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Does setting really matter in your games? (and how to make it matter more)
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<blockquote data-quote="johnsemlak" data-source="post: 2327222" data-attributes="member: 7233"><p>So there have been A LOT threads over the years I've surfed EN World about people's favorite settings.</p><p></p><p>ONe question I have -- does the setting REALLY matter in your games? Does it play a major role in the campaign? Do the players get a good feel for the setting, and develop an interested in events that happen in the setting?</p><p></p><p>I ask this because the exeperience in my group is that interest in the setting amongst the players is very little unfortunately. The setting tends to only be used as a skeleton--a source of deiteis and their domains, and a map. Other than that, we could be playing in generic D&D-esque locations that could be located anywhere.</p><p></p><p>We've tried playing in various settings, and are currenlty in FR. But most of hte players, including myself, don't really know the setting. I man, if someone says 'Sembia' to me, I have to look at the map to find where it is, and it doesn't mean much culturally to me. Most of the players in my group are the same. A lot of us have a simple favorite setting, but the they tend to be different.</p><p></p><p>So my question is, if I start a campaign and want the players to be more involved with the setting, and I want the setting to play more of a role, what do I do? </p><p></p><p>I've thought about using several settings I know well--Greyhawk, Mystara, Scarred Lands, Kalamar, the Wilderlands, or even city locations like Bluffside. But again, while I know these settings, the players don't, and it would take a lot of time for players to really get a feel of the setting. Perhaps I'm wrong, but my feeling is for the players to really get into the setting we would have to have several campaigns in it, which weave events in a way that make the players really care and look forward to later campaigns. Also, other players may simply not have the interest I have in these settings.</p><p></p><p>One solution that occured to me was to choose a setting hte players know through literature/history, such as a medieval Europe-based setting, Middle Earth, or perhaps Dragonlance. The first two choices are very challenging to adapt to D&D. Dragonlance would definitely be a good option in that all the players ahve read a few of the novels and would get into the setting much quicker, and it's a D&D-ready setting. Still, it's not really the setting I want to run as a DM.</p><p></p><p>Another idea a player put forward was to have a campaign in a very confined locale (an island), and allow to the players to have their characters play a very direct role in that location's development--sort of letting them build the setting from scratch. </p><p></p><p>Anyone have any other ideas?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="johnsemlak, post: 2327222, member: 7233"] So there have been A LOT threads over the years I've surfed EN World about people's favorite settings. ONe question I have -- does the setting REALLY matter in your games? Does it play a major role in the campaign? Do the players get a good feel for the setting, and develop an interested in events that happen in the setting? I ask this because the exeperience in my group is that interest in the setting amongst the players is very little unfortunately. The setting tends to only be used as a skeleton--a source of deiteis and their domains, and a map. Other than that, we could be playing in generic D&D-esque locations that could be located anywhere. We've tried playing in various settings, and are currenlty in FR. But most of hte players, including myself, don't really know the setting. I man, if someone says 'Sembia' to me, I have to look at the map to find where it is, and it doesn't mean much culturally to me. Most of the players in my group are the same. A lot of us have a simple favorite setting, but the they tend to be different. So my question is, if I start a campaign and want the players to be more involved with the setting, and I want the setting to play more of a role, what do I do? I've thought about using several settings I know well--Greyhawk, Mystara, Scarred Lands, Kalamar, the Wilderlands, or even city locations like Bluffside. But again, while I know these settings, the players don't, and it would take a lot of time for players to really get a feel of the setting. Perhaps I'm wrong, but my feeling is for the players to really get into the setting we would have to have several campaigns in it, which weave events in a way that make the players really care and look forward to later campaigns. Also, other players may simply not have the interest I have in these settings. One solution that occured to me was to choose a setting hte players know through literature/history, such as a medieval Europe-based setting, Middle Earth, or perhaps Dragonlance. The first two choices are very challenging to adapt to D&D. Dragonlance would definitely be a good option in that all the players ahve read a few of the novels and would get into the setting much quicker, and it's a D&D-ready setting. Still, it's not really the setting I want to run as a DM. Another idea a player put forward was to have a campaign in a very confined locale (an island), and allow to the players to have their characters play a very direct role in that location's development--sort of letting them build the setting from scratch. Anyone have any other ideas? [/QUOTE]
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