D&D General Matt Colville on the “Forever DM”

[Saracenus]

It would be nice if a Matt Colville video could be shared even once on here without it becoming about how people don’t like him or his delivery, and focusing on the topic instead, which plenty of people also do, it is just that it seem pointless that the same people always come in to say how they don’t like it - doesn’t that get boring?

I am not even talking about treating it like a + thread because there is plenty to disagree without getting hung up on whether you can “stand to listen”. If you can’t stand to listen then why even participate since you aren’t informed?

I don't think that is ever going to happen. Matt is Matt and his tone and delivery is always going to ruffle some feathers. It's not a bad thing for me and frankly most of his views are not that outrageous, for the most part they are on point in my opinion. I just recognize that how he packages himself on line is not everyone's cup of tea. My main complaint is that it inhibits my ability to share his content with my gamer wife.

On a more on topic response to the original post, I think this video is a nice other side of the coin to Bob The World Builder's vid on the new D&D Starter set.

He basically explains that sharing DM duties is baked right into how the starter set is laid out and is explicitly called out in the text. The idea is to ingrain that everyone can be the DM with players entering the hobby. Will it 100% fix the problems outlined in Matt's video? Nope, but it is a good start.

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

I think I agree with some of his actual points regarding not trying to force the GM to play what you want, and the basic etiquette that players should be more willing to run games, but the tirade about who Matt feels is entitled to complain and more specifically who isn't had me rolling my eyes, I think people are entitled to speak up when their community spaces start being overly negative toward the thing it's nominally for fans of, and I think the disagreement over the points brought up is a healthy part of the discourse.

I think some of that comes down to the idea that he see's forums and subreddits as users just spinning their wheels to vent, whereas I think I see these spaces as having a lot more impact on the playerbase at large because of the way things tend to percolate through groups, so you kind of need to speak up to make sure some voices don't overly dominate the conversation.

They tend to be very susceptible to turning into a hivemind if the dissenting voices are bullied into shutting up, especially for games like DND or Pathfinder, where double checking a claim takes at least a little work-- new players come into the space and the "received wisdom" leaves them with lots of misconceptions, sometimes that's about the system, and sometimes that's about the culture and etiquette surrounding the game.

 

[TiQuinn]

I don't think that is ever going to happen. Matt is Matt and his tone and delivery is always going to ruffle some feathers. It's not a bad thing for me and frankly most of his views are not that outrageous, for the most part they are on point in my opinion. I just recognize that how he packages himself on line is not everyone's cup of tea. My main complaint is that it inhibits my ability to share his content with my gamer wife.

Having watched many, many hours of his content, I can say that the first person to say that Matt Colville will ruffle feathers and his personality and opinions are not for everyone, is Matt Colville.

 

[el-remmen]

Now those who express the opinion, which seems fairly widespread, that his videos are hard to watch because of how Colville communicates are "immature"

C’mon man. I know your reading comprehension is better than that.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think I agree with some of his actual points regarding not trying to force the GM to play what you want, and the basic etiquette that players should be more willing to run games, but the tirade about who Matt feels is entitled to complain and more specifically who isn't had me rolling my eyes, I think people are entitled to speak up when their community spaces start being overly negative toward the thing it's nominally for fans of, and I think the disagreement over the points brought up is a healthy part of the discourse.

I think some of that comes down to the idea that he see's forums and subreddits as users just spinning their wheels to vent, whereas I think I see these spaces as having a lot more impact on the playerbase at large because of the way things tend to percolate through groups, so you kind of need to speak up to make sure some voices don't overly dominate the conversation.

They tend to be very susceptible to turning into a hivemind if the dissenting voices are bullied into shutting up, especially for games like DND or Pathfinder, where double checking a claim takes at least a little work-- new players come into the space and the "received wisdom" leaves them with lots of misconceptions, sometimes that's about the system, and sometimes that's about the culture and etiquette surrounding the game.

Yup. Another thing GM can do us find an rog where you can get by with smaller group.

Star Wars D6 is my plan B. Runs fine with 2 players eg smuggler snd Co pilot.

2 players agree to play it there's your next game. Remaining players are invited if they don't want to play they miss out.

They may or may not cone back to next D&D gane depending on situation. It's up to the GM what gets run but it's also up to them to find players.

Ye Olde Star Wars D6 has always been my plan B. Player in 90s wanted to veto it his choice came down to play or not. Ended up loving it.

 

[payn]

the 'greatest topic ever' must be a you thing, I am not getting that at all, all I am getting is enthusiasm for TTRPGs

As long as you are doing it right!

 

[Clint_L]

C’mon man. I know your reading comprehension is better than that.

Wow. Okay, I guess I’m just not smart enough to communicate with you. Message received.

 

[damiller]

i didn't get all the way through the Matt video, but I'am watching DM crisis one, at least the intro, and I am intrigued, for others, at the concept of teaching anyone to GM.

im a forever GM, no interest, no desire to play (except that one time in 93)

However, I am passionate about people learning to DM/GM because, well, its fun. I want to make more forever DM/GMs.

I like that the new starter set it seems (i haven't listend to that whole video) to want to address this, but I discovered we had a way all along: Heroquest.

My brother jumped into it hard. We've been playing it. He talks about the DM role, and although, at first, it is just following the module and placing furniture and doors. THATs just the start. And what a nice start. It says "Hey GM, lets start with doors and furniture and monsters. I'll tell you how many you need, you decide where to put them (the furniture and monsters)."

Easy first steps.

So you do that for awhile.

Then, you get the idea, hey I can start making my own adventures (or just maps) I can select monsters. Sure can. But because of the constrained nature of the board, you can only do so much. And then their is limited purchasing of equipment. All these steps ease a person into the larger scope of what rpgs can do and be. With very little stress, and very little worry about failure.

Anyway, I am grateful that folks in the hobby are thinking of ways to help new players be DM/GMs. It is daunting, and telling people to just roleplay ....oops...do it, is. not. enough.

d

 

[mamba]

As long as you are doing it right!

yep, otherwise every topic is the ‘greatest topic ever’ though, which is kinda self-contradictory

 

[payn]

i didn't get all the way through the Matt video, but I'am watching DM crisis one, at least the intro, and I am intrigued, for others, at the concept of teaching anyone to GM.

im a forever GM, no interest, no desire to play (except that one time in 93)

However, I am passionate about people learning to DM/GM because, well, its fun. I want to make more forever DM/GMs.

I like that the new starter set it seems (i haven't listend to that whole video) to want to address this, but I discovered we had a way all along: Heroquest.

My brother jumped into it hard. We've been playing it. He talks about the DM role, and although, at first, it is just following the module and placing furniture and doors. THATs just the start. And what a nice start. It says "Hey GM, lets start with doors and furniture and monsters. I'll tell you how many you need, you decide where to put them (the furniture and monsters)."

Easy first steps.

So you do that for awhile.

Then, you get the idea, hey I can start making my own adventures (or just maps) I can select monsters. Sure can. But because of the constrained nature of the board, you can only do so much. And then their is limited purchasing of equipment. All these steps ease a person into the larger scope of what rpgs can do and be. With very little stress, and very little worry about failure.

Anyway, I am grateful that folks in the hobby are thinking of ways to help new players be DM/GMs. It is daunting, and telling people to just roleplay ....oops...do it, is. not. enough.

d