From:	John IV <John.Moeller@*.CC.UTAH.EDU>
Subject:	Re: gamemastering
Date:	Tue, 22 Aug 1995 22:49:52 -0600

On Tue, 22 Aug 1995, Terry Amburgey wrote:

> >I must concur with several others that the verbage was a bit harsh; however,
> >your points are very valid. As gm's we walk a difficult line, we hold the
> >fate of the game in our hands. Yes, this can give some gm's a god-complex
> >and munchkinize them, but it can also be used to create Kick-ass games! |]
> >Gm's who walk this line and use their influence to provide as enjoyable a
> >game as possible, are to be congratulated for their creativity and inginuity
> >(as should those players who continue to challenge the gm and be independant
> >thinkers). $> Those gm's who thumbs are poised ready to squash the
> >individual thinking pc, will hopefully (but not likely, unfortunately) not
> >have players for very long.:}

I definitely agree with this. As a gm, I try to make the villains as
tough as possible without being impossible to defeat. Some gm's take
this idea too far and have the opinion that they need to defeat the
characters and "win" the game. Unfortunately, that was my first
experience with shadowrun. >:/

> Yes, the verbiage was harsh. Was it inaccurate? I wanted to point out that
> the same mindset and behavior which is roundly condemned as munchkinous in
> players is fervently defended as inalienable rights for game masters. If the
> only way to tell the munchkin from the gamemaster is to see who is sitting
> on the side of the screen with the tables, something isn't right.

Also true. But then again, gm munchkining can be useful to let the
players know when it's a good idea to give up before they get themselves
in _really_ deep drek. If the only way to tell pc's that they really
shouldn't attack Fuchi HQ is to turn them back with cyberzombies, so be it.

[delete]
> >without magic, or playing everyday people in 1995.:? The degree of power,
> >for me, does not define whether a game is munchkin or not, it is how the gm
> >and players utilize the rules. If a player takes a low-power game adn
> >maximizes or over-maiximizes their character, that I would consider a
> >munchkin. Likewise, a gm who continously throws Cuthulu style enemies at
[delete]

My point exactly.

John IV <John.Moeller@*.cc.utah.edu>
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