Best Gaming Advice

[Cor Azer]

Create situations, not stories.

To further your quip, I always start with my NPCs; specifically, the goals and motivations. If I know what the plot-important characters want, and what they're willing to do to achieve such, then I can figure out how they'll react when the players inevitably, possibly unintentionally, stuff up their plans.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

Could you elaborate on that?

I think the situations as opposed to stories is a great little piece of advice.

To me it's the situation that creates the story and drives the plot. Just toss out a small rumor or adventure with a bit of planning to that hook, then let the PCs create the story by their role-playing and by their interactions with NPCs and environment. This is an avoidance of railroading and "creating the story" for them.

 

[Tamlyn]

In that vein, incorporate things the Players want/expect for their PCs as best you can, again, in a way that "makes sense." This might be plot points (using things from a PC background they took the time to develop), character development (the player wants to find their PC a particular item/weapon, the player wants their PC to become the next Baron of Coolville- or overthrow the current one, etc...), an idea for stretching their church/religion or taking their class in an unexplored/unpublished direction, whatever it might be.

Going along with this, my advice is to know your players.

Most players have characters with similar personalities. The guy whose characters tend to lead will usually lead, independent of what's on his character sheet. The guy who's only interested in the story/plot as long as it leads to an interesting battle isn't going to change from one campaign to the next. Knowing my players allows me as the GM/DM to be more efficient and productive when I throw hints, tips, equipment at the PCs. Having played with this group for 6 or 7 years before I became the GM has proven to be invaluable.

 

[The Shaman]

Create situations, not stories.

"You must spread some Experience Points around . . . "

. . . [H]aving a framework of the game world helps quite a bit. Give yourself parameters so when the "making it up on the fly" or "something unexpected from the PCs" pop up you aren't completely starting from scratch or generating something that doesn't "make sense" with whatever else has been established in the world.

I call this, "prepping to improvise."

. . . I always start with my NPCs; specifically, the goals and motivations. If I know what the plot-important characters want, and what they're willing to do to achieve such, then I can figure out how they'll react when the players inevitably, possibly unintentionally, stuff up their plans.

I do the same thing - the interaction of the adventurers and the denizens drives the action, as each acts and reacts in a shared space.

 

[steeldragons]

Going along with this, my advice is to know your players.

Most players have characters with similar personalities. The guy whose characters tend to lead will usually lead, independent of what's on his character sheet. The guy who's only interested in the story/plot as long as it leads to an interesting battle isn't going to change from one campaign to the next. Knowing my players allows me as the GM/DM to be more efficient and productive when I throw hints, tips, equipment at the PCs. Having played with this group for 6 or 7 years before I became the GM has proven to be invaluable.

I have to say, kudos Tamlyn. Excellent advice.

"Know thy table" may possibly be GMing commandment numero Uno.

For those of us fortunate to have longstanding table/group experiences (even if they are past) this is definitely the way to go.

Sadly, I have to say, it seems in today's day and age of rotating game-store hosted tables and PbP and PbEml this may be lost/not possible for many new GMs.

Not out of a desire "not to" but out of a simple lack of opportunity. The table changes, the games change, life gets in the way of posting, what have you..."Everyone comes and goes so quickly here!" hahaha.

But they are words to live by and it is definitely, imho, the mark of a "good DM" to be able to read and "know" your players...even with a limited amount of play time.

The better you know the people behind the PCs the better game you can create (taking their input/desires into account) with them.

Role-playing [table-top] games are, afterall, (or at least "were") originally/primarily a social medium.

Know thy [people at] table.

--Steel Dragons

 

[steeldragons]

The better you know the people behind the PCs the better game you can create (taking their input/desires into account) with them.

*bold added/emphasized by myself...for my own post. hahaha.*

This might be another piece of advice...for a certain style of play.

Again, this is not an edition or game specific thread. I am not intending to make it one.

But, for me, the object (if there is an object of my game of choice which is D&D) is to create a world. Create characters to be in it. Create a story that is interesting for those characters to be in.

Steel Dragons Advice #3: It is it is a game of [to borrow from Spongebob] imaginaaaaation.

As long as everyone at the table "buys in"/is doing that, to the best of their ability, then IME, you'll craft a "winning", rewarding, enjoyable experience for everyone.

As always, wherever your focus in the game, have fun and happy gaming.
--SD

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

I have to chime in as well about knowing the players at the table. I think that [MENTION=92511]steeldragons[/MENTION] hit the nail on the head with the observation that with this day and age, primarily with current technology (i.e. skype, maptools, and various other virtual tabletops) it's a bit harder to "know" the people at your "table."

What I've done in the past is ask for small backgrounds on PC's and I sometimes ask for "wish lists" as well to get to know the wants/desires of the people playing. I guess another nugget of advice I'd like to give is to have open communication and an "open door" policy as far as players/DM goes. If everyone is willing to listen to each other and communicate, then that makes for a far better gaming experience. I've read far too many threads on here about people being mad at each other and not knowing how to fix a situation which has escalated beyond repair at their gaming tables. If they had just communicated openly in a non-hostile way to begin with the atmosphere at the table would be much more to their liking.

I personally like the face-to-face a lot more than the virtual experience, it's much more social for me. Though I digress a bit here, this thread is supposed to be about advice rather than preferences.