Perennial campaign worlds vs. one-shot campaign worlds

[RFisher]

Usually the campaign evolves into a save the world campiagn and it feels used up after that.

I know a guy who manages to blend both. After each campaign, he tends to advance the timeline a century or a millenia or whatever. The flavor often tends to be different, though there are some constants as well. The flavor can be especially different when the PCs failed to "save the world" in the previous campaign!

Not that that's for everyone, but I thought it was an interesting variation.

 

[Umbran]

I don't even stick to D&D as a system from one game to the next, much less stick to one game world. Mind you, among my group, the "one-shot" runs for multiple years, so it isn't as if it is used quickly and then tossed aside.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

All of my fantasy campaigns are set on either:

Glorantha

Hârn

or

Arthurian Britain (Pendragon)

I usually re-set to about 1610ST for Glorantha, and 720TR for Hârn. Pendragon always starts with the boy king.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Continuous so that the PCs can break the world....and it actually means something.

Continuous so that the PCs can make the world....and it actually means something.

RC

 

[Hjorimir]

I voted perennial as I love continuity to make me feel like I'm part of something that is lasting.

 

[diaglo]

as a playa i prefer an OD&D(1974) campaign. i play my PC until he dies. sometimes that is less than one session. sometimes it is years long

 

[Psion]

I like extended campaigns. If I have a brewing backstory and a setting I am familiar with and have many detailed aspects of, I find it easier to come up with adventure ideas.

That said, I'm finding that campaigns are impractical nowadays as most of my players seem too transient. Further, there are too many different games and settings I want to try, so I often find myself running shorter campaigns or one-shots.

 

[Woas]

I voted other because I like both! And I play both of them depending on what my life is like and the time I can invest into it.

Back during college when there was plenty of time during the week a perennial game was in order. When I was home on vacations and only had a month (winter vacation) to three months (summer vacation) then one-shots it was.
Now that I am home and done for college and have some time, its back to a perennial game, but it could change anytime depending on what is going on.

 

[Chainsaw Mage]

If I thought it was realistic to keep a gaming group together for more than a year or so, I'd perhaps say "living campaign world". But in the past few years the make-up of our gaming group has changed almost completely. People get jobs, move away, get married, divorced, whatever.

Frankly, I'm surprised that *anyone* these days (and in our age range--i.e., not teenagers or university students) has a sustained, multi-year campaign going on.

 

[Chainsaw Mage]

I don't even stick to D&D as a system from one game to the next, much less stick to one game world. Mind you, among my group, the "one-shot" runs for multiple years

Uh . . . isn't a "one shot" a game that is played in a session or two?