Campaign Expectations.

[Lord Pendragon]

I've often wondered how alike (or different,) my preferences are compared to the others on this board, with regards to what makes up a campaign. There are a lot of really great gamers around these boards, and I'm wondering exactly what it is that they look for in their games.

Now that we have this nifty poll-ing feature, I thought I'd give it a try.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

It's not the game, but time spend hanging out with friends that's important.

I may be in the minority on this board about this. I like to game. No wait. I LOVE to game. But it's not so much the gaming part that I like as much as hanging out with my friends and running an interactive story with them. I don't like to game with strangers. It's just not fun for me. Of course, gaming with strangers can be the first step in gaining some really cool new friends (Right, Scott?). So I usually slog through the first couple of weeks with a new group, not having much fun, in hopes of developing some sort of friendship. If it doesn't happen, I quit the group.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm more than a bit introverted until I get to know someone.

 

[Sammael99]

Thing is, these are not all exclusive. I like an epic storyline, an interactive world and hanging out with my pals...

 

[Darkness]

All of the above, I think.

(I voted "interactive world," BTW.)

 

[Jezrael]

Just as long as...

Just as long as I'm not being too obviously railroaded into something, and the story is good I'm cool with it.

 

[BluWolf]

While what I truly desire is a challenging campaign were my character is challenged both physically and morally, I've found the reall reason I play the game is a combination of creative outlet, escapism and spending time with like minded friends.

 

[Tom Cashel]

players or DMs?

I voted for "epic storyline" as a DM, because those are the types of campaigns I design. But I love to improvise too, so I don't create the whole thing from the outset. I try to start with a general outline, so that PCs can go another direction if they choose.

That said, the possible goal is always hanging in the distance for the first few adventures, and I try to design it with the PCs in mind. For example, in my current campaign there are two dwarves and two worshipers of Selune (Moon goddess in FR). So the goal became a lost city of dwarves who were allied with a splinter sect of Selunites before the place was laid low by "The Coil" and an army of goblins and worgs. It's not railroading... more tailored specifically for the participants.

But I also like to provide an interactive world...the "storyline" is contantly changing based on PC choices, and there are other groups out there who continue to act no matter what the PCs do.

I don't get a chance to play too much, but when I do it's always to have fun embodying a given character in whatever situations I am placed.

 

[Old One]

Many of the Above...

As a DM, I voted for Fully Interactive Word but try hard to incorporate elements of Epic Storylines and some of the other choices.

I play the game for many of the same reasons listed by Bluwolf...creative outlet, escapism, etc.

Old One

 

[Lord Pendragon]

It's really great to read what everyone's thinking!

Myself, I voted for Epic Storylines. The best campaign will probably involve all of the above, but I like to discover that things happening in the beginning of a campaign can have impact at the end of it. Sort of a feeling that the PCs, and their tale, were fated, to an extent. Foreshadowing... That sort of stuff. Not that I prefer being railroaded, but it's nice to know the DM has a plan, even if I can't see how it all comes together at first.

For those who read the Story Hours, something along the like of Sagiro's campaign.

 

[Horacio]

I think I expect all of them, but if I must choose I choose interactive world.

But friends are compulsory too. I don't play with strangers, roleplaying cannot be so joyful if you don't know the people in the table...