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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Guest&nbsp; 85555" data-source="post: 9425202">I think the reality is what works at a given gaming table, and for a broad spectrum of tables, isn't going to fit into neat schools of thought that exist on the internet, so i tend to agree the advice will likely be regarded as lacking, but that might say more about our online gaming discourse than the advice itself. Part of this too is GMing does take time to learn to do well. You can have baseline of bad advice, but I think most of us learned through trial and error what really works, versus what sounds good on a page or in a thread. I often talk about liking sandboxes and avoiding railroads, but I also believe those concepts become a hindrance when you are thinking of them as an ideal and aren't reading the table before you (some players don't like sandboxes, many players who like sandboxes, don't like a lot o the stuff recommended about them, etc). The way I see the craft of GMing is it is more like being a standup comedian than anything else. You really have to try things out at the table, sometimes bomb, and figure out what went wrong. And someone can write a book of advice to help you get started, but ultimately it is about learning at the table what works for youThe other side of this every GM is going to be different and bring different strengths to the table. Something that works great in the hands of one GM is going to bomb in the hands of another</blockquote>