I'm starting a new campaign in a few weeks and want to focus in on the style of gaming my players will enjoy. Some of the players are new so I'm trying to compile a list of simple questions to set the framework for the setting.

Here's what I'm thinking so far, appreciate any other ideas!

- What scenes from the Star Wars films do you find the most exciting?

- What type of characters have you made in other RPGs?

- What movie would you rather be the main character in? (Fast and Furious, Robin Hood, Ocean's 11, Dredd, Kill Bill)

- The Emperor rewards you for recovering an artifact he's been searching for. What do you ask for as a reward? (top of the line starship, political appointment, control of a newly discovered planet, training in the Dark side, etc.)

- You are tasked with the job of rescuing a Hutt's offspring from bounty hunters. When you catch up with the bounty hunters do you: shoot everyone, find a diplomatic solution, take the bounty for yourself, use your technical expertise to freeze enemies in carbonite, etc.

Thanks in advance!

This is a really comprehensive set of questions. I dig it!

Perhaps you can create one of those online quiz thingies to this effect.

I think those are great questions that will lead to happy PCs, not to mention help you focus your story idea sorting efforts as you sift the sea of content there is to draw on.

You manage to stop a dangerous alien species from acquiring a particular Sith Holocron and help preserve a secret ancient Jedi library from being over-run and plundered, thus turning back the tip of the spear of a galaxy-wide invasion.

What kind of reward do you ask for?

I'm starting a new campaign in a few weeks and want to focus in on the style of gaming my players will enjoy. Some of the players are new so I'm trying to compile a list of simple questions to set the framework for the setting.

Here's what I'm thinking so far, appreciate any other ideas!

- What scenes from the Star Wars films do you find the most exciting?

Thanks in advance!

For myself, I once ran across an internet posting talking about the type of players that play Star Wars RPG's. I DEFINITELY fit into the type that wants to re-live the classics (That is, deal with the Empire, Jabba the Hutt, and the Rebellion where the Force is all but unknown). Typically, our group likes to use one-liners from the films during game-play. "Sand people march in single file to hide their numbers.", typically does not play well unless you are on Tatooine and we like visiting familiar places. That type wants connections to the classic films and likely want to play in that era.

To other players it's just guns and sword-hacking in space. You could play KOTOR or classic era stuff or futuristic stuff and it wouldn't matter.

You just want to know what your players enjoy.

Another good question might be: "A group of Rebel Alliance spies ask you to help conceal them from Imperial Troopers who are searching the town. You know there is a hefty reward for their capture. What do you do?"

One problem you may run into is that there could be a wide variety of responses. Your questionnaire will definitely give you a good idea of what each player likes to play, but you may not be able to incorporate all of those play styles into a single story.

I mention this because I have run into the same problem myself. I encouraged my players to create their penultimate character. The character they would enjoy the most. Problem being that I then struggled to tell a cohesive story where those various play styles would all be involved. I had bored players waiting for their turn in the story.

For my current campaign The guidance I gave to my players was quite simple. Create a character that would have willingly been in the cantina on Mos Eisly . I feel like that gave them the freedom to make a wide variety of characters but still have a common flavor that I could use to tie the story together.

Hope that helps.

If you have a 'session 0' where your players are all together and you ask those questions, you might have a better time arriving at a consensus than if everybody answers the questions on their own.

People get started talking about their favorite scenes and get enthusiastic together.

I'm starting a new campaign in a few weeks and want to focus in on the style of gaming my players will enjoy. Some of the players are new so I'm trying to compile a list of simple questions to set the framework for the setting.

Here's what I'm thinking so far, appreciate any other ideas!

- What scenes from the Star Wars films do you find the most exciting?

Thanks in advance!

For myself, I once ran across an internet posting talking about the type of players that play Star Wars RPG's. I DEFINITELY fit into the type that wants to re-live the classics (That is, deal with the Empire, Jabba the Hutt, and the Rebellion where the Force is all but unknown). Typically, our group likes to use one-liners from the films during game-play. "Sand people march in single file to hide their numbers.", typically does not play well unless you are on Tatooine and we like visiting familiar places. That type wants connections to the classic films and likely want to play in that era.

To other players it's just guns and sword-hacking in space. You could play KOTOR or classic era stuff or futuristic stuff and it wouldn't matter.

You just want to know what your players enjoy.

Another good question might be: "A group of Rebel Alliance spies ask you to help conceal them from Imperial Troopers who are searching the town. You know there is a hefty reward for their capture. What do you do?"

These are great questions to add to the list:

"Do you enjoy playing in the 'canon' Star Wars universe with well known planets, characters and themes or striking out on your own to discover what else is out there in a galaxy far, far away?"

"Would you help (insert innocent person/group) who are being pursued by Imperial agents/bounty hunters or turn them in for the reward?" This question is a great way of gauging a party's good/evil leanings in a more subtle way.

One problem you may run into is that there could be a wide variety of responses. Your questionnaire will definitely give you a good idea of what each player likes to play, but you may not be able to incorporate all of those play styles into a single story.

I mention this because I have run into the same problem myself. I encouraged my players to create their penultimate character. The character they would enjoy the most. Problem being that I then struggled to tell a cohesive story where those various play styles would all be involved. I had bored players waiting for their turn in the story.

For my current campaign The guidance I gave to my players was quite simple. Create a character that would have willingly been in the cantina on Mos Eisly . I feel like that gave them the freedom to make a wide variety of characters but still have a common flavor that I could use to tie the story together.

Hope that helps.

I really like the idea of focusing players on a setting. It mixes the 'illusion' of choice with a structured format so there aren't wildly differing options. Because if you stick 6 players in a room you will get 6 different opinions on pretty much anything. My campaign will start with all the players having amnesia aboard an empty star ship and go from there. Regaining their memories will be a long term goal so not sure how to set a focal point they can work toward...

If you have a 'session 0' where your players are all together and you ask those questions, you might have a better time arriving at a consensus than if everybody answers the questions on their own.

People get started talking about their favorite scenes and get enthusiastic together.

We'll definitely be starting with a session 0 where all characters will be created together and ideas hashed out. Hopefully story ideas will come up organically out of this conversation!

I have always been a big fan of amnesia stories. Have you decided on what caused the amnesia? Is it total loss of all memories or just the recent history?

They'll lose all memory of their past life for the time being. They don't necessarily have to discover who they are and repair their lost memories to complete the campaign. But I'll be providing bonus XP for doing optional side missions that uncovers the truth of their past.

There was a great article on the power of XP that got me thinking. Rather than give out experience based on session duration, milestones or killing mobs (yuck) I could use it to incentivize players to play toward the theme of my campaign.

Players hired to find the McGuffin can make a bee line to the enemy stronghold, grab it and leave to claim the reward. Or, if they'd searched a couple of side rooms they might have discovered a holo-recording of a Hutt selling a protocol droid to one of the PCs. Bam! Find that droid and recover part of their lost memory!

http://www.madadventurers.com/angry-rants-lazy-dms-and-non-experience-systems/