When you start a new game...

[Crothian]

Do you have a long-term campaign planned out with a definate start and end, or do you take it one adventure at a time and then tie those adventures together after the fact or as needed?

Or something in-between or totally different?

Yes, yes, and Yes. I have a long term plot of the world and that's going to happen if the PCs take an interest or not. Then I have player plots that rise and fall as they adventure around. And then there are just smaller plots that they stumble into and do somethijng about or ignore.

 

[TerraDave]

I am pretty good at dreaming up long campaign arcs

Sometimes I get some players together and actually try to play them out

 

[The Shaman]

Do you have a long-term campaign planned out with a definate start and end, or do you take it one adventure at a time and then tie those adventures together after the fact or as needed?

Yes.

My Modern military PbP game is planned around one enlistment period for the legionnaires/player characters lasting five years and covering all of the major events of the Algerian War from 1956 to 1961 - I could come up with material to extend the characters beyond this point, either as legionnaires or something else, and if we ever reach that point I'll discuss it with the players and see if they want to continue and where they want to go, but as it stands, the game is really meant to cover the experience of the war of independence.

My Modern tabletop game, on the other hand, has two different sets of BBEGs each with long-term goals - there is a series of adventures using these recurring bad guys that don't necessarily form a particular sequence with a defined end-point: in fact, the only way this game could conceivably "end" is if one or both organizations was completely wiped-out, which is highly unlikely.

My approach in any case is similar to the monster- v. continuity-stories from The X-Files - some adventures are similar to "one-offs" in that they don't necessarily have discrete connections to other events in the game while others are part of advancing the goals of the BBEGs or the players' characters actions in the game-world.

 

[ThirdWizard]

It's all about the Plot Arc.

I use several plot arcs of various shapes and sizes. A plot arc can be something that pops up every once in a while but not too involving like the PCs slowly discovering an evil cult's involvement in local affairs and their eventual halting of the cult. It can take over the focus of the game, like travel to a certain place with a particular goal in mind. But, the thing about them is that they have a beginning and ending point.

I usually have several plot arcs going on at the same time, and hooks into plot arcs integrated before the arc actually needs to start. I always have at least one plot arc or ready plot arc for each PC and usually two arcs occuring for the entire party. Right now my arcs include:

1) Bruin obtained a poweful sword, but found out it was stolen from his clan long ago and has returned it. In order to become worthy of the blade he must prove himself.
2) Brackran is in search of an uncle who can teach him about who he is and why he has these strange magial powers. He recently found out his uncle is in Sigil.
3) Vadan's teacher has ties to a local adventuring academy, but has dissapeared. She wants to find out the mysteries surrounding him.
4) Cien needs to find a giant snake to return to a wizard who needs it as an ingredient for some unknown purpose.
5) The party has been hired to get a sword commissioned in a far away city. They have convinced the smith to make the weapon and now must return it safely back to the one who hired them.
6) The wizard who hired Cien has been acting strangely. He hasn't been sleeping and is researching binding circles. Why does he need this snake? He is a good friend of the PCs and they owe him much, but something is definately wrong.

And lots more. The trick is to have an arc ready in reserve to add a bit before or a bit after one of these is completed by the PCs. Also, what looks like a simple plot arc can turn into a major plot arc depending on PC and NPC actions (as in #1) or a major plot arc can appear to be a simple plot arc at first (as in #6).

So the PCs have definable goals, and these goals can turn into major aspects of the campaign. The PCs can have a sense of accomplishment and really have a sense that they are accomplishing things, because many things they do have a definate sense of completion to them (because they are completed). Also, large story arcs can have smaller arcs within them. Always a good thing.

This also allows me to put a time frame on things. I can say, within 2 sessions #1 should be completed. Within 3 sessions #4 should be completed. Within 4 sessions #5 should be completed. Therefore, I should introduce be introducing some new plot arcs soon. Knowing this, I can seed the beginnings of something new happening within that time frame so that when the PCs are ready to tackle it, it won't just jump up at them, and they can have time to prepare if need be. I want to introduce a new villian, for example, so I can make one of the subbordinates in the next 2 sessions have a reason to want revenge against the PCs, he will then become a major villian in his own right, assuming he lives. Then, while in Sigil dealing with #2, I can spring him on them.

I think it helps the world seem more "organic."

 

[shilsen]

It varies. I started an Eberron campaign a few months ago where I just put the PCs in a situation (opening words of campaign: "Roll initiative") without any plans for what they might choose to do next. Over the course of the next couple of sessions, which involved me having do a lot of quick thinking and flying by the seat of my pants, we gradually worked out the various PCs' motivations (in practice, besides what they already had in theory in their backgrounds), they did certain things that opened up a lot of plot options for me, and I got some ideas which may or may not be relevant for the long-term future of the campaign.

In short: no long-term plan this time. I had told the players beforehand that there's no plot or story that I have in mind, but will develop one based on their actions and choices (and they'll have complete freedom to act/choose as they wish). And that's exactly what I've done. There were a few occasions when I had absolutely no idea where the game and the PCs would be a couple sessions later, and it's been incredible fun for me, since I'm kept on my toes as a DM and have to adapt constantly. And my players are enjoying themselves since they really feel that it's a story they are creating and that there's a world around them which they are free to interact with, rather than trying to follow a story or plot I have in mind.

 

[Slife]

Mishmash. I have a general idea of the BBEG, but nothing specific. I make up most stuff on the fly, although I might stat out important NPCs / map out locations

I don't even use one edition consistantly. 3e characters fighting 1e monsters in a homebrew world.

 

[scourger]

I've recently realized that I get bored with a campaign after about 6 months. Historically, I put the game "on break" and then it dies. I'm afraid it's happening with my current game. It's the Shackled City adventure path, and I am pretty motivated to try to salvage it for future fun; but there's a lot of other stuff that I want to run, too. I just read Last Hero in Scandinavia and would like to do it as a mini-campaign with a tie-in to a Mesopotamia mini-campaign. That's realistically about as far as I can plan now-a-days.

If I really had my druthers, I would do a Greek Heroes with gods-offspring PCs game from 1-20 levels in 20 weeks culminating with a chance to ascend Mount Olympus. Maybe one day...

 

[barsoomcore]

Neither.

I just have lots and lots of bad guys. Lots of people with good, solid reasons to destroy the world.

And then I put the PCs in positions in which they cannot avoid truly pissing those people off.

From there on out, it writes itself.



Slightly more seriously, I think I can lay claim to having one of the more intricately-crafted homebrews going -- five years of gaming, holding session 109 tonight, and the party is just now starting to figure out the meaning of weird little mysteries that were planted in the very first adventure, this is VERY tightly-woven material -- and I don't have ANY definite end planned out. I know this season is the LAST season and that if our heroes don't come up with something, Barsoom is truly doomed, but as to how they're going to accomplish it (or even WHICH of the many many bad guys ought to destroy the world ultimately) -- I got no idea.

As my current thread begging for ideas for tonight's game indicates so obviously.

 

[Blacklamb]

Shilsen-
What you are doing now if how i was "raised" on RPGs.
Well after High school that DM left, since then its been canned adventure after canned adventure. I miss the Old says a lot. It just seemed more magical when the PC's were the sole motivation for the story.


Thanks for kick starting my memorys!
Blacklamb

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I don't have a definite plan for the current campaign, but I have the general long term plans of the eight major NPC movers and shakers.

The first eight sessions have basically been introductory - the PCs have encountered all but one of those NPC factions and will probably run into the last one in the next session - and have had a definite mission structure, but events are now being set into motion that will cut the PCs free to chart their own course... or die trying...

Henceforth, which NPC group(s) the PCs interact with, and how that interaction goes, will depend mostly on their choice of where to go and how to deal with what they find.

Of course, all eight factions are currently much bigger and more expansive than they are, so I can work any of them in to any area or plot if the mood strikes me.