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<blockquote data-quote="Rybaer" data-source="post: 3132140" data-attributes="member: 118">I've GM'd exactly two games on the boards.&nbsp; The first was a Arcana Unearthed game that ran almost two years.&nbsp; The second is a M&amp;M game that is still plugging along at about 2.5 years.&nbsp; I guess that's a good enough record to qualify me to offer some insight.A few things I've found (as both GM and player) that are necessary for a game to stay alive:1. GM must provide substantial and vivid detail with each post.&nbsp; Too often, as a player, I've looked at a GM's post and said &quot;huh?&quot;&nbsp; Lack of detail can create a conflict between the player and the GM in what each thinks is going on.&nbsp; This leads to players reluctant to post, conflicts between interpretation of the scene, and all around failure to draw in the player.2. GM has to make things move along with each post.&nbsp; Know the characters well enough that you can roleplay them through the more mundane bits and leave them at the end of each post at a point where a clear decision has to be made.&nbsp; Sometimes dialogue back and forth is important, but it can also bog things down.&nbsp; This is especially true when the players get going back and forth with planning.&nbsp; A little of this is okay, but the GM must know when to jump in and turn words into action.3. There has to be a give and take trust between the players and GM.&nbsp; Players need to know that the GM isn't out to screw them over - that the GM will ultimately turn actions, even negative ones, into a moving and interesting plotline.&nbsp; GM's, meanwhile, must understand that they have to allow enough flexibility for the players to do unanticipated things with their characters.4. Don't let threads idle too long without at least a token post.&nbsp; And don't be afraid to use OOC comments to let give players &quot;knowledge&quot; that their characters lack but that will help them play their way into the GM's storyline.Personally, I prefer things as rules lite as possible.&nbsp; I think rules heavy can work, but it requires a bit more care.&nbsp; Interstingly, for the 3rd chapter of my M&amp;M game I tried something unusual - no rolling whatsoever.&nbsp; As the GM, I merely &quot;decided&quot; the outcome of every single action for the length of the chapter.&nbsp; My players seemed to like it well enough - the focus on the storylines was much deeper and things moved along more quickly.&nbsp; I wouldn't recommend trying this with a new game, but for established characters/players with a built-up trust, it worked as a nice change of pace.And one last thing.&nbsp; As a personal preference, I try to keep my plotlines as vague as possible until I have to fill in the details.&nbsp; That way, I don't have to concoct ways to keep the players on the &quot;proper path.&quot;&nbsp; I just follow their lead, let them take their own actions, and nudge them once in a while to keep things moving toward the next clue, set-piece, or conflict.Hope this helps future DM/GM's a little...and maybe some players too.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Rybaer, post: 3132140, member: 118"] I've GM'd exactly two games on the boards. The first was a Arcana Unearthed game that ran almost two years. The second is a M&M game that is still plugging along at about 2.5 years. I guess that's a good enough record to qualify me to offer some insight. A few things I've found (as both GM and player) that are necessary for a game to stay alive: 1. GM must provide substantial and vivid detail with each post. Too often, as a player, I've looked at a GM's post and said "huh?" Lack of detail can create a conflict between the player and the GM in what each thinks is going on. This leads to players reluctant to post, conflicts between interpretation of the scene, and all around failure to draw in the player. 2. GM has to make things move along with each post. Know the characters well enough that you can roleplay them through the more mundane bits and leave them at the end of each post at a point where a clear decision has to be made. Sometimes dialogue back and forth is important, but it can also bog things down. This is especially true when the players get going back and forth with planning. A little of this is okay, but the GM must know when to jump in and turn words into action. 3. There has to be a give and take trust between the players and GM. Players need to know that the GM isn't out to screw them over - that the GM will ultimately turn actions, even negative ones, into a moving and interesting plotline. GM's, meanwhile, must understand that they have to allow enough flexibility for the players to do unanticipated things with their characters. 4. Don't let threads idle too long without at least a token post. And don't be afraid to use OOC comments to let give players "knowledge" that their characters lack but that will help them play their way into the GM's storyline. Personally, I prefer things as rules lite as possible. I think rules heavy can work, but it requires a bit more care. Interstingly, for the 3rd chapter of my M&M game I tried something unusual - no rolling whatsoever. As the GM, I merely "decided" the outcome of every single action for the length of the chapter. My players seemed to like it well enough - the focus on the storylines was much deeper and things moved along more quickly. I wouldn't recommend trying this with a new game, but for established characters/players with a built-up trust, it worked as a nice change of pace. And one last thing. As a personal preference, I try to keep my plotlines as vague as possible until I have to fill in the details. That way, I don't have to concoct ways to keep the players on the "proper path." I just follow their lead, let them take their own actions, and nudge them once in a while to keep things moving toward the next clue, set-piece, or conflict. Hope this helps future DM/GM's a little...and maybe some players too. [/QUOTE]

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