The Campaign Builder's Guild

It seems I never answered my own question.  I had thought I did...

Well, I don't really tend to look for any one thing over another.  What I really like to see is interesting, novel, or re-imagined concepts.  Some kind of hook to draw me in.

Quote from: limetomIt seems I never answered my own question.  I had thought I did...

Well, I don't really tend to look for any one thing over another.  What I really like to see is interesting, novel, or re-imagined concepts.  Some kind of hook to draw me in.

So something more unique than 'just another Greyhawk?' That makes sense because we can all make Greyhawk but few can create something special.

Quote from: Elemental_ElfSo you, as a DM, give a story to your players? I do the opposite (well sort of), I prefer to give my players a template on which they can create their own stories. I don't restrict myself to what I want to do, rather I bring forth a world and people in it so that my players can do and see what they want.

Sorry, I phrased that poorly. No, I don't give them a story, they make that up themselves. I'm the one who throws in all the little unlooked for details that give it depth.

[quote1229012138]I don't restrict myself to what I want to do, rather I bring forth a world and people in it so that my players can do and see what they want.[/quote]

Yeah, that.

Quote from: Elemental_Elf

Quote from: GrumpyOldFart

Quote from: Vreeg's Coachwhip.Celtricia for 25 years. (3 of my players have been part of it for the full quarter century)

GMing for 30 years.

PLaying 32 years, starting with melee/wizards-Tunnels and Trolls-original D&D.

And the longer I go, the more I respect the story, and everything else is a vessel for that.

Exactly. I started playing in 1975, started GMing in 1978. And yes, I agree. Give them a story so full, with such depth and realism that they can be "caught up in it", and they'll forgive you anything and everything else.

So you, as a DM, give a story to your players? I do the opposite (well sort of), I prefer to give my players a template on which they can create their own stories. I don't restrict myself to what I want to do, rather I bring forth a world and people in it so that my players can do and see what they want.

Game mechanics, setting, style, goals, plot, the personalities...everything is an ingredient to creating a shared story.  A good game and a good story have all of the same elements.  So when I look at a setting (to bring this bakc around to the issue at hand)  I look at the story it may serve to help create.

I don't know if we can all make Greyhawk... Greyhawk's pretty darn impressive.  Unfortunately it's also a little schizophrenic.  

I look for cultures first, history second, politics third, and geography fourth.  I'm interested in knowing what the people of the world are like more than anything.  Then I want to know what they did and what they are doing.