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Characters first or World first?
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<blockquote data-quote="Drammattex" data-source="post: 4503266" data-attributes="member: 55363"><p>I would get together with the group and DM (or compose an e-mail, though meeting in person is far better so that nothing gets misconstrued electronically), and ask each person, including the DM, very generally what kind of game (or character) they're interested in playing right NOW. It's as important for the players to know what the DM wants as it is for the DM to know the players' inclinations. </p><p></p><p>It's also very difficult to create from nothing. It's like telling an improvisor "Okay, be funny. Now." Or telling a writer "Write a novel about something." </p><p></p><p>I'd be curious to hear the DM's general preferences for elements he'd like to introduce in the game. That way, you could still define the world by your characters, but you'd at least have a direction. To some degree (usually a great degree), my players' characters build the world around them. But I begin by telling them the general elements, i.e. "This is a world where magic is rare--think very medieval--and you're going to be playing common sorts of people. Plague is common, death in childbirth is common, there are no gods..." or else "I want to do a lot with chivalry in this campaign. So think knighthoods, nobles, warring castles... find a character who would live in that world." This way, your DM has you develop the world, but you at least have a consistent direction to develop it in.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Drammattex, post: 4503266, member: 55363"] I would get together with the group and DM (or compose an e-mail, though meeting in person is far better so that nothing gets misconstrued electronically), and ask each person, including the DM, very generally what kind of game (or character) they're interested in playing right NOW. It's as important for the players to know what the DM wants as it is for the DM to know the players' inclinations. It's also very difficult to create from nothing. It's like telling an improvisor "Okay, be funny. Now." Or telling a writer "Write a novel about something." I'd be curious to hear the DM's general preferences for elements he'd like to introduce in the game. That way, you could still define the world by your characters, but you'd at least have a direction. To some degree (usually a great degree), my players' characters build the world around them. But I begin by telling them the general elements, i.e. "This is a world where magic is rare--think very medieval--and you're going to be playing common sorts of people. Plague is common, death in childbirth is common, there are no gods..." or else "I want to do a lot with chivalry in this campaign. So think knighthoods, nobles, warring castles... find a character who would live in that world." This way, your DM has you develop the world, but you at least have a consistent direction to develop it in. [/QUOTE]
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