I’ve recently discovered the wide world of gaming podcasts, and have found that my ears have become somewhat sore from the constant presence of iPod earbuds. I’ve added some links to the list if you are perhaps interested in checking some of these out. I’m up to date with the The Bear’s Grove and am currently listening through The Round Table, with others on the sidelines, including Does My Geek Look Big in This and Dragon’s Landing.
What all this listening really makes me yearn for is some sort of situation where I can game all the time, and then talk about gaming. I’m sure I’d come up for air now and then, but I definitely have an unhealthy desire for gaming.
I’m still kicking around ideas in my head for a cooperative game-world creation with my gaming group which would serve as a game in itself. In general, I tend to run games where the players have a huge amount of freedom (and they sometimes complain at the lack of overt plot/direction from me) but I also like the idea of the players taking an active part in the creation of the story – I love to see players driving the plot along themselves through their characters’ actions and decisions. That’s when I really get excited about a game, when I feel like I’m doing my job as a GM/Storyteller/whatever. I love a game where it feels like an emergent thing, like more than the sum of its parts. I mean, if I wanted to just tell a story that I had in my head, I’d write it down. For me, the joy of running a game is the fact that characters will surprise and challenge you – at least good ones will.
>unfinished 
I get why you like to give your players freedom and I basically agree. For me it is a matter of degree. I think you have to give the players something to react to and I think requires a little more than you normally give, while still allowing for a tone of freedom.
Even the best players (and I think we're a pretty decent bunch) get lost without some direction or else they do a whole variety of unrelated things and a chronicle ends up lacking narrative unity.
That being said it's just a matter of taste. You're a great GM. You just choose to err on the side of freedom. I tend to err on the side of plot.
LikeLike
in this case, i haven't gotten reactions to things i thought i would, and i made the mistake of basing plot things on players who i could have predicted wouldn't be attending regularly. part of it is figuring out what your players react to, and how, which i'm still doing. but, anyway, there'll be a lot more for you to react to in the next couple of months. i've decided to change the pace of the game, particularly with the new addition to your family in mind
LikeLike
Yeah, I've sensed that there is a lot of stuff going on with Joe that would be interesting, but he's not there alot and when he is, he doesn't do anything.
Also, I worried that if I pressed the stuff with Joe it would end up as a fight between Alistair and him, which I didn't want.
Well, I've tried to react to most things you've thrown at us. Even things you didn't throw at us.
And my criticism isn't meant to take away from the fact that the game has been fun. As I said, it's just a difference in our GMing styles.
LikeLike