Let's do a small survey:
Age, gender, occupation?
Preferred or most played system?
Pick the extreme that you feel fits you best:
>The players are playing my setting / we are creating the setting together as we go
>Plan everything out / make up everything as you go
>Use races and classes from the manual / try to come up with your own races and classes
>Grim / Bright
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers / Players have regular jobs, occupations
>Map out almost everything on paper / only describe the surroundings
>>44423008
28, male, attorney
>players are playing my setting
>plan a lot, but not everything out.
>generally use my own classes and races.
>bright
>about a 50-50 split
>both: I map a lot out, but it not describe it to the players. They're responsible for their own cartography.
21, Female, Dishwasher.
All Flesh Must Be Eaten.
>The players are playing my setting
>make up everything as you go
>Use races and classes from the manual
>Bright
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers
>Map out almost everything on paper
>>44423104
Sorry, on phone. I meant to write in the last:
> I map a lot out but only describe it to the players.
>>44423008
19, Male, Music Student
Dark Heresy 1st Edition, Pathfinder
>The players are playing my setting.
There's some elements they actively try and participate in, but mostly they're just interested in their particular faction and throwing the odd piece of theme music at me for the jukebox.
>Plan everything out.
I can't into dramatic improv for shit. Funny really since I almost went into performing arts rather than music, but then improvisation was always my weakness.
>Use races and classes from the manual.
I add the odd homebrew prestige class in Pathfinder but that's pretty much it
>Grim
I mean one of my main systems is.40k...
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers
>Only describe the surroundings
For PF I do map out combat scenes quite thoroughly but for DH I don't think my players have seen a map yet that I didn't scribble out in under a minute.
17, male, student
Savage worlds
Players are playing my setting
Make up everything in the go
Use races from the manuel/there are no classes in SW
Grim. GRIM.
Players habe regular jobs
Describe the surroundings
>Age, gender, occupation?
26, male, accounting student
>Preferred or most played system?
L5R, but run the fuck out of Shadowrun, Exalted, D&D, WoD, and various Star Wars systems.
>The players are playing my setting / we are creating the setting together as we go
The players are playing my setting.
>Plan everything out / make up everything as you go
"Plan everything out" is my ideal but I frequently lack the patience to do so or just forget. My players do not notice or care.
>Use races and classes from the manual / try to come up with your own races and classes
Use everything from the book. I adjust/remove to my taste as necessary.
>Grim / Bright
Grim
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers / Players have regular jobs, occupations
Neither samurai nor shadowrunners fit into this spectrum very well, but usually the latter unless I'm running D&D.
>Map out almost everything on paper / only describe the surroundings
Only surroundings. Never liked grids, only use paper for my own purposes.
23, male, student
>The players are playing my setting
>Plan vague outlines, but make up 80% of things as we go.
>Use races and classes from the manual, but sometimes I'll homebrew stuff.
>Grim, usually.
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers
>Only describe the surroundings
>>44423907
Forgot to add in preferred system.
It's Savage Worlds.
>>44423008
27, male, biology student
Shadowrun / Homebrew based on storyteller
>The players are playing my setting
I leave side-fluff and smaller details to players
>Plan everything out
I plan way more than the players get to see, and recycle missed modules into later stuff. If they move away from the plan though, it's improvisation-o-clock.
>Use races and classes from the manual
Small adjustments made, but mostly intact
>Bright
Tried grim, players didn't gel well with it
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers
Players are now adventurers, but did not start out as such
>Only describe the surroundings
Players map out things themselves except in certain combat scenarios
>>44423008
Male, 27, ATC
Rogue Trader or Shadowrun
> established setting with tons of small homebrew changes
> make a foundation of information then improvise
> manual
> nobledark
> depends on the setting and game theme
> I love making me some maps
>>44423008
18, male, engineering student
Eclipse Phase
>players are playing my setting
Sort of. It's EP canon with some major alterations (the players don't know yet)
>plan everything out
>none, there are no classes or races
And you can get almost anything, if you have enough credits or rep.
>bright
Sort of. There is always a way to save the day, but you have to dig deep to find it and push hard to use it.
>players have regular jobs, occupations
It's EP.
>map out almost everything on paper
Radars, sonars, t-rays are a thing, and counters look really nice on a graph paper map.
25, M, Chemical Engineer
Prefer: Savage Worlds or WoD / Most Played: All D&Ds
>I create setting, players alter it freely to fit character concepts
>loose narrative plan, improvise ways to enact it
>races depends on setting, usually manual, sometimes homebrew
>starts bright, descends to grim, bright heroes might bring it back, grin heroes might make it defend further, depends on players and setting
>Players are dedicated adventurers as some contrivance of their jobs
>quick maps, lots of descriptions
OP here
20, male, arts student
Dungeon world (go ahead and shitstorm, it's a great system for me and my group)
>we are creating the setting together as we go
Strange, I seem to be the first in this thread to prefer this. I ask my players for much input as we go and then forge a fun and interesting narrative from there
>make up everything as you go
Seems like most people here are planners
>Try to come up with own races and classes
It's often more about re-skinning an existing race-mechanic
>50/50
Can't answer my own question, I'm a bad surveyor
>Players have regular jobs
>Map out almost everything
On the go. Have a brush-pencil handy for quick, inaccurate strokes to give the players a feel of the enviroment
>>44423008
27, M, Geologist looking for work
Dark Heresy
>The players are playing my setting
>70% plan, 30% Wingin it
>Use races and classes from the manual
>Nobledark
>Players have regular jobs, occupations (I try to force them not to be murder hobos)
>only describe the surroundings (Until fight.)
>>44423008
19, Male, 3D Character Modelling Artist
Love playing the wh40k rpg's, shadowrun, and my S.t.a.l.k.e.r homebrew.
>The players are playing my setting
making their own setting it often just ends with generic fantasy with a silly twist.
>Make up everything as you go
I like to have a vague plan and a couple of npcs planned, but just see where the players want to go from there.
>Use races and classes from the manual
If players really want to play something strange that is not described in the rules i'd rather make a few special rules instead of trying to fuck with game balance making a whole new class or race.
>Grim
Bright grim twists are fun
>Players have regular jobs, occupations
Has more to do with the specific setting i like to play, it often tends to be their job in some way or another.
>only describe the surroundings
I only map stuff if it's really important for layout purposes or combat.
Describing stuff makes much more vivid worlds.
>>44424369
fuck
bright with grim twists
Lots of students it seems. But that's not really surprising. I feel old now.
>Age, gender, occupation?
26, male, chemist
>Preferred or most played system?
Pathfinder, D&D 5e
>The players are playing my setting / we are creating the setting together as we go
The players are playing my setting, but I'm opening a lot of space for their input.
>Plan everything out / make up everything as you go
Sandboxed with keyed areas/events
>Use races and classes from the manual / try to come up with your own races and classes
Use everything from the book. Fluff is tailored to the setting
>Grim / Bright
Grim
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers / Players have regular jobs, occupations
Depends on the characters
>Map out almost everything on paper / only describe the surroundings
For the most part, described, but we pull out the grid for tactical situations.
>>44423008
31, male, teacher
Chronicles of Darkness
>we are creating the setting together as we go
>make up everything as you go
>Use races and classes from the manual
>50/50
>Players have regular jobs, occupations
>only describe the surroundings
>>44423008
30, Male, Freelancer (Translation, Photo Editing, Illustration)
Players are playing my setting, but I always try to accommodate my players ideas when they're good.
I don't plan sessions in advance at all, but have the setting very mapped out so there's never any problems figuring out where they are. What happens is mostly based on player actions, not scripted.
Using my own races that were created with the setting.
Pretty grim, gritty sword and sorcery vibe. World is harsh, Magic is dangerous, unpredictable and obtained in terrible ways.
Player characters usually had normal jobs and walks of life but got thrust into plots or wars or other circumstances that uprooted them.
Basically have the entire continent mapped out, but players only get small localized map and a general knowledge that kingdom X is north and Kingdom Y is south, because they've never been there. Most knowledge are gained in-character from npcs, not given to the players.
>>44423858
Typo there, pal. You wouldn't be on 4chan without being at least 18, would you?.
24, Male, Corrections Officer.
Homebrew game. Has elements of both fantasy and scifi with a western theme.
>The players are playing my setting
I'm not a big fan of making up things up about the world as you go. I like having all the major details and history established, that way the players know what they're getting into.
>Make everything up as I go
I don't like writing down how things should go. The world is theirs to explore and do whatever they want in. The whole fun of playing, for me, is to see where we all end up at the end of a session.
>Try and come up with your own races and classes
I have the standard fantasy races, but also went way out of my way to make a ton of aliens. Aliens are coo'.
>Grim
My system is very brutal and unforgiving in combat. I've had a few PCs die fairly easily for not using cover or going for extremely risky options. A gunfight is a scary, scary thing. This has lead to some great moments. That said, it's not like it doesn't have its bright moments. Players just have to work extra hard for that, the struggle is part of being a big goddamn hero.
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers / Players have regular jobs, occupations
I can't really pick here. Of the three I've got right now one is a civilian doctor. Other two are ex-mercenaries. I let them play anything.
>Map out almost everything on paper / Only describe surroundings
I love mapmaking. I always have maps for myself, but will describe the surroundings for the players.
25, Male, Math Instructor
Fate Core (with lots of tool-kitting)
>The players are playing my setting
It is harder to contribute to an unknown setting but this game system supports audience input, which I hope to reinforce.
>Plan everything out
Planning linearly is impossible. I just invent modules then weave them in based on party decisions made.
>Try to come up with your own races and classes
The system doesn't need a lot of attributes to make a "creature"--I like to make the minions and lieutenants of different factions, though.
>Grim
Spookiness and "coldness", yet always with some comedy.
>Players have regular jobs, occupations
Their characters are very adventure-ready individuals, nonetheless.
>Map out almost everything on paper
Not paper... LEGO
>>44423008
20, male, catering director and inventory manager.
I usually just run D&D with mountains of home few rules.
>Characters play my setting.
>I plan most of our stuff
>races and classes are all over the place
>bright but quirky
>PCs come from all walks of life
>I have maps for every combat situation. Otherwise, describing it serves us well enough.
>>44423008
23, male, entry-level tech support
FantasyCraft has me good these days.
>Pick the extreme that you feel fits you best:
>>we are creating the setting together as we go (I'd prefer 'developing')
>>Make up everything as you go
>>Use races and classes from the manual
>>Bright
>>Players have regular jobs, occupations (depends on game)
>>only describe the surroundings
>>44423008
>26, male, education
>D&D/DH
>Pick the extreme that you feel fits you best:
>>The players are playing my setting
>>Plan out "the first half hour of the session" as my rule of thumb
>>Use races and classes from the manual
>>Bright
>>Players have regular jobs, occupations
>>only describe the surroundings, but we do use minis for combat sometimes
>>44423008
26M Student
Pathfinder, MNST
>Players are playing my setting
>Plan everything but make shit up as i go and never follow the plan
>Use races and classes from manual
>Bright
>Players are Adventurers
>Describe the surroundings
>>44423008
26, Male, Butcher.
Knights and Knaves.
>The players are playing my setting (if they have any cool ideas for it, then I'll totally steal them though).
>Plan everything out.
>Use races and classes from the manual (I might come up with my own if the setting I want to use needs it, but I don't like figuring out how to balance things like that).
>Grim
>Players are dedicated hero-adventurers.
>Only describe the surroundings (and wing it when players ask for more details about something in particular).
