Critical Role PSA: You are not Matt Mercer

[Oofta]

I have no clue why it's a bad thing to admit that you make mistakes or that you're tired after running a game. I just got DMing a session and had lots of fun. But I am pretty drained.

I'm okay with that. As much as I truly enjoy the stories we tell and have a lot of fun in the game I'm an introvert at heart. Being the center of attention, keeping track of everything trying to describe cinematic scenes .... it's a lot.

So yeah. Had a blast. Fun session. Brain. Dead.

 

[BRayne]

I mean since it is the topic, even Matt Mercer has pretty openly talked about his struggles with Impostor Syndrome and the like

 

[S'mon]

I would guess it’s a small portion of the population that is happy having an entire evenings entertainment rest on their shoulders.

Indeed. But as GM I'm not responsible for ensuring everyone have fun. It's a group responsibility! At most I'm the host of the party. The guests need to contribute. Good players make good games. Relaxed GMs also make good games!

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I'm really of two minds about the subject. Most people aren't professional actors or storytellers and no one should ever hassle someone they play with for that.

However, to me, the fact that Mercer has been (without ever saying it) guiding so many new players away from "Sandbox play, zero level character funnels, adventure paths, and West Marches style games" and other forms of "win the boardgame" mindsets has been such a blessing for me. I could never DM if i had people coming in expecting those kinds of games.

I'm a little confused by your post. In what way does a sandbox, funnel, or west marches game embody a "win the boardgame" mindset.

 

[Charlaquin]

I have no clue why it's a bad thing to admit that you make mistakes or that you're tired after running a game. I just got DMing a session and had lots of fun. But I am pretty drained.

I'm okay with that. As much as I truly enjoy the stories we tell and have a lot of fun in the game I'm an introvert at heart. Being the center of attention, keeping track of everything trying to describe cinematic scenes .... it's a lot.

So yeah. Had a blast. Fun session. Brain. Dead.

That’s not a bad thing at all. What’s a bad thing is getting so upset over your own mistakes that you develop a drinking problem.

 

[Longspeak]

Indeed. But as GM I'm not responsible for ensuring everyone have fun. It's a group responsibility! At most I'm the host of the party. The guests need to contribute. Good players make good games. Relaxed GMs also make good games!

I do think the GM has a slightly larger share of the responsibility. He has more control, after all. But yes, the GM is a player, and every player owes the group their best efforts to keep things fun.

That’s not a bad thing at all. What’s a bad thing is getting so upset over your own mistakes that you develop a drinking problem.

I think most of us get that upset on occasion. The trick is to get past it, get some perspective, and to move on. And also to hydrate so you lessen the hangover.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think most of us get that upset on occasion.

About DMing?

 

[robus]

That’s not a bad thing at all. What’s a bad thing is getting so upset over your own mistakes that you develop a drinking problem.

I think(?) Jester was joking...

 

[Charlaquin]

I think(?) Jester was joking...

I wasn’t sure, that’s why I asked.

 

[jgsugden]

I'm a little confused by your post. In what way does a sandbox, funnel, or west marches game embody a "win the boardgame" mindset.

I can't speak for the author of that post, but I can say that these approaches are warning signs for me that there will not be as much plot as I prefer in a campaign. These low plot games tend to be more about strategy game "win all the battles each night as our only goal" type games. That being said, there are exceptions to these general rules.

A true sandbox, where the PCs can go anywhere with no breadcrumbs being dropped by the DM is often indicative of short or no storylines. That being said, I've seen DMs that weave story elements into whatever the PCs decide to do to tell their larger story - with a belief that you can always tailor the story to the setting the players choose to explore.

Funnels are the opposite side of the spectrum. If there is no choice, then often you're not letting the players tell a story with you so much as you're telling a story with the player's characters. The story may be there, but the players end up with only the impact the DM decides will be there.

Western/West Marches can be great games with amazing storylines. The players find puzzle pieces through out their exploration that add up to answers in exciting ways. Or, as has been the case in most of the Hexcrawl style of games, especially ones where players drop in and out, the exploration can just run into a bunch of thematically similar dungeons with little story giving them any relational significance. The biggest problem with these games is the inconsistency as players drop in and out and often take key information for themselves without sharing it - and then leave the campaign. It makes plot driven story telling very hard. You can get around it, but it is a lot of work for a DM to keep straight who knows what and when they need to double up on clues that have been lost to player attrition.