D&D General A Rant: DMing is not hard.

[Belen]

Honestly is mostly that I detest the scut work of developing adventures - picking monsters, making sure stat blocks are correct, picking maps, picking art, actually writing the adventure, etc. I do not enjoy that for more than a short while. So, adapting AP's and modules has been my go to for playing and running D&D since the 80's.

Try Gemini: I can load my campaign notes in and get it to spit out encounters.

 

[Hussar]

The whole line of argument is a strawman and it goes back to another way of putting down people who don't play their games they way others want them to. "Hur hur, ignorant self-saboteur, you only think you're having real fun! By sticking to your one game, you lack important skills that the rest of us develop and your games are worse as a result."

That is not even remotely the argument and if that's your interpretation of what's being said, that's on you. The argument is, broadening your experiences will improve your DMing. I cannot believe that this is a particularly contentious position to take.

 

[SableWyvern]

That is not even remotely the argument and if that's your interpretation of what's being said, that's on you. The argument is, broadening your experiences will improve your DMing. I cannot believe that this is a particularly contentious position to take.

I agree with the statement, "broadening your experiences is likely to improve your GMing".

I disagree with any attempt to then append statements such as, "And, therefore, you should broaden your experiences." or "And, therefore, if you don't broaden your experiences, you won't be a good GM."

 

[Hussar]

What specific activity do you believe a one-game roleplayer should not engage in, in order to find the time to play the additional games you want them to?

Huh? Since when is it impossible to play a different game for a couple of weeks once a year? Talk about strawmen.

 

[Reynard]

That is not even remotely the argument and if that's your interpretation of what's being said, that's on you. The argument is, broadening your experiences will improve your DMing. I cannot believe that this is a particularly contentious position to take.

This.

People are allowed to have their fun however they like it. But it isn't controversial to say the more experiences one has, the broader their horizons and thus concept of fun will be.

People that are offended by the idea of people suggesting they should consider trying new things are exactly the kinds of people that most need to try new things, IMO.

 

[Hussar]

"And, therefore, if you don't broaden your experiences, you won't be a good GM."

That's an interpretation that you've added that no one else has stated. That's all you.

 

[Reynard]

That's an interpretation that you've added that no one else has stated. That's all you.

But you will almost certainly be a better GM if you try different games, or the same game with different GMs and groups. That is a thing that is true in nearly all walks of life.

 

[AlViking]

I gave you a couple of reasons why driving a semi would make you a better driver, which you seem to have ignored.

Really? Because all I remember is "It would make you a better driver" because different vehicles handle differently. So? Why would actually driving a semi make me better at driving a car? I can understand how semis handle, how they need much further stopping distance, basic dynamics of a large truck without ever sitting behind the seat. I also know truck drivers have limited sight lines because ... wait for it ... I read about it and it's logical.

I didn't ignore them, I don't think it proves your point.

 

[soviet]

Any RPG is a combination of system inputs that create a particular effect. If you play something else with different inputs, you will a) see what effect other inputs can create and b) better appreciate how the inputs in the first game create the effects you like.

 

[Hussar]

Really? Because all I remember is "It would make you a better driver" because different vehicles handle differently. So? Why would actually driving a semi make me better at driving a car? I can understand how semis handle, how they need much further stopping distance, basic dynamics of a large truck without ever sitting behind the seat. I also know truck drivers have limited sight lines because ... wait for it ... I read about it and it's logical.

I didn't ignore them, I don't think it proves your point.

If nothing else, driving a semi would mean that you could back up and park a car a LOT better. If you can parallel park a semi or back a trailer into a small space with minimal clearance, it gets a LOT easier to back up and park a car. As someone who had to learn to park a tank, I can honestly say that the many, many hours of training driving a slew of vehicles for the army made me a much, much better driver than anyone who has only driven a car.