The Hunger Games

Recently I read a book by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games is set in a future after a global catastrophe (I think it was a flood...). Anyways, an oppressive government known as the Capitol has taken control of North America, now called Panem. The situation is equivalent to the prerevolutionary France. The Capitol city is spoiled with riches, while the outlying 12 Districts under its control suffer and starve. 74 years ago, when the 13 Distrcits launched civil war on the Capitol they were defeated. District 13, the leader, was completely destroyed. This also led to the start of the Hunger Games. The Capitol requires aboy and girl from each District between ages 12 and 18 go to an arena, where its last one standing.

Short review: The book was good, had a 'To Be Continued' ending that really killed the ending.

Long review: The book is of medium length, 374 pages (I kept telling my English teacher I was on page 375, wow was she confused). The author builds a great mental picture of the suffering these people live in through Katniss, a girl from District 12. The book had some great combat scene potential, but that was squandered by the author trying to make it for teens. I didn't really like the romance between the two kids from District 12, Peeta and Katniss. Katniss was playing the love story to keep people sponsoring them. Unknown to her, Peeta really was in love. I guess that might be in there so girls like it... Meh.

So my point for posting this is this: how can you build a campaign setting from this? Or maybe just an adventure? Obviously, the government would be easy to replicate into a fantasy setting. The Games part, would have to be modified. Because the story is set in the future they have things such as hovercrafts to take the corpses out of the arena. Also, the audience watches with cameras because the arena is something like 5 miles diameter. They also show with a projector in the sky which competitors were killed.

So I'm thinking if you wanted to contain the whole thing to the city, you could have a walled city where poverty runs rampant, that surrounds a rich city on the inside. The Capitol would have a Roman Colosseum inside? Maybe entering the Hunger Games would be under different terms. Like criminals have to fight in the arena. Maybe breaking the cities strict customs would lead you to the Games. Customs that the PCs wouldn't know about.