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As Jack posted, in the coming weeks we'll be gradually introducing the world and characters to be found in Roger Steel and the Human Element. Gradually, because game development is subject to constant ambushes by Murphy's Law, and because the world in which the game itself takes place is quite complex. Nevertheless, we are hoping to release the game before the end of the year. Well, we'll see how that goes ...

But to keep our minds focused and the discussion under (some sort of) control, we thought it would be an interesting experiment to number the weekly posts that I'll be making on various topics and each major character, counting down from 25. Generally speaking, we won't be discussing details of the game before they are brought up in my weekly post. But I'm sure that won't stop y'all from speculating wildly ... and we would hate to stop you doing that. You never know what ideas we might shamelessly pilfer from your collective wisdom.

Anyway, without further waffle from me, here's the first post, introducing the world in which Roger Steel takes place ...


It's 1936. A century after the first great plague. Ninety-seven years after the blight. Ninety-two years since an unprecedented series of meteor strikes swept the world.

Two empires wrestle over a shattered and war-torn world.

Europe lies in ruins, shattered by a fruitless war that has raged twenty years and more.

The United States of America is but a dream held fiercely by the rump States huddled around the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico.

The British Empire works industriously from its stronghold in Canada to support a patchwork of aboriginal confederacies, fractious enclaves and proto-nations fed by a constant stream of immigrants from the battlefields of Europe and undermine the United State's resurgence.

Across the Bering Strait, over much of landlocked Asia, Tsarist Russia rules an ever-expanding empire with an iron fist.

In China too, the Qing Dynasty – hanging on to power by its fingernails and angered by the havoc being wrought by foreigners in her backyard – is struggling to unite and control bickering warlords to maintain rule over its far-flung provinces.

Meanwhile, a complex conspiracy is at work in the mountains and deserts surrounding the roof of the world.

Into this maelstrom, four innocents are thrown by fate. When a sibling is kidnapped to become part of a sinister experiment, the remaining brother or sister together with two lifelong friends have to join six strangers with deadly secrets to rescue them and foil a madman's scheme to march the human race beyond frontiers of science.

Discuss!

First of all I wonder why the game is called "Roger Steel" and second I wonder whether these four innocents will come from China, British Empire or USA...

Also the meteor strikes suggest the game setting will be post-apocalyptic as well?

Based on the description, sounds like the setting diverged from history around 1830's (given ~100 years before 1936)? Would explain the state the of the US/Canada/Britain, which in turn would presumably explain why the WWI equivalent is locked in stalemate, and that in turn explain why Russia is still Russia.

Socialism (or faux socialism, I suppose) was the big thing in 1930s in history, IIRC (and the Depression), though it's not clear if the same pressures would be on Italy or Germany given the alternative outcome of WWI. The date feel suggestive, though. A split from 1830's would also presumably mean a very different US Civil war (if there was even one) which could also imply a very different relationship for the US federal government.

Hopefully the background implies that there will be some political aspects to the game - probably unreasonable to expect a deep treatment, though it'd be nice if it explored some of the consequences a bit.

Well, the game has my interest.

Hmmm....So does this mean Mexico still controls California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, slices of Colorado and Wyoming, plus quite possibly Texas too? Or have the Comanche and Apache taken much of that region over? And is Texas an independent country? Or has it been admitted to the Union?

Historical Note: Texas gained its independence from Mexico in early 1836, and then asked to join the Union. This eventually lead to a war between the US and Meixco in the 1840's where Mexico got crushed and was forced to cede a great deal of land to the US. So I assume that due to the plague/meteor strikes, the Mexican war either didn't happen or didn't lead to the same results, but this leaves Texas's status up in the air.

I suppose Philadelphia is likely still the 2nd largest city in the US at the time of the game since with no further westward expansion, Chicago wouldn't have experienced quite the same growth.

Hmm...and what about the Civil War? Did that happen eventually? Or does slavery still exist in the US at the time of the game?

Cool looks like the writer has "a few questions" to answer when he wakes up / visits forums again

I will leave the history theory's to the experts and just concentrate on the gaming aspect.
I love a game with a Sibling for the main character but more often then not they are used very little (Dragon Age 2) or are just a NPC. Will this game finally have a sibling (once rescued) who stays in the party and is kick ass. Or is the game just going to be about the rescue... I wonder??
Another thing I agree with abnaxus in that the origins is interesting and I hope multicultural.
Interesting... Very interesting...

Oooh~ Interesting! So I guess we can either play as the sister or the brother? Will there be romances? I wonder who or what Roger Steel is...

Just one thing, we want to try keeping it more organized so on each thread writer will reply on the thread's theme. So there will be one about each character (yes different nationalities ) and the romances. But for now in this thread he'll reply only about the setting/world. We're doing it a bit to tease (I admit it! ) but also because we don't want to reveal everything immediately (and we don't have yet any artwork for the characters so we're waiting for that).

Ok the World.
Are there airships?
How does technology differ in this timeline?
Where in the world is Roger Steel set?
That will do from me for this post...