|
Post by the0gekko0state on May 16, 2018 8:08:14 GMT -8
Hello All,
I am finding myself a little lost as how much of a background do you give to your players of your campaign. I am starting to prep a few things and want to send my players some information. So that they can build characters that will work. But I am unsure how much to give them. I was coming up with a sort of bare bones background of a Star Wars game and thought maybe I should send it.
Here is the background:
Age of Rebellion Campaign Idea: Sent to the fringes of known space to recruit new planets. Explore some of the fringe and see any of the other resources that the Rebellion could use. Some of the planets have small “Rebel Cells” already. Not officially part of the Rebellion but hope to join. They have sent correspondence to the Rebellion. Which has prompted the Rebellion to send a team to set up reviews of the new cells. In hopes of bringing them in.
The Empire too has either heard of the these cells or intercepted messages to the Rebellion. They also have moved into the fringe region. Hoping to squash the new cells and take the resources for themselves. While leaving behind a force to oversee. The force is part a new scout force or expeditionary force.
Little known to both parties there is also a Hutt crime lord moving into the region. Has had some small time dealings with the locals until lately. Now hearing that both the Rebels and Imperials are moving in. He wants to secure more of it for himself. Is something like that enough, too much, not enough?
|
|
|
Post by weaselcreature on May 16, 2018 9:18:14 GMT -8
I always err on too much over too little. Remember the characters grew up where they are from, and especially in a setting with hi-tech, they have access to news of what's going on. They would really know the city/planet/land/galaxy they grew up in, so if there's a setting book or such, I recommend they read it, as a lot of that will be stuff a character would know just from growing up in the area.
Changes to ones specific adventure/campaign are a little different, in that it's up to the GM to decide what would be common knowledge and what you want to come out in the course of the game. Your background bit seems like it's fine (assuming the players know more general Star Wars stuff).
|
|
|
Post by uncommonman on May 16, 2018 10:54:09 GMT -8
It would be a good idea to trumy to get a self sufficient team of characters.
Someone has to be a face or face adjacent character and someone has to know fighting.
That is unless you want them to be dependent on NPC's.
|
|
HyveMynd
Supporter
Dirty hippie, PbtA, Fate, & Cortex Prime <3er
Posts: 2,273
Preferred Game Systems: PbtA, Cortex Plus, Fate, Ubiquity
Currently Playing: Monsterhearts 2
Currently Running: The Sprawl
Favorite Species of Monkey: None
|
Post by HyveMynd on May 18, 2018 3:53:59 GMT -8
The background you've written up there sounds fine to me.
But if you're not already doing it, why not have a "session zero"? Get everyone together, tell them what you're thinking about for the setting and main thrust of the game, discuss their character ideas, and then build characters together.
Doing that will help ensure people have appropriate characters with reasons for getting involved in the action and working as a team. It'll also give you loads of ideas for setting stuff, NPCs, and adventure hooks.
❤️
|
|
|
Post by vyrrk on May 18, 2018 12:12:15 GMT -8
The background you've written up there sounds fine to me. But if you're not already doing it, why not have a "session zero"? Get everyone together, tell them what you're thinking about for the setting and main thrust of the game, discuss their character ideas, and then build characters together. Doing that will help ensure people have appropriate characters with reasons for getting involved in the action and working as a team. It'll also give you loads of ideas for setting stuff, NPCs, and adventure hooks. ❤️ 100% this! ^^^ Session zero's are a perfect time for talking about setting and making your players understand their characters, their other player's characters and everyone's wants for the game. I have found most "players" want setting to come out while you play instead of a info dump.
|
|
jedidroid
Initiate Douchebag
I feel a Glitch in the Force
Posts: 32
|
Post by jedidroid on May 18, 2018 18:12:11 GMT -8
That player preference could be based on the fact that an info dump does usually assist with memory retention. I’ve found that if you “broad strokes” your initial painting of the setting, you keep how much info you dump on them in the beginning to a retainable amount and have basic blocks to build off as you go through the game. YMMV.
|
|
|
Post by the0gekko0state on May 29, 2018 11:22:38 GMT -8
Thank you all for the advice. I apologize for not getting back to this thread sooner. I haven't had too much time for games lately, been physically unwell. But anyway.
I am thinking I need to come up with more for it. As well as coming up with a time for a session zero. Star Wars is one of those games I love to read about and never sure what to do in it. Though with that being said I had thought more of the Star Wars background as an example. Sorry for the confusion. I was just hoping to find out what people give out, as too entice players.
|
|
|
Post by jazzisblues on Jun 18, 2018 11:23:35 GMT -8
I concur with @hyvemind ... Session 0 and ask leading questions to get to know what they are looking for and at the same time seed in your ideas as well that way you end up with a world that all of you have contributed to and therefore own.
Is good plan yes ...
Cheers,
JiB
|
|
|
Post by the0gekko0state on Jun 19, 2018 11:16:59 GMT -8
I concur with @hyvemind ... Session 0 and ask leading questions to get to know what they are looking for and at the same time seed in your ideas as well that way you end up with a world that all of you have contributed to and therefore own. Is good plan yes ... Cheers, JiB Very good plan. Though now with the new edition of L5R coming out. I find myself wanting to run it. Partly because a friend really really want to play it. So I've preordered it and now play the waiting game. Which will give me time to work on things. My friend is very curious about the setting. So my next question, which I think ties into this topic, is how much of a setting info dump should I give him? Like enough to get a general idea for characters or more?
|
|
|
Post by jazzisblues on Jun 19, 2018 11:23:01 GMT -8
I concur with @hyvemind ... Session 0 and ask leading questions to get to know what they are looking for and at the same time seed in your ideas as well that way you end up with a world that all of you have contributed to and therefore own. Is good plan yes ... Cheers, JiB Very good plan. Though now with the new edition of L5R coming out. I find myself wanting to run it. Partly because a friend really really want to play it. So I've preordered it and now play the waiting game. Which will give me time to work on things. My friend is very curious about the setting. So my next question, which I think ties into this topic, is how much of a setting info dump should I give him? Like enough to get a general idea for characters or more? My personal view is ... not so much ... Give him a 10k foot view (half a page maybe?) ... But I find that games work better if you start small (just the immediate area you’re in) and then play to find out the rest. Just my 2 krupplenicks worth, your mileage may of course vary. JiB
|
|
|
Post by Stu Venable on Jun 21, 2018 19:30:16 GMT -8
I just did a HUGE data dump to my players for Blood, Blade and Tusk. There's a 50-page setting book and a 40-some-page book on magic, the Fey, demons, angels, the various mage organizations and their politics, etc.
I don't expect them to read much of it at all. I expect there will be a lot of me saying "your character would know this..." Which is fine. When they decide to do something that runs contrary to what their character would know, let them know what their character would know and allow them to reconsider.
|
|
|
Post by OFTHEHILLPEOPLE on Jun 22, 2018 10:32:56 GMT -8
I concur with @hyvemind ... Session 0 and ask leading questions to get to know what they are looking for and at the same time seed in your ideas as well that way you end up with a world that all of you have contributed to and therefore own. Is good plan yes ... Cheers, JiB What are your top five questions to ask in your Session 0, JiB? Are there any questions you think every GM should ask during a Session 0?
|
|
|
Post by jazzisblues on Jun 22, 2018 13:44:06 GMT -8
I concur with @hyvemind ... Session 0 and ask leading questions to get to know what they are looking for and at the same time seed in your ideas as well that way you end up with a world that all of you have contributed to and therefore own. Is good plan yes ... Cheers, JiB What are your top five questions to ask in your Session 0, JiB? Are there any questions you think every GM should ask during a Session 0? Depends a lot on the game we're playing. To try to make it more generic though ... What do you folks want to be doing in this game? What things would you like to see? What do you want to explore? What do you definitely NOT want to see? It is really very specific though and grows out of who the characters are turning out to be, and it's usually in response to something the player says about their character. It's a very organic sort of thing. JiB
|
|
outofprintGM
Apprentice Douchebag
one man's wilderness is another man's playground
Posts: 59
Preferred Game Systems: anything thts fun for the group to play
Currently Playing: D&D5E, Blood of Heroes, FFG Star Wars,
Currently Running: Blood of Heroes, Night Black Agents, Pathfinder, Rolmaster,FFG Star Wars, Monster of the week,
Favorite Species of Monkey: spider monkey
|
Post by outofprintGM on Sept 7, 2018 5:07:01 GMT -8
As a rule of thumb I give a general background in session zero, then each player gets a handout before the first game covering race and/or culture background. These handouts will often note major historical events from different perspectives
|
|
Ed from Minnesota
Apprentice Douchebag
Professional Gaming Slut
Posts: 56
Preferred Game Systems: See status.
Currently Playing: What is... "playing?"
Currently Running: Shadowrun, D&D 5th, Torg via Savage Worlds, HERO, Gurps One-Shots, CoC One-Shots
Favorite Species of Monkey: Monkey See. No wait... Monkey Do. Doo?
|
Post by Ed from Minnesota on Sept 14, 2018 10:45:02 GMT -8
I've started to treat background like a pusher. Only give a taste, then a little bit more, and then make them come to you when they need a fix. So I would start in the above example with "The Empire spans a thousand thousand worlds, crushing all beneath it's heel. You are part of the resistance, trying to free your world from the rotting corpse of the Emperor. Your current mission is to explore fringe worlds, and recruit them before the Empire brings it's fist down. Some worlds contain allies, some enemies, others are indifferent. You know that the Empire is planning something soon, and troops are building in the forward base Echo-993. Your fear is that they plan to take the fringe world by world, and your goal is to unite the fringe against them."
First game = in a skirmish with troopers unexpectedly on a planet being checked. Why are they there? (start with a fight to hook them in, then push the hook, give them 3 paths to follow and let them pick which one).
Second game = Your hook led you to this place and event, now how are you going to handle it?
At least that is what I think right now. Time and rum may revise this idea.
|
|