for me, is that it's quiet, remote, etc. I mean that just makes things even more eery if you're going for something mildly horror-ish.

But I guess people feel that a game must have a city to work, maybe?

bear_necessities · Dec 29, 2020, 10:19 PM

@testament yes

Also for Woodward Agency we saw that part of the map.and went "neat place for a game" and so that's where we put it.

krmbm · Dec 29, 2020, 10:20 PM

@wildbaboons Honestly? I picked it 'cause I have lived in Southern California almost my entire life. I live in Los Angeles specifically.

Which is not at all what people think it is.

I imagine that's how Maine is - not at all how I think it is.

But it's my pretendy funtime, and I want to spend it in a cool old city in Maine with a million people and a lighthouse and gremlins. Since that doesn't exist... I just made one up.

Testament · Dec 29, 2020, 10:21 PM

If I ever make a modern game(I doubt I will), I'm going to plant it in Baja, California or somewhere in the middle of New Mexico.

Why? Because it'll allow me abuse one of my favorite words, being 'chupacabra' .

ZombieGenesis · Dec 29, 2020, 10:22 PM

My best guess is Stephen King, Lovecraft, and Dark Shadows. Beyond those two points, there's nothing you can do here in Maine that couldn't be done in Massachusetts or Vermont(well, no ocean) or even New Hampshire.

Auspice · Dec 29, 2020, 10:23 PM

@testament said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

If I ever make a modern game(I doubt I will), I'm going to plant it in Baja, California or somewhere in the middle of New Mexico.

Why? Because it'll allow me abuse one of my favorite words, being 'chupacabra' .

Every time I drive through New Mexico I think how cool it'd be to set a game there.
I don't HAVE any ideas at all to set there, but it'd be a great place for it.

WildBaboons · Dec 29, 2020, 10:23 PM

Lots of Stephen King's work has been set in just vaguely renamed Maine towns and cities, but all of them are pretty small.

My theory is that people just don't want to deal with the Boston accent, but basically want Boston as a setting given the population sizes folks put out their.

We have the Down East accent though. its worse. It's a wicked pissah.

Kanye Qwest · Dec 29, 2020, 10:24 PM

i have often wondered this. and yeah i think it's just. cold new england woods and foggy coasts and stuff. I just wondered this more when these small towns in Maine (and Maine is p much only small towns) have like fifteen strip clubs and opera houses and seventeen gang factions. If you want big city vibes, go for a place an actual big city is, or makes sense.

bear_necessities · Dec 29, 2020, 10:24 PM

@auspice having lived in new mexico, it's not as cool of a setting as you think it would be.

Testament · Dec 29, 2020, 10:24 PM

@auspice said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

@testament said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

If I ever make a modern game(I doubt I will), I'm going to plant it in Baja, California or somewhere in the middle of New Mexico.

Why? Because it'll allow me abuse one of my favorite words, being 'chupacabra' .

Every time I drive through New Mexico I think how cool it'd be to set a game there.
I don't HAVE any ideas at all to set there, but it'd be a great place for it.

Playing through the Nomad based quests in Cyberpunk made me think about that too. Or just a Cyberpunk game based solely around Nomad clans.

bear_necessities · Dec 29, 2020, 10:26 PM

I guess the thing is like what does it matter? People complain there are too many small town games, too many east coast games, too many west coast games. Like. Its not hurting anybody you guys.

krmbm · Dec 29, 2020, 10:26 PM

@auspice said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

Every time I drive through New Mexico I think how cool it'd be to set a game there.

I also lived there.

Unless your plan is to set your game in either Albuquerque or Santa Fe, you're gonna have to set it in a small, economically depressed town with a considerable methamphetamine problem and the only store for miles is Walmart.

Or you could pretendy funtime it up.

Kanye Qwest · Dec 29, 2020, 10:27 PM

@bear_necessities said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

I guess the thing is like what does it matter? People complain there are too many small town games, too many east coast games, too many west coast games. Like. Its not hurting anybody you guys.

false, i am personally attacked by each and every small town setting

ZombieGenesis · Dec 29, 2020, 10:27 PM

@bear_necessities No one is saying it is. People are just having a conversation, dude.

Testament · Dec 29, 2020, 10:27 PM

@bear_necessities said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

I guess the thing is like what does it matter? People complain there are too many small town games, too many east coast games, too many west coast games. Like. Its not hurting anybody you guys.

Nah, I don't think it's hurting anyone either. But it is interesting to see so many games set in the same locale. I couldn't even begin to name the number of WoD games set in the northern east coast. At least five that I can think of.

thesuntsar · Dec 30, 2020, 8:40 AM

where my Long Island games at, where I can RP holding the door open for people at 7-11 and wondering when road construction is ever going to end on my commute to work

bear_necessities · Dec 29, 2020, 10:29 PM

@krmbm said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

@auspice said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

Every time I drive through New Mexico I think how cool it'd be to set a game there.

I also lived there.

Unless your plan is to set your game in either Albuquerque or Santa Fe, you're gonna have to set it in a small, economically depressed town with a considerable methamphetamine problem and the only store for miles is Walmart.

Or you could pretendy funtime it up.

Excuse you, ABQ also has a problem with meth and walmart was my fav place to go outside of the cracker barrel

krmbm · Dec 29, 2020, 10:29 PM

@thesuntsar said in Why are there so many MUs set in Maine?:

where my Long Island games at, where I can RP holding the door open for people at 7-11 and wondering when road construction is ever going to end on my commute to work

we can set simon: the mush in long island and really fuck up everyone's immersion, how bout dat?