Is your D&D campaign a game or a story?

[The Thayan Menace]

Not Sure How to Answer

Since many DMs seem to assume that "story" involves the structure of a stereotypical fantasy novel ... I'll pass on this poll (i.e., my campaign is an intensive simulation with a nonlinear plot).

-Samir

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Screw Sanctimony: Verisimilitude Über Alles!

Ah, forget it; I voted 8.

-Samir

 

[ssampier]

Pass. My players and I got tired of killing monsters and taking their stuff when we were in high school.

Now I'm older, I like to kill monsters, take their stuff, and 'feel bad about it' in a complex and rich environment (ie world).

 

[Hussar]

Took the middle road on this, but, honestly, would likely be closer to an 8.

And, just to look at the current discussion for a moment, having gone through about 40 players before my current group in my online games, I can honestly say that most players have zero clue about driving a plot. If I started with a map of the city, the characters and said, "Well, what do you want to do?" I would get dead silence. I actually tried to do what TheShaman suggested in a city based adventure, and, it got me nowhere.

IME, most players want at least a little direction and guidance as to what they should be doing next.

 

[Sammael]

And, just to look at the current discussion for a moment, having gone through about 40 players before my current group in my online games, I can honestly say that most players have zero clue about driving a plot. If I started with a map of the city, the characters and said, "Well, what do you want to do?" I would get dead silence. I actually tried to do what TheShaman suggested in a city based adventure, and, it got me nowhere.

IME, most players want at least a little direction and guidance as to what they should be doing next.

Quoted for truth. I agree completely, and it matches my experiences.

 

[Gold Roger]

Every Roleplaying expirience I've had so far has been both a story and a game. Now, some people prefer to favor one aspect over the other. However, such focus doesn't abolish the other aspect, it simply pushes the other in the background and makes it worse. This way some groups create great stories that have a terrible to decend game underlying (storytellers and Railroaders-the two are different) or great games with a terrible underlying story (dungeoncrawler and wargamer).

Me, I like both aspect good, even if that prevents one of the two aspects from becoming excellent. The style I prefer as both player and DM is one in which the DM presents a setting/playfield and plot hooks/situations which the players then use to play out the story of their characters.

This can be done with The Shamans method, but only if you've got very proactive players. But without situations and plots many players will draw blank or eventually grow bored.

 

[Psychic Warrior]

Verbatim.



(The Shaman's sig quote: "The aim of the RPG is not to eventually create a story. Any story that evolves during or after play is a bonus that is developed by the participants who enjoyed playing a game." - E. Gary Gygax. Quoted from right here on ENWorld, as a matter of fact.)

Who knew Gary Gygax was such a smart cookie

 

[Psychic Warrior]

My sig says it all.

Oh boy another round of 'Guess the Sig'! I will go with....



"I think it is time you took a swim in Lake You."


How close am I?

 

[Psychic Warrior]

Took the middle road on this, but, honestly, would likely be closer to an 8.

And, just to look at the current discussion for a moment, having gone through about 40 players before my current group in my online games, I can honestly say that most players have zero clue about driving a plot. If I started with a map of the city, the characters and said, "Well, what do you want to do?" I would get dead silence. I actually tried to do what TheShaman suggested in a city based adventure, and, it got me nowhere.

IME, most players want at least a little direction and guidance as to what they should be doing next.

Yup - I have to agree with this. I matches 99% of the experiences I have had with my groups (only about 20 or so players over the years). Without something to push them I have found that a lot of players will spend 3 hours (real life) standing in a bar waiting for something to happen.

 

[The_Gneech]

Oh boy another round of 'Guess the Sig'! I will go with....

"I think it is time you took a swim in Lake You."

How close am I?

*snerk!*

-TG