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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sam500" data-source="post: 3450756" data-attributes="member: 16871">What makes a game fun for me has changed alot in the last year.I used to be what is called a "killer GM".Now however, I'm changing my tune.  That's not to say that I don't still kill characters (I killed 3 last week), but I'm not gunning for them anymore. The focus of my games has changed.My two most important rules are now:1. Make the game fun above all else.2. Enable the players, the story is about them. Most people have a similar goal in 1, but many GM's seem to cough over 2.  One of my friends has a saying he likes alot, "Consider Yes." when asked by a player for something.  Will this something make the game more cool or more fun even if it is powerful or not in the rules? Consider yes.However, I'm noticing more and more GM's turning to the rules too much to decide what happens in game.  Too often, it seems, GM's rule against the players or practise almost a sort of manic player denial through through the simple act of reverting to "no".  In one game I'm playing in, the GM hands out XP awards to other players for screwing eachother over rules-wise and XP penalties for other actions. In another game I played in, high level encounters turned into rules debates every turn as the GM didn't know or didn't like what was going on on the table according to the rules.  I've been GMing since 3.0 came out so I consider myself well grounded in the rules.  I also limit my games to core only as many players are new and I don't want them overwhelmed.  In game or in a conflict when a rules question comes up, I think to myself what would be most cool for the story.  I then ask the player what they want to happen (most cool for the player). In general I will rule in favour for the player (and hopefully the story as well).  When I don't, it's because the story will be more fun for everyone (including the player in question) if it doesn't happen and I explain this to the player at the time.Sometimes this means the BBEG dying in the first round do to clever players. This is ok to me, as there is a big celebration at the table.  Everyone rejoices and pats themselves on the back and is having fun.  I'm not bothered either as I know there are plenty more encounters where that came from.Has anyone else noticed this trend amongst GM's (especially D&D GM's) towards denying players rather than empowering them?... maybe I'm just a bad sport as a player.... but that's another matter (I think GM's make horrible players).</blockquote>

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