| Author |
Topic:
The Game Masters Guild
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Zedd-Vega
Registered:
Dec '03
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Date Posted:
12/13/06 9:46am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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I've never participated in any of the abovementioned games GMed by good ol' Peng, but I have to say the Dr. Who game intrigued me at least until I saw commercials for the show's airing on television. The show seemed bad, and after deciding not to watch it, I chose not to participate. Not Peng's fault, but perhaps my own judgement on the show in general.
Music based games, though fun and original, never really caught my eye. How can you communicate music and drumlines through typing unless of course you are posting the chords used and experiment on your own outside of game to see how it sounds. In that case, it's an excellent idea. For the lack of those willing to try such an approach, I feel it is a bit lacking. Perhaps a bit more into the direction of the band instead of the music being played.
Persona. Two words: Detectives rule  . Much like Dubya_Scott's infamous SW 007 games, detective games have always caught my eye, but I perhaps lack the ilk for playing in one. Don't get me wrong, I can solve a mystery given the right clues, but in the words of Shikamaru Nara: "it's too troublesome" and "too much work". I'm lazy at heart, and even though I could solve a mystery alongside veterans and friends alike, I just lack motivation. I joined in the first SW 007 game, and just fell from its history. Droids... never were my strong point...
As for the Steam Chronicles, it must've missed my peripheral vision because I would love to jump on a steampunk RP nowadays. But again, for me, "too troublesome". I could plan out a character, copy and paste the sheet in Word, work it out, and never send it in. I have hordes of character sheets saved on my laptop, and countles smore on floppy-disks laying around my desk.
Since we're discussing Peng's games, perhaps an upcoming topic would be my games? Not to sound conceited, but I'd like to know what basically "went wrong" with my games.
A discussion for another time perhaps, but I'd like some input.
-----signature-----
"All your base are belong to us..." Cats I'm 97% high fructose corn syrup! "Boba Fett? Boba Fett?! Where?!" Han Solo: RotJ The One and Only Darth Mandalore  Sev in Ghost Ship Executor
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Penguinator-176
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
12/13/06 8:52pm
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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As to the last three posts:
Sithy - If I gave the "feeling of impending doom", then I'm very proud of that. I'm sorry for driving you away from the game, but all in all, I was honestly making up the Cyberman plan as I went. Darth_Sadis, if memory serves, PMed me in regards to the plan. I gave him free reign, as I wanted to be more of a GM this time 'round, and less of a God-modding player.
StarWarsFreak444 - All ya have ta do is put it in yer sig or bio, and yer in! : )
Zedd - Doctor Who? Bad? Blasphemy!  It's an acquired taste, for sure. The old sixties episodes are favourites of mine, just for the corniness (at times). Interest is a huge part of the problems surrounding my games - I liked Persona, others liked Persona, and many liked being a Detective. Two problems - one or two players were unable to take hints, very strong hints, which interfered with my storytelling. And that's my next problem.
I hate my games. Why? Because I want to tell the story I made, not let the game evolve on it's own. I create the roads, but have no intersections. Another problem - I want to play in my games! It's so...frustrating. Of all my games, I feel The Steam Chronicles had the most promise. I did walk the players through much of it, at first, but that was just to set things up and get us to the island. After that, I would've let nature take it's course - giant dinosaurs, tensions between the native islanders and the explorers...
The music game was really just poor planning and prep on my part, I think. I wasn't fully ready, jumping into the game like that.
I regret nothing, though. I've gotten to meet many people, and get to know some of them well. Sadly, these may tarnish my reputation, which may hinder some games that actually have a future.
I'm working on something new, yet again, and I hope it'll be a breath of fresh air for myself and others.
-----signature-----
"Sweet, soft and low, I will poison you all - canary in a gilded cage."
"Everything burns."
.
.
GDG
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Sith-I-5
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
12/14/06 3:21am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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Penguinator-176 posted:
Sithy - If I gave the "feeling of impending doom", then I'm very proud of that. I'm sorry for driving you away from the game, but all in all, I was honestly making up the Cyberman plan as I went. Darth_Sadis, if memory serves, PMed me in regards to the plan. I gave him free reign, as I wanted to be more of a GM this time 'round, and less of a God-modding player.
You appeared to be making up your plan specifically and consistently in response to what we did. Even where what you were reading, your characters should not have known about. And I found your actions just as much part of the problem.
-----signature-----
“So what kind of quad-lasers has this thing got?” Stobb pressed, “Golan Arms or Taim & Bak KT-6s?”
“Leave me alooone.” The pilot sobbed, “I didn’t build the sodding thing. I press a button, green light shoots out.”
007 family - DVC's twin bro'
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Penguinator-176
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
12/14/06 7:35am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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I'm very sorry about that. I'm feeling a jerk right now, and I'd like to apologize. Would you have any suggestions as to how we could all continue playing, without the game getting opressive?
-----signature-----
"Sweet, soft and low, I will poison you all - canary in a gilded cage."
"Everything burns."
.
.
GDG
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Winged_Jedi
Registered:
Feb '03
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Date Posted:
12/14/06 8:08am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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Don't worry, Peng. It can be tough to find a balance between making the game too easy or too hard. In my experience, most GMs struggle with it at some point in their career.
-----signature-----
"The noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England!"
-Samuel Johnson
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Sith-I-5
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
12/14/06 10:57am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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To Winged' you listen, Peng'. Knows what he's talking about, he does.
I'll get back to you.
-----signature-----
“So what kind of quad-lasers has this thing got?” Stobb pressed, “Golan Arms or Taim & Bak KT-6s?”
“Leave me alooone.” The pilot sobbed, “I didn’t build the sodding thing. I press a button, green light shoots out.”
007 family - DVC's twin bro'
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MASTERPRENN
Title: JCC Man.
Awesome
Registered:
Dec '05
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Date Posted:
12/19/06 7:59pm
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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Don't feel like a jerk, Peng, you are trying to challenge your players, and that's a nobel task.
So, this brings up an interesting question. What is a way to continually challenge your players without opressing them? How does one strike this balance?
-----signature-----
God is a verb.
And your mom is a theory.
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Obi-Wan21
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
12/19/06 8:13pm
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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Come up with challenges that have choices, making those decisions harder and the outcome ultimately in their hands. So if they do wrong, and that outcome is granting the baddies a greater hand, then it's on their heads. They need challenges that they can logically and fairly overcome, but if they fail, then it's their fault.
Now, if it's for plor purposes, it's a whole different story, the players can't beat the badguys for plot development, in the end they may, but having the baddies win for plot, rarely, it's fair.
-----signature-----
This is usually the part where people start screaming.
Fan Fiction & RPG Links In Profile.
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MASTERPRENN
Title: JCC Man.
Awesome
Registered:
Dec '05
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Date Posted:
1/1/07 8:52pm
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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I know that when I've been put in this situation it is always a tough one for me. So is there any technique you guys use to come up with creative situations that give players choices, or is it simply by osmosis. That is to say, are some just good at it? Can you guys think of some ways for making the creative process easier or sure-fire on the GM, during a game?
-----signature-----
God is a verb.
And your mom is a theory.
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Arclite
Registered:
May '06
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Date Posted:
1/2/07 1:05am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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Hello again, New found friends and a happy new year to you all. 
The CDG, GDG and GMG seem to hand-in-hand So, I do believe that I will sign myself into this guild, for it was always my weakest point out of the three.
And to answer your question...
I have run a tabletop for three years now and I use a '100 quest ideas' list from the D&D DM Guide. Unfortunately an annoying aquantiance of mine has run off with my book so I cannot even give you any examples 
-----signature-----
GA Genin of jedi_whitelight1
RPF Adoptee of Zandoran_Celix
Senator of Ithor, Galactic Senate Game
Proud member of the Holy Trinity (GMG, GDG, CDG)
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Sith-I-5
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
1/4/07 2:50am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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I am barely impinging on this (and Game Design) territory, since as a Co-GM for the post-ROTS Jedi Faction in Galaxy at War III, I have created a storyline to give them something to do - they've been stuck on Dagobah hiding from the Empire for a while.
It took me a while to absorb the fact that they needed me to do such a thing, I'm a bit slow in that regard.
Anyway, I created a storyline that I have to make sure I have no loyalty to, so when the players don't follow the correct path, I don't get stressed; this is about them having fun.
I also created some npc protagonists, drew a map and a town plan, and used my own PCs to shove them from the main game story down my offramp, and am just trying to maintain a loose meta-control over the situation.
I think the important part here for a sub-quest, is the 'have no loyalty or investment in your particular path being carried out'. Because if there is one thing I'm learning about RP versus fanfic, is that players are unpredicatable as frag.
For example, I've got a small town, a general spaceport for my players to land at, and even though I am trying not to micro-manage, the pilot goes and lands outside my town. I have to shift things rather drastically from even my vision to incorporate it, because it just hadn't occurred to me that might happen.
-----signature-----
“So what kind of quad-lasers has this thing got?” Stobb pressed, “Golan Arms or Taim & Bak KT-6s?”
“Leave me alooone.” The pilot sobbed, “I didn’t build the sodding thing. I press a button, green light shoots out.”
007 family - DVC's twin bro'
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Arclite
Registered:
May '06
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Date Posted:
1/5/07 10:00am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
- Date Edited:
1/5/07 10:01am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Arclite
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Yeah that kills my desire to even make a game sometimes. I'll have a really good idea and a great storyline, but then I'll start thinking about the ways a player could do something different. I mean it doesn't bother my perception per say, but it makes me feel oppressive when i can't give them a reason that they can't do something. Kinda frustrating 
-----signature-----
GA Genin of jedi_whitelight1
RPF Adoptee of Zandoran_Celix
Senator of Ithor, Galactic Senate Game
Proud member of the Holy Trinity (GMG, GDG, CDG)
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Sith-I-5
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
1/7/07 5:01am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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You are probably controlling things too closely.
I'm trying to think of a movie plot to use, but not risk exposing my game, which is currently in play. Okay, I'll do Ice Age 2
You got this big geographical bowl, and outside it, you know the melting ice is going to flood the valley at some point in the future.
I provide some npcs in the valley for the player to interact with, but as far as I'm concerned, it is up to the player and his/her actions as to whether he learns about the danger before it is too late.
Largely, I don't - or shouldn't - get too concerned at what he does inside the bowl; there are no set paths to force him in any particular direction. There will be clues, but hopefully, he can have fun figuring out what is going on.
-----signature-----
“So what kind of quad-lasers has this thing got?” Stobb pressed, “Golan Arms or Taim & Bak KT-6s?”
“Leave me alooone.” The pilot sobbed, “I didn’t build the sodding thing. I press a button, green light shoots out.”
007 family - DVC's twin bro'
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Arclite
Registered:
May '06
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Date Posted:
1/7/07 11:05am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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It seems simple enough, But my paranoia extends from the tabletop, where i have a player who ruins everything if i don't tell him he can't do something.
-----signature-----
GA Genin of jedi_whitelight1
RPF Adoptee of Zandoran_Celix
Senator of Ithor, Galactic Senate Game
Proud member of the Holy Trinity (GMG, GDG, CDG)
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Penguinator-176
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
1/7/07 11:14am
Subject:
RE: The Game Masters Guild
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Ruin in what way? Does he try to make things difficult?
-----signature-----
"Sweet, soft and low, I will poison you all - canary in a gilded cage."
"Everything burns."
.
.
GDG
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