Do you use C.A.TS. in your game?

[Theory of Games]

You should.

Ok, so lots of talk on here about this or that game not working well with players. Or games failing because GM set up X and players ended doing Y and never caring about X. There are discussion about GMs making plots or setting areas that didn't work well with players. And talks of players who did things that were not bad, but not compatible with other players' characters. And the list goes on.

So why aren't you using C.A.T.S.?

C.A.T.S.
This can be used for any RPG of any type...
Before playing a game, there needs to be a conversation at the table to set expectations.
A game runs smoothly when all players (including the GM) understand what the group is striving for.

Session Zero. Gotcha ...

This guided set of questions will allow the facilitator to hit four essential topics quickly and easily, and eliminate almost all issues of group or game incompatibility. Just start from the top.

Concept
At a high-level, what’s it about? What is the system? What are the most common things character do in this game? Be honest. (for example: Some groups are made up of players who never read the rules, and so systems that require players to dig into the rules are not a good fit!)

Easily the most important questions. Very good!

Aim
Explain what the players are trying to accomplish. Can someone win? Can everyone lose? Are we trying to tell a specific type of story? Again, be honest. (for example: D&D and OSR is mostly combat. Sure they can have roleplay, but it's not the same as Vampire the Masquerade, so talk about that...)

Actually, based on number of pages, D&D is mostly about Magic. By a wide margin. There's combat rules because it's harder to do than social interaction. Hopefully a 1shot or campaign offers something for all playstyles and it's good to get that out in the open up front. Good points!

Tone
Have a quick conversation about the tone of the game. What is the default? Are there different options for gameplay? Come to a consensus on what the group wants. ( for example: Serious vs. Gonzo, Action vs. Drama, driven adventure or sandbox city, etc, etc.).

I don't do consensus because I run the games 100% of the time. Players get to pick their characters and I pick everything else because I control everything else. But I understand some GMs are different

Subject matter
Explain what ideas might be explored during gameplay. Is there a lot of bookkeeping? Does the game require players to "buy into" certain plots? Does any of the subjects of the game make anyone uncomfortable? Discuss what boundaries need to be set, if any. (for example: Call of Cthulhu investigators are often assumed to be always willing to investigate deeper despite the dangers.)

This is good because it helps GMs vet players: if the GM is running Vault of the Drow and a player can't bear even the thought of spiders, that player needs to pass on this campaign. Great point!

My own 2c
- Don't try and force the system or the game. If it seems like the group is more interested in something the system does not provide out of the box easily, then look at other game systems. Same for settings... same for characters...

Again, because I run the campaign or 1shot, I get to pick the system. If a player isn't interested, they can pass. Same with the setting. GMs shouldn't tell players how to RP their characters and players shouldn't tell GMs how to run their games. That's fair

- Don't think of just the one character and double down on it, despite how poorly it fits the others. Have two or three ideas that excite you and tweak the one that best fits to be even better for group play.

I agree PCs should fit the setting and be team-oriented, since ttrpgs are largely group-based entertainment.

.......

Now this is a discussion, so I am interested to hear what people think about this. Cheers!

source: original article here = (link)

Overall not bad. There were some sketchy points that violate Gamemaster Agency, but mostly decent advice.

 

[haakon1]

Do you and your group always play D&D?

Yes.

Are your Aim, Tone, and Subject matter generally consistent from campaign to campaign?

Define “Aim”?

Depends on who is DMing for Tone and Subject.

Ron varies a bit. This campaign was Ravenloft, then at Super Bowl time went to Murderball championship with Strahd betting on the game against Jabba the Hutt. Now we’re on a sinking ship full of traps. Which is to say, he does what he wants and we roll with it.

Or did Ron have campaign documents at those links which you were able to review that told you what his game was about in terms of ATS?

No prospectus.

If so, it seems like you've already discussed and established mutual understanding of the stuff talked about here.

My entry to this campaign started with my character becoming undead, while the folks who joined earlier created “regular” characters who woke up in coffins in Ravenloft without their stuff.

But “Ron does weird stuff” is understood. What it will be, we don’t try to guess.

If your group were playing a variety of games and trying out new stuff on a regular basis, CATS might be more useful to you.

Perhaps. I have never seen a DM give a prospectus.

 

[SableWyvern]

This is a strange world to me. Are DM’s competing for strangers to play with them in some competitive marketplace?

When I ask someone if they want to join my campaign the question I ask is: “Do you want to play D&D?”

When I joined my pal Ron’s game, his recruiting spiel was: “I’m running a VTT D&D game with Graham and Glenn and some other guys you don’t know. I’ll send links if you’re interested.”

I play with a group of friends, and we've played consistently together for around 25 years. But each campaign I run is different, and the first step for me in starting up a new one is making sure everyone is on the same page.

The types of characters that will be suitable, the motivations that will work best, the degree to which the game will be gritty or heroic or whatever can vary immensely between a game of Blades in the Dark, an OSR dungeoncrawling campaign starting at 1st level, a Traveller sandbox, an investigative Cthulhu campaign etc ...

I don't use any formal structure, not even one as loose as that presented by the OP, but between the introductory material I write up for the players and the conversations we have as a group in the lead up to the game, the same basic territory is covered.

I have recently come across a number of people online talking about how their group made characters that weren't really suitable for the campaign the GM planned to run, and I was extremely confused how this could happen. Setting basic expectations and getting everyone on the same page; making sure the players know what type of game they're about to play, just seems like basic common sense to me.

 

[Jd Smith1]

I provide a written campaign concept, but it isn't a discussion.

This is what I am going to run. Are you in, or out?

 

[Argyle King]

Sergeant major eats sugar cookies.

 

[GrimCo]

I don't do CATS per se, but i generally cover most of that stuff when i'm doing pitch for new game. I present ideas to guys, then we discuss it if they are interested in playing it. It's mix of sales pitch and session zero

 

[aramis erak]

For us, the biggest benefit of C.A.T.S was actually, like for real real - talking as a group about what we wanted to do with characters and the types of things we wanted to accomplish with them.

Which is pretty much what my Session -1 consists of, with Session 0 being character gen.

 

[Laurefindel]

Which is pretty much what my Session -1 consists of, with Session 0 being character gen.

Though CATS as the OP describes should happen before character generation, as it will influence what types of characters are allowed/expected, and how they fit with the tones and themes of the game.

 

[Mannahnin]

Though CATS as the OP describes should happen before character generation, as it will influence what types of characters are allowed/expected, and how they fit with the tones and themes of the game.

Right. -1 comes before 0, if I'm reading aramis correctly.

 

[Laurefindel]

Right. -1 comes before 0, if I'm reading aramis correctly.

Failed to see the minus sign! So yeah, that tracks.