What is DMing worth (AKA how do we award DM credits)

[Graf]

Personally I think it makes sense to hand out 1 point a month per game and say "x points will get you a level".

Currently that means that once a DM completes a game they'll get x points for each month that game ran, which convert into levels at the rate of 6 credits/points to one level.

Per the original ooc poll there are no limits... and points can only be spent on xp... That means... potentially.... we'll see DM PCs leveling up very very quickly.

Personally I'd like to see another vote or two on the equality issue. There are 9 votes but only 5 people have weighted in.

 

[Erekose13]

One of those who has not voted on equality is me. Honestly it is because I was on the fence about it. The first option is the way Lew and Leb do it and I think it works. But the problems are well identified; it encourages DMs to stick out an adventure but not move it along very quickly. Having experienced that myself on both sides of the screen I know it is a problem. Reading the second option I wasn't convinced that was a fix. I wonder if a slight adjustment/combination to it would be enough, namely that units are acrued for each batch of non-time based xp rewarded (quest, combat, skill challenge) up to a max. per month say 4. Then a formula based on dm's character's level can be developed to determine how many units it takes to advance the character. I'd also suggest a sliding scale, high advancement during heroic levels, slowing during paragon and evening out during epic.

 

[Graf]

I wonder if a slight adjustment/combination to it would be enough, namely that units are acrued for each batch of non-time based xp rewarded (quest, combat, skill challenge) up to a max. per month say 4.

That would be a good solution to my mind.

 

[Bront]

This poll is flawed. Too many options, multiple votes, and very confusing. I realy don't like how you%2

 

[Halford]

Well its been a while, but I'll weigh in with my thoughts anyway.

I think six months for a level is sensible, we can adjust it on a case by case basis for DMs who begin posting only sporadically - I suggest the adventures judge be responsible for bringing this up, and only if a DM is being especially flakey.

I do not think there needs to be a slow down as PCs level, but I do think there should be a rule implemented which says that if a DM accrues experience from running two adventures at the same time he must use the xp on different characters. Obviously this would only apply after we allow multiple characters, in two and a half months I hope! Should a DM wish to run two adventures before that we will apply the credit from their second adventure to their next character when and if they are allowed.

 

[elecgraystone]

Well, I voted
6 months for a level: It seems about right to me.
Additional games treated the same: Extra might be tempting enough that some people might bite off more than they can chew and reduced could discourage some from running extras when they could so they could get full points.
Points awarded at end of adventure: This should be fine for most games. If someone runs a truly epic adventure, it could be done in 'chapters' and awards given then.
Equal points for time: It doesn't seem right to penalize a DM for roleplaying. I have fun fighting, doing skill checks and interacting with NPC's. I don't want a DM to neglect any aspect of the game. IMO posting regularly and posting encounters are two different things. As long as the DM doesn't neglect the game and everyone has fun, who cares what the ratio of roleplaying vs encounters is?

 

[Graf]

I'm not sure how I feel about forcing people to split or spend points in some certain way.

If we want to limit point usage we should limit point usage (i.e. prevent fast leveling, or leveling past a certain point etc). Trying to say that certain points need to be tracked and awarded independently or that one DM pc is linked to one campaign, etc etc seems like a lot of book-keeping to little effect.

I.e., if we're going to limit fast leveling. I say we limit it, straight up.
Making an opaque system with the indirect intent of limiting fast leveling isn't a hot idea in my mind.

 

[Velmont]

I've been in LEW since the start. The goal of a the credits was to reward people who gives time to make the world a living world. It's a little extra, and it was not meant to be better then playing.

6 month is WAY too fast. 6 month, is teh minimum for a player to raise one level in a 3.5 pbp game, and I expect it will take the same time in 4th edition. With want to gives a motivation, but it must not handicap to such a point the people that only play.

12 month is a minimum. That mean, in 3 years, a normal player will be at level 6th, and a DM who master a game at a time will be 9th level.

Let's see it on another side, in LEW, a credit (one month of DMing) gives you 1/20th of a level (if you are level 8th or less), and you can have 3 character.

Now, some people suggest to give a 1/6th of a level per credit, it is more then 3 times fater, and over that, you have only 1 character... that's sound broken to me.

12 month, is in my opinion, a minimum. But I would go up to 15 or even 18, as Erekose as suggested.

Additional: Running 1 game is not an easy thing. Running 2 or more is hard. So, giving a little boost of credits to someone who master more than one game is not a bad idea. I wouldn't go to more then 25%. But 0% seems fine to me.

Award: At the end. That will prevent a few games to die out before teh end, what we want to avoid.

Equals points for time/encounter: It would depend on how much a DM and his palyers roleplay, but I think time is the best to not hinder the roleplay.

 

[Velmont]

By teh way, I vote hastly and after writing the last message, I would change it. So I would go for:

1st choice: 18 month
2nd choice: 15 month
3rd choice: 12 month
No to under that.

1st choice: 0% extra
2nd choice: 25% extra

1st choice: Award at teh end

1st choice: Equals for time

 

[Phoenix8008]

Velmont, I understand what you're saying but respectfully disagree that gaining 1 level via DM credits every 6 months is too fast. That is a subjective opinion. I cite your own example of a DM running some adventure constantly for 3 years being 3 levels above a regular player. With the DM credits paying out twice that for L4W (every 6 months) our theoretical DM would be 6 levels higher than a regular player. Considering that we have a whole 30 levels to play with here in 4E, I don't really see a problem with that myself. YMMV however as can anyone's. I myself wouldn't mind seeing things sped up a bit.

My first LEW character got started nearly 3 years ago and is only level 5. Granted, I haven't been DMing that whole time, and I haven't been able to get awarded my DM credits for my first adventure that I did DM for 10 months. I'd like to be able to play with some of the higher level powers and be involved in higher level adventures myself. Some people don't like high level play and thats fine too. But I'd like to have the option. I'm sure eventually we will be able to open things up so that players can have more than one character, so the DM credits would likely get spread around. And we already have 4 adventures going within the first month of L4W being open, so I don't think we'll have a shortage of DM's with characters that are a little higher level than the non-DM's. Enough to form at least one party with to play in some higher level adventures, I'm sure. Those are the reasons behind my opinion at least and my feelings on the subject. Just wanted to put out a competing perspective to yours for any discussion on the subject.