So, here we go. Excuse the length, but as this is the first SR campaign in like... uh... long time for me, and the last one ended in player infighting, I want to make some things clear beforehand. I'd love to run a campaign but my schedule on weekends is pretty erratic as well. Thus, rather than having a fixed time, I'd arrange next session after the game or shortly before the weekend. Even then, my family or friends might decide to do something different not caring about my online schedule (try explaining to those who barely go online that an online appointment isn't so much different from meeting to play with friends...) There may be weeks when I am not available at all. I have no problem with players only being there sometimes. I also don’t mind people having 2 chars to have them team up with players who might not be in the current running story for a side quest or parallel story. One thing first though. Am tired of the Seattle set up. I have an idea for a traveling team going round the world rather than being stuck in one place for long. That also means making cities/places up, and I want and expect the players to help out there. Got an idea for some building/megacorp/city area/weird new culture etc, develop it, I’ll fit it in. Also, my SR world is usually a bit different from standard descriptions, but that is probably the case for a lot of SR games. As for play styles and char gen, I prefer karmagen for the reasons already mentioned. Yes, you can probably crunch up your char "too much" – but you can power game in any set up, and people who do that usually try to hog the spotlight in game, too, Which is not going to happen in my games. We all play to have fun, including me, so the whole group is responsible for fun to happen, not just me. If you want an overpowered char who shoves everyone else into the ground, pick another game. Talking of fun – I am advocating player responsibility. Means it’s not only the GM responsible for coordinating games, checking char sheets for errors (I’m actually bad in finding errors in people’s sheet as I have discalculia – kinda allergic to numbers. Yup, I’m weird.) developing the story and get active in game. And I am all for doing char play whenever you have the time and can get together. In long, my games usually go by the following general rules, in no particular order of relevance: 1) Talk to each other about game appointments, not waiting for me to message everyone or to post on the forums. Making a list of probably meeting times without asking me is fine – if there are 4 or 5 days/times where most of the players can make it, I will make it work somehow or... 2) If I can’t be there, there is nothing to stop the chars from meeting up and be active, anyway. You do char play (going out, meeting new contacts etc) where you really don’t need a GM for (at least not in my games) and give me a summary when done. I trust players to not make up stuff to gain contacts/karma/edge for free. This may not advance the plot but it advances the chars, and may create new facts for me to incorporate. 3) Talk on the game forum. About the game, your chars, rules disputes etc. An active group keeping contact is more likely to last. 4) I’m far from being perfect with the rules. Due to my problem with numbers, I have to look up details even in game systems I played for over 20 years. Due to this, I love having a rules savy guy in my games who can point out errors. It’s a group effort, anyway, not GM vs players, so I’m cool with ideas to improve sessions etc. Generally, unless it is some clear oversight, rules discussions will happen after the game. 5) Pointing it out again – it is all for fun. Thus, no player vs player. That does not mean no char vs char. If you think your chars hate each other and want to outmaneuver each other, by all means, play it out. But you need to agree on this beforehand, otherwise it is just one player sniping at someone else’s char. I’ve had a group break up due to this and I don’t need any of us to spend effort on a campaign to have it killed by something like that. 6) Be proactive in play. If I put you in a place where nothing seems to happen right away, go explore. I.e. have your chars act instead of just reacting. If your char isn’t in a scene, either take over an NPC or do something with your char elsewhere. Generally, I’m trying to have all chars doing something, but it will not always work out, i.e your char is captured/unconscious or the like. 7) Develop your chars. Not just building them up as you get karma. They should have goals, additional background as the story goes, new foes, new friends, the works. Make them come alive other than stats. This should be a no brainer, but I keep seeing chars that, despite an original cool workup, stay pretty much static for their campaign lives. 8) Rules are a guideline to have a basis to build a game on, not absolute fixtures. If there would be a cool scene which the rules would disagree with, I might still let it happen. It quickly ruins the fun if you keep too close to the rules. 9) You describe most of your own scenes if you want to. Success or not, the exact way in which your char fails or succeeds can be explained however you like as long as it fits the situation. 10) If we have a major plot line you are expected to generally follow it. There is effort in creating stories and plots, and I need a lot more effort for SR than for fantasy games as there is less material to fall back on (maps, tokens etc). For a player to simply ignore a major plot, i.e. something your chars are already involved in, is kind of rude. 11) Again, no munchkin play. Doesn’t mean you can’t specialize! 12) There is probably more but I can’t think of it now. 13) This is my fav number so i just added it randomly! Yes, I’m weird. If this outline works for you, you are probably going to do fine in any campaign run by me. If not, then please find another group. I rather only have 2 players who work with me than 6 who don’t.
