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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Glenn Robertson <Glenn.Robertson@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Bug City, Or Rotten GMs
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 17:48:33 -0700
On Wed, 12 Mar 1997, Shannon Wood wrote:

> Ok I have a some problem with our GM. He plays to win such as
> if he can't kill of our characters within a couple months they
> run off into the woods or we start a new game system. But my
> biggest problem is that he said we would be in Bug City and
> that was ok with us but when we made our characters we could
> have 2 small guns and 4 clips each and then very limited items
> for the selected classes. No bioware/cyberware,food,transportation.
>
> But then the big one hit when he said that all the Megacorps got
> everything of there's out before the zone went up and nothing we do
> will get us out,period. I have been with this current group since I
> moved up here to chicago from Kansas and I've not really found another
> group to get together with on the nights I have free.
>
> Sorry to ramble on. My question is. Can I do or say anything to change
> his outlook?

Try taking a loaded firearm to the next gaming session! No seriously,
there are alot of worthless GMs out there in any roleplaying game. It
does make it difficult to find a good game group. But he should realize
that if he wants to keep players, he should stop being such a schmuck.
Gameplaying is supposed to be fun, not a constant headache. Likewise,
playing to win???? If he wants to win, go be a player. It isn't
literally you against the world when you are a GM. I have GMd various
roleplaying games for 16 years. My current group is made up of players
in which most have been with me from 1 - 16 years as friends and
players. The best way I find to see how I am doing is to give them the
SR GM survey that someone posted on this list within the last year. I
give it to them after every three modules. That sounds fast, but since
last year our schedules are way too complicated so our SR game has moved
to email. Three modules can take awhile. If you wanna have fun, the
best way is if everyone has fun. In other words, one rotten apple can
ruin the barrel, especially if it is the GM. If he cares, let him know
and he will change. If he doesn't, cut the hassle and find a new group.
But in any case, if you don't let him know how you feel, especially if
the majority of the group feels that way, you will never know.

Glenn,
SR GM
Message no. 2
From: Gweedo The Killer Pimp <yawas@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Bug City, Or Rotten GMs
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 19:57:42 EST
Glenn sez:
I have GMd various
>roleplaying games for 16 years. My current group is made up of
>players
>in which most have been with me from 1 - 16 years as friends and
>players.
------
Glenn, have you ever played, or GMd a game of Deadlands? this is to
everyone on the list. I have tried GMing this game with my current group
and they didn't like it because the monsters in the game would hurt them
a little more than the human NPC's in the game would(which of course,
they could handle). I'm starting another one, but not too many players
want to play. I also need a little help.


Gweedo the Killer Pimp strikes again!
Message no. 3
From: Kevin White <kevw@*****.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Bug City, Or Rotten GMs
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 07:36:25 +0000
Gweedo The Killer Pimp wrote:
> Glenn, have you ever played, or GMd a game of Deadlands? this is to
> everyone on the list. I have tried GMing this game with my current group
> and they didn't like it because the monsters in the game would hurt them
> a little more than the human NPC's in the game would(which of course,
> they could handle).

I'm not entirely sure that killing off the PCs in a game like this
constitutes bad GMing. I've not read or played Deadlands but I have read
and played Cthulhu and if ever there was a game where the bad guys were
bad and the good guys were dead (or insane), this was it.

As a group I don't think we had a PC last much more that 4 or 5
sessions. Now this wasn't necessarily due to the GM being vindictive or
in any way trying to "win" but just that it's a hard game to
play/"win".
This didn't take anything away from the pleasure of playing, the only
thing it did do was make the PCs good at making friends with new vic...
investigators.


Diamond
Message no. 4
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Bug City, Or Rotten GMs
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 12:27:55 +0100
Glenn Robertson said on 17:48/12 Mar 97...

> there are alot of worthless GMs out there in any roleplaying game. It
> does make it difficult to find a good game group. But he should realize
> that if he wants to keep players, he should stop being such a schmuck.

That depends on what the players are used to... If they've only ever
played in this group and never had someone from "outside" come in, they
won't know any better than this guy is a good GM; any newcomers may think
he's crap, however.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Braindead -- the fumes I breathe
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

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