The dm requires a 15+ item questionnaire for you to join their game

>the dm requires a 15+ item questionnaire for you to join their game

that and this, but this should be filled out as a group.

...

what kinda adhd weeb are you that you cant even asnwer 20 questions

This looks like a regular Session 0 only written on paper instead of being a session.

Also sounds like a good way to select for a certain group of players that would be a good fit for that particular GM.

If you don't like this particular method, you should probably move on to another GM, it will be better for everyone involved.

I've never actually made my players fill out that form, but I might if I think the game would be better for it. I've done one-on-one character interviews before the game started, though, and those lasted like an hour each, and I ended up with two pages of notes about the character, and the player ended up with a detailed history and personality.

That's also a good way of doing it.

In general I'm in favor of GMs having some form of selection process and I think that a Session 0 is obligatory. Really helps weed out the flakes early on. It also helps me as a player to see if I'll be having fun with the GM and his group.

>Can't fill out 15 questions.

Bitch, when I RP I make sure I can answer at least 75 questions about my character from a list of 100.

Is this the new
>120 word essay due in a week, still haven't started, what do, fuckin kill me
meme?

Nigga you anal. Its just a game. I'm not saying RPGs aren't fun, but don't take your fun so seriously. Play more games with more characters if possible, and less time crafting individual characters.

The strongest characters are built on their actions, not their backstories.

>taking things seriously isn't fun

>the player is too proud to give some basic information

If you can't be arsed to answer 15 questions you probably shouldn't be playing a game with a 300 page rulebook

You're just saying he's having fun the wrong way. Some groups love getting in to living, breathing characters and love a detailed life story to support that life. Some people have fun witha two character turnover per session. If the DM knows him and his group plays RP heavy with characters having lives intertwined with each other and the setting, a questionnaire is probably a good warning you won't like the game

>Does the game master need our group to be something in particular?
How is the group supposed to know that?

Asking the question or gleaning from the campaign notes

Because comunication is probably not one sided in this case.
For example, say he's starting a campaign meant to be viewed as an expedition to a new continent.
Then the Game Master probably needs someone to head the expediiton, someone that acts as a representative for a sponsor, someone in charge of security and someone in charge of logistics and maybe one in charge of manpower.
The Gm might not have thought of that, but it instantly ties the group to the plot in a way that encourages them to work together, helps the GM tie them to the world and so on and so fourth.

>not just playing with friends

>Implying it's not a risus game
I did somewhat along the lines of what op is saying for a risus games, with different questions for every player so they get to know their characters before the games begins.
They where short questions mostly about character traits and minor details to help them enter the mind of the character. For example what it's their favorite food, if the have brothers or sisters, how do they react to stress, etc.

>mfw I'm in the process of creating a system for a Bully campaign
>mfw I'm planning on something like this for character creation
>mfw I know I'm anal as fuck but I enjoy it

A brief questionnaire that covers basics like availability, what you intend to play, etc.

It's not like they're asking for a resume with references

It helps the GM weed inattentive semi-literate goons out of the applicant pool.

Oh and also the questions themselves can reveal red flags.

>Needing a questionairre
>"Basic" info

If your concept can't be summarised as two or three sentences on a character sheet you are not welcome at my table. I expect people to play characters, not backstories.

>tfw GM never asks a single thing about your character background because it doesn't matter to his storyline

>the GM lets any random asshole join without any vetting

>tfw the GM sets aside separate sessions for each player to flesh out their backstory

>If your concept can't be summarised as two or three sentences on a character sheet you are not welcome at my table.
If you're too stupid to answer 15 simple questions about your character, you're not welcome at my table.

So I guess we both end up where we belong.

If your concept can be summarized as two or three sentences on a character sheet you are not welcome at my table. I expect people to play characters, not stereotypes.

>tfw GM forces you to write at least 5 pages (10 size font, both sides)
>never uses them
>in fact you dicover later he didn't even read them
Fucking why?

>dm sees you're playing a human
>asks if you'd be okay playing a half-elf or elf instead

I know we're being hyperbolic here, but why can't you have both? There's nothing stopping you from having a decently sized back story (4 or 5 pages of information sounds like a good number), but also having the capability to sum up your character in a couple sentances. Isn't one of the marks of a good character is being able to generalize them while retaining the core character, but also be able to talk about them in detail like a real person?

That would be ideal (for me even a single page if of important information is enough).
But having to choose between someone who doesn't know how to summarize and someone who doesn't know his character beyond three sentences I would choose the former.

To be fair, even though I'm not giving the players actual questionnaires, I'm still slipping relevant questions into my emails/Skype messages, and into our face to face Session 0 conversations.