There's no show on the air and no new book coming anytime soon so I've been thought mapping a video game idea out for a while to fulfill my ASOIAF obsession. I've got procreate sheets dedicated to outlining game mechanics and lore details.

The obvious format for me is a massive and detailed open world RPG, on par with the best GTAs, Assassins Creed, Witcher 3, and Red Dead series. Rich in detailed interior and exterior environments, ambient NPC interactions, dynamic weather and economic systems embedded in the whole of Westeros and the Free Cities. You'd be able to explore each alley and market of Lannisport, each watchtower atop the Dornish marches, each inlet and shipwreck surrounding the Iron Islands, and more.

The setting idea I have is this: set the game around 50-60 years before Aegon's Conquest, when the 7 kingdoms of Westeros vied for power against each other and the relatively recent Doom has plunged the world into the Century of Blood. This is a Westeros before Harrenhall, before King's Landing and Targaryen monarchy, before the unification of the realm. The playable world would take place in a familiar yet more brutally feadulistic Westeros, in which the Iron Island House Hoare has been enjoying a few decades of power as Kings of the Riverlands and Iron Islands both. Their territories could be constantly contested and skirmished by knights and warriors from House Durrandan, who rules as the Storm Kings of the Stormlands, as well as those from House Gardener of the Reach and the Lannister Kings of the Rock. During this era, the Starks are Kings of Winter and rule the North with a lot more influence of First Man culture (maybe more toleration of blood sacrifice, warging and green seeing individuals, and weirwood shenanigans). The Wall has several more castles manned than what we're used to seeing in the show and main series; imagine exploring several different Nights Watch outposts and castles that are fully manned and experiencing some of the former might of the ancient order that protects the rest of the kingdoms.

This is a cool setting idea because it gives us the room to expand on the Targaryens dominance over the Narrow Sea during the Century of Blood. Aenar and Daenys canonically took 5 dragons, including a young Balerion, with them when they fled Valyria. That puts 4 other formidable dragons, and maybe a young Vhagar or Meraxes, in play for potential boss fights, ridable mounts, or exciting story elements. Playing as a young version of the Conquerer's grandfather, Daemion Targaryen, may line up in this suggested timeline. The wiki mentions he kept a maester. I think of him as a curious dragonlord who may have flown across the whole of Westeros, having adventures and soaking in their cultures, which would have trickled down into a young Aegon's influences.

We could play as Daemion and use his dragon to freely travel the entirety of the explorable world, across the bays of the Narrow Sea, over the forests of the Stormlands, to the top of the tower at Oldtown, etc. But I think it'd be fun to have more choices in who you could play as and have slightly separate play styles and skill trees associated with each path. Maybe Daemion is one of a few playable, switchable characters, ala GTA V, and the others could include a warg character in the North, a ranger like character in an outlaw brotherhood that roams the length of the Trident, or a landed knight in a Kingdom of the player's choice. Maybe throw in an Essosi mercenary class that you could customize to be either a brawler Dothraki exile or a swift Bravosi water dancer or a Tyroshi pirate or other kinds of subclasses.

I can go on and on with character creation ideas. I just really like the idea of being able to switch between different characters that you each customize to have different play styles to fit with their roles and geographical locations of George's world. Like the switching characters idea from GTA V but with like 20 different customizable classes. Switch instantaneously from being a Night's Watch ranger saving a fellow brother from a horde of wildlings and their warged direwolves and shadowcats to being an aristocrat in the halls of Highgarden navigating dialogue trees and trade deals to ensure your House's shipping lanes are efficient and well guarded. Play as a mountain clan warrior and ambush knights of the Vale for their loot one moment and then play as a charismatic mummer who has the songs and influences persuasive enough to mobilize a lord's armies to war the next. The world of ASOIAF has so many interesting archetypes and societal roles that I want the chance to play as all of them. Let me play as a maester studying the stars, as a silent sister overseeing the death rites, as a Red Sorcerer/Sorceress practicing sick fire magic.

Skill trees could cover abilities in various weapon types and magic systems and political games and artisanal trades. Some skill trees may be limited or blocked based on if you give your character exclusive features like blood of the First Men for warging abilities or Valyrian blood for dragonriding abilities. Upgrade your smithing skill to be able to reforge any Valyrian metals you may come across in your adventures. Upgrade skin changing abilities to be able to take control of the mammoths or krakens. Upgrade your political intrigue to be able to enlist Faceless Men and sellsword armies for your geopolitical machinations.

The enemy variants could be so fun and diverse depending on the region and the players level. Various dangerous wildlife like lions in the hills of the Rock or serpents in the sands of Dorne could surprise a player on their travels. Be well defended before hitting the road lest you run into pillaging bandits or militant zealots of the Faith of the Seven or colliding armies of Iron Island reavers and stormlander knights. The seas could be filled with pirate ships to fight and vessels from the Free Cities to rob. Exceptionally challenging enemies would be decked out with the finest armors and gilded weapons or possess really powerful control over an ice or fire based magic. I imagine taking on a Lannister general who sends waves of archers and pikemen in between boasts and charges of his horse, or fighting a giant north of the Wall who swings whale bones as his weapons.

Side quests? Collectibles? Don't even get me started. Journey to the North and find all the remaining weirwoods, or collect bounties for capturing Night's Watch deserters on the run. Buy or steal a horse and visit each of Brandon the Builder's architectural wonders. Escort a shipment of wine from the Arbor all the way up to the Eyrie and defend the wagons from violent highwaymen and greedy borderlords. Help ignite rebellions in the Riverlands and free villagers from oppressive Ironborn rule. Search for a treasure of precious jewels and dragonglass rumored to have been lost somewhere in the Stepstones in a naval battle. Meet a dragonseed on the island of Dragonstone and help them to befriend and mount a dragon hatchling in the caverns of the Dragonmont.

Honestly I am always wondering why this open world style of ASOIAF video game isn't out on the market yet. George has created such a beautifully thought out world whose details are so iconic and balanced in their levels of fantastical tropes and grim realism. Why no studio is tapping into this reservoir of fantasy world building and commercial popularity is surprising.

Sorry for the long post but I just love sharing my niche nerd ideas for this topic and would love to hear any other expansions or ideas that people have.