GM Authority (Edited For Clarity, Post #148)

[tetrasodium]

Well in the context of the show, Players #1, #2, and #3 definitely chose concepts that aligned with the characters that featured in the main storylines. GoT, the TV show, is not at all about the peasants, it's about the Knights and Nobles, at least the show I watched was.

Sorry that you don't like how I handled the situation but Player #4 was unwilling to buy into the premise. Players #1, #2, and #3 were on board from the get go. So I as GM should, what, kill the campaign to make Player #4 happy? If that were the case, then all four players would have to find new games as I have zero interest in running the kitchen sink fantasy Player #4 was looking for. As GM I am only interested in running games I am interested in and will not be forced to run a game I have no interest in running. Being GM is not a job, I don't get paid to do it, I do it for fun. I don't have fun running kitchen sink murderhobo fantasy adventure games. I haven't had fun running those games in decades. I won't ever run a kitchen sink murderhobo fantasy adventure game ever again. Lucky for me there are lots of players that are willing to play the kinds of games I want to run.

Your premise keeps changing. First it was inspired by got but not the books then it was like got but not specifically now its back to the TV show. An inability to pitch your campaign idea without resorting to the equivalent of Calvin ball is a severe failing as a gm.... also by the way, mRton used real world events to heavily provide structure of certain things for got such as the war of the Roses the black dinner the mongol empire and so on. If you wanted to run a game set in historic England where there were no elves and nothing elf like you should pitch that instead of game of thrones... good luck learning from your inexperience and doing better in the future

BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 in Four - The real historical events that inspired Game of Thrones

True historical incidents and characters that helped inspire George R. R. Martin.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Ovinomancer we know for a fact that the OP knows little if anything about the setting and is hostile to the very idea of changing that resulting in the bar for someone to know more than the OP to be set absurdly low.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Your premise keeps changing. First it was inspired by got but not the books then it was like got but not specifically now its back to the TV show. An inability to pitch your campaign idea without resorting to the equivalent of Calvin ball is a severe failing as a gm.... also by the way, mRton used real world events to heavily provide structure of certain things for got such as the war of the Roses the black dinner the mongol empire and so on. If you wanted to run a game set in historic England where there were no elves and nothing elf like you should pitch that instead of game of thrones... good luck learning from your inexperience and doing better in the future

BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 in Four - The real historical events that inspired Game of Thrones

True historical incidents and characters that helped inspire George R. R. Martin.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Ovinomancer we know for a fact that the OP knows little if anything about the setting and is hostile to the very idea of changing that resulting in the bar for someone to know more than the OP to be set absurdly low.

How do we know they know little or nothing? All I've seen is that you claim this because they say they haven't read GRRM's novels. I find this tenuous, at best. And, if we're going with setting knowledge being a thing, the ask to change it with something incongruous (a D&D elf) shows less concern for the setting than just not reading the books.
.

 

[zarionofarabel]

Your premise keeps changing. First it was inspired by got but not the books then it was like got but not specifically now its back to the TV show. An inability to pitch your campaign idea without resorting to the equivalent of Calvin ball is a severe failing as a gm.... also by the way, mRton used real world events to heavily provide structure of certain things for got such as the war of the Roses the black dinner the mongol empire and so on. If you wanted to run a game set in historic England where there were no elves and nothing elf like you should pitch that instead of game of thrones... good luck learning from your inexperience and doing better in the future

BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 in Four - The real historical events that inspired Game of Thrones

True historical incidents and characters that helped inspire George R. R. Martin.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Ovinomancer we know for a fact that the OP knows little if anything about the setting and is hostile to the very idea of changing that resulting in the bar for someone to know more than the OP to be set absurdly low.

Well, I'm not running a GoT game, so my knowledge of the setting doesn't matter at all. Apologies if my lack of interest in the setting upsets you. In my opinion, GoT ain't nothing special, it just happened that the HBO series was very popular. In my humble opinion, mostly because of the violence and sex. I used it as an example of what I was going for campaign wise because I didn't want the players thinking I was going for LotR or Harry Potter or run-of-the-mill D&D dungeon delving. GoT focused on politics and the nobility and featured human characters as the main cast. As I stated several times now, three of the four players got that right away, one player didn't and wanted me to cater to them. I decided to cater to the majority of the group instead.

 

[Jd Smith1]

I'm sorry, but given that the vast majority of people's exposure to Game of Thrones is the HBO series is there a serious claim that you must read the books to be able to run a GoT game?

Color me unconvinced.

Your apology is accepted.

However, even using the dumbed-down, simplistic garbage that is the HBO version, there's no Elves.

 

[Jd Smith1]

What's that? you as the hopeful GM failed to convey the game you wanted to run? Topped it off with another failure to apply GM skills needed to correct the view by directing a player towards things that do exist within the very limited subset of a poorly described game you want to run rather than throwing a fit about how you don't want to learn the source material you poorly referenced when presented with deeper knowledge?

Sometimes a player just isn't interested in a game, but all indications see to indicate that your failures were the larger problem. Take your lesson & do better in the future.

He did exactly right. Elf-boy was a problem. The problem was solved. Its a hobby, not a day care.There is no obligation, nor incentive, to have to spend time intended for recreation in trying to get a problem player to mature. Far better to cast him back into the pool of applicants, where he may find a like-minded table.

 

[macd21]

No I think player4 probably knew more about the setting you incorrectly declared the source & you acted towards him as you've acted in the first 15-20 pages of this thread when your athoratah was challenged with setting. knowledge about the setting you poorly referenced that you were uninterested in. Also I already pointed out how players 1 & 2 were already playing an exception you rubber stamped. Cartman is rarely a good example to follow when disagreement over something is encountered & that particular Cartanism is probably the worst thing you could ever do in any situation.

Given Player 4 demanded to be an elf in a GOT-like setting, he clearly either knows nothing about GOT, or else just doesn’t care. Players 1-3 picked some pretty standard GOT character concepts, Player 4 just wanted something weird. That could be explained by the GM not going into enough detail when pitching the concept, but then the player chose to double down after the GM made it clear what he was going for.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Given Player 4 demanded to be an elf in a GOT-like setting, he clearly either knows nothing about GOT, or else just doesn’t care. Players 1-3 picked some pretty standard GOT character concepts, Player 4 just wanted something weird. That could be explained by the GM not going into enough detail when pitching the concept, but then the player chose to double down after the GM made it clear what he was going for.

Well said.

There are some players who thrive on being contrary, usually so as to become the center of attention, forcing the GM and the campaign itself to focus upon them/their PC. It is best to send them packing.

 

[tetrasodium]

Given Player 4 demanded to be an elf in a GOT-like setting, he clearly either knows nothing about GOT, or else just doesn’t care. Players 1-3 picked some pretty standard GOT character concepts, Player 4 just wanted something weird. That could be explained by the GM not going into enough detail when pitching the concept, but then the player chose to double down after the GM made it clear what he was going for.

The hit piece this started with in the OP and complete lack of detail to some of the claims that would support the OP if it were as you say suggests that player4 was probably the one who tried working with the gm and through inexperience the gm refused to even attempt to direct a willingness to work with him towards something fitting.

 

[Minigiant]

It's pretty clear to anyone who has seen or read GoT that it's human only for PCs. It's not specified, but it's incredibly highly implied by "GoT."

GOT has no PCs. That's the point of the setting.

All the PCs died in the Age of Heroes. And the Age of Heroes had nonhuman PCs.

 

[nevin]

I'm sorry, but given that the vast majority of people's exposure to Game of Thrones is the HBO series is there a serious claim that you must read the books to be able to run a GoT game?

Color me unconvinced.

Depends on group. If I were going to run something I wasn't that familiar with there are players I wouldn't even consider. Because they'd second guess and badger me every step of the way trying to "force" the game back into the shape they expected. Then I'd have to tell them to chill or leave. Now that I'm older I just avoid "cool" things that are likely to end up that way. But with the right group I might run something and just do it my way.