"Favorite RPG style?" Topic

Not genre or setting, but style of play:

A. Full "story arc" campaign with a beginning, middle and definitive end, and defined goals and objectives for the characters. Characters start at first level and go unto the story ends or they die (or become gods, etc.), whichever happens first.

B. Looser, "whatever happens" sandbox full campaign: the world (and story) become whatever the PCs make of it. There may be plots going on, but they don't necessarily drive the direction of the characters' adventures. The adventurers start at first level and continue to maximum level until they die, become gods, etc..

C. "Multiple story arc" full campaigns, where the characters follow different, not always connected briefer story arcs, basically independent campaigns, each with a definitive beginning, middle, and end, but these don't define the whole arc of the characters themselves. Start at first, continue to death, godhood, etc.

D. Mini story campaign. Like A., but with the characters only really being followed for a short while. The story has a beginning, middle and end, but the characters may start at a higher level, or end at a relatively low level and are simply retired, though technically they could go on.

E. Mini sandbox campaign. Lots of disconnected adventures, but no real arc. May start at any level, end at any level.

F. One shot story adventure: Characters are created for each adventure, which has a beginning, middle, and end, and they might level up during it, but once it's done, it's done, and so are they. If it's a "campaign" it's because there happen to be 2 or 3 adventures in a published module series, but that's all.

G. Dungeon crawls. Kill the monsters, loot the place, level up or die. Maybe we'll use the characters over several sessions, maybe we'll roll up new ones. No real "campaign" involved.

In theory A, in reality D or F. Dungeon Crawls are fun on occasion as well. Though I have not played any RPG for over a decade now.

D. Mini Story Campaign

Following a medium length series (or two) of connected adventures (15 games or so) with characters that start mid-level allows the players to play interesting challenges without some of the initial drudgery, including learning the basics of the world through exposition but the hidden details through experience, but still have a "bigger picture" that relates to a diversity of character backgrounds and potential settings without a long denoument, or the dreaded waterborne temporary elevation path over a selachimorpha aquatic lifeform.

For preference, C. All have their good points though.

A, F or G because my and my friend's time for RPG gatherings are limited. RPG's require a greater time and multi-player (more than 2 players) commitment than one-off tabletop board or miniature gaming sessions.

Funny, but I was just watching Wil Wheaton's 'Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana' last night. Of course, part of the reason was probably Alison Haislip (Elven ranger Killiel) and Laura Bailey (pink-haired cyborg Lemley).

The guys' PC's are a ferret-looking creature and an Orc Shaman. Go figure.

I like "C". Use same character and watch him advance, but not tied to a single campaign.

C. Definitely C.

They're all good. I usually run a single story arc, but the background always allows distractions, deviations, and new stories that the characters can pursue.

E. We may start a campaign shortly (The Traveller Adventure), but for the last 42 sessions have just enjoyed the vast amount of possibilities in the Spinward Marches.

A, C, or D

We may start a campaign shortly (The Traveller Adventure), but for the last 42 sessions have just enjoyed the vast amount of possibilities in the Spinward Marches.

Oo, that's an interesting point, as Traveller was designed with a significant random environment/situation potential in the mix… I feel another poll coming on… BRB!

Okay, new "spin-off" poll discussion thread now live: TMP link

I like them all, but always fall back to "C".

Because I like the idea of different adventures, reaching out from a central point such as a spaceship, spaceport, castle or village, only because it's sometimes difficult to get folks together to run a full on campaign, we're as short adventure can be done in generally one session, beginning, middle and end.

"C" is what we've went to as our players have asked for it with the option to use a pre-generated character or make their own

So each Talomir Tales (Fantasy) book gives you 14 different Encounter types to build your own and 16, tied to a story, pre-made encounters.

510 No Limits does the same for sc fi, but with 12 build your own types, and 16 pre-generated adventures.

Let's people play a full campaign in a night not less while still tying it into a bigger picture.

B, always

I would prefer to run and/or play in A or C, but nowadays it's mostly D or F.

B. Been running a full sandbox campaign for 35+ years, in the same campaign world. Players and PC's have changed, but I'm using the same campaign world, continuing to develop it, using player input. The campaign world is like an old friend, to me, and the current crop of players, all of whom have been adventuring in it for 4-24 years.

Never had a desire to start a new game world. While I have the entire globe mapped, in outline, I've only used two continents out of 10, in the 35 years since I drew the map. Still a blast, after more than three decades. Players are equally excited about it, as they keep discovering new things. Cheers!

B, maybe with a touch of E.

It's a lot more work for the GM, but much more rewarding for all involved and plays to the real strength of RPGs: That you DON'T know what is going to happen (or what is 'supposed to happen'…)

Doesn't matter as long as the character reaches it's natural developmental potential. That could be leveling a ton or maybe a few levels. Regardless I play characters not classes/levels/skill trees.

I've played them all with G. F. D. being the least satisfying.

I prefer style B, but in practice I usually go with F or G. I don't get to play rpgs too often nowadays.

B and E because I love sandboxing. As a GM, I get to build a world. As a player I get to set my own goals.

G, dungeon crawling, can be fun too.