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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 8986440" data-attributes="member: 9254">The gm has to be a leader. They have to be able to control the cadence of game play. Some level of immersion has to be maintained. And I don't mean LARP-esque immersion, I mean focus on the game as "the" reason everyone is there. No movie chats mid-game, no long tangents on why "Xth edition as the One True Game", etc.There are a whole host of group-dynamics concepts but pretty much all of them have some theory on an "ideal" collaborative state. GMs need to keep the group somewhere close to that ideal. Because once the group goes acoherent, it's almost impossible to continue without calling a total reset.The collaborative games are interesting, and when they are a form of emergent game based on cards or whatever, it's achievable. But random cards don't make good campaigns. Emergent, super collaborative games are like magic acts. Some people absolutely love it, Most people are fine with seeing one every year or so and a few people loathe them with the hatred of a thousand suns.Meanwhile the vast majority of gamers are fine with a traditional GM-controlled campaign. And it makes sense. The GM has to produce NPCs on demand and needs to be authoritative on the setting. That means players knowingly cede that authority. GMs also need to be able to break rules from time to time, either because they have NPCs with powers that need to stay secret or just because at times making a fast, decent rules call is better than a slow, immersion-destroying perfect ruling.  They need to be reliable enough that players accept the rules bending as justified (or at least don't say anything until after the game to discuss potential unintended consequences).  Part of trust is occasional "hey, we didn't do things quite right last week. Here is how it's supposed to work.  The target has to be at least the same CR as the thing they become. No more polymorphing the familiar into a dragon, even if you are a 14th level caster, unless you can find a CR 1/4 dragon"And part of trust is also "I know what the RulesGuy posted about a bag of rats and that feat but, no, I am not going to allow that in the game"</blockquote>

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