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Post by kaitoujuliet on Dec 27, 2012 11:23:59 GMT -8
Not everyone should gm. Not that everyone shouldn't give it a try. I don't agree. I can think of some people who probably shouldn't get involved with GMing. Not because they'd be bad at it, but because it would make them miserable. There's a player in my group who would take it waaaaaay too seriously, overprepare, probably work up an ulcer or two worrying about it, and wind up not having any fun.
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Post by jazzisblues on Dec 27, 2012 13:27:33 GMT -8
Not everyone should gm. Not that everyone shouldn't give it a try. I don't agree. I can think of some people who probably shouldn't get involved with GMing. Not because they'd be bad at it, but because it would make them miserable. There's a player in my group who would take it waaaaaay too seriously, overprepare, probably work up an ulcer or two worrying about it, and wind up not having any fun. And you are very likely correct hence the, "Not everyone should gm." However, he won't know if he doesn't try and he might learn something useful about himself in the process. He may never gm, that's ok too. JiB
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 27, 2012 13:46:49 GMT -8
Not everyone should gm. Not that everyone shouldn't give it a try. I don't agree. I can think of some people who probably shouldn't get involved with GMing. Not because they'd be bad at it, but because it would make them miserable. There's a player in my group who would take it waaaaaay too seriously, overprepare, probably work up an ulcer or two worrying about it, and wind up not having any fun. LoL s/he sounds like me . . . new campaign, my turn to GM and one of my fellow players looks at me checking my notes before we kick off and his jaw drops: "you've even done the fucking weather . . . player area maps, lunar phases and the fucking weather . . . when do you get time to sleep??" (though spreadsheets are a god send . . . especially if someone else has taken the time to make one) Aaron
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2012 16:07:33 GMT -8
I was like that for my first couple of games. Now I have about half a sheet of paper as notes per session plus a blank sheet and a pencil so I can write down all the ideas my players throw out.
90% of my prep work goes into research and props though. For instance I've got a business card, a coded message on ticker tape, and a newspaper made up for my next few sessions. I don't know when they will actually be handed out, only the order and that they will all end up in the players hands as we progress. The over arching story is all in my head and the rest is really up to the players. I let them wander, dropping hints in their laps from time to time and see what happens.
Even the world is barely sketched out as hotels, offices, etc are created when they need them to be and often I have them describe them for me.
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 28, 2012 4:10:26 GMT -8
It's not really hard work with spreadsheets - the secret was using MS Notes as suggested in the podcast. I synch with my iPad - edit shit as it comes to mind and those sort of details just end up building in themselves and before you know it you have a shit ton of background stuff you just grab with a quick click. I do put effort into maps though - I use Campaign Cartographer which has a step learning curve but the results are worth it - seems pointless to be the only one looking at the map so I edit out my notes a print a player copy (uses a fuck ton of ink though) I used to stress but IT tech makes it easy to prep background stuff which frees me up in session to wing it and then work that into 'what I know' - or concentrate in what's going to happen next. I like building worlds that carry on even when the PC's aren't there it directly involved. It's the great advantage of tabletop RPG's being free form - no AI limitations. Aaron
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Post by jazzisblues on Dec 28, 2012 6:46:31 GMT -8
The majority of my game prep these days takes one of three paths.
1. My Journey Book - I use a hard (usually) bound executive's journal for scribbling down my thoughts and ideas about the game. I keep this with me almost 100% of the time. I have also used sketchbooks which in some ways I like because I can draw in them and sketch out ideas more easily than in a journal, but the journals tend to be a little nicer.
2. Microsoft OneNote - Much as I am a hater of all things Microsoft, I have to admit this is one app they totally hit a home run with. I LOVE OneNote. Basically everything that goes into my Journey Book gets transcribed into the OneNote notebook for the game in a coherent form.
3. Props and manipulatives - Miniatures, maps, handouts, anything that I want the players to be able to hold and look at themselves, or listen to.
I can only reiterate that what I focus on is the meaningful npc's and what they are about, and the places where the game takes place. Once the pc's get involved I just let the game evolve organically.
Cheers,
JiB
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Post by CreativeCowboy on Jan 10, 2013 13:17:33 GMT -8
I knew it was probably going to be bad. But I've been promoting the idea that every player in our gaming group should try GMing--a one-shot at least. So Bob says, "hey, I want to run a Deathwatch game!" And so he did. And it seems like he did swimmingly from whodo & D.T. Pints' statements about The Inquisitor squad and Space Marines roles in the Deathwatch game/system. GM sounds by the book. Nice. Neat. Methodical. Droning. He swam with the current. He might even consider working for Bioware's development of the Dragon Age 3 property if DA2 indicates the future for that franchise. Now from what I just read, as your GM, he did not put any of himself into it ... Is he a bad GM in a game with no wrong way to play because of it? Is he just needing more experience? Well those are questions no book I know of can answer. I would not play a game as unchallenging as that sounds is about as much as I can say. Maybe your friend needs to be weaned from the systems he's following and reminded that tabletop RPGs are not video games? Maybe you guys need to give him permission to make mistakes, take performance pressure off him and let him invest himself into your games both in how he handles system mechanics and thematic play. Are any of you Rules Lawyers by chance? Lots of ways to slice and dice this. Have a talk with him. How does your GM feel?
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