Real world rpgs?

I just noticed that there are no role-playing video games set in the real world or some historical (non Alternate History) setting. Is it because that would be boring? If games in other genres like Call of Duty, Age of Empires and Medal of Honor could work, why not an RPG?

I can think of a few interesting real world settings for RPGs. Like westerns, feudal Japan or 18th century colonial America. Well, what do you say?

Edit: By "real world" I mean no fantastical elements whatsoever.

edited 15th May '11 1:57:28 PM by RL_Nice

Would Urban Fantasy settings qualify in this regard?

I want an RPG set in modern times that uses the Job System.

Well, there's Shadow Hearts, The World Ends With You... not realistic, obviously, but.

It's a relatively uncommon genre because the range of opportunity is minimal. I think the few examples I've seen are romance or mystery related for modern day.

New Job Unlocked! The Accountant Class is now available!

edited 14th May '11 5:43:01 PM by MrPastry

Alpha Protocol. Other than that, I can't really think of anything. Real world rpgs would be really interesting though, it'd just be hard to translate all the mechanics into the real world without it seeming too mundane.

edited 14th May '11 5:44:05 PM by ShadowScythe

The Receptionist job has low stats all around, except for an enormous boost in Patience and Tolerance.

It's one of my life dreams to make historical RP Gs someday, especially ones set in Biblical history. I think there is some really good potential in periods like the early church of Paul's time or the Israel of Elijah.

I seem to remember having seen a couple of fairly realistic games set in the Roman Empire, though.

Isn't that basically what The Sims is?

Not a video game, but it is an RPG.

The Persona games, although they have monsters and alternate dimensions and such.

There is an RPG called Hammer & Sickle which uses the Silent Storm engine, where you play as a spy trying to avert World War III. I don't know if it's any good though.

Aside from Alpha Protocol and a lot of the Shin Megami Tensei titles, I can't really think of any.

Deus Ex might kinda sorta maybe possibly count...

I don't think a mere modern setting works, so Persona's fantasy (and occasionally sci-fi) aspects & Deus Ex's sci-fi aspects knock those out. (ignoring that Deus Ex is more FPS than RPG)

Thing is, what kind of genre would you do, then? Action movie? Espionage? Detective story? You have options, yes, but once you exclude *all* fantasy and science fiction elements, you kind of narrow your playing field a lot.

True. I think this was why RL Nice made this thread in the first place.

We got superheroes MMO. We also got a few pirate-themed MM Os.

Look we need a bit of an otherworldly premise to make things work (mainly the player respawn).

Things set in the modern day can't work. The world has no more frontiers on which we could fight monsters and bandits, and war has become too deadly to be romanticized and too few for mercenaries (the players) to romp about.

You're best hope for a more "realistic" MMO is to be set in a past that isn't quite stick to most history books.

This thread has gone this many posts, and no one has mentioned Earthbound?

This. For shame, people.

^Still got scifi / fantasy part in...really, only Alpha Protocol and D 20 Modern fits here...

There are few RPG outside of the fantasy genre to begin with. I'd kill for a good scifi RPG right now.

I think the old game Darklands was about running around in medieval Germany, it has alchemy and prayer but no magic since it "simulates" what people actually believed in or something.

If you count, then Mount And Blade: With Fire and Sword probably counts...it's set in Eastern Europe around 17th century...depends if you count based on a book or not...

Darklands started out as this. Another reminder of why it's so fucking awesome. And fucking unplayable for most people =)

On a lighter note, there were several RP Gs of the hackenslash variety released in Russia based on our history, but none of them were decent enough to be mentionable in polite conversation.

The problem lies, methinks, in the need to do the research properly, so you either Show Your Work or fail with a Did Not Do The Research, because it will detract significantly if you muck something up in the setting. Using A Us allows a workaround (see Assassins Creed or Lionheart for epic examples) that sorta kinda follows the real world, but allows for more Rule of Cool and Refuge in Audacity.

edited 15th May '11 2:57:51 AM by Noelemahc