| From: | James Pearley Kilbride <kilbrj@***.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: gamemastering |
| Date: | Sun, 27 Aug 1995 09:48:04 -0400 |
> Subject: Re: gamemastering
> On Tue, 22 Aug 1995, Terry Amburgey wrote:
>
> >
> > This one is tough to answer. I could tell you that I've played and
refereed
> > a wide variety of rpg's for 17 years but all that proves is that I'm
older
> > than dirt. Besides 'been there, done that' just seems like a dumb thing
to
> > say. How about this - see my post to Eve.
> >
> If you are older then dirt, then where does that leave people
> like me that remember when D&D was the only RPG in town (if you had a
> copy of Chainmail(TM) for the combat (yep orignal D&D lacked combat
> rules). More to the point, while "been there, done that" may be a dumb
> thing to say ....'been there, seen that, don't want to go that way again'
> has merit (it just doesn't trip of the tounge as well). In my 19+ years
> of RPG gaming I have played a lot of systems, some pure some modified to
> unreconizableness with a large group of players and with GMs of all
> sorts, rules fanatics, free form, game designers, script worlds and
> drunks. Some games were good some bad and some were the only game in
> town. While I would rather play then GM I find my self doing it more then
> i would like (next week is my bi-yearly Shadowrun Game as a player, an
> old friend and I rotate running a private game at Pacficon every year).
> To cut to the chase the quality of the game is determined by the effort
> that the particpants are willing to put into the game. The key word being
> particpants..both the GM and the players. A game without players is
> little better then a game without a GM. The responsiblities that each has
> are different but equally important.
> The GM must be prepared for the game, have worked out the main
> threads of the game and the chalenges he will confront the players with.
> He needs to take into account the the charactors and players skills,
> knowledge and ablities while putting his game together. Please note the
> ablities of the players are as important as the skills of thier
> charactors (a puzzle solving game does not work with hack a slash players
> any more then a senario that requires Jet flying skill with a party that
> has no pilots). And lastly he needs to be ready for the of the wall
> solution that ends the game (satisafactorly from the player charactors
> point of view) in the first 5 minutes of the session.
> The Players need to roughly understand those sections of the
> rules that effect thier particular charactor, they need to be familure
> with the skills, attributes and equipment of thier charactor and they
> need to make an effort to learn and understand the setting of the
> game(especially where it impacts thier charactor).
> Both the Players and the GM need to remember that the game is a
> group effort and that playing to win is a good way to disrupt a otherwise
> good game.
> The nice thing about RPGs is that they can survive the times that
> one or more of the participants fails to live up to thier
> responsbilities, that the efforts of some of the players can cover for
> the lack of effort of others and that the longer the group plays
> togeather the better they learn the others quirks, hot buttons and
> weaknesses and as a group compinsate for them.
> As to the view of GM as 'God' he is and he is not. He controlls
> the weather, most of the inhabinents of the world (and thier world view)
> and for much of the game he is the final arbitor of the rules and the
> world. But as I said earlier a game without players is not much of a
> game, I have voted with my feet more then once and I suspect i will
> probibly have to do it yet again sometime in the future.
> Well I think it is time to climb down of this soap box to make
> room for someone else to pontificate.
>
> David Hinkley
>-- End of excerpt from David Hinkley
I will agree with you here Mr. Hinkley. I have been playing RPG`s for only
about 7 years as mostly player and a little GM`ing. If Players don't like
what the GM is doing it don't do no good. If the GM doesn't like what the
players are doing then it don't do no good. I have played AD&D, Shadowrun,
Ars Magica, War Hammer and most of Palladiums offerings. I have to say by
far Shadowrun offers the best way for GM`s and Players to stay in sinc. I
have had a lot less trouble with players going off were the GM`s didn't want
them in Shadowrun and a lot less times when an adventure didn't fit what the
characters wanted or didn't mind doing. Well see ya all later..
James P. Kilbride
AKA Narn Marcof the Elvish Matrix Magi of Magnificance
