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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jeff Wilder" data-source="post: 4603828" data-attributes="member: 5122">What an odd post.First, if it were truly binary, I'd say it's the DM's game.  The DM puts in the most work, the DM gets final word on his game.Of course, the DM may end up playing with himself.  He also may end up with no players.As a DM, I have a play-style and I don't hide that play-style from players.  I like a certain tone in an RPG and I don't hide the tone I want from players.  I am something of a control freak (which is why I DM in the first place), and I don't hide that from players.A player who can't abide by any of those facets of my DMing isn't welcome in my game.  I've had players leave, and I've kicked players out, so it really does make a difference, but in eight years of continuous DMing (and many more off and on before that), I've never been short of players.The real key is "disclosure."  I think it's fair that a DM gets much more of a say in how a game goes, but only to the extent that the players have access to the information they need to determine if the DM's game makes the DM's terms worthwhile.Among other things, that means sharing house-rules ahead of time.  (It also means being willing to listen to criticism.  I am the best game designer in my group, but I'm not a power-gamer.  If I make a house-rule, the power-gamers in our circle of gamers definitely get a look early in the process.  And everyone gets a look before the rule goes live, because simply by virtue of numbers, players may see something I missed.)If I'm running a core-only game, I disclose that.  If I intend to respond to AC-pumping by attack-bonus-pumping the monsters, I disclose that.  I habitually rule against  power-gaming players, when the decision could reasonably go either way, and I disclose that.It's the DM's game.  It's the players' absolute right not to play it.</blockquote>

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