As a player, I like a campaign that...

[Haltherrion]

It really depends on my mood. Sometimes I like being along for the ride, so long as the scenery is interesting and sometimes I want to paint my own pictures. So, I answered all of the above.

Yeah, I find I don't have a strong preference although in the end, I voted for the first 3 and not the 4th. I can appreciate a well down open game but those are really hard to find so it put it below the line for me.

 

[kitsune9]

I'm honestly not trying to pass judgement on any response. In the hands of the right referee, all could make for a fun campaign.

I agree. All styles are fine so long as the DM is prepped and ready to go. If I'm going to play a Sandbox campaign, I'd like the DM to be in control of what happens in each area we explore / visit. Or if the DM is going to railroad us on our adventure, then he should be prepared to provide a good story and keep the pace moving. When I played in the RPGA, we hit all of these styles to some degree or less.

Nothing irks me more than a DM who wants to wing it as he goes along because in all my experiences with DMs who run adventures by the seat of their pants is a session of two hour haggling over making plate armor, random encounters that don't make any sense, book flipping, and a plot that goes no where because the DM forgets about it mid-stream or doesn't really know what story he's trying to provide. However, he will insist that he has this awesome best-seller idea all "up here" (pointing to head). Then the ones that I really want to choke are those who can't be bothered with dice, pencils, and rule books. These are the guys who show up to run a convention game....that you paid money for.

For my style since I DM all the time, I pretty much run an adventure, either one I write or use a published one. I'll tweak it so that the players can feel like they get a choice when they start it, but for the most part it's, "Here's the adventure, either play it or I'll throw random encounter at you for the evening."

 

[Zelda Themelin]

My chosen style is between 2-3, more close to 2. I actually like number 1 as player sometimes, if I totally agree with a story. I don't dm that way ever, too boring for me. I've never ever had good experience of 4th choice. Too much freedom, is pretty much too near to nothing to do. DM should provide something more special that other stuff. Not something between "you figure it out", "llong list of quests, of which none read as very important stuff".


Maybe there are dm's good with style 4, but it requires lot of prep and ability to make it sound inviting. Most players I know exect dm to tell most of story, as do I. Mainly because I like stories that have mysteries and things I can figure out. If I am creating story it's not suprising enough to me, it is just reactive cconsequences. Even rolling dice doesn't save it.


You can rebel against railroading, but can do next to nothing to too much freedom. And I have often noticed that if dm:s don't like idea you want to do, they put their effort to killing that story. Well, my real life experience, there are many out there I believe that work it better.

Anyway, I think game should always have some kinda theme. If there isn't one, then I wont' play. I mean themes like "war against something", "aliens invading your home world", "you are all immortal, and don't know why", " etc and even combine some.
Not only that makes campaing immediatly sound more interesting it also makes it easier to create characters, and there easily is certain party combabilitly. And you are not so easily confused if you need social character or just lot of combat related skills or whatever else or inbetween.