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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CrimsonReaver" data-source="post: 5284683" data-attributes="member: 91729">When you sit down to game, whether DM or player, you're entering into a relationship with everyone else at the table.  And, like any relationship, communication is absolutely essential to its success or failure.  As are an open mind, a willingness to put in some effort, and the ability to realize when it's simply not working and it's better to part ways than constantly bash your head into a brick wall as you try to make the other person/people into what you want them to be.When I've been the DM, I've always made a point of asking my would-be players what they want from the experience.  If all they want is combat and loot, with no desire to role-playing or story, then I go the Wizardry route where it's just a X-level dungeon/tower/whatever with a generic goal/boss at the opposite end of where they start.  If they crave story, if the want opportunities to live in their characters, then I strive to present them with a sprawling epic with an expansive cast of NPCs (many of who have recurring roles) in an adventure that spans an entire world (or more) that's impacted by their choices.  Or anything in between - provided it's what I'm in the mood to run.  If I'm not feeling it, or I know I'll get burned out DMing it, I offer an alternative, a compromise, or suggest that someone else might be better suited to run that particular style of game.Similarly, every so often, when a game sessions wraps, I like to ask the players how they're enjoying it.  I mean, usually I can tell when someone is bored or frustrated, but I always try to give my players an audience to make suggestions, to chime in about what they'd like more or less of.  And I like to do it in the open, where all the players can voice their individual quibbles or wants.  Because it's not just an issue of DM vs. players, but the players all have to gel too.There's almost always one player who gets really into the role-playing element and wants to interact with every possible NPC they encounter, or feels compelled to detail their character's every action or every moment.  Just as there's almost always that one player who constantly screams, "Get to the killing!!!"  The guy who'll stab an NPC mid-sentence because it was taking too long to get to the next battle.  So, it's just as vital that the players feel comfortable within the group, that nobody feels like they have to suppress their desire to role-play for fear of bogging down the game, or curtail their bloodthirst and, instead, turn to IMing on their phone while they wait for the dice rolling to begin.Everyone is responsible for the fun, and everyone is accountable to everyone else at that table for that fun.  In almost 20 years of gaming, I've had very few bad experiences since I've made a point of talking things out with my groups beforehand, making sure we're all on the same page about what we want from the experience and tweaking things as we go to meet everyone's needs.So, all that being said, I agree that players are absolutely responsible for carrying the story - as the leads, they're the only ones who can bring it to life, keep it moving forward, and help it evolve - but only if they've signed on for that responsibility.  It's unfair to push a Final Fantasy story on players who were just looking for a little Diablo-style hack 'n' slash fun, and that's a failure of the DM.</blockquote>

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