NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="bloodtide" data-source="post: 9073336" data-attributes="member: 6684958">An artificial forced movement of game reality to move a player along a minimum of three stories:  the lesson(s) I give the player, the story I give the character and the Main Adventure Story.  With two more common ones:  The players personal story for their character and the Game Story Arc.  In a general sense, I don't waste game time with "unimportant" things.  I am this type of DM.  But note only for my Main Games.  It's pointless to take a young clueless casual gamer and even suggest they might do anything that requires any effort on their part.  Even when given a list of setting words and being given xp for using them...they will still use 2023 "slang" when speaking in character.  So I don't bother.  I'm a much more harsh when the player does not understand reality.  I get the player has never seen real life lava....but like it's very basic to know lava is hot.  And sure their imaginary character, and most of the world, knows lava is hot.  And I don't remind the clueless player what their smart character knows.  I'm fairly descriptive.  And I try and keep lots of NPCs around that are "as dumb" as the players so I can Red Shirt them often.  .  I find they weed out the casual gamers.  And build character...literary in many ways.  I don't want to game with players that "don't think things through" or worse just do them to be "funny jerks" or more then worse do them to try and ruin the game for everyone..  .  Well....the player always survives......Well, note when I'm posting it's more about bad, problem players.  I have plenty of good players....they just don't get posts.  I have helped and mentored hundreds of players.  If you come to me and genenuely want to become a better person and player...I'm there for you.  Though I will expect you to put in effort, time and work.  On the other hand...if your a lazy casual jerk, we won't get along..  Well, I'm more an "outside the game" Buddy DM.  If a player wants help role playing an elf, I'm happy to talk with them, send e-mail texts and recommend books to read.  But I'm not going to waste any game time doing any of that.  Well....I do see that type of DM often.  I see a lot of soft DMs.  I see so many DM make their games Easy Button Cakewlaks.  They want to make their "friends" happy so they make the easy game so their "friends" like them.  When the DM lets them kill another dragon for a ton of loot they are "the best DM ever".The same way you make anyone anything really.  You teach them the basics, and let them develop in their own unique way.Yea, as this is the over given sandbox example....it sucks.  Sure you "sandbox" for a couple seconds....then play a normal linear game.  So....I disagree with most of the public vocal gaming community.  I don't follow lock dice with everyone...all we are are just some dice in a bag. I don't use the words "player agency", but if I did...it would be more: Players can make choices and have them matter if they are willing to put in the time, effort, work, immersion, focus and force to do intelligent meaningful actions.  And few single actions will effect much, often at least a couple actions are needed.  And players can't just "wish" for actions to alter game reality", but can make more focused actions to have a higher chance of getting their desired result.  And I don't agree with the "bad word only Railroad"  definition.  As referee I don't have "a" story, but I do what the story to end.  That is the Railroad: forcing the players and characters along the story to it's end.  A lot of this is done in the back ground (the classic Invisible Railroad).I don't agree with the "bad word only Railroad"  definition.  As referee I don't have "a" story, but I do what the story to end.  That is the Railroad: forcing the players and characters along the story to it's end.  A lot of this is done in the back ground (the classic Invisible Railroad).I am seeking more understanding.   Five players go through a game session.  After the game, as we clean up Billy is all mad, throwing his dice in his bag one by one.  Then he lets rip on how the game was so horrible as he had no agency.  Jimmy then runs over to agree and they complain together.  The other three players are just fine and have nothing to say.But the players can't tell me what is wrong....they just say "agency" every five seconds or so.  This is where I turn to others to try and figure out what they might be thinking.</blockquote>

Verification