With the week being about the expectations in our game, I thought it would be a good idea to ask what are some of the expectations you feel are in your game?
For myself, my L5R game has several expectations.
First, as an L5R game there is the expectation of social consequence. Even the most military of games in L5R has a political element and that is present.
Second, there is the expectation for grand adventure and military set pieces. This isn't from L5R but from the talk before the game. When we started the current generation with the PCs I made no secret that I considered this generation the "War Hero" or "Big Damn Heroes" generation. Sharing this expectation enabled me to get PCs worthy of it coming to pass.
Third, and finally for this post, there is the expectation that the actions of the past will have far reaching consequences. This comes from the game itself, which is a generational game, and also from discussion with the players. The bad guys the players face now in the game are related to the big bads from previous generations, and in some cases are even the old PCs themselves...albeit changed.
From these expectations my players knew they needed to have some social angles covered. They knew they needed characters who could be big heroes in a time of war and strife. They also know that the enemies they face are of their own making, and that going forward they will be impacting the world that we play in.
It has worked out well so far for us. What about you? What expectations does your game carry and how have they worked out for you?
When we started out current Shadowrun campaign, the GM asked us all to create very low-level characters and told us not to expect to go on any of the 'normal' runs any time soon. The expectation for the campaign is: let's see how well we can survive on the street, in this case the Barrens, exploring social issues on the way. That has worked out really well for us because there are so many real life-examples we can bring into the game that make for great story hooks. And no-one is in a hurry to become a rich Shadowrunner, the characters are all more about the community we live in.
ReplyDeleteAnother expectation was: let's make this about roleplaying and story. We have plenty of fights, but we have a lot more social interaction. Especially since players found out how deadly solving conflict with weapons may be and how these things tend to have consequences. Which is probably another expectation: whatever you do, it will come back to you one way or another. NPCs interact and the world changes even while the PCs are not around.
That sounds like an awesome game. I've wanted to play in a Shadowrun game for a long time. The only time I got to be in one I was too young to appreciate what it was. Since then I've run it, but never played.
DeleteEstablishing proper expectations for a campaign and group is important. Which is why I include intended play styles in my campaign pitches to try and get everyone on the same page, with admittedly mixed success.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started my Dark Heresy campaign a couple of years ago, I was recently returned from a decades long hiatus from gaming, so expectations were more implied and have been developed along the way.
ReplyDeleteMy players know this is the gritty, deadly & substantially futile grim dark future of the 41st millennium. Their Inquisitor(s) expect them to substantially provide their own resources. The Cell will typically be outnumbered, if not outgunned. Wielding their Inquisitorial authority virtually always has multiple consequences, some of which will likely be undesirable. Their Emperor has certainly saved them, but their GM will not. In the current battle, the NPC our newest player was running (before his PC showed up) was cut down in his first firefight. Our 2nd newest player's Acolyte went to meet the Emperor in this same battle, which was his 6th session. Lastly, they're well aware they're unlikely to see any lasting victory, so should be satisfied with defending the Imperium from its countless enemies for one more day.