The Campaign Builder's Guild

Since 1997 I have loved the work of those Oddworld Inhabitants. Nothing excites me more than a story about poor conquered native peoples rising up and taking back their lives. One hero (physically weak, but mentally and morally mighty) with the best of intentions fighting against a industrialized capitalistic monster. For those in the know, here's a place to discuss and celebrate. For those not in the know, here's a place to give it a lookie-loo.

http://www.oddworld.au.com/games/index.php
http://www.oddworld.com/firsttenyears/index.shtml

...and how great was the reversal in Stranger's Wrath? Mentally weak, but phyiscally mighty and badass, Stanger is a character who relies upon the captialistic industrialized society that one usually fights in the games. It's games like these that make me give credit to the artistic medium that is video games.

Now for the Darkstone plug: I've been playing these games again, and I realized one of the themes I want to drive in Darkstone (my campaign setting) is that struggle between Nature and Technology (not necessarily "magic" and technology), Native and Imperialist. I think I've set up the situation well enough, what with the expansionist nations like Avalon, Martel, the Battista, and the ever hungry Republic. Set these industrial superpowers against a vast and untamed wilderness filled with ancient religions, fierce predators, and naiive natives, and I have a formula for some enjoyable GMing.

My questions to my fellow campaign builders; where could one go for some more information and inspiration for setting up a campaign for some Industrialized Imperials against the Natural Natives? One big issue I have is the races present in Darkstone. I began to move away from Tolkeinesque races, but should I make the natives inhuman? Would that make them more endearing? Would that make the conflict more interesting (easier to rationalize search and destroy operations if your foe is inhuman)? I can think of a few races that would be suitable for such a role (Minotaurs, gargoyles, trollkin/ogrekin, lizardmen)... but I do want to distance the concepts from standard Monstrous Manual canon.

I shall have to update some racial information as the Anti-Tolkein Anti-Fantasy revolution continues in Darkstone.

VIVA REVOL!

i love those games soo much but i've only playe abe's oddysee and abe's exodus. #3, munch's oddysee, was x-box only, so i couldn't play it, and haven't payed attention to the never games really. what number are they on? how were the intervening games and were any availiable for computer?

I had Abe's Oddysee, but I found it kind of hard to get into.  I guess it just depends what mood you're in at the time.

They're on number 3: Stranger.

Abe
Munch
Stranger
?
?

The only game that wasnt offically part of the quintology was Abes Exoddus, which we're all happy that they did.

I feel ya on the Xbox only debacle. I didn't get around to playing Munch and Stranger until recently. But I tell you it was worth it!