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<blockquote data-quote="SteveC" data-source="post: 4873128" data-attributes="member: 9053">For what it's worth, I'll echo your experiences, given that we appear to have similar gaming histories. A good GM makes all the difference in a fiat heavy game, because the weight of the game rests almost entirely on their shoulders.I was lucky enough to play OD&amp;D with Gary once (I was just a kid at the time, and didn't realize I was playing with the guy who started it all!), and he was a fantastic improv GM. When I hear stories about his games, I can only imagine how much fun they must have been. Similarly, I played in an Amber diceless game run by Erick Wujcik, and it was fantastic. From what I've experienced on ENWorld, there are a number of GMs who post here who run a game at that level of awesome as well.Most games I played with either of these systems were not blessed by GMs of that kind of skill, which was rather the problem. As you say, if you're a mediocre GM, it's unlikely that you're going to self-assess yourself that way.There's a lot that a GM needs to do in order to run a fiat heavy game well, and much of it starts with game theory. Reading a game like Amber or Burning Wheel or Dogs in the Vineyard can be a good start (I'd say &quot;say yes or roll the dice&quot; is the best piece of advice for a rules light game you can read, even if you disagree with it!) The question is, how many GMs who run old-school games take the time to really think about or study GM how-tos?In any case, if I had to play a game with a mediocre GM, which we all have to sometimes, I'd much rather it be with a rules system that was better defined, since there will be more of a superstructure for them to rest on.--Steve</blockquote>

[QUOTE="SteveC, post: 4873128, member: 9053"] For what it's worth, I'll echo your experiences, given that we appear to have similar gaming histories. A good GM makes all the difference in a fiat heavy game, because the weight of the game rests almost entirely on their shoulders. I was lucky enough to play OD&D with Gary once (I was just a kid at the time, and didn't realize I was playing with the guy who started it all!), and he was a fantastic improv GM. When I hear stories about his games, I can only imagine how much fun they must have been. Similarly, I played in an Amber diceless game run by Erick Wujcik, and it was fantastic. From what I've experienced on ENWorld, there are a number of GMs who post here who run a game at that level of awesome as well. Most games I played with either of these systems were not blessed by GMs of that kind of skill, which was rather the problem. As you say, if you're a mediocre GM, it's unlikely that you're going to self-assess yourself that way. There's a lot that a GM needs to do in order to run a fiat heavy game well, and much of it starts with game theory. Reading a game like Amber or Burning Wheel or Dogs in the Vineyard can be a good start (I'd say "say yes or roll the dice" is the best piece of advice for a rules light game you can read, even if you disagree with it!) The question is, how many GMs who run old-school games take the time to really think about or study GM how-tos? In any case, if I had to play a game with a mediocre GM, which we all have to sometimes, I'd much rather it be with a rules system that was better defined, since there will be more of a superstructure for them to rest on. --Steve [/QUOTE]

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