@faraday said in World of Darkness -- Alternative Settings:
So I think we're generally in agreement that players need stuff to do or else you lose momentum. Just the execution is different.
Yes, so long as there is an execution. It takes active maintenance to create this momentum.
So for example a nWoD mortal only game could be a blast if metaplot is thrown to spark and maintain interest, maybe with some different factions of characters some trying to redeem the monsters ("she's still my wife!"), and others trying to kill'em all, or dissect them, or whatever the hell.
Simply putting all this stuff on a wiki pages simply doesn't do the trick. I kinda wish it did since it'd lower the bar for new game runners a lot, but historically it doesn't. Games need constant curating, and especially the newer ones; in fact the first month after they open is critical.
A mortal-only game where you're an X-Files or Fringe type of group could work, for instance. One where you've got a motley crew like my MDM game? Notsomuch.
All of these could work if they get players interested in the first place. It's a lot more niche though to ask players to roll on a setting they aren't familiar with and utilize concepts they've no existing samples to figure out the chemistry or subtle, slice-of-life interactions between them and something set in a world either very much like our own other than the supernatural elements added on top or based on well known works such as TV series, books, etc.