Weirdest RPGs evah

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AsenRG said:
I've ran Maid for an all-female group, and played it online with strangers. The only creepy thing about the game are the people who automatically assume it's meant to evoke anything sexual,
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I'm not one to concern myself with what other people find fun, and an RPG is ultimately what a group makes of it. That said, there was stuff in the rule book itself I found icky, though I'm sure we all know what that is.

but personally, this one makes me go "WTF people", not "WTF Japan".
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Ah"WTF Japan" is a popular meme hashtag from back in the day, it wasn't my attempt to cast dispersions on the country as a whole. It's just a title people used for stranger (to us Westerners) elements of anime and Japanese TV/ads.
 
EmperorNorton said:
I mean, he did pick the weird ones.

Japan has plenty of RPGs that don't have schoolgirls on the cover, like Ryuutama, Alshard, Sword World, etc.

Also, I imagine the Hatsune Miku one was just made for the crossover IP.
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There is a tendency in the West to focus on what is actually quite a fringe or subcultural aspect of Japanese culture (eg. most modern anime) and act as if that is representative of the culture as a whole. It’s like treating US underground comics as representative of US culture.

Most of the Japanese people I’ve met and spent time with have no knowledge or interest in the otaku subcultural obsessions some take as representative of Japan.
 
Voros said:
There is a tendency in the West to focus on what is actually quite a fringe or subcultural aspect of Japanese culture (eg. most modern anime) and act as if that is representative of the culture as a whole. It’s like treating US underground comics as representative of US culture.

Most of the Japanese people I’ve met and spent time with have no knowledge or interest in the otaku subcultural obsessions some take as representative of Japan.
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Voros said:
There is a tendency in the West to focus on what is actually quite a fringe or subcultural aspect of Japanese culture (eg. most modern anime) and act as if that is representative of the culture as a whole. It’s like treating US underground comics as representative of US culture.

Most of the Japanese people I’ve met and spent time with have no knowledge or interest in the otaku subcultural obsessions some take as representative of Japan.
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This is true, though as having been to Japan (I work for a Japanese video game publisher, so travel there occasionally), there is definitely some things that are remarkably strange, its just rather centralized to specific areas, like Akihabara is bizarre (and also has some great RPG/board game shops).

My favorite weird thing, that one of my coworkers INSISTED I had to be shown, was that in a lot of the video game stores, they would be multiple floors, and the closer you got to the top, the more... questionable it got. To the point that the top floor was just porn games. And people would just be walking around with friends discussing the different games and shopping together like this wasn't odd.
 
EmperorNorton said:
This is true, though as having been to Japan (I work for a Japanese video game publisher, so travel there occasionally), there is definitely some things that are remarkably strange, its just rather centralized to specific areas, like Akihabara is bizarre (and also has some great RPG/board game shops).

My favorite weird thing, that one of my coworkers INSISTED I had to be shown, was that in a lot of the video game stores, they would be multiple floors, and the closer you got to the top, the more... questionable it got. To the point that the top floor was just porn games. And people would just be walking around with friends discussing the different games and shopping together like this wasn't odd.
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Japanese culture certainly has a different attitude towards pornography and sexuality. As to which is stranger, the Western or Japanese attitude...
 
Voros said:
Japanese culture certainly has a different attitude towards pornography and sexuality. As to which is stranger, the Western or Japanese attitude...
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I wouldn't say it is all of Japan though, because remember, all porn in Japan is censored (and one manga artist was actually fined the equivalent of about $1500 US for a hentai manga that wasn't). Most of the difference is that the western attitude is more influenced by religion, where as the Japanese attitude isn't.
 
EmperorNorton said:
I wouldn't say it is all of Japan though, because remember, all porn in Japan is censored (and one manga artist was actually fined the equivalent of about $1500 US for a hentai manga that wasn't). Most of the difference is that the western attitude is more influenced by religion, where as the Japanese attitude isn't.
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Yeah I realize Japan isn’t exactly enlightened on the issue, anymore than we are.

I was thinking more of Japanese literature which is often explicit to a degree that would be considered pornographic or at least indecent in the US. Respected writers like Tanizaki, Kono Taeko and even Kawabata write about sexual taboos that would cause controversy in the West I think.

Admittedly literature is its own intellectual subculture distinct from the ‘mainstream’ in Japan and the West.
 
TristramEvans said:
Lol I was thinking he meant something more like The Fabulous Furry Freak Bros or Pinhead The Clown ...
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When I think underground comix I always think of R. Crumb... but also the weird scifi/horror/crime stuff like Slow Death, Fantagor, Skull, Moondog, Trashman... and whatever those creators might have done later in Heavy Metal, Epic Illustrated, Vortext, etc.
Underground gets mentioned as being inspired by the Marshal Law comic... which was an Epic thing.
 
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TristramEvans said:
Lol I was thinking he meant something more like The Fabulous Furry Freak Bros or Pinhead The Clown ...
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Simlasa said:
When I think underground comix I always think of R. Crumb... but also the weird scifi/horror/crime stuff like Slow Death, Fantagor, Skull, Moondog, Trashman... and whatever those creators might have done later in Heavy Metal, Epic Illustrated, Vortext, etc.
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Vaughn Bodē is my favorite comix artist, and yes, that's more of what I had in mind. :wink:
 
Harl Quinn said:
Here's three off the top of my head:
Hunter Planet: I get why it's supposed to be humorous, but it didn't really click for me by itself. As a crossover with Red Dwarf, Paranoia, or even the MIB RPG, it works, but by itself it just doesn't work for me.
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Low Life: Never owned this one. I know some people go in for really odd characters, but playing a sentient Twinkie isn't something I'd necessarily jump into without a few drinks.
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Land of Og: This one could be kinda interesting...
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Hunter Planet! I think this was the first truly playable ultra-light RPG system I ever owned. It was definitely a weird little game.
 
TristramEvans said:
I'm not one to concern myself with what other people find fun, and an RPG is ultimately what a group makes of it. That said, there was stuff in the rule book itself I found icky, though I'm sure we all know what that is.
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No?
I mean, I don't remember any such things. I might have forgotten anything like this, or maybe it's because I only focused on the rules section (trusting my own abilities to come up with weird stuff:evil:).

Ah"WTF Japan" is a popular meme hashtag from back in the day, it wasn't my attempt to cast dispersions on the country as a whole. It's just a title people used for stranger (to us Westerners) elements of anime and Japanese TV/ads.
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Thanks for explaining, I don't follow meme/hashtags.

EmperorNorton said:
This is true, though as having been to Japan (I work for a Japanese video game publisher, so travel there occasionally), there is definitely some things that are remarkably strange, its just rather centralized to specific areas, like Akihabara is bizarre (and also has some great RPG/board game shops).

My favorite weird thing, that one of my coworkers INSISTED I had to be shown, was that in a lot of the video game stores, they would be multiple floors, and the closer you got to the top, the more... questionable it got. To the point that the top floor was just porn games. And people would just be walking around with friends discussing the different games and shopping together like this wasn't odd.
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...what's weird with separating the floors by content? This way, anyone who is on the top floor isn't going to be "blindsided" by "random porn games".

Voros said:
Japanese culture certainly has a different attitude towards pornography and sexuality. As to which is stranger, the Western or Japanese attitude...
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Of course, you also need to account for the differences between Western and US attitudes.
And to me, the US attitudes are definitely weirder than the Japanese ones. (Obviously excluding both hentai and underground comics, here).

EmperorNorton said:
I wouldn't say it is all of Japan though, because remember, all porn in Japan is censored (and one manga artist was actually fined the equivalent of about $1500 US for a hentai manga that wasn't). Most of the difference is that the western attitude is more influenced by religion, where as the Japanese attitude isn't.
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You mean the US attitude is influenced by religion.
Because the European one mostly...isn't. But then, US=/+ (the whole of the) West.

Voros said:
I was thinking more of Japanese literature which is often explicit to a degree that would be considered pornographic or at least indecent in the US. Respected writers like Tanizaki, Kono Taeko and even Kawabata write about sexual taboos that would cause controversy in the West I think.
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In order to avoid derailing that thread - can you PM me examples:smile:?

Black Vulmea said:
If that was a roleplaying game, I'd play it.
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If it's PbP, sign me up:wink:!
 
AsenRG said:
...what's weird with separating the floors by content? This way, anyone who is on the top floor isn't going to be "blindsided" by "random porn games".
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It's more odd that this was every shop. Most video game stores don't even HAVE adult games in the west. Also it was weird that people were just walking around with friends talking about the porn games they like.

You also seem to have conflated weird with bad. Calling something weird isn't necessarily criticizing it.

You mean the US attitude is influenced by religion.
Because the European one mostly...isn't. But then, US=/+ (the whole of the) West.
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No, I meant the west. Just because a country is not as religious as it once was, doesn't mean the influence of that religion cannot be felt. Catholicism/Christianity's influence on the Western culture as a whole is undeniable. Japanese culture has religious influence, but the religions that influence it seem to not hold a negative opinion of sex.

Europe may not have as many of the absolute crazy religious nuts that the US has, but to pretend that religion, and specifically the Catholic religion, did not play a large role in forming the culture of most European nations is ignorant.
 
Because French culture is rich and beautifull, I present to you Chevalerie et Sodomie (Knighthood and Sodomy more about it there in French : http://www.legrog.org/jeux/chevalerie-sodomie). To sum up this game, it is kinda 120 jours de Sodome by Sade RPG (the French marquis not the singer). You play angry peasants in Renaissance Germany who whant to overthrow their cruel vampire overlord.
 
EmperorNorton said:
It's more odd that this was every shop. Most video game stores don't even HAVE adult games in the west. Also it was weird that people were just walking around with friends talking about the porn games they like.
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Yes, I understood you right. No, it's not weird to me.
Personally, I've talked with friends about "adult" games I liked, or, as the case might be, disliked (not sure if they counted as porn). Nobody was weirded out by it.
(Yes, of course I know some prudes, too. They just wouldn't last long into my friends' circle).

You also seem to have conflated weird with bad. Calling something weird isn't necessarily criticizing it.
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No, I mean "weird", as in "worthy of at least a reaction of surprise". To me, the above example, complete with people discussing the games, seems completely normal.


No, I meant the west. Just because a country is not as religious as it once was, doesn't mean the influence of that religion cannot be felt.
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Felt, yes. Just isn't any longer the norm outside of rather principled adherents of said religion.

I mean, looking at French-language comics, Thorgal has quite a bit of nudity and sex (not quite implied). You know where it's locatedat the Sofia's French Cultural Centre? In the kids' section of the library.

Catholicism/Christianity's influence on the Western culture as a whole is undeniable.
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On a more profound level, you're undeniably right. I mean, we're actually shaped by the clash between Christian morality and Humanism (way more by Humanism, but the two have integrated).
But specifically in relation to sexuality?
People in Europe have been ignoring what the Church says on the topic of abstinence/right ways to conduct sexual relationships for centuries now (or for millennia). We've got practice where you're still learning:tongue:!

Japanese culture has religious influence, but the religions that influence it seem to not hold a negative opinion of sex.
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Yes. And neither does the predominant opinion in most European countries.
I mean, the French voted for a president who had two families when people in the US were considering whether to impeach a president over a blowjob. I can rest my case here:evil:!

Europe may not have as many of the absolute crazy religious nuts that the US has, but to pretend that religion, and specifically the Catholic religion, did not play a large role in forming the culture of most European nations is ignorant.
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Actually, I live in an EU country that I can assure you the influence of Catholic Christianity is negligible! In fact, the more someone is religious, the less likely said person is to care about the precepts of Catholicism (and you don't want to know what most religious people think of Catholics and Protestants alike...:grin:)
Haven't been to Greece much, but I presume it's the same in Greece as well (because it's also an Orthodox country). BTW, Greek is the language that the word "Europe" comes from...

In fact, the overall influence of Christianity as a whole tends towards zero in Europe, outside of countries like Italy and Poland. And it's lessening there, too. That's why the new pope is trying to incorporate a more humanistic approach into Catholicism - because otherwise, he's watching his religion get less and less relevant.
Bottomline, the "sinful" etiquette just doesn't carry the same weight as I witness it does in the USA (I say "witness" because media are a wonderful thing). Saying something is "wrong" here doesn't imply you think it's wrong on the religious level. It's just a non-consideration. Saying something is "sinful" is likely to get you the "old-fashioned much?" look faster than opening the door for an woman:devil:.

OK, let's stop derailing the thread. You said it's weird. I said it doesn't seem like that to most Europeans. I think we can settle on that.
 
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As a French, I must dispell the notion that we voted only once for a President that had a double life ! All of them were living a double life with an official spouse and a mistress.

AsenRG; how dare you insult my country rich history of sex-crazed leaders ! :grin:
 
yabaziou said:
As a French, I must dispell the notion that we voted only once for a President that had a double life ! All of them were living a double life with an official spouse and a mistress.

AsenRG; how dare you insult my country rich history of sex-crazed leaders ! :grin:
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I apologize, but it seems you misunderstood me:smile:!
I was speaking specifically about the time whenpeople in the USA were considering whether to imply Bill Clinton over a certain Monica L. There was no implication in the text that your leaders before or since have been doing anything differently:wink:!
 
Cultural opinion is heavily influenced by Religion, to the point that sometimes we don't even recognize it. I imagine those that are Pro-Life marchers in Paris, even if they claim they aren't religious, have their opinions on it influenced by religion shaping the culture they come from. I even catch myself having opinions that when I examine, I realize don't actually match up with my beliefs as an agnostic athiest because of religion's cultural influence in the area I grew up in.

Also, honestly, most of the very strong religious nutjobbery stuff in the US is either much less prominent than people think, generally considered whackos by most people under 60, or is lip service.
 
Since it is an honest misunderstanding, let's not talk about it further !

I have actually another weird French RPG to share : In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas (further info in French : http://www.legrog.org/jeux/in-nomine-satanis-magna-veritas). In this game, you play angels or demons who do the biddings of Archangels or Archdemons. It is a very French RPG because it is all about French culture reference and French irreverence towards religion (there is also Islam and Norse religion reference).

The American version In Nomine bears little resemblance to the original French RPG which very tongue-in-cheek.
 
Fellow RPG PUB members, I, as a French from France, am willing to provide a free service : ask a French for all things French.

Yes, pro-lifers tends to be religious and catholic in France, Catholicism is still the 1st religion here and has still influence over the country.

A propos of nothing, another gem from my country : Raoul (you know the drill : http://www.legrog.org/jeux/raoul); This game is about the French equivalent (more or less) of the American redneck, le beauf. It is illustrated by Manu Larcenet, who was a frequent Fluide Flacial magazine collaborator. It is, of course, satire but not subbtle at all !
 
yabaziou yabaziou , welcome to the Pub! I love France. I took elective courses on "French Civilization" in college and studied French for 4 years in high school. Sadly I have only been to France once and that was almost 20 years ago.

(Sex-crazed leaders don't bother me as long as it's consensual between adults :hehe:; it's the power-crazed ones who trouble me:hurry:.)
 
Reading this thread, it almost seems as if different cultures might be different! :shock:

(Just as an aside, I come from a very specific subset of American culture: Mexican Hispanic criollo Catholic atheist...we've been here longer than the Anglos but not as long as the indios. :wink:)

(Edit: so actually I'm just like Zorro except not a wealthy landowner or churchgoer...yes, I do constantly duel and outwit the Spanish Empire. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it.)
 
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EmperorNorton said:
Cultural opinion is heavily influenced by Religion, to the point that sometimes we don't even recognize it.
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You've reminded me of Elaine Pagel's book, 'Adam And Eve And The Serpent'... about the book of Genesis, how thoroughly it has colored our world view in the West, even for non-believers... and how the Christians got to be scared silly of sex.
 
Dumarest said:
Reading this thread, it almost seems as if different cultures might be different! :shock:

(Just as an aside, I come from a very specific subset of American culture: Mexican Hispanic criollo Catholic atheist...we've been here longer than the Anglos but not as long as the indios. :wink:)

(Edit: so actually I'm just like Zorro except not a wealthy landowner or churchgoer...yes, I do constantly duel and outwit the Spanish Empire. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it.)
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This difference between cultures must he stamped out until we have a uniform blandness
 
Ronin said:
Have I got the game for you then
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God, I loved Underground. Many great times playing that game back in the '90s. It was the perfect antidote to the popular RPGs of the day and a brilliant attempt to create an angry and sharp American version of Brit stuff like 2000 A.D. and Marshal Law.

Does anyone know what that Japanese RPG Saturday Night Special is actually about? A Tarantino-ish romp where nubile girls go on a crime spree? A parody of cheesecake anime? I actually thought the cover art looked funny and cool.
 
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Dumarest said:
Reading this thread, it almost seems as if different cultures might be different! :shock:
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Heresy, I know:devil:!

(Edit: so actually I'm just like Zorro except not a wealthy landowner or churchgoer...yes, I do constantly duel and outwit the Spanish Empire. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it.)
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Glad it's you and not me.
I'd hate the blood on my carpets:evil:!
 
Dumarest said:
(Edit: so actually I'm just like Zorro except not a wealthy landowner or churchgoer...yes, I do constantly duel and outwit the Spanish Empire. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it.)
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Yes, but do you have a cool name like Diego de la Vega? That is what is important!
 
Dumarest Dumarest Thanks for your welcome ! I think we got a sex-crazed and power-hungry leader with Napoleon I, so, I do not think I can be judgemental about it ...

I have read through the thread and to my suprise nobody mentionned Macho Woman wirh Guns, the quintessenial weird RPG !
 
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