Ever had a game stolen from you?

[lkjopajdowma]

Because I just can't do it. As soon as one of the players does something interesting I want to follow the consequences of it and it bothers me not to do so.

Alright, that makes some sense. I was originally picturing you giving them a bunch of options and they wanted to do none of them, or couldn't decide and got frustrated.

So, is it something where they have a goal at the outset, but one of them does/says something interesting that could lead somewhere else, but they want to continue on towards the completion of the original goal while you want to explore the possible ramifications of whatever action you found interesting?

 

[Obryn]

For one thing, I think it sounds like they handled the situation poorly. On the other hand, I only know one side of the story.

If your DMing play style doesn't match your players' play style, I think you're better off having other people run the game, in the long run. Life's too short for bad gaming.

-O

 

[Achan hiArusa]

No, they did that too.

 

[ProtoClone]

Well, first I am not too clear on your use of terminology but I will try to offer up MHO as best as I can.

You might be better off not DMing for them. Yes what, or how, they went about telling you they were not having fun was rather rude but be glad you are still invited to the table. It is hard to not be sensitive about something you worked on and other people just flat out not liked. Creativity is a personal thing and sometimes it does hurt to have someone say they don't like your stuff. On the other hand you should develop a callus to people not liking it and ask them why.

 

[Filcher]

Regardless of who is right or wrong, if your players did this, for some reason the previous game wasn't suiting them. I don't think it is in your power to change their feelings about your game.

Mark me down as another perennial DM who would love for one his players to run a game.

 

[lkjopajdowma]

No, they did that too.

Now it almost sounds like they're being difficult for the sake of being difficult.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

I would probably have more of a problem if it was the whole party, but it was two out of four people who decided this (the other two have played with me extensively and enjoy my play style). And they just brushed it off as me just being stressed over my demanding schedule (I am an adjunct professor and I currently have 24 contact hours, am taking 9 hours of classes a week {one of which I commute to}, and I'm running a second game on Thursdays.

 

[pogre]

I would probably have more of a problem if it was the whole party, but it was two out of four people who decided this (the other two have played with me extensively and enjoy my play style). And they just brushed it off as me just being stressed over my demanding schedule (I am an adjunct professor and I currently have 24 contact hours, am taking 9 hours of classes a week {one of which I commute to}, and I'm running a second game on Thursdays.

Man! With that schedule, it really sounds like they did you a favor. I've never had this happen, but I can see why it is upsetting. Could you talk to the other two players who like your style and perhaps get another group going? A sort of re-steal...

 

[aboyd]

I don't really see the problem. I always thought this was how these things were supposed to go. I would much rather be relieved of duty than have some player casting daggers in my back while I ran the game. It doesn't seem they were passive aggressive or deceptive or anything. They simply intend to get their game on, and when you didn't provide it, they moved on. They even invited you to attend as a player when you can. Frankly, to me this is all an example of players doing it right.

In addition, I'd say that it *is* a reflection on your DMing skills. Their action is a pretty clear statement against your game. After all, if they felt positive, they'd still be eagerly eating it up. Honestly, even if they came onto the board an protested my characterization (by saying something like "It wasn't a negative statement about Achan; it was a positive statement about DM #2!") I'd still say that it comes out pretty bad for you by way of comparison. To me, that makes this a lesson to learn from. You now have good feedback: you weren't running up to snuff, and you'll need to get introspective about how to do better. Frankly, I think you're lucky to get such an unambiguous message.

On a smaller scale, reading of your frustration that you canceled due to weather and they continued anyway tells me a little of why they might have installed another DM. To me, your phrasing reveals at least a little bit of a control problem -- like if you call it off, they better honor that! But that's not your place. And maybe they are picking up on a style that doesn't sit well, and opting out.

For my part, I've been in the same position on both sides. I've recently begun running a once-a-month game, and by the second game the players were talking about rotating DMs or "deciding who will run it long term" -- when I was already in place and assumed it was fait accompli! My response? Here is what I wrote on our private forum:

And, we need to figure out who will DM - do we want to rotate?

I'm up for anything, with one exception. I really prefer that we start low-level. So I'll play or DM, but I'd want to stick with the level 2 characters we've already done.

In other words, I made it a non-issue by being willing to do whatever worked.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

You know, I don't have to be introspective. I am currently running a very successful Thursday night game that the players in that game rave about and I have a very large number of successful games under my belt since I began running back in 19*cough*cough*. I know I am a good Storyteller and I've never had anyone walk out of my games, let alone have anyone do anything like this. I have talked to another ST who ran for them (after the fact) and said he had the same problems and those two eventually walked out on him even when everyone else was enjoying the game, and I ran a game that they enjoyed almost two years ago.