The Universe

When you will start the adventure of creating a Roleplaying Game, the first thing you'll have to do is to determine the universe where the Players will evolve.  This universe is fundamental because the scenarios which result from this universe are very different. Don't forget that some universes are harder to create than others, so don't try to create a too complicated universe for a Disposable RPG.

Heroic-Fantasy Universe

Heroic-Fantasy universes are very easy to set. Numerous books can inspire you during the creation process. However, important points must be integrated in your universe :

1) Many heroic-fantasy universes possesses Nobility Classes. Try to gather information on middle-ages nobility. Your universe will be more realistic!

2) The most common races in heroic-fantasy universes are : Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits (a.k.a. Halflings), Orcs and Goblins. Ventilate your mind and your Players, don't hesitate to create new races

3) Medieval habits are give realism to your RPG, but if the races you created possess their own habits, the result will be more convincing.

4) Limit technology to clockwork otherwise you will alter the atmosphere of your RPG.

Space-Opera Universe

Space-Opera universes are more complicated to set. Indeed, inthose type of universes, Players have to travel from planets to planets. This implies that the Game Master must create all the planets where the Characters want to stay (such as ecology, politics, races and so forth...). Here are some advices for you :

1) Most of the space-opera universes possess very strong political interactions between leading groups. You'll have to determine the different protagonists and their respective roles.

2) Extraterrestrial races must be various and very different. The Game Master will have to create many of them. However, it's useless to define too many of them. Let your Players imagine their environment. Create only those which can be played or the main allies and enemies.

3) Planets may obey different physical laws than Earth : pressure, atmosphere, colors, ecliptic inclination, period of revolution or period of rotation... Disorientate your Players but avoïd uniform planets, excep for ice or desert planets.

4) Let work your imagination : extraterrestrial technology must be radically different from Earth. Imagine also that allied races have common technologies. So, they can possess hybrid weapons.

Cyber-Punk Universe

Cyber-Punk universes are often anticipation universes with a radical degradation of societies such as occidental societies and a great reinforcement of company powers and rights. Consequently, there is a great increase of global delinquency, enormous and polluted cities and social differences. Cybernetics, electronics, informatics and biotechnologies have been improved. You can involve androids and robots in your universe but it's not necessary : Here are other advices :

1) Major Cyber-Punk universes possess very strong interactions between economical power and political power because companies may be actors in the  legislature.

2) You can integrate races form heroic-fantasy universes, like in Shadowrun, but if you want some change, you should create races from genetic manipulations. However, you'll have to appreciate their technological level and their social integration (Are they integrated? Did they create independent societies? Are they slaves?). All of these factors will allow you to create various scenarios.

3) Politics may also drive society to ultra purged system because of intense repression (Like in "Demolition Man") or on the opposite side, politics may have driven to a very dark society (Like in "Blade Runner"). Choose your government and your society. They are very important for your scenarios.

4) Technical progress may allow the creation of Cyborgs ( mi-human, mi-machine),  drones (autonomous fighting robots). On the other hand, proscribe spatial development greater than moon or mars colonization (like in "Total Recall"), because you may transform your Cyber-Punk RPG in a Space-Opera RPG!

Post-Apocalyptic Universe

Post-apocalyptique universes are often anticipation universes with a global nuclear war in it's past which transform Earth in a giant desert (like in "Mad Max") or in an aquatic world (like in the discredited "Waterworld"). If you play after the war, it's the nuclear winter and the entire Earth is frozen and become a gigantic icicle. Consequently, there is a great violence and a return to a system where the strongest wins. The ancient technologies become great treasures and also soft water, fuel and food. Here are some advices :

1) On a desert Earth, temperatures vary extremely between night and day.On the other hand, on an aquatic Earth, there is few variations of temperature because the ocean acts as a thermic "pad".

2) Imagine mutants and humans who evolved to adapt to their environment, but avoïd other races than Human because you should trouble your Players.

3) Societies have disappeared and humans may gather into tribes and small groups.

4) Post-apocalyptic Technology may be surprising because it may be hybrid between "old" technologies and primal technology.

Alternate Universe

Alternate universes are almost identic to Earth, such as universes with super-heroes. Obviously, everything must be dont to set the different protagonists. Alternate universes may include the colonization of Eaarth by aliens (like in the old serial "V") or it may simple geographical variations or the apparition of Magic on Earth :

1) Avoïd the abundance of variations. The main goal of alternate universes is to surprise Players and not to lose them in a foreign world.

2) Be careful not to generate a Space-Opera or Heroic-Fantasy world.

3) Alternate universes are perfect for disposable RPG and are not really viable for long-term use.

Retro-Future Universe

Retro-Future universes are surprising universes where technology meet history. It consists in imagining what should become Earth if an event occured or not. For instance, try to imagine what should happen if the United States have lost the Independence War or if the Allies have lost the World War II. Here are some advices :

1) Try to take a real historical event and try to imagine the circumstances if a variation occurs : for instance, did you know that in 2000 B.C., a greek invented the steam engine ant the piston. If he had correlated these two inventions, Greeks may have invent self-propulsion! Cars should have been driven forty centuries before our era. Current progress should be different!

2) Try to be coherent : Retro-future is not Science-Fiction : Retro-Future atmosphere consists in aging the modern world or to modernize an ancient  time (What should be the world without printing?)

3) Don't include extraterrestrial event or your RPG will become an alternate universe or a Science-Fiction Universe!

Contemporary or Historical Universe

Contemporary or Historical universes are very simple and in the same time very complicated to set. The most simple because you don't need imagination but the most complicated because the facts and places you describe must be real and the descriptions must be accurate and true. As a consequence, the Game Master must collect many materials and gather many informations to create is scenarios. Those universes are not for imagination but Players and Game Masters learn a lot about certain times and countries. So, thse universes are the most cultural. Here are some advices :

1) Collect many materials before saying something. Your Players should check your informations and you should be considered as an imbecile if you're wrong!

2) Rotate between action and brainstorming because discovering scenarios can't be used in those universes.

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