What do you want from game designers?

[Kester Pelagius]

Greetings All,


If you had a chance to sit down with the game designer of your favorite game when they were designing it what would you have said to them?


More specifically:  What do *you* want/expect in a game?


As a player?


As a Game Master?


What should a game designer do to better meet your expectations, desires, wonts, and wish lists in a game?


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius

[Kester Pelagius]

Howdy,

I started a similar thread over at RPGnet and there's quite a few interesting posts in it already.

Actually, given the usual vociferous nature of Forgites, I'm surprised no one has responded yet.  Then again, given the usual vociferous nature of Forgites, I suppose that means we should be afraid, be very afraid, for when the posts come they will likely be indepth and penetrating and cut to the quick without mincing words or tip toeing around pet peeves.


Until then. . .


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius

[Thomas Tamblyn]

The question seems a little vague, so rather than whatwould amount to describing my ideal rpg I'll focus on the subject line of "What do I want from the designer".


Designers notes.

They're interesting and most importantly they let me know whether XX rule is really as stupid as it looks or if it has a devious cunning reason to be that my limited brain is simply incapable of grasping.


Tell me how to run THIS game.

Don't tell me how to run an games.  Tell me how to run THIS game.  Don't just give me a setting, a system and say "You've got the general idea, go with it".  i want to have set out in front of me what this game does best and how I can make it do it. (Sorcerer's soul is nothing but this - though sorcerer and sword is still my favourite supplement.)


References.

Tell me what your inspirations (books, films, other games etc)  were as you wrote the game.  Worst case scenario and I have no idea what feel the game's going for, I can look to the source material.  Best case, you've introduced me to a fontof ideas.


Prioritise.

I do not ever want to have to read through boring genreic garbage about nation B's currency because nation A has a wonderfully interesting system full of hooks and you feel it only fair you give the same information about everything.  Tell me waht is interesting about each nation/culture/character class and nothing else.  I know everything else about them is boring and non descript because it is not described.  See Uresia by S.John Ross for a texbook example of how to use this approach.


So yeah.  That's what i want.