It's always personal

[RPGnet Columns]

Post originally by FunGuyFromYuggoth at 2005-09-17 10:40:48
Converted from Phorums BB System

The one thing that people forget, especially DMs and GMs or Keepers (since I play "Call of Cthulhu") is that from a GMs perspective: They've seen it all. The layers of complexity mentioned by another poster earlier is an astute observation of things that most PCs will neither see nor care for. If you do as what they do in "Star Trek" and try to personally involve people in the larger conflicts, which means fleshing out character background and integrating it into the milieu (which is always alien even in the most hackneyed Tolkien-lite world of D&D), you've got something that will stir their blood a bit. It will mean negotiating and compromising with the players, as they have their own ideas, but remember that these games are most fun when they're collaborations and not the sole intellectual citadel of the GM.

[RPGnet Columns]

Post originally by Charlie Dunwoody at 2005-09-20 04:14:37
Converted from Phorums BB System

I agree with you completely. And I'll remember. My last world construction project covered here was a total group effort.

That is one of the reasons I'm keeping the roleplaying and rules info so short to start. 1) I don't want to overwhelm anyone. And 2) I want to leave room for the players to add ideas and concepts as the game grows.

I'm trying to provide several options for the players at the beginning so they don't flounder with no direction, while at the same time keeping things open enough to bring in their own ideas.

I haven't even mentioned the Star Trek inspiration to them because it doesn't matter to playing the game. If they have enough interest in how I'm coming up with ideas etc. I'll tell them then. That's what this column is for, to share the behind the scenes stuff my players don't necessarily need to see unless they have an interest.

And to get good ideas from other posters.

Charlie

[RPGnet Columns]

Post originally by szymon@.pl at 2005-10-19 10:01:03
Converted from Phorums BB System


The one thing that people forget, especially DMs and GMs or Keepers (since I play "Call of Cthulhu") is that from a GMs perspective: They've seen it all. The layers of complexity mentioned by another poster earlier is an astute observation of things that most PCs will neither see nor care for. If you do as what they do in "Star Trek" and try to personally involve people in the larger conflicts, which means fleshing out character background and integrating it into the milieu (which is always alien even in the most hackneyed Tolkien-lite world of D&D), you've got something that will stir their blood a bit. It will mean negotiating and compromising with the players, as they have their own ideas, but remember that these games are most fun when they're collaborations and not the
The one thing that people forget, especially DMs and GMs or Keepers (since I play "Call of Cthulhu") is that from a GMs perspective: They've seen it all. The layers of complexity mentioned by another poster earlier is an astute observation of things that most PCs will neither see nor care for. If you do as what they do in "Star Trek" and try to personally involve people in the larger conflicts, which means fleshing out character background and integrating it into the milieu (which is always alien even in the most hackneyed Tolkien-lite world of D&D), you've got something that will stir their blood a bit. It will mean negotiating and compromising with the players, as they have their own ideas, but remember that these games are most fun when they're collaborations and not the szymon 19992