The game 'began' in the year 1891 five years after a great fire in 1886. Which really happened! Yeah history its full of useful tidbits like that.
The first seven players were the first elders to arrive. From then on the players as their character have decided how often to meeting. First it was two weeks apart and then 10 years. This would have continued until we hit modern times and then it would havel run once a week as per usual.
This allowed the city and the game to have personality. Every one remembered building this city as if they actually did. After all they were there! Every elder had debts and reasons for disliking the others based on actual events not just vague character write-ups. We believed this allowed a richer more involved role-playing enviroment.
Also each character was brought in by another character, so there is no mysterious fool entering Salon who doesn't know any one (god i hate that). The seven elders were allowed to bring in two other vampires, of their chosing. Each of those players could bring in two more vampires and each of those could bring in three vampires. And so on and so on. This created a city of allies and enemies who knew each other for years sometimes centuries. And every one is either a ally or progeny of some one else. Six Degrees of Seperation.
So hopefully we had a more involved enviroment that lead to deeper roleplaying.
If you wish to learn more e-mail a storyteller.
Or if you're bored you can e-mail me. i'm bored.
Michael Anger