[jackal59mo2]

I'm convinced that medieval fantasy is "medieval" in the same way that processed cheese food is "cheese" (or "food," take your pick). You're right, though, about it being a common genre. It seems that non-"medieval" fantasy games are more or less horror (WoD, the Anita Blake stuff), vaguely science fiction, or furry games. Modern games are either gangsters or comics if they're not horror: fantasy of a kind, but maybe not in the way most people want.

I've seen a few attempts at different settings, but I think those tend to collapse under the difficulty of creating an original world, communicating that world to players who often have their own understandings and agendas, and trying to strike a balance between staying true to the concept and letting people have their fun (which, as we know, generally means killing stuff and bumping uglies). At least everyone pretty much knows what a "medieval fantasy" setting in which folks can have their characters do those things looks like. Deviate too far from that, or expect people to be conversant with a complex backstory before playing, and frustration all around is a likely result.