How well do you have to know a game to run it?

[Crothian]

At times the players want to play a game that I just don't know that well. Sometimes, I'll tell them to hold off, other times I'll try to learn just enough to run the game sort of. It can be fun to play in a game that no one actually understand, other times it sucks and it sucks bad.

So, how well do you feel you should know a game before you run it?

 

[Timeboxer]

Personally? Very well. I have run a game before without knowing about the intimate details, and... well, everyone had fun, and admittedly that is a good measure for whether a good job was done. But I also think that not knowing what's going on ultimately results in less total fun than could potentially be had. I regret not reading through World Tree before I ran it.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Run it or run it well?

I still don't have all the 3.x rules down and I think that when people criticize D&D as being too rules heavy that they have a point. I don't agree with them, but I think they have a point.

IMHO, when you are new to the system, you should playtest a combat and some of the wackier rules that go along with the setting. For example, in Shadowrun, I would playtest a combat, decking, and spellcasting. These playtests should not "count" as part of the adventure. You're just shaking out the rules.

Along similar lines, I think that core books without adventures included should never rate higher than a B (4/5, 80%) even if the rest of the game is perfect. The whole point of introductory adventures is to help the game master as much as the players. No intro adventure and you are essentally telling the game master "This game is so great, if you have problems running it, then you are the moron, not me".

... but I digress ...

 

[Jdvn1]

I think knowledge of rules and knowledge of GMing are independent.

A GM can run with very little information.

 

[Crothian]

Run it or run it well?

Just run. How well do you feel you need to know the rules to run a game?

 

[IronWolf]

Looks like I chose the popular option, understand some, but not the uncommon things. That is with your addendum in mind of run or run well.... <grin>

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Just run. How well do you feel you need to know the rules to run a game?

Just moderately well.

Though if I knew that there would be new players I would really want to know the rules. But old timers in a regular gaming group? Pheh.

By the way, did you have a particular game in mind?

 

[Crothian]

Looks like I chose the popular option, understand some, but not the uncommon things. That is with your addendum in mind of run or run well.... <grin>

I know people that know games in and out and still can;'t run them well, so that option is a little too subjective

 

[Crothian]

By the way, did you have a particular game in mind?

Well, in a few weeks I'm gointg to run Paranoia XP for table top for the first time. I'm also reading therough HARP for a review and that just got me thinking.

 

[Dr. Harry]

At times the players want to play a game that I just don't know that well. Sometimes, I'll tell them to hold off, other times I'll try to learn just enough to run the game sort of. It can be fun to play in a game that no one actually understand, other times it sucks and it sucks bad.

So, how well do you feel you should know a game before you run it?

One thing that I loved about the West End Star Wars was that I run it pretty much as I walked in the door with it, and it worked.

Sure, the characters advanced a heck of lot faster than they really should have, but I caught on when they were at the rough equivalent of 6th level or so ...