Why Are Fantasy RPGs So Wedded To Tolkien?

Ok

>>389930108
channel that boredom and frustration into making a good and creative fantasy game

Mass appeal dongus. The generic fantasy setting is good and even as people get tired of it more young folks are introduced to it so it will stay for a while. Bloody Witcher, Game of Thrones low fantasy gritty "realistic" "mature" settings are popular now till they're not.

>>389930108
>Not wanting dwarves all the time
>Not appreciating Tolkien as the master and genius of everything
>Not enjoying the fantasy atmosphere

Why, OP, your life must be absolutely sad.

>>389930387
>Tolkien is great
>so let's drive everything he made into the ground with our shitty hack job rip-offs
How about Tolkien remain Tolkien, and everyone else use their brains and invent something else?

>>389930432
Plenty of people made their own stuff, more than you could ever read in your entire life time. Clearly they haven't caught on. Then again, Tolkien didn't catch on till a long time after his death.

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>>389930108
It's not really Tolkien as much as D&D. Also, devs work with what they're familiar with and what can sell.

>>389930108
they use what works
anything new seems like something we already know but altered slightly

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>>389930108
Yeah, because shit tends to work out so well when devs deviate, right?

>>389930817
that failed for reasons other than deviating from tolkien, anon

>>389930858
like what? Deviating from AAA game design?

>>389930817
The game Tides based itself off of, Planescape Torment, is actually a good game, anon.

>>389930858
That's not the point, anon. Point is it didn't sell while standard fantasy does sell. Investors don't really care why it failed.

>>389930108
It's hard to be original, It's harder to be original and good. West of Loathing guys have years of experience with Kingdom of Loathing so they know what works and what doesn't when going off the beaten path, at least with their target audience.

>>389931042
Crowdfunded games, anon. InXile is continuing with Wasteland 3 even after 2 didn't sell millions. In fact, crowdfunded games not taking risks is the real problem like Obsidian with Pillars of Eternity.

>>389930108
>what are JRPGs?

>>389930108
>tolkien
you mean D&D. that's the primary source that video games are based on. tolkienism in video game tropes only extends as far as the forgotten realms being a chinese counterfeit of middle earth

>>389931376
JRPGs are equally as bad and are often just crazy kitchen sinks without any identity of their own.

>>389931376
>implying jrpgs aren't the biggest offenders of this

The simple answer is its hard. What concepts can you come up with that feel fresh and make sense? How do you know what new concepts will appeal to a wide audience? Try to hard to deviate from the norm and your game will just come off as nonsensical, with only the nichest of audiences. West of Loathing is a unique example, as the creator had years of experience in game and world creation. While I loved Kingdom of Loathing growing up, even I have to admit it used a lot of established tropes, even if only through mockery.

I think Arcanum took the tolkien formula and actually made something unique out of it anon

>>389930108
>I can't even be assed to buy TW3
Don't bother man. It's so incredibly mediocre you will fall asleep.

>>389931509
>crazy kitchen sinks without any identity of their own
That's basically what OP is asking for.

>>389930108
Reminder that Tolkien just ripped off and adapted Nordic myths.

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>>389935216

Because Tolkien is wedded to european mythology in its various forms?

Seriously, if you're playing some northwest european style fantasy game, its going to be as tolkien as it gets because they all share similar stories because culture.

And the reason why tolkien is used the most is because the modern day RPG is based on D&D, which itself was created by a classical wargamer.

I mean, you got shit like elderscrolls, specifically morrowind and daggerfall where shit gets pretty crazy and out there, you can call it tolkien all you want, but mushroom wizard towers, giant enemy crabshell cities, and giant bug busses were pretty neat.

Of course OP is probably just a massive weeb and wondering why there isn't more weeb style fantasy, which is based on japanese style god and spirit mythos's

>>389930108
It sells. The west in general is unable to appreciate something different, so the developers usually play safe. If you want originality, play japanese games. They are leagues better anyway.