Aside from the obvious chuckle at the jokes contained in them, it got me thinking that these types of "generic" settings are actually useful at the gaming table. When playing RPGs with non-specific settings, (like Dungeon World, for example, that encourages you to create the setting naturally during play), these tropes are the lingua franca of the participants. Having the obvious places, cultures and clichés helps everyone be on the same page, at least as a starting point. Reverting said tropes is accepted, and even desired, but having the background be "an established standard" (at least until observed in detail) helps the players and GM worry about other, more interesting things (character development, adventure hooks, plot twists, etc.).
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| another great example of the Generic World Map. |
There are other examples in the linked thread, each of them with something good to take from. My favorite has to be the top one, "Generica", specifically because of the import/export lines that have excellent jokes and nods.
I'm seriously considering using one of these for my next generic fantasy campaign, maybe even giving it a more comedic tone as a result.
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