I once started a 7th Sea session with a request for the players to rate the things they wanted in the game:

Military/Combat
Politics/Intrigue
Romance
High Seas
Exploration
Mystery
Supernatural
Secrets

Each one came up with a completely different ideal.  So, I took the highest rated items and crafted a tale around those (Exploration, High Seas, Mystery, Combat) and then tailored specific elements to suit some of the outside choices.  

• One player rated Romance higher than anything else, but no on else had rated it at all.  His was the only character to be drawn into a romance during the game.  He loved it!  
• One player rated Combat through the roof, so he was on point and got the bulk of the fighting action.
• One player rated Politics/Intrigue very high, so I kept tossing him clues to his political holdings at home and a lost voyage where he came to believe one of his sisters was being held captive.

Everyone had so much fun on that campaign that they constantly requested to play 7th Sea again to recapture the enjoyment they felt.

I think some systems to let players effect the game world as things go along wouldn't hurt. I dug Aria in concept, but hated the reality.
-Zam

Meh. I say that player input is just another GM tool. I mean, it's a great and useful tool, etc. etc. but don't let it dominate too heavily. I mean, I steal my players' ideas from time to time, but I don't let them expect it of me or the game, etc. etc. I reserve rights to primary control of everything.

Quote from: beejazzMeh. I say that player input is just another GM tool. I mean, it's a great and useful tool, etc. etc. but don't let it dominate too heavily. I mean, I steal my players' ideas from time to time, but I don't let them expect it of me or the game, etc. etc. I reserve rights to primary control of everything.

To paraphrase "Meh. I agree exactly with what you are saying."

I mean, I'm not going to run a game I don't want to run.

We talk about it quite a bit beforehand, but really as a player i lke the surprise of findining out what the world is about as I explore it with my character, and as a GM I like the  control and the ability to switch shit around behind the scenes.

Quote from: beejazzMeh. I say that player input is just another GM tool. I mean, it's a great and useful tool, etc. etc. but don't let it dominate too heavily. I mean, I steal my players' ideas from time to time, but I don't let them expect it of me or the game, etc. etc. I reserve rights to primary control of everything.

I think this might be the long version of what I said. Player empowerment goes as far and as long as the GM permits it, no further. Said GM is free to take in, modify, or ignore any setting detail the players offer.

That said, assuming my contributions fit the general tone and theme of the world, along with its more esoteric constraints, and the GM continues to block me only by virtue of his position (i.e., "Huh, that's a neat idea, but I'm the GM, so...no. Forget you.") then he's quite possibly a dickhead, and I don't play with dickheads. A little negotiation is all I ask, and "I've already done some work on that part your stuff would contradict, and it's part of the upcoming campaign" is a fine reason to shut me out completely.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadTo paraphrase "Meh. I agree exactly with what you are saying."

I mean, I'm not going to run a game I don't want to run.

Well, there's that, but I wouldn't let players know they have an influence on the world. Otherwise, they might start "dropping hints" and such. And to have it systematically included (like in GURPS, where you can spend character points to slightly change the setting) seems at least superfluous, at worst GM-restrictive.

When player's speculate and things turn out the way they forsaw, they see themselves having guessed right. When players tell me what to do and I don't do it, that's my right as GM. When players think they have no influence on me and things turn out diferrent from what they expected, it's a surprise, but they don't blame me... they just couldn't have seen it coming.

Making sure the players don't know they have an influence is paramount for me. I'm as lazy as the next guy, and take my ideas where I can get them, but I'm already beholden to the players in my responsibility to provide a good game, so forgve me if I don't ask them explicitly what they want.

Quote from: beejazzMaking sure the players don't know they have an influence is paramount for me. I'm as lazy as the next guy, and take my ideas where I can get them, but I'm already beholden to the players in my responsibility to provide a good game, so forgve me if I don't ask them explicitly what they want.

We're not the ones who have to forgive you for that.

Kidding, and I see your point, I just emphasize the earlier portion. I'm obligated to make a good game for my players, but I'm lazy and work a 40-hour week. Let these Uni student bums do some of my prep work by telling me what makes an awesome game for them, ya know? YMMV.

Quote from: SettembriniHollywood movies are made to what is assumed to be popular. If you design stuff upon the uttered longings of the asked, there would never have been a burning empires.

There's a huge missing distinction here so the analogy really doesn't apply.  Movies/TV try to match the demand/desires of millions.  In  such cases  only the most inane items will be common to everyone.

Asking 4-6 people what they want isn't going to have that kind of gross averaging.

Why would you need a mechanic in order to take advantage of player creativity? Wouldn't it be simpler to ask for informal input?

I'm not sure anyone here is specifically advocating a mechanic for player input, so much as "Should player ideas have weight when you're designing a setting"?

Well given the forum I posted this in, I sort of was.

But really, the only major difference I see between mechanic and technique is ink on the page.

...and ink on the page does make a difference.  Otherwise why buy rules at all?

Quote from: blakkie...and ink on the page does make a difference.  Otherwise why buy rules at all?

For material to use in rules lawyering.  Obviously.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadAre there any other takes on this? What do you think of the concept?

Conspiracy X that is also espionage related, let players build their HQ based on the resources they had available from their various branches of service, you could probably find some inspiration there. (Not sure about the new edition if it still has that feature but the old version did).