Hpw do you start games?

[twesterm]

I love running games. I think I like running games more than playing them. That being said, I think there's still one part of running a game I always dread: the beginning.

I've tried running games and played in games that ranged from the group all knows each other to nobody knows anything about each other. The ones where the group already knows each other always start smoothly but it's also always a pain to force the players into situations like that and let them have the freedom to make their own characters. In just about every game I've been involved where the characters don't know each other, there's always at least one guy that wants to make things difficult and wastes an entire session just being difficult.

Generally I like to lean more towards the group already knows each other somehow or begin them in some situation that forces them to interact somehow just because the beginning games are always so difficult when the players have to meet each other (playing and running).

So I'm just curious, how do yall start games or like to have games started?

[Skunkape]

A lot depends on whether I'm part of a group or not. We'll go with the not part of a group option. I post a teaser about the game, including info about the type of game, story driven, PC driven, hack and slash, etc. Then I also post something about the number of players I'm looking for, time and location of game and frequency. The type of game also gives people an idea of the type of player I'm looking for.

Then I post that information in as many places as I can with regards to the geographic location as to where I'm playing. That includes, online forums and gaming/comic/hobby stores. Then I wait till I get responses and start the game. Course, you always want to make sure you visit any place where you post the game, as if you're not keeping people aware that you're looking, they might think it's an old post and not respond.

Once I've got a full group of players, I post something else letting people know I've got a full group.

If I'm already part of a group, starting a new game is easy, that is unless the other members of the group I'm part of don't want to play the kind of game I want to run. My latest campaign was designed particularly because of the play style of our group. There are other games I'd like to run, but won't because they don't fit the play style of the group, but that's ok, because I don't have to run those games, cuz I'm having fun running my current game.

[Rain_Spider_08]

Personally from what little storytelling I've done I like to read the characters bios and think of which ways would make the most sense. I tend to ask the players what their characters relations are to the other players characters if any. If a players says "yeah I know the other players character" I get both of those players in private and ask them how do they know each other and if they travel together" and try to come up with a scenario for the players characters entry into the game they'd appreciate. It's not uncommon for me to ask each of the players in private how they'd like their entry to be or I run of ideas I have and wait for them to go "YEAH!!! that's the one!" And that seems to also work if their characters don't know the other characters.

[starfalconkd]

I like to let my pcs build their characters together and write histories which explain why they know each other. If everyone decides they want to meet in game, I discuss an opening vignette with my pcs to assure a smooth start. I don't mind letting them have some say in the events of the starting quest. For the groups I've had, I have never had a problem with this, what I have found can cause serious problems is introducing a new character mid-campaign. I've had campaigns collapse completely form this event.

[Grimwell]

With a bang!

Before the actual first game session I give players background info so they will understand the setting and find a place for their characters in it. During the first session I have things happen and allow them to decide how and where they react. It could be something as chaotic as being in a village when it's attacked, or a gold rush, or something simple like a holiday or the local noble needing someone to hunt goblins for bounty.

By having some kind of plot action going independent of the players, they see that the world is moving and usually choose to jump in even if it's in a totally unrelated way.

[QumullusTheNimblest]

I'm with Grimmy there. It's hard to go wrong with an action scene first session. I liek to use it to wrap in a reason for the party to "form". Often, if the first session goes well, the players will create a bunch of stroy seeds by what they say and do.

I like these kind of posts, sharing ideas with other DMs has been a savior of some of my recent games. (You guys helped me save a higher-level-than-written EtCR game! I Thank you!)

[Dorquemada]

The best campaign I ever played in started with the DM saying, roll initiative. There's definitely something to be said for starting off with a bang. That being said, I've always had trouble with getting the party together too. One hopes for a meeting that will introduce the PCs and establish a bond early on, but that doesn't seem too contrived.

The scenario with which I've had the best results is one in which the PCs knew each other back home, years ago and have come together at a specified time and place (a la. Stephen King's It) to accomplish some long-term goal, be it revenge, power, or saving the world, or just finishing what they started way back when. Of course, this works best with a campaign designed for a finite number of acts, with a planned beginning middle and end.