New campaign: Where to start?

[Odhanan]

Where do you start when you want to build a new campaign?

Please have a look at my Campaign Components Part 1 and Part 2. Start with what would appeal to you. Throw your ideas in the pot, and try to compare these ideas with the players who will be participating in your campaign and their tastes, obviously. Let it stew for a while. Then, extract the essence of these different elements. Makes sure the first game is a hit.

After, it's always time to extend on the first ideas and the results of the first game to build the whole campaign.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Ask the players what they want to do - give them some options that all fit within your general guidelines. I'm in the middle of campaigns right now, but as a general idea, I have a couple of rough concepts for the next campaigns: CSI Karlonis (Karlonis is the Imperial capitol in my game world), Troops in a Remote Outpost (with maybe a little B5 or Deep Space Nine vibe), or Pirates of the Middle Sea (more of a privateering, jungle/sea based game). And of course, sometimes the players will have great ideas above and beyond mine.