Players should play, and not be heard: Campaign Edition

TwoSix · May 21, 2018

I don't know. If I throw a party at my house, but I ask the guests to each bring a dish because it's a potluck party, and I just provide the venue, some napkins and silverware, do I not care about the party or my friends?

I'm perfectly happy to have my house host a party every week, but I don't feel I have to invite a band and cook all the food just to say I'm a good host. I'm a party holder, not a wedding planner.

GlassJaw · May 21, 2018

If you're a DM that so stuck on a specific campaign idea, I'd argue you aren't a good DM, or at least a short-sighted one.

I have SO many ideas I'd love to run that I would have no problem involving the players in the decision. And I would be 100% invested in all of them.

When I know the players are invested in the setting/campaign, I'm get MORE invested. So if giving the players a say in the game empowers them to be more invested, them I'm all for it.

That's not to say I've made decisions fully on my own about what I want to run. I certainly have, and that's what I do most of the time. But I see no downside to polling the players, nor would it affect my enjoyment and dedication to the game.

One caveat: I wouldn't offer a choice for something I'm not interested (like an all-evil party as one example).

Eltab · May 21, 2018

GlassJaw said:
I wouldn't offer a choice for something I'm not interested (like an all-evil party as one example).

If the group (not just one dominating personality at-table) can persuade me that a not-exciting-to-me campaign concept is worth a whirl, I would give it a good-faith effort.

I would have a Session Zero AND a "Session Negative-One" to find out what sort of antics the players expect to indulge in, expect to encounter, and how they might react. To the outside world doing it, and to each other doing it.
I also would state that, if they think I'm not implementing the concept well, after a few weeks I can rotate DM responsibilities. Because the people who really like a concept should be in a position to make it work (for everybody I hope).

the Jester · May 21, 2018

As you say, it's a matter of playstyle, but in my preferred style, the DM owns the game and the setting. I know all about this modern shared ownership/shared authorship movement; that's great for some groups, but it's not how I roll or how I prefer DMs I play under to roll.

MarkB · May 21, 2018

While I take lowkey13's point that the campaign is better if the DM is invested in it, the reverse is also very much true - the campaign is better if the players are invested in it.

If the DM gets an idea in his head for a campaign setting that really resonates with him, but the players either aren't interested or just don't really grok the concept that he's going for, that's just going to be an exercise in frustration for everyone concerned. And sometimes the answer is going to be "get different players", but sometimes it may simply be to put that special project on the back-burner until you can develop it more, get player buy-in, or find a different crowd to run it with - and meanwhile, keep playing with the friends you have, and running something they can have fun playing.

Sacrosanct · May 21, 2018

TwoSix said:
I don't know. If I throw a party at my house, but I ask the guests to each bring a dish because it's a potluck party, and I just provide the venue, some napkins and silverware, do I not care about the party or my friends?

I'm perfectly happy to have my house host a party every week, but I don't feel I have to invite a band and cook all the food just to say I'm a good host. I'm a party holder, not a wedding planner.

I don't think they are remotely analogous. If everyone brings their own dish, I can still pick and choose what to eat and what not to eat. If the majority decides to play Darksun, then I'm stuck playing Darksun if I didn't want to if I'm still "at the house party".

That, and I can't recall a single instance where I DM'd at my house and the players didn't know what we were playing in pretty good detail well in advance.

GlassJaw said:
If you're a DM that so stuck on a specific campaign idea, I'd argue you aren't a good DM, or at least a short-sighted one..

Poppycock. How many settings a DM wants to play has ZERO bearing on how good of a DM they are or not. That's like saying anyone who only likes to play a specific RPG is going to be a bad/short sighted GM.

lowkey13 · May 21, 2018

*Deleted by user*

TwoSix · May 21, 2018

lowkey13 said:
The number of awesome parties I've been to where it's been, "Hey guys, y'all show up, bring whatever, I can't really be bothered," can be counted on one hand, with no fingers.

If you can't have a great party in your house with the right people and a keg or two, you need to invite better people.

lowkey13 · May 21, 2018

*Deleted by user*

TwoSix · May 21, 2018

lowkey13 said:
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

If "EYE KAN HAZ KEG" is your requirement for a great party, you need to get yourself a higher class of party.

Which almost circles around to my point; anyone can tap a keg of natty light and call it a party. But a truly awesome party requires more than red solo cups and a place to throw up.

You're absolutely right, high class parties have 2 colors of solo cups for the different beer pong teams.

Players should play, and not be heard: Campaign Edition

TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer

GlassJaw

Hero

Eltab

Lord of the Hidden Layer

the Jester

Legend

MarkB

Legend

Sacrosanct

Legend

lowkey13

Guest

TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer

lowkey13

Guest

TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer

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