As I've recounted many times here, my group and I have struggled to bring our tastes together in a satisfying game experience.
This time, I'm trying to get us started on the right foot and plan for the game, including them in a more major role. (In the past they've usually said "we trust you to run a good game" - which is nice - but in practice it's frustrating.)
I need some good questions to ask. However, most of the advice I've seen have been about X Cards and such - which isn't especially relevant because we've had those kinds of discussions already.
So how do you go about finding a good system and campaign style for your groups?
C.A.T.S.!!
Start with this simple set of steps =
Before playing a game, or even introducing the rules, there needs to be a conversation at the table to set expectations. A game runs smoothly when all players understand what the group is striving for. But how do you do it? You use the CATS method! Everyone loves CATS.
Concept
Pitch this game. At a high-level, what’s it about? What is this game's primary adventures like? (missions, emotions, combat, adventure, zero-prep, etc)
Aim
Explain what the players are trying to accomplish. Can someone win? Can everyone lose? Are we trying to tell a specific
type of story? (is this storybook? four color heroes? emotional bonding with NPC and others? etc etc etc)
Tone
Have a quick conversation about the tone of the game. What is the default? Are there different options for gameplay? (Serious vs. Gonzo, Action vs. Drama, etc.). Come to a consensus on what the group wants.
Subject Matter
Explain what ideas might be explored during gameplay. Do they make anyone uncomfortable? Discuss what boundaries need to be set, if any. (This is about stuff like PvP, or non-consensual actions like vampire feeding, or are characters expected to be exceptionally cooperative, or are we the baddies, etc etc )
........
THEN ....
be honest with the game system you pick for this. No, D&D can't do everything... so don't force it to be a emotional melodrama
Try out new systems, and really try to get good at playing them. There are gems out there that need a little extra learning time, so be patient with new systems.
.......
Some personal IMHO mappings of systems to best-fit game styles =
D&D / Pathfinder: "I want to play Diablo but with with more interactions as my highly supernatural/magic character."
OSR/RuneQuest: "I want to play down-to-earth people who can die easily, thus heroics and magic are a big dangerous deal!"
PBTA: "I want to play a genre and have the game feel like a movie!"
FitD: "I want a game where the tactics are mostly Ocean's 11 heist and gang/world building instead of highly specific combat mechanics!"
2d20: "I want the game to feel like I have rules that the player can use to control their danger level, but the GM still gets to whollop us from time if we build too much Heat."
Cypher: "I want to play D&D but make it more like final fantasy/jrpg where players make all the rolls."
Vampire/Werewolf/Mage: "I want to play as the monster, but only as dark/evil/monster as I feel like being!"
Dread: "I don't want rules, I want danger and drama and death and jenga!"