"My Players Stay Out" (My Players Welcome in *this* one.)

[S'mon]

I have trouble staying out of stay-out threads (being the player StalkingBlue mentioned) although I mostly managed to stay out of Randomling's threads - at any rate I didn't stay long enough to see any spoilers. >
I think the suggestion to post under a different screen name is a very good one, that way the players don't know it's their campaign being discussed. Personally I've never felt the need to discuss confidential campaign stuff online & hide it from players - I'm more the opposite, when I've had a few beers or whiskies I tend to happily discuss my campaign secrets with my players! I'm not sure what kind of special thing GMs feel the need to discuss secretly, from what I've seen "Players Stay Out" threads tend to contain the same general sorts of discussion as any other GM advice thread. I suppose specific surprise plot twists, if you think in terms of plots, and NPC/monster stats if you're planning a particular surprise attack or similar and need help designing it. Campaign building in the sense of "elves live here, and dwarves live over there" surely doesn't need to be hidden from players? I have enough trouble helping players to grasp my campaign world without deliberately keeping them in the dark about background stuff.

 

[StalkingBlue]

I have trouble staying out of stay-out threads (being the player StalkingBlue mentioned)

If you insist ...

although I mostly managed to stay out of Randomling's threads - at any rate I didn't stay long enough to see any spoilers. >
I think the suggestion to post under a different screen name is a very good one, that way the players don't know it's their campaign being discussed.

Wouldn't work too well for a homebrew, nor for a niche setting like Midnight, I'd imagine. I wouldn't complain if you went and read and posted to all of WalkingBlue's stay-out threads on her Midnight game, for example ....

Personally I've never felt the need to discuss confidential campaign stuff online & hide it from players - I'm more the opposite, when I've had a few beers or whiskies I tend to happily discuss my campaign secrets with my players! I'm not sure what kind of special thing GMs feel the need to discuss secretly, from what I've seen "Players Stay Out" threads tend to contain the same general sorts of discussion as any other GM advice thread. I suppose specific surprise plot twists, if you think in terms of plots, and NPC/monster stats if you're planning a particular surprise attack or similar and need help designing it.

I'm happy to discuss many things with players, whiskies or no. Not all of my secrets, obviously - nor would you I think! Nor would I want to know all your secrets. Especially not specific, scenario-related onces.

Hm. Let me think what I'm thinking I'd use open thread and stay-out threads for.

I use open threads for
- general world-building questions;
- rules questions;
- house rules I'm considering or have implemented.

I've considered using (but in the past not used) stay-out threads for
- enemy tactics in specific encounters;
- motivations and overall strategy for villains;
- setup and layout of locations.

I'd open threads like that for players to read after the event, but I'd like to get input for stuff like the above at times, mostly because I almost never use published scenarios and an occasional change of pace is nice. (Not to mention learning from other brilliant minds is never a mistake. ) Obviously, having players crawling all over threads like that before the actual session invalidates the approach.

Campaign building in the sense of "elves live here, and dwarves live over there" surely doesn't need to be hidden from players? I have enough trouble helping players to grasp my campaign world without deliberately keeping them in the dark about background stuff.

Heh. Also my experience.

 

[S'mon]

StalkingBlue:
>>Wouldn't work too well for a homebrew, nor for a niche setting like Midnight, I'd imagine<<

I guess so, although players can be quite dense.

>>Hm. Let me think what I'm thinking I'd use open thread and stay-out threads for.

I use open threads for
- general world-building questions;
- rules questions;
- house rules I'm considering or have implemented.

I've considered using (but in the past not used) stay-out threads for
- enemy tactics in specific encounters;
- motivations and overall strategy for villains;
- setup and layout of locations. <<

Interesting, thanks. I read and post to lots of threads on these topics I guess, I've just never felt the need to do threads on my campaign in particular, I'm more likely to steal a good idea I see elsewhere.

 

[StalkingBlue]

Interesting, thanks. I read and post to lots of threads on these topics I guess, I've just never felt the need to do threads on my campaign in particular, I'm more likely to steal a good idea I see elsewhere.

Well, you're welcome to steal from my threads - once I open them to my players for reading & posting. (Gods know I borrow lots from you. )