| From: | Cugel the Clever <cugel@**.NET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: munchkins and game masters |
| Date: | Mon, 21 Aug 1995 22:11:30 +01.0 |
> This is not a direct response Sebastien, but your post triggered
> this train of thought: munchkins are the larval form of game
> masters. Think about the traits ascribed to munchkins - a desire to
> be 'all-powerful', they expect to 'win', they're willing to 'bend'
> the rules or take them to absurd lengths to further their own ends.
> Now consider recent posts by game masters on the 'fudging dice
> rolls' thread and the 'by the book' thread - GM's claim the right to
> be all powerful [anything less is stifling to their creativity];
> they not only expect to win, they fudge dice rolls to ensure it;
> they're not only willing to bend and stretch rules, they make them
> up out of whole cloth to further their own ends. Whaddya think?
You're really frustrated about the way your GM runs the game, or else
you like to irritate people :( . This is starting to look like a
personal verdetta against GM's, and I do not like the way you phrase
your "point of view/question". As a GM I try to give my players a
good evening/night full of fun by writing and running the adventures.
Not because I like to kill them of, want to play God, am a notorious
cheater, or want to "win".
My first and most important concern is that my players like the game.
I see myself more like an author writing a book for his audience, than
an all-powerfull God. Of course during the game you'll have allmost
god-like powers over the players because in fact you control the world
and stage the action, but play "God" for a couple of games an its: exit
players. Try it once, and you will quickly notice that you're as bound
to the rules and gamesystem as any player is. Our urge to change rules
is born more out of a need to improve the level of realism in our game,
than to exert more power in the game.
And about the "winning": what the heck is there to win for a GM??!!
If he kills all the PC's? I'm never even thinking about winning when
I'm GM-ing. If you're still roleplaying in terms of "winning and
losing" its time to play normal games and move away from RPG's.
The only way I "win" a game, is when my players have enjoyed
themselves and liked the adventure.
And I think a lot of GM's have tried very reasonably to explain the
reasons why they "bend the rules" sometimes, but if you're still
under the impression its wrong and cheating, so be it. I can live
with that, as long as you're not one of my players.
Concluding I like to say that if you don't like the way we GM's stage
our games, stop whining and start playing something without a GM, or
try it yourself sometimes. Then you can see how it really is to be a
GM. As far as I can see from your posts, you don't know a thing about
it.
A highly irritated,
Martin Steffens (Cugel@**.net / bdi05626@***.rhij.nl)
Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in
your home. -- (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens)
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