Developing a questionaire for players

[Flagg]

Most of the games I run involve myself coming up with an idea for a story, and my group making characters for it. However, I've noticed that in some cases, they seem completely disinterested in what I find to be the coolest parts of the story, or are very interested in something that was meant to be marginal.


What I'd like to try to do next time is ask the players what THEY want to be doing, and build a custom story around that. I've run enough games through the years that I feel comfortable crafting a plot out of most any raw materials, given a short time to think on it.


What I'd like to do is develop a short questionaire for my players (4-5 questions) to get an idea of what they want to get out of a game. What I'd like help with is suggestions for what questions to ask, and how to ask them effectively.


Basically, I'd like to know things like:

• Do you want a character-oriented story, or a group-oriented story?
  
• What element(s) are most important to you? Action? Drama, Politics?
  
• What would you like the group to accomplish? Conquest of the Empire? Founding of an Order, Destruction of a powerful foe? Uncovering of hidden knowledge?
  
• What overall theme and tone would you like the game to have? Honor? Revenge? Hope? Loss? Betrayal?
  
• Etc.

I open the floor to discussion.


Thanks.


-S

 

[Relic]

I had similar thoughts before but never got anywhere with it. I have seen online discussions of the subject in the past though, so perhaps you could google some inspiration.


I would include something about powerlevel with regards to abilities, charms, etc. (you seem to have the political powerlevel included already). - Both starting level and progress rate.

 

[psychoph]

From just a question askign stand point make sure all the quesitons you ask are open ended and don't give examples.  


Psychologically when you give examples you focus people's thoughts on those topics and it is more likely that they will choose something you mentioned in the question rather than maybe what they really want to do.


I think the other thing you might find is that your group doesn't necessarily know what they want only what they don't want.  This is probably a personal bias because I tend to think in those terms and am able to pick out things I don't like but have a harder time telling people stuff I do like.


It all really will depend on the group of people though and how familiar they are with the Exalted game and the possibilities.


That brings up a question.  Are you looking for a general questionaire you coudl hand out to develop any game or one specific to Exalted and the cannon that White wofl has given, or your specific versionof Exalted?

 

[Flagg]

Psychologically when you give examples you focus people's thoughts on those topics and it is more likely that they will choose something you mentioned in the question rather than maybe what they really want to do.

It's a good point, but I'd rather them pick from a list than write "I don't know", if that's what it comes down to.

I think the other thing you might find is that your group doesn't necessarily know what they want only what they don't want.

That's a good thing to ask, I think. "Is there anything in specific you'd like to avoid?"

Are you looking for a general questionaire you coudl hand out to develop any game or one specific to Exalted and the cannon that White wofl has given, or your specific versionof Exalted?

The questions by themselves would be fairly generic, but I'd expect the answers to be topical.


-S

 

[psychoph]

I would add Romance to the elements that are most important since it could be a separate individual thing and not necessarily a theme.


I would also add on to the character oriented and group oriented to say in what way?  As in do you want it to be about one character and the rest are supporting, or maybe about 2 of the characters, or do you want each character to have an individual plot line designed for them where they are lead on importance and everyone else is support?  


Character versus group is very generic and non specific.  I would also tag on Why to each one of the questions so that the PC's can give a more through answer instead of just one of the examples.  It is often times elaboration that gives you the most information and their inner most desires.


I would probably ask if they want to be heroes or villains depending on the group.  Some groups have the maturity of role-playing to be able to play in a game of villains where their actions are not for the greater good.


I would also change the 3rd idea to what would you like you to accomplish in the story


And then add another question asking what would you like the group to accomplish in the story.  


This is because a story can have a separate goal for each character and group.  You actually could have goals between characters, like I want these two characters to fall in love, but I also want my character to kill a major villain and be come a prince, which the whole group I want to destroy the realm.

 

[Relic]

I would also tag on Why to each one of the questions so that the PC's can give a more through answer instead of just one of the examples.

Polling the characters - now there's a novel idea. :-P

 

[psychoph]

I would also tag on Why to each one of the questions so that the PC's can give a more through answer instead of just one of the examples.

Polling the characters - now there's a novel idea. :-P

Definitely one of those do as I say not as I do because I have a hard time polling my PCs.

 

[Flagg]

I would also tag on Why to each one of the questions so that the PC's can give a more through answer instead of just one of the examples.

Keep in mind, this is for table-top, not internet gaming. I'll be discussing each player's answers with them personally, and then collectively as a group.

I would also change the 3rd idea to what would you like you to accomplish in the story
And then add another question asking what would you like the group to accomplish in the story.

That's a good idea.


-S

 

[psychoph]

I would also tag on Why to each one of the questions so that the PC's can give a more through answer instead of just one of the examples.

Keep in mind, this is for table-top, not internet gaming. I'll be discussing each player's answers with them personally, and then collectively as a group.


-S

Hehe that was what I was assuming.  I find that writting stuff down is a lot easier to go over with people than having them explain.  My main reason is simply because i forget stuff so easily that if i have it on paper i can reread it later and go ok yep that was what they said they wanted.


I find when i just ask and get told i tend to not remember stuff so if your memory works better than mine, which i really hope it does becuase I am similar to an elstimer patient, then your way works just the same.

 

[Persell]

Once I had to start a game for absolute newbies. For some of them it was their first RPG ever. The question that was very clear for them, and very informative for me was "what movie do you want to be part of?" It gives an idea of the theme and mood, and is very immediate.


I also asked them to give ratings in romance, intrigue, action and a couple other categories.

 

[Flagg]

That's actually a pretty decent way to go about it, especially for people who don't know what to expect from RPGs.


-S

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

I had done this before, but mainly through word of mouth and it generally worked out quite well. I like the idea as well, if you wouldn't mind I'd love to yoink this idea for my upcoming epic ^^;;;;

 

[ashenphoenix]

I asked my players to come up with pop-culture references, and it worked quite well (means that everone gets a say, and they're not limited just to movies). I then asked them their favourite bits of the movies and what they liked about that part.


One thing to be careful of, especially in the beginning, is to give them a core genre (Solar/Abyssal/etc) first.


There's a whole bunch of genre analysis on movies on the net, and indeed you can run individual story arcs from different, but still related films (I ran an Aliens-style arc with (animal) crocodile-godblooded in the middle of an Abyssals game based on Hellraiser and Hellsing. I then was running another separate game based on Egyptian mythology (Solar), and another based on Viking mythology (Lunar).


Anyways, here's the sheet that I filled out at the start of the game. Most of it's based on genre analysis of Hellraiser/Hellsing, and there are elements in there that I didn't use, but kept for inspiration:


Storyteller:


Start Date:


Characters:


Story Concept:


Plot Archetype(s): Abyssal – Dusk – Warrior - Paladin


Subplot(s): BDSM/Bondage, Monster, Murder, Supernatural, Torture, Death, chaos, Imprisonment


Theme: Duty Versus Personal Desires


Genre: Splatterpunk Horror


Sub-genres: Thriller, Action, Adventure


Pop-Culture references: Hellsing, Hellraiser


Mood: Black Humor,


Plot Summary:


Opening Location/Situation/NPCs:


Key Locations:


Extra Locations:


Key Situations:


Extra Situations:


Key NPCs:


Extra NPCs:


Ending Location/SituationNPCs:


Troubleshooting:


Rewards:


Reward Conditions:


Conditions For Success:


Conditions For Failure:

 

[Persell]

Asking what types of Exalts they want to play would probably help also. Someone who wants to play an Imacculate Monk, won't be getting along with the guy who wants to play a Lunar.


Also watch for people wanting to play Fair Folk, Dragon Kings, and Heroic Mortals.


I personally find my life a lot easier when I can weed out the shit I don't want first.  At least then I end up with the thing I hate the least.