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<blockquote data-quote="RenleyRenfield" data-source="post: 9587946" data-attributes="member: 7044197"><a href="https://200wordrpg.github.io/2016/supplement/2016/04/12/CATS.html" target="_blank">C.A.T.S.!!</a>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.ConceptPitch this game. At a high-level, what’s it about?&nbsp; What is this game's primary adventures like? (missions, emotions, combat, adventure, zero-prep, etc)AimExplain 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?&nbsp; four color heroes?&nbsp; emotional bonding with NPC and others?&nbsp; etc etc etc)ToneHave 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 MatterExplain what ideas might be explored during gameplay. Do they make anyone uncomfortable? Discuss what boundaries need to be set, if any.&nbsp; (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.&nbsp; No, D&amp;D can't do everything... so don't force it to be a emotional melodrama <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":P" title="Stick out tongue&nbsp; &nbsp; :P"&nbsp; data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":P" />&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Try out new systems, and really try to get good at playing them.&nbsp; There are gems out there that need a little extra learning time, so be patient with new systems.&nbsp;&nbsp; .......Some personal IMHO mappings of systems to best-fit game styles =D&amp;D / Pathfinder: &quot;I want to play Diablo but with with more interactions as my highly supernatural/magic character.&quot; OSR/RuneQuest: &quot;I want to play down-to-earth people who can die easily, thus heroics and magic are a big dangerous deal!&quot; PBTA: &quot;I want to play a genre and have the game feel like a movie!&quot; FitD: &quot;I want a game where the tactics are mostly Ocean's 11 heist and gang/world building instead of highly specific combat mechanics!&quot;2d20: &quot;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.&quot; Cypher: &quot;I want to play D&amp;D but make it more like final fantasy/jrpg where players make all the rolls.&quot; Vampire/Werewolf/Mage: &quot;I want to play as the monster, but only as dark/evil/monster as I feel like being!&quot; Dread: &quot;I don't want rules, I want danger and drama and death and jenga!&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="RenleyRenfield, post: 9587946, member: 7044197"] [URL='https://200wordrpg.github.io/2016/supplement/2016/04/12/CATS.html'][B]C.A.T.S.!![/B][/URL] 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. [B]Concept[/B] 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) [B]Aim[/B] Explain what the players are trying to accomplish. Can someone win? Can everyone lose? Are we trying to tell a specific [I]type [/I]of story? (is this storybook? four color heroes? emotional bonding with NPC and others? etc etc etc) [B]Tone[/B] 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. [B]Subject [/B]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 .... [I]be honest with the game system you pick for this.[/I] No, D&D can't do everything... so don't force it to be a emotional melodrama :P 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!" [/QUOTE]

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