Quote from: Skarg;952192Mostly like what you mysteriously called "viking hat"(?).

It is not Mysterious at at all! Not in my part of the world.

We, our group, has a plastic Viking Helmet with horns - which we call "The Viking Hat."

If you want to speak with authority, make all the other drunk people in the group shut up, or pitch an idea - you don the viking hat.  It is an ancient and effective gaming tradition.

In our FLGS, you can actually shout "Viking Hat!," in case it is not nearby, and everyone will shut up and listen. Though you will be ostracized if you abuse the privilege.

What is really funny, is that I knew exactly what Spinach was talking about, and didn't even question it! Though he probably has a totally different meaning.

Aha! Well that makes complete sense now. :-)

An ancient, even prehistoric tradition, often with some sort of sceptre, as read in The Illiad, for example.

Quote from: Madprofessor;952267I run the games that I want to run.  That's the only way it works.  I've tried the voting thing.  It doesn't work.

Pretty much this.  As I'm the one buying the sourcebooks and prepping the  campaign, I'm the one who chooses what's being run and how.

But once this decision is made, I give my players a lot of power to influence the themes, style, and other metaelements of said campaign.  For example, they will vote on whether they want a lot of combat or not, or whether they want romantic elements (and to what degree), and so on and so forth.  Majority vote wins, with the GM having the power to tiebreak and veto if necessary.

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;952348The DM decides what will be run. Players play, or not. If a player wants to DM something, that's fine, and in that case the DM decides what will be run.

Which means you always run some flavor D&D, because Dungeon Master. Not a lot of choice needed.

The GM chooses what we play usually. For me, my line up after Earthdawn Third Edition Cathay Quest ended spectacularly, has been Shaintar: Rangers Riding Out the Storm (complete), Necessary Evil (in progress, Veteran for my core gaming group), and 50 Fathoms (in progress, Seasoned for new gamers/players) in Savage Worlds. After Earthdawn Kratas Quest Third Edition wrapped up, Ted has run 50 Fathoms (complete), Deadlands: The Flood (complete), Deadlands: The Last Son (in progress) in Savage Worlds and D&D Fifth Edition (started).

Generally the GM is the one who spends the resources and gets the books, maps, minis, cards, Bennies, etc. for play and thus chooses what we are going to do next. It's usually best to do setting pitches before you invest in a new game though to gauge interest.

Before my last group died, the gimmick was: I make a list of all the games I want to run. I pitch those to each member of the group in a private poll, so no one can influence anyone else, and I ask them to pick their top three in order. The consensus pick wins it.

I (the GM) present the game. What's more, I hand-pick the players that I invite to the game, out of a big pool of people who want to play in my games.

Now I'm reminded of something my wife said when I was explaining some different systems I was looking at running. All three women looked at each other. My wife very kindly said "we don't really care about the system, as long as it doesn't get in the way of role-playing".

We vote first. Then wait for GMs to volunteer.

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;952721Before my last group died, the gimmick was: I make a list of all the games I want to run. I pitch those to each member of the group in a private poll, so no one can influence anyone else, and I ask them to pick their top three in order. The consensus pick wins it.

The one time I did do a vote, I did exactly this.

I don't have a single gaming group. We tend to form a group when someone wants to run something. So, your first option is closest but not quite the same.

Tod13 mentioned this thread to me. My thoughts...

Quote from: RPGPundit;953164I (the GM) present the game. What's more, I hand-pick the players that I invite to the game, out of a big pool of people who want to play in my games.

This is my usual method. On occasion I'll have more than one campaign idea, and I'll make my pitch and let the players weigh in, but ultimately I'll still pick what I'm going to offer. They can play or not.

GM sez "let's play X, who's in?"

Quote from: Justin Alexander;952095None of the above. Over the past year or so I've had:

- "I'm the GM. This is what I'm running. Who's interest?"
- "I'm the GM, here are some options. Let's talk it over and come to a mutual agreement."
- "I would like you to run this for me."
- "I need to playtest this ASAP. Who's free on Tuesday?"

So Viking Hat?  Because all except the third are GM pitches.  Seriously, read it.  Says so:  A GM steps up and pitches their game.

Since Im mostly the only one who buys the games it tends to be whatever I am either in the mood for, or someone wants me to play from my collection. Or on rare occasion someone asks me to have a look at in the hopes I'll DM it.

Or I just keep running what the previous DM was running since I have an odd knack for picking up groups on the rebound from other DMs for various reasons.

I ran Spelljammer when I moved because the previous DM had been running 2e and everyone was interested in playing Spelljammer. Was asked to run Dragon Storm and Red Shetland by the players. Was asked to run Buck Rogers but things fell through right after chargen.

After that I pitched Gamma World and Star Frontiers to another group and ran that. Then Aberrant after being asked to run something from WW and was uninterested in WOD. After that was a lull as work schedules and health broke the group up for a time. Then with 5e pitched that and got interest.

Our other DM mostly does pitches. 3e D&D now and then and Gurps mostly. And asked other GMs to run Gurps. Which they have.