GATAVIA III

When we start the Gatavia III campaign for ACKS, whensoever it might be,  I'm thinking that I need to be much more explicit of campaign goals.  I know I'm notoriously bad for keeping the overall goal of any campaign too hidden and too implict rather than explicit.  I also prefer the players to set the goals, but you guys are notoriously bad at setting your own goals (apart from making the largest piles of severed heads).

This campaign, I'm seriously interested in the ACKS 'endgame", the building of fortresses and establishing territory.    The previous Badlands campaign, that was my goal as well, the explortation, clearing and settling of the Badlands (but I kept it too close to the vest, and too far off in the future). 

So, I'm wondering whether some sort of beginning structure might be in order.  Perhaps the initial crew works for one of the minor players, or a secret society, or all receive a divine revelation of the stakes should the remenants of Dengwur's empire should reform, or the Old Ones conquer the Badlands, or Lucius Bastardo becomes the overlord. 

The trouble is that this might entail limiting character choices as to class and/or alignment and/or attitude.   I suppose I should just come up with a scheme whereby random psychopaths unite for justice, but I don't know.   I'd like it if the players formed a more formal adventuring band, with a name and a headquarters, but you guys always seem to be ridiculously stubborn in refusing to do something like that  (and I don't indeed want it turning out like the crew of the Death Ranger and the mess that was). 

I need to bat a few things around in my head and come up with a unifying direction, much like we have for Mutants and Muskets, wherein we don't have to come up with "adventure hooks".  On the other hand, I'd like to get to a place where one guy is running a smuggling ring, another is building a temple on the borders etc.