GM Styles
Recently in the Game Discussion thread we have been talking about mentoring potential GM's and finding players that want to learn but have trouble taking that next step. I've seen some cool posts from current GM's willing to train up some new GM's as we all know that GM's are a hot commodity because everyone wants to play but there are never enough GM's to go around.
I thought maybe we could discuss GM styles here. I think there are many styles, and many of us are a cross between. I'll post my style and a couple of obvious ones. Feel free to add to the list.
TheRoot as a GM I love to plan out a story arc but I learned a long time ago not to plan too much because it can make players feel like they are forced through my storyline. So I invent a story and an opening scene, but let the players act from that point. Based on the players actions and role playing I like to let them help me build the story. I'll use their backstories to bring in elements that tie their characters into the plot and I'm never afraid to deviate from my plan to construct the story around the direction of the characters role playing. I've found that this helps the PC's feel more involved in the world and not just making choices in an arbitrary story.
This style means that excessive planning is not going to work. I love to be able to adjust on the fly, using the imagination of the players to spark my imagination to greater heights. I love to write and create in depth factions and political intrigue that happens behind the scenes for the players to discover as the game unfolds. In PbP format this style is even easier IMO because you have plenty of time to improvise based on the characters actions. I don't care much for Published adventures, not that I think they are bad, it's just my creative brain will explode if I cant create the story, so I shy away from them because they make me feel constrained creatively. With that said, I totally think that published adventures can be a great tool for new GM's to use for experience as most of the work has been done for them.
Other Styles
1. Uber Planner that plans every detail of a game
2. Seat of his Pants GM that starts an opening scene and rolls with it off the top of his head
3. AP guy, this is his comfort zone, stays inside the rails with no deviation.
4. Sandbox guy, has a great idea but wants his players to completely drive the story, with some direction.
5. What did I miss?
I thought maybe we could discuss GM styles here. I think there are many styles, and many of us are a cross between. I'll post my style and a couple of obvious ones. Feel free to add to the list.
TheRoot as a GM I love to plan out a story arc but I learned a long time ago not to plan too much because it can make players feel like they are forced through my storyline. So I invent a story and an opening scene, but let the players act from that point. Based on the players actions and role playing I like to let them help me build the story. I'll use their backstories to bring in elements that tie their characters into the plot and I'm never afraid to deviate from my plan to construct the story around the direction of the characters role playing. I've found that this helps the PC's feel more involved in the world and not just making choices in an arbitrary story.
This style means that excessive planning is not going to work. I love to be able to adjust on the fly, using the imagination of the players to spark my imagination to greater heights. I love to write and create in depth factions and political intrigue that happens behind the scenes for the players to discover as the game unfolds. In PbP format this style is even easier IMO because you have plenty of time to improvise based on the characters actions. I don't care much for Published adventures, not that I think they are bad, it's just my creative brain will explode if I cant create the story, so I shy away from them because they make me feel constrained creatively. With that said, I totally think that published adventures can be a great tool for new GM's to use for experience as most of the work has been done for them.
Other Styles
1. Uber Planner that plans every detail of a game
2. Seat of his Pants GM that starts an opening scene and rolls with it off the top of his head
3. AP guy, this is his comfort zone, stays inside the rails with no deviation.
4. Sandbox guy, has a great idea but wants his players to completely drive the story, with some direction.
5. What did I miss?