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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 5114426" data-attributes="member: 177">For a very long time, gaming has been about getting the Usual Suspects together to play.   Occasionally we'd switch games, and rotate GM-duty around.  Occasionally we'd add someone new to a game.  Sometimes, the group would go into hiatus for a while, and then we'd start up something new.  Everyone pretty much knew everyone else, and we knew each others' play styles.  Whoever was GMing didn't need to ask much about what others wanted - we already knew, as discussion of our games was part of our usual social existence. That is no longer my situation.  Life and career changes has rendered the Usual Suspects inert.  Our fitful attempts make it clear that it simply isn't possible to get them all together on a regular basis any more.  Thus, I'm in the process of putting together a new group of Usual Suspects.I don't mind playing with strangers at Gamedays.  But for longer-term campaign work I far prefer working with people I know, or at least for whom I have confidence they'll pass my "No Jerks at the Table" rule.  So, I'm not putting up signs in my FLGS or in the Gamers Seeking Gamers forum - I've kind of limited myself to people I know, who are gamers, and who live close enough and have time to devote to a regular game.  That's being kind of picky, and it has taken a while, but it looks like I have a crew.So, now we get to the fascinating bit.  In the past, I've had specific inspirations, or could cater to known quantitites.  This time around, I have enough inspirations of my own to inflict option paralysis - I've got a dozen systems I have ideas for.  And, while I know they are good people, I don't know the gaming preferences of the group yet.I've undertaken discussions with each player in turn - the basic question that needs answering is, "What do you want from a game?"  That question, though, has many facets.I'll be using that information to inform my choice of system.  Then, if they aren't familiar with the system, there'll be a setting and system primer session - I tell them about the world, what they can choose to do, and run them through a sample scenario with simple pregenerated characters so they see the mechanics in action.Then comes character generation, and then I start filling up the world with stuff they're likely to want to poke at...So - assume you're in my position, and need to talk to new players about what they want.  What questions do you ask?</blockquote>

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