How do you build a campaign? I mean, games may be ran on different kinds of rails.
I'm pretty experienced DM, who hit a "block" earlier this year. I took my time analyzing my previous games, and realized it was always the same pattern, similar to Bioware games or Star Trek: 1) 3-4 locations to choose from; 2) local story arc in each; 3) some profit in the end; 4) goto 1
I think that's because my first successful game was Rogue Trader. From this time, it's always goddamn Rogue Trader with a leader in party and his henchmen, who are trying to build some collective profit or profitable endeavor. First it was OK for me and my players, but now it feels dull. I'm feeling like I'm not getting better as a DM, and players are definitely bored despite saying it's still OK.
So, what are the different game styles to employ? "Action movie" with no time to breathe, just shoot and punch? Sandbox? Anything else? Also, have you ran a party without a leader figure? Seems to me, players just follow their boss and don't want to think of their own goals and ambition.
Blake Mitchell
Pretty much the same way. >players enter location >intro to problem(s) in area and notable NPCs that all usually tie into each other >end reward >players go towards new location >rinse, wash, repeat
Juan Thompson
I've never had a party with a leader figure. Sure there's sometimes players that like to sit in the background until its their turn to roll the dice or an angry npc is yelling at them, but one person calling the shots seems strange.
I generally give them an illusion of choice but always railroad them. >would you like to go to x, y, or z? >hmmmm, lets go somewhere you didnt mention! >fine by me, you see before you "exactly what x, y, and z would have been"
I give them role playing and hack and slash fun time at about a 2-1 ratio unless the entire session takes place in a dungeon then its more like 1-1.
Isaiah Clark
>I generally give them an illusion of choice but always railroad them.
Good job. I do that as well. >Plan a kobold ambush >Tell players the path splits, north or east ( either will lead to a kobold ambush) > " Lol, fuck the DM, we cross between the paths" > Get ambushed by kobolds anyway
Illusion of choice.
Ryder Rivera
Depends on system
Matthew Diaz
>I generally give them an illusion of choice but always railroad them. >I do that as well.
And here I thought I was always being a selfish asshole for doing this.
Jacob Adams
I've done it this way my entire time as well, but my new session im trying something different. Im going to give them the entire world map and a ship. planning A story adventures in certain notable towns and B story baddie of the week ones in the other notable areas. took a lot of planing but im only 2 games in
Matthew Watson
I think, like you, my method of GMing has also basically been set by my first successful campaign. In my case it was MonsterHearts, so I follow it's method of running sessions >open the session with a mystery, fight, or announcing a social event >after that do whatever needs to be done to keep the conflicts going until the end of the session >reincorporate any unresolved threads into the opening of next week's session
Eli Davis
I always require my players have a personal goal that their characters will pursue if there aren't more pressing concerns. You could be the best DM in the world and it won't matter if the main characters of your story aren't self-motivating. Having a leader character is fine if the players are loyal to that leader because it helps them get closer to accomplishing some personal goal. Not having a leader is fine, but again, requires the characters will actively seek out their goal. You want the characters to be ACTING, not REACTING. (This is why "you all start in a tavern" or "you're all running from a thin" intro's are utter shit, because once the immediate danger has passed the player characters have no reason to pursue anything other than because they're "supposed to".)
Jonathan Gutierrez
thats a really great, simple idea and im sort of mad i havent thought of it
