Ten Best Question to Ask a Prospective Traveller GM

[Gadrin]

Okay, you've been approached to play in a Traveller game (PBP or online or face to face).

As you well know, not all games are for you for a variety of reasons.

So, you hold a Q&A session with the prospective fellow gamer to get
a feel what might be in-store.

Limit yourself to 10 questions (relevant ones)... what would you ask ?

What would you find important to facilitate a decent game-session or
campaign ?

>

 

[robject]

Which do you like the most: (a) kicking butt (b) solving puzzles (c) living in the moment (d) tricking out a hand-crafted character (e) just having fun?

What story or show (any from science fiction, history, or modern settings) inspires you most?

(Also: need some sort of question that indicates how well player will play with everyone else)

 

[PathfinderAP]

its more about how well the players and GM gel than anything else,
without that its like pushing water up hill,


but...

1) What Era
2) What Focus in the setting (if any)
3) What version of the game will be played
4) Whats the rules of posting/game session/ house rules etc
5) What do you know about the other players?
6) How long has the GM been running Traveller
7) What was their favorite thing done/seen in a Traveller game
8) Will there be a Team leader/Crews Captain, or is it a free for all
9) Do you want us to bring the munchies?
10) Whats the meaning of 42? (YOU WANT TOO KNOW)

 

[mbrinkhues]

1) Do we play in the OTU as defined by the GDW/DGP/QLI products?
2) When and where within the OTU do we play
3) What changes did you make/what adaptions did you make to the OTU
4) What is the orientation of the game (Diplomacy/Riddles/Action/...)
5) What type of characters do you want
6) What rules-set will be used for a) play and b) chargen
7) What changes did you make to those rules
8) Will we have to chase Ancient stuff
9) Time, place and frequency of play

 

[IUnknown]

My Four

1.) What's the ref style (Hard Sci Fi, Soft, Goofy, By the book, Loose rules)
I've seen some games run nearly without dice and others devolve into two hour discussions on theories of quantum physics to decide whether a character's actions worked or not.

2.) What game style (Diplomacy/Social, Action smash and grab, Trading/Money, Moral Dilemas, Exploration, Political intrigue)
I've seen some games with way too much action.. some with way too little, and too much talking... some games where its hard times and you have no money.. showing up to a 1,000 rounds gun fight with 50 rounds.. those are fun... some games where money is too easy and the players own gigantic corporations.

3.) Definitely frequency and duration of play!
Make sure you can actually show up on the schedule... twice a week for five hour sessions... maybe when i was in college I could do that.

4.) Have the other players already started, and how long ago
Personally, I hate walking into a game as the newbie with newbie skills and everyone else is maxed out on skills, equipment, and cash... makes me feel rather useless and usually is a waste of time to be there. Better to start all near the same time and be similar.

5.) One more thing... do you get to generate your own characters? One time the ref handed us pregen characters.. just didn't seem as fun to me.

For me, I don't worry about rules and setting so much. That's the ref's job and I figure they should be able to choose what they want and are comfortable with. I can always learn the setting and rules as we go if they're different than what I know.

 

[saundby]

1. What time do you play?
2. Do folks usually get there on time?
3. Do you have a regular location or a routine for a floating game?
4. If there's a change of plans, how do you let people know?
5. What's the routine on munchies, smoking, cleanup, paying for food/drink?
6. House/table rules?
7. What happens to rule breakers?
8. Tell me about a typical game session.
9. Tell me about your players.
10. What do I need to play?

 

[Icosahedron]

1. Do we bring our own beer?
2. Can I cadge a sp**ff?
3. Any girlz there?
4. Can we raid your mom's fridge?
5. How big can my starship be?
6. My JOT-4 special forces dude found a rapid-pulse FGMP-16 - that ok?
7. I got this idea about finding a derelict alien AI pocket battleship...

Oh, sorry, you mean now - not last time I was in a FTF??

 

[grendelttroll]

1. Which Rules do you prefer?
2. Which Milieu?
3. What kind of campaign, Merc? Free Trader?
4. Do you allow players to play Vargr?
5. How intense is your role-playing style?
6. What kind of house rules do you use?
7. Do you mind if players make REAL decisions (not just GM-manipulated ones)?
8. How well do you improv during a game?
9. When/Where do we play?
10. Do you need me there when we create characters or do you trust me to do it on my own?