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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Theocrat" data-source="post: 1509441" data-attributes="member: 16778">Group DynamicsHi all-To be a good DM you must first realize that not everybody is going to like what it is that you are doing. Some will not like your style and they will leave. Some others will tolerate your style and come to adjust to it and later enjoy it. I always ask new players to give us 3 games before making a solid decision to stay or leave. This gives the DM time to learn how they play and what it is that they like, as well as the other players in the game. I like to have lots of Role-playing in my game, while I know that 2 of my players love the combat actions. So I make sure to provide them with what it is that they like, and put a little bit of the role-playing in their too - because no matter what, you are playing too so that you can have fun. That's one of the problems that many of the players forget - your guys die every night, and your guys can  never get the best of them all the time. The players often get caught up in their plight and their direction that they want the character to go and often forget or never knew what it is like to DM. As such, some may not be interested in what you are - so you have to be willing to accept that, and still find a way to get what it is that you want.Role-playing and story line are important to me but to none of the players. I provide that story and background for me, and let the players act out those things in the story that I think would be fun. More often than not this works - for us. Some other DM's will tell you to make sure you act out NPC's - me I can't remember the voice of every different NPC - but I sure can keep a description of them in the city notes. So that helps me. And finally - have a bad night or two....I have. So have all the DM's. I've been DMing (and no PCing) since 1990 - and it still happens. No biggie. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed in preparation - I was preparing 20-30hrs per week for a game that was every 2 weeks - allow the game to be every other weekend. Sure the players won't like it - but then tell one of them to run on those off weekends. Remember it's your game too. I wish you good luck on your game sessions.</blockquote>

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