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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercule" data-source="post: 6934058" data-attributes="member: 5100">I don't know that I can point to a specific incident about divergent play styles, but I've learned that a lot of the success of differing styles is up to the DM -- with all due apologies to those who don't like the DM being at the figurative head of the table.I've had games with players who were combat-focused, hopeless at combat, (over-)actor wannabes, and never talks in character, all at the same time. Oh, yeah, there was also the guy who was there mainly to screw with other players. Keeping the ball moving appropriately is the key thing. Don't have NPCs address the OOC guy much -- not an issue because the "actor" will jump in, anyway. Add some combat, but have an escape hatch. That sort of thing. And the pot stirrer gets a certain amount of tolerance, but be ready to have a unifying encounter/event happen and/or prompt the other players to respond in character.There's more to it, but I don't think I could create a list of bullet points. Maybe a book, but even that's doubtful. I think most DMs develop an instinct with experience.The other common factor is that dogmatism has little room at the table. Sure, everyone has things that spoil the fun for them -- mine is tinker gnomes. Avoid things that grate on other players. At the same time, be willing to settle for "fun enough to be worth the time spent" rather than having to have the perfect game. First of all, you're not going to have the perfect game; go write a book if you want things to flow your way. Second, all that really matters is that you have more fun than you could have doing something else that's available for you to do (again, there is no perfect game).For example, my current game is Princes of the Apocalypse set in Eberron. I typically prefer games with high character agency -- ultra-sandbox, if you will. PotA is somewhat sandbox, but it has definite bounds. The players want beer and pretzels, with low character depth to just relax after a 40 hour week. I'm having fun. Probably not as much fun as if I built a new, custom campaign setting around PCs with well defined goals. Still, that game, with people I've been friends with for 25 years is better than either trying to force my game on the others or sorting through the unknown potential players of various ages, interests, and levels of cleanliness in hopes of a match.</blockquote>

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