So I'm starting to build a game using the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, and I really want to make the players believe that they're a part of the of going story, rather than just being along for the ride.
I'm letting them choose their guild, and I want that to dictate who has the ability to go where. For example, the Selesnyan player may be allowed entry into an Azorius constabulary, but his Rakdos and Gruul party members would be denied entry. Conversely, the seedier members of society would be more willing to talk to the Rakdos and Gruul players, but be less inclined to share important secrets with Selesnya.
Anyone else have any other input on how to make a game feel more engaging with the players?
My best advice is always give the players something to identify with and connect to, and then take it away from them. That will engage players in trying to get back what they had.
My current game, all the main characters have amnesia and the players all know I have developed detailed backstories for the lot of them. They want to play to find out what their own histories are and how they're all interconnected.
You gotta find something in common to motivate them to stay as a party, and something they want to do as their characters. I haven't played any Ravnica campaigns, but I generally use an occasional developed NPC for them to interact with and get attached to, and return them to familiar locales so they they begin to grow attached to the area. That makes it easier to motivate them when something bad happens to that NPC or locale for them to want to make it right.
I usually make sure that I know certain details of my player's characters before really starting a Campaign.
15% of things in my Campaigns are prepared before the characters are factored: How the party begins the Adventure, unchanging important locations, the overarching villain, the general lay of the land, some predetermined events. 40% of the things in my Campaigns are made up after the last session: the area the players are about to enter, future meetings, consequences of their actions, sub-villain that makes sense with how things are going, how to tie current events with the villain or events. 25% of the things in my Campaigns are completely dependent on the players' character's backgrounds, for some specific examples: the act two sub-villain is a corrupt diplomat that one of the character's attempted to assassinate, the characters are about to be framed for murder and past actions they took will come up. The last 20% is made up on the spot in reaction to what the player's did.
In other words 85% of what I do as a DM is based on my players, very little of my Campaigns are predetermined. The more experience you get as a DM the easier this tends to be. Give the characters some starting direction, give them a mystery, and see what they do with it. If they come up with a great idea go with it. Use their characters' backstories as idea fodder. Learn to improv, and modify plans on the fly. If you do well, they'll think you had the whole thing planned from the beginning and are secretly a genius. Truthfully, you only had 40% of a Plan to begin with, but you never tell them that.
Of course, this is assuming they like to Roleplay and get Creative. If they're Bust Open the Door players, then this isn't going to work.
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So I'm starting to build a game using the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, and I really want to make the players believe that they're a part of the of going story, rather than just being along for the ride.
I'm letting them choose their guild, and I want that to dictate who has the ability to go where. For example, the Selesnyan player may be allowed entry into an Azorius constabulary, but his Rakdos and Gruul party members would be denied entry. Conversely, the seedier members of society would be more willing to talk to the Rakdos and Gruul players, but be less inclined to share important secrets with Selesnya.
Anyone else have any other input on how to make a game feel more engaging with the players?
My best advice is always give the players something to identify with and connect to, and then take it away from them. That will engage players in trying to get back what they had.
My current game, all the main characters have amnesia and the players all know I have developed detailed backstories for the lot of them. They want to play to find out what their own histories are and how they're all interconnected.
You gotta find something in common to motivate them to stay as a party, and something they want to do as their characters. I haven't played any Ravnica campaigns, but I generally use an occasional developed NPC for them to interact with and get attached to, and return them to familiar locales so they they begin to grow attached to the area. That makes it easier to motivate them when something bad happens to that NPC or locale for them to want to make it right.
If you need it, I can homebrew it.
I usually make sure that I know certain details of my player's characters before really starting a Campaign.
15% of things in my Campaigns are prepared before the characters are factored: How the party begins the Adventure, unchanging important locations, the overarching villain, the general lay of the land, some predetermined events. 40% of the things in my Campaigns are made up after the last session: the area the players are about to enter, future meetings, consequences of their actions, sub-villain that makes sense with how things are going, how to tie current events with the villain or events. 25% of the things in my Campaigns are completely dependent on the players' character's backgrounds, for some specific examples: the act two sub-villain is a corrupt diplomat that one of the character's attempted to assassinate, the characters are about to be framed for murder and past actions they took will come up. The last 20% is made up on the spot in reaction to what the player's did.
In other words 85% of what I do as a DM is based on my players, very little of my Campaigns are predetermined. The more experience you get as a DM the easier this tends to be. Give the characters some starting direction, give them a mystery, and see what they do with it. If they come up with a great idea go with it. Use their characters' backstories as idea fodder. Learn to improv, and modify plans on the fly. If you do well, they'll think you had the whole thing planned from the beginning and are secretly a genius. Truthfully, you only had 40% of a Plan to begin with, but you never tell them that.
Of course, this is assuming they like to Roleplay and get Creative. If they're Bust Open the Door players, then this isn't going to work.