Rel
Liquid Awesome
I've been moving in the direction of more "improvisational gaming" for the last few years. Definitely with the Con/Game Day games I run and, to a slightly lesser extent, with my weekly campaigns.
My opinion on the matter is this: System matters.
Some game systems lend themselves much more easily to on the fly GMing than others. This is of course going to vary by individual. For example I easily run Basic D&D as an improvised game but I don't like to run 3eD&D as an improv game.
I think there is a distinction to be made between having a sort of vague "session outline" and full on improv GMing. Most of my weekly campaign games fall into the former category. I have a pretty good idea of what's likely to happen and I've browsed through the books, perhaps written down a line or two of monster stats and a magic item I may hand out, but other than that I can adapt to whatever twists and turns the sessions take. Then there are games where I step up to the game table having absolutely no idea who the characters will be or what the adventure will be like.
My favorite game to do this with is Old School Hack and I got a chance to do so again on Sunday. I also played Fiasco on Saturday, which is entirely improvisational for all participants (there is no GM for that game). I've found that all this exercise of the improv muscles in my brain has really aided my ability to roll with the unusual turns that my weekly games sometimes take. I recommend that people give it a shot.
My opinion on the matter is this: System matters.
Some game systems lend themselves much more easily to on the fly GMing than others. This is of course going to vary by individual. For example I easily run Basic D&D as an improvised game but I don't like to run 3eD&D as an improv game.
I think there is a distinction to be made between having a sort of vague "session outline" and full on improv GMing. Most of my weekly campaign games fall into the former category. I have a pretty good idea of what's likely to happen and I've browsed through the books, perhaps written down a line or two of monster stats and a magic item I may hand out, but other than that I can adapt to whatever twists and turns the sessions take. Then there are games where I step up to the game table having absolutely no idea who the characters will be or what the adventure will be like.
My favorite game to do this with is Old School Hack and I got a chance to do so again on Sunday. I also played Fiasco on Saturday, which is entirely improvisational for all participants (there is no GM for that game). I've found that all this exercise of the improv muscles in my brain has really aided my ability to roll with the unusual turns that my weekly games sometimes take. I recommend that people give it a shot.