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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ChefOrc" data-source="post: 2773907" data-attributes="member: 29426">I am always unconfortable with these so called "categories" of games. RPGs are too complex for that. At most, I can see a dichotomy between player-driven or GM-driven campaigns, and even this is really a continuum. I also think that a lot of the elements that were put into one category could very easily fit into another category. For example, I don't see why the "dynamic" game monopolizes heavy role-playing, or why it is the most rewarding (a lot of players don't want to invest that much into games and therefore are much more happy to be railroaded). One thing I want to add concerning the popular idea that free gaming is best: I think that linear games have a major advantage: they minimize improvization. A DM that had a month to prepare the details of its adventure with minutia is going to provid a much more vivid, surprising, coherent and solid adventure than a DM that has to make it up a week before or on the spot. I see it as a trade-off between flexibility and quality. I don't think one is better than the other, but I feel more confortable with heavy preparation, and my players seem happy with that.Anyways, I voted concealed linear, although my GMing style includes aspects of all 3 categories. Here are a few comments on my game- I don't require detailed PC descriptions, although if a player provides one, I will gladly incorporate his story into my campaign and make it relevant.- I never require that PCs be optimized for my campaign. On the contrary, I adapt the campaign to the PCs possibilities. My players have a braod, but not completely unlimitted, range of PC types to choose from.- I tend to have a linear meta-plot that is partially reavealed (the players know some aspects of the general direction, but I always surprise them), and unless my players have a major issue with one particular adventure, I find a way to use the material I have prepared. However, on a finer scale, my players are really free to act as they want and resolve adventures the way they want. This means that I do linear gaming at the level of main events, and free gaming at the within-adventure level. In fact, I have 2 groups of players that go through the same campaign, about 6 months apart. I force the same series of adventure, but so far, most have been resolved very differently, and this in return forces me to alter the adventures I have prepared.</blockquote>

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