Continued Appeal of High Fantasy?

[Caliga]

But I agree - people like high fantasy because it's comforting.  It speaks to a few core beliefs that people like to see (special people have special magic powers and are destined to succeed, evil is relatively easy to identify and gets its comeuppance in the end).  Enough modern assumptions are kept which, combined with the reuse of tropes, motifs, monsters and so on makes it very easy to get into new work once you're into the genre.

That, and, due to its near-universal appeal, movie/game writers who can't afford to make a dud will keep utilizing it as a setting over and over again.  If you can be original and compelling in your plotline, why do you need a totally original setting for it?

This kind of reminds me of that one Ryoken thread where he wanted game companies to make weirdass games only he would buy.

[Ed Anger]

This kind of reminds me of that one Ryoken thread where he wanted game companies to make weirdass games only he would buy.

LOLZ.

[garbon]

There's something more than a little odd about this statement, unless you come into contact with magic and elves and whatnot on a regular basis.

I mean, that might explain why you keep reading fantasy now, but then why did you ever start?

Isn't that obvious? It was once exotic (like when I was 10) but now it is not.

[DisturbedPervert]

And when BioWare produced a MASTERPIECE set in a fantasy version of China, it just didn't sell. 

It didn't sell because it wasn't very good. 

[Caliga]

I liked it, especially the evil ending.  But Mass Effect and Dragon Age are definitely better products.

[Martinus]

But I agree - people like high fantasy because it's comforting.  It speaks to a few core beliefs that people like to see (special people have special magic powers and are destined to succeed, evil is relatively easy to identify and gets its comeuppance in the end).  Enough modern assumptions are kept which, combined with the reuse of tropes, motifs, monsters and so on makes it very easy to get into new work once you're into the genre.

Have you actually played Dragon Age?

I wouldn't call it a game where "evil is relatively easy to identify".

[Jaron]

But I agree - people like high fantasy because it's comforting.  It speaks to a few core beliefs that people like to see (special people have special magic powers and are destined to succeed, evil is relatively easy to identify and gets its comeuppance in the end).  Enough modern assumptions are kept which, combined with the reuse of tropes, motifs, monsters and so on makes it very easy to get into new work once you're into the genre.

Have you actually played Dragon Age?

I wouldn't call it a game where "evil is relatively easy to identify".

I would. And I have played it.

[MadImmortalMan]

I don't think that is true of the vast majority of historical settings, or alternative fantasy settings.  One of the reasons I loved Jade Empire so much was that it managed to make Fantasy feel exotic again.  During my first play through Jade Empire, at about 3-4 am, while I was kind of stoned, I ran into the realm of the Fox Spirit, and was just dumbstruck by the entire level.  I had a furry-hot Spirit Fox talking to me about celestial balance, with a Demon Elephant protecting her.

You must have been stoned pretty good, because that was an episode of The Simpsons.

[Ed Anger]

I don't think that is true of the vast majority of historical settings, or alternative fantasy settings.  One of the reasons I loved Jade Empire so much was that it managed to make Fantasy feel exotic again.  During my first play through Jade Empire, at about 3-4 am, while I was kind of stoned, I ran into the realm of the Fox Spirit, and was just dumbstruck by the entire level.  I had a furry-hot Spirit Fox talking to me about celestial balance, with a Demon Elephant protecting her.

You must have been stoned pretty good, because that was an episode of The Simpsons.

lolz

[Slargos]

Speaking for myself, I read fiction the way I play games: Story over setting.

Whether the antagonists are orcs, trollocs or vampiric bunnies is irrelevant as long as I'm being told a good story.

The setting only serves as a vehicle for the story, and if it distracts rather than attracts, it becomes meaningless.

I saw an animated film a while back called "Dragon Hunters" and while I was strangely fascinated by the way they played with physics and the standard format of monsters it just didn't "work" and while it was interesting to watch, I couldn't really enjoy the story.

I think people enjoy what they are familiar with because it's easier to get emotionally involved with what you're familiar with. If you don't have to spend time figuring out how the universe works, you can focus on the meat of the story which is the characters. Most stories follow a very similar format and eventually all become pretty predictable but we still go to see the new Bruce Willis movie or buy the latest Wheel of Time book because we like being entertained in a predictable fashion.

Spoiler alert:














Rand will defeat the Dark One.

[Slargos]

Both seem pretty fantasy to me but I guess it's not entirely divorced from a historical context.  I do think that's happening due to the influence of Western fantasy.  Dragon Oath ( http://do.us.changyou.com/new/2009110602.shtml ) is clearly Chinese in origin but quite divorced from anything historical.

Is it even possible to completely divorce fiction from historical context? What would that kind of fiction even look like?

[Lettow77]

 High Fantasy is appealing and harkens back to western culture, which is nice if your a reactionary.

[Slargos]

In addition, I should say, there's only so much freaky shit you can come up with before you start inventing rapist squids, and I'm not entirely convinced anyone sane can or should enjoy stuff like that.

[garbon]

High Fantasy is appealing and harkens back to western culture, which is nice if your a reactionary.

I know what you mean. I so wanna go live in a castle.

[Habbaku]

High Fantasy is appealing and harkens back to western culture, which is nice if your a reactionary.

I know what you mean. I so wanna go live in a castle.

  Dying at 45 is also awesome.