ACOS wrote:
So, am I misguided in thinking that the specific type of game I want to run can be imbedded into the setting information?
To a degree, yes. In the Star Wars universe, for instance, you could run all kinds of games, ranging from Imperial assassins monitoring and taking out public figures suspected of collaborating with the rebellion, to a lighter game about cocky smugglers living fast and loose in the Outer Rim, to the traditional game about a plucky band of rebel heroes opposing the evil empire. And that's just in one time period.
Yes, the setting elements are all the same, but the tone of the game will vary a lot; the assassins game will likely be darker, more serious and cynical, the smugglers game will probably err on the side of wish fulfillment and hijinks (sort of what Guardians of the Galaxy looks like from the trailers), and the old standby game plays more like a traditional tale of good triumphing over evil.
On the edges you can kind of hint at your genre. Star Wars has a magical Force and laser swords and hyper space that no one tries to explain; these are just givens for a space opera/space fantasy setting, not a hard sci-fi setting. So the setting details matter; they determine what is or is not acceptable in the setting. But within the
setting, the
specific game is its own construct, like the three different Star Wars games above. There's a big circle that includes the setting, and within that circle are smaller circles that make up games. Each specific game will have things that are acceptable or not acceptable which are
above and beyond the baseline setting guidelines.
Also, how far is "too far" when it comes to guiding players in to the kind of game you want run?
If I say "premise: you guys are all part of an already-established adventuring party; you need to have an explanation for why the group's composition makes sense"; is it okay for me to say "no game" if they all show up with characters that don't even know each other?
Similarly, "here's a specific setting element that you need to incorporate in to your character"; how strong is my footing when I tell the player to get bent when all he does is write "<setting element>" in a corner on the back of his character sheet?
This has little or nothing to do with what kind of game you want to run. These are individual requirements that don't amount to anything without a bigger picture they're supporting.
In your first scenario, if the game is "You're all veteran adventurers that have been together for years rescuing princesses, defeating Orc hordes and slaying dragons, but now the tyrannical prince has risen to power over the land where your HQ is and makes you an offer you can't refuse," and then say, "To make this feel right, I want all of you to think up either why your guy joined the group in the first place or the adventure with the group that left the biggest impression on him; either way, this should explain why he's stuck around this long," or something, then that's OK, because you've established a direction for the game to go in, and then made a chargen requirement that furthers that direction. It hooks the players and points their thoughts
forward, not just arbitrarily backwards or in the present. The game hints at political intrigue; are we going to lead a revolution against the prince? Or become his lieutenants? Will we work against him from the inside? Does he just have it out for us, and if so, why? These are good questions of the type that your game prompt should be triggering in your players' minds; you want them to immediately start thinking about what they will be doing in the first session, not guessing.
Your setting is one thing, now the game pitch carves out a niche within that setting, gives the players a tease, a hint of what kind of action to expect, and whets their appetites for it.
This is assuming you can gauge what they'd be interested in well. If you're unsure, talk about it with them. Nail down the basic genre (sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, horror?), then maybe a sub-genre (hard sci-fi vs. space fantasy? Epic fantasy vs. dark fantasy? Future mystery vs. historical vs. modern?). Ask them would they be interested in playing black-hearted pirates (or gold-hearted pirates?), or a party of explorers, or members of a knightly order protecting a VIP on a perilous journey across the empire to meet the czar of your former enemies (whom you don't quite trust fully). Just spitball some ideas and see what gets them going. Just the basics, then take it and mold it into a full campaign idea. That way they're invested, they had some input (and feel free to take ideas for specifics, as well, most players appreciate that), and they know what to expect and expect to have fun. That's pretty much the definition of buy-in, right?