16 replies to this topic

[Talon Lord Othrim]

A simple question but never a simple answer. There are many different types of RP games out there each with their own rules. However, one thing that is always constant. You have your players and you have 1 person in charge of the game.

Game Master / Dungeon Master / Story Teller whatever that person is called.

Quite often it is that person that makes or breaks the game, so ....
What qualities do you think make a Good ST/DM/GM?
What do you do that makes you different? (if your the leader)
As a player what do you like in your game leader.?

[Fallen Angels95]

I would try and make the rp very interesting for the player/s, giving them special scenarios or multiple choices, each affecting the game play.

[Batman2213]

PREPARATION.

As a player, you can tell whether or not your GM/DM has prepared ahead of time. If they are well prepared, things tend to flow more smoothly, the game/story is well-paced, and the details are there. If the GM/DM was hastily throwing things together at the last minute because he procrastinated until a few hours before game time, everything will feel disconnected and/or choppy. NPC's won't have names, transitions will be very abrupt, etc.

Although it has been several years since I lasted DM'ed (or role-played at all really), whenever I did I always tried to script out my session to the best of my ability. Obviously you cannot predict with 100% accuracy what your players will do or how they will react to the encounters you place in front of them, but if you've planned ahead and know enough about your players and their characters to anticipate their most likely course of action, you can almost make it seem like their choices were all a part of your plan.

[Talon Lord Othrim]

Excellent just the sort of post I was after I totally agree. I'm hoping this thread will encourage people to try their own rp here and learn tips and trick from the more experienced dm'ers. Thankyou

[Batman2213]

Excellent just the sort of post I was after I totally agree. I'm hoping this thread will encourage people to try their own rp here and learn tips and trick from the more experienced dm'ers. Thankyou

I'm considering getting involved with RP, though probably from a player's standpoint, and only if I find a story that catches my interest. That's actually why I joined the RP group today; so I could scout for a possible fit for me.

[Iron K]

For me it is to be a knowledgeable GM. Both about the Game and rules, but also about the players and their characters. Becaus you run the game for the players and their characters, so its all about them, to make them feel that they are the Heros, or the Villains.

When I run a game I consentrate on the characters, and their way to do things. For example, in battle I dont just state that they hit, and do an amout of damage. I describe how they do it, based on the characters personality and fightingstyle, how the enemies get wounded. But I do it vice versa to, so my characters gains scars, and in some way experience.

And the last important thing for a GM to have, in my experience anyway, is the ability to create situations where the characters evolve, and mature. For at the end of a RPG group the characters should be diffrent persons from when they started.

Oh! One more thing! A GM must be able to be EVIL!!! He must be able to throw the players in almoast-certain-death-situations! He must not hesitate to take away a limb, or even kill the characters if they fail! For if there is no fear of failure, whats the fun of the game?

*Evil Maniacal Laughter*

[Draco Ny'ade]

Thanks iron, You will be first up

[Iron K]

Thanks iron, You will be first up

D'oh! >.<

[Draco Ny'ade]

Fallen, your not far behind

[Fallen Angels95]

Oh balls....why me?!?!?!? ):

[Draco Ny'ade]

keep up the Rhetoric or Boltpistol -----> Head

[Fallen Angels95]

Fuck the bolt I'll bring a plasma pistol

[Keiya]

In the world of RP, I have never been a fan of set lines or unbending edges. The World is one shaped by not only the Leader but by all of the players as well. In the end you are creating a vast and unique world - one which no one has filled the shoes of yet - be it an established Universe like the 40K Realm, or one such as my current one built from scratch. You are making stories, filling gaps, and carving new paths through the universe.

I feel that if you follow the leadership to set lines for you to trek down then things can get very close-minded and over-exaggerated. Giving my players and members freedom to do as they will, fray the string, blur the lines : It always ends with people able to get very involved and into their respective shoes.

One thing that I feel towards new members of the RP world is helpfulness. When I was fresh to it at the ripe age of 10 it took some getting used to. I was constantly concerned with doing something wrong, playing a character incorrectly, or just all around blowing it. However with what I like to promote, I feel that it gives the people availability to build something new and step into the skin of a new suit with the ease of mind to think " This is a new world - I can do pretty much anything! " Within reason of course.

For me, being open minded and allowing any and all options to be available that are within reason are key notes.

[Jeno Darkstar]

I find that the first rule of improve also works for role playing: "yes". Regardless of preparation and game mechanics knowledge (which are both extremely important for having a basis to work from) the ability to keep going when your players completely derail your plans is great. Some of this can be curbed by the preparation stage if you have a "if player does 'x' then 'y' happens" set of scenarios. But to give the players true freedom of play, you have to ready for crazy shit to happen.

Also yes, the dismemberment and death threat zones should be constant, but have to be balance with the player never entering an impossible to win situation. Basically, master difficulty curve. In the Dark Heresy and Deathwatch books, there is a little more room for messing up the difficulty because players have Fate Points which can be burnt to save them from something that mechanically should kill them.

Another rule to remember as GMs, never create a constant NPC (non player character) that is better then the members of the party. This is why archetypically the "mentor" characters always die. They are normally better then the main characters and as a player, that sucks. If you create such a character, you don't have to kill them, but either get the player up to that level with relative ease, or remove that character from the party as soon as you can within the plot.

Lastly, always have clear objectives or rewards for your player, a player that believes there is loot or awesomeness to be gained from something is more motivated to follow you story arch then a player that has absolute freedom and no clear goal. Only expert gamers can operate in a sandbox role playing situation, and you have to assume that at least one of your gamers is not expert level.

[Thugren]

as a dm, i find that the story isn't shaped by me, it is shaped by my players, sanctuary is not a rail shooter, it does not have a set starting and a defined ending points, the way my characters play, the way they fightm the way threy interact makes sanctuary good, im just the one throwing zombies, clones and demigods at them

[CruciasNZ]

Thugren is kind of like the AI Director in Left4Dead. It's his job to maim us, it's our job to survive and complete the mission

[Jeno Darkstar]

as a dm, i find that the story isn't shaped by me, it is shaped by my players, sanctuary is not a rail shooter, it does not have a set starting and a defined ending points, the way my characters play, the way they fightm the way threy interact makes sanctuary good, im just the one throwing zombies, clones and demigods at them

Fair enough though the clear objective in your game from the sound of it is "don't die." And the rest is character interaction which has little to nothing to do with the GM, but is definitely worth mentioning as a GM point, facilitating character interaction and encouraging it is one element that make role playing fun.