[DL] Campaign Styles

[Thomas Mayfield <dragonboyblue@mindspring.com>]

	After the recent (and ongoing) cheating discussion, I felt compelled to
add my own .02 cents on a topic very close to my heart- campaign styles.
The best thing a new Marshal can do when starting a new campaign with new
players is tell them what style campaign it will be.  I don't mean Western,
fantasy, cyberpunk, whatever- I mean the mode of play.  Will it be
extravagant and cinamatic?  Or will it be gritty and realistic?  Will there
be lots of combat and confrontation, or will there be more investigation
and character interaction?  Everybody likes a different combination of
these.  If you as Marshal go in with a dark, serious campiagn full of deep
character conflicts and roleplaying dilemmas, but your group came geared
for Saturday morning cartoons with six-guns and zombies, no one's going to
have fun.  I speak from experience, friends.  
	My very first experience as a Marshal was running "This Harrowed Ground"
(from the Marshal Law pack).  As a Marshal, I run a serious, realistic
campiagn, and encourage realistic character emotion ("Oh, my god! That was
Aunt Suzzie! But she's dead!" rather than " *shrug* 'I shoot it'").  My
problem was with one player who was a great guy, but his style of
roleplaying was off the wall.  His Blessed walked around with a Galting
gun, shoving it in random people's faces and demanding, "Are you a
sinner?!?".  He when talking to a group of bandits said (in character, mind
you!) "You know, I can't understand why we all wear the hats <insert corny
Southern accent> and talk with these funny accents..."  The bandits of
course shot him, but the point is no one really had fun that session.  I
eventually just stopped inviting the guy to sessions.  If I had told the
player how I was going to run the campiagn to start with, I would have
avoided a lot of trouble.  There's nothing wrong with any type or style or
roleplay- just make sure everyone's expecting the same thing before you start.

Ok, done ranting now.  Go home.  Nothing to see here, folks.

-Evil Marshal Mayfield
--------------------------------------------
Only when the last tree is dead, the last river
dammed, and the last field paved over will we
realize we can't eat money.