Seeking advice on assembling a group with creative chemistry

[u/belderiver]

I'd like to start a Fabula Ultima game and run it by the book - that is, kick off by coming to the table with only a loose idea of the tone, creatively collaborate on building the world together, then keep that kind of creative momentum going with all players contributing to the story.

I feel like doing this well requires a group with good creative chemistry who will get invested in each other's ideas. That's something that's really tough to work out from a Google form. Meanwhile, asking folks to make time for a chat might make it feel like a job interview or an audition, which may be asking too much from applicants.

I'd love advice from PBP players and GMs here. Is there a good option for a collaborative vibe check that I haven't thought of? Am I overthinking it? A secret third option?

[u/Sad-Effective1533]

IMO the real answer is that you can't get that with applications or forms, no matter how well-designed or extensive they are. Chemistry is a personal connection, after all. The best practice for PBP players and GMs is to join and play in many games (even if they aren't the best overall), make friends with the people there who turn out to have the best chemistry with you, and then invite/be invited to new, better games from this curated pool of players.

[u/belderiver → u/Sad-Effective1533]

Sure, that's the best way, but that's also playing the long game. This is more about how to take step 1 and start off on the right foot. Sounds like you think it isn't worth worrying about at that point?

[u/Sad-Effective1533 → u/belderiver]

I still think vetting players is very important when you're recruiting random online people, but a first contact can only measure the player's more tangible qualities, and I think it's easiest to just focus on those. Literacy, availability, etc.

Edit: One idea I might have for measuring chemistry is to ask the prospective player to share a reference image for a possible character they might like to play. Not a character concept (as you mentioned below, in FU it's important to chargen as a group), but a piece of artwork. This is obviously YMMV, but my personal experience is that similar aesthetic taste often correlates to good chemistry with me.

[u/lutavia]

I’ve done recruiting for games myself and personally, I’ve never had an issue with a quick ooc chat. I actually prefer it — games I’ve found that have done it tend to last longer, because the GM can see very quickly who will mesh. Another option could be asking questions about the experience at the table — what do you want out of a game, above table? I find people who have out of character similarities in how they like their storytelling matter much more than say, if their characters would get along.

That being said, I’d love to keep an eye out for the ad too, as I’ve been hunting for a Fabula game!

[u/belderiver → u/lutavia]

Happy to add you to the DM list!

[u/grave1270]

Good questions, I don't really have an answer myself, other than try asking to make time for a chat in some capacity. I feel like the people who are really interested won't see it as an audition type thing, but an opportunity to be an active part in the creative process. But scheduling is the ever looming for, so it can still be a challenge.

All that to say I'm potentially interested, if you are looking for players...

[u/belderiver → u/grave1270]

Glad to hear a chat doesn't seem over the top. I'll PM when the ad is up.

[u/dwarfconleche]

You have to vet people properly and even after you do all that it might not work out. I try to chat with people for about a week or so, and if we vibe well then I accept them into the game. I think a lot of people get a dopamine hit from applying to a game, and once the initial high of getting accepted wears off, you find some people will slowly disengage with the game and move on. Sometimes building up a rapport with them might help mitigate this.

[u/belderiver → u/dwarfconleche]

Are you chatting about the game for a week? Casual chit chat? What kind of vetting are you doing?

[u/dwarfconleche → u/belderiver]

I'd say mostly the game, but also their experience with RPGs in general, etc. I think for Fabula Ultima you'd obviously want to know what sort of JRPGs they enjoy playing since the system is trying to copy that vibe. It's more of an art than a science, but I find games fall apart when the GMs/players don't have any social investment in one another. Even if it's just OOC banter about the game or RPGs in general.

[u/belderiver → u/[deleted]]

I really want to do character concepts as a group since I feel that's an important part of the process. In the past I've found coming in with a character concept pre baked isn't the greatest for group cohesion, and I've noticed that both in myself and others. I thought about putting a section on the form that's about contributing a concept for the world instead. Maybe that's a good way to split the difference. 

Happy to PM you when the ad is live.

[u/RetryRetryReturn]

I used to do rigorous application process so that people who are willing to put in time would be filtered. Though, that doesn't really guarantee your players would have chemistry. What I seem to link with chemistry is their values; role players would enjoy role players instead of roll players, etc. The application process could ensure those values line up; their interests, combat-to-roleplay ratio, what their expectations and what not.

To build more incentive to interact with each other, maybe a reward for roleplay like affinity mechanic or setting up storylines with each other would be really nice.

That being said, I'd like to join a Fabula Ultima game if you're going to run soon...

[u/ikarus_rl]

I think this has been tangentially addressed, but because you explicitly said you don't want it to feel like an interview it seems worth stating. If you are intent on finding a group with creative chemistry to world build and feel some ownership and agency, you're more or less already saying you want a small improv troupe, right? I don't think an interviewing process seems unrealistic.

I haven't done that for pbp, but of the live chat groups I've been in, the two where we all sat in discord for an hour before even doing session 0 so we could get an impression of each other were wildly more successful. Some people dropped out before the talk, a couple dropped out after (in total between 2 campaigns), and the people who stayed were pretty comfortable talking to each other outside of the group setting when we were designing characters because we weren't strictly strangers at that point.

If what you say is what you want, go for it. You might not get as much interest. You might not get any. But the people you do get will have already made some form of commitment before you even reach character creation.

[u/belderiver → u/ikarus_rl]

I considered just piling everyone who seemed workable into a discord and letting people self select out, but then I thought I might wind up with way too many players that way if nobody does. Still, thanks for the perspective.

[u/ikarus_rl → u/belderiver]

Do you have a range of players you're interested in? For example, if you're thinking 3-5, grab 6. It's only one extra, and the likelihood everyone stays for, let's say one week, is pretty low. One week of non-gameplay conversation is more commitment than I feel like 80% of pbp players give to even an active game. Should self-select pretty well. Just a thought!

[u/Cerespirin]

I can't speak for most people (apparently I'm the odd one for actually using the home page button in my browser?) but I can say that I personally would a thousand times prefer making time for a chat over filling out a massively overwrought form.

That said, what you're really doing here is asking how to run a good Session Zero, and fortunately the Angry GM has a really good article on that topic. You may or may not like his style, but do try to give a read over what he's saying.

EDIT: I linked the wrong article.