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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Is_907" data-source="post: 5807172" data-attributes="member: 70112">Question for all the GMs who create settings (or heavily modify published ones) for whatever system and genre:How much background / common knowledge do you write up or tell your players before you begin playing?Question for players:How much background / common knowledge do you want the GM to give you before you begin playing?The background for this question is that I am trying to nail down setting details for a game I'm going to be running soon. I want it to be interesting, but I keep hitting creative roadblocks where I normally have no problems.I used to always come up with a 4-10 page handout or PDF that gave background on the world, culture, etc that we were about to play in so that players weren't drowning me with questions all throughout the first session.BUT... I think there may be some merit to leaving it more open. This would require me to give the players some generic background (i.e. "It's steampunk/teslapunk, set in London in the 1870s, but with less black powder and more tesla/steam tech.")Then players would go create characters and tie in backgrounds, coming up with Weird Scientists, explorers of India and Africa, etc and their backstories would indicate to me what I need to flesh out a bit more in my setting.At the table, then, they'd ask questions and I'd (hopefully) have had the inspiration necessary to come up with worthwhile answers.Thoughts?</blockquote>

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