[OOC] The Pixie's Kitten

[Kapera]

Not that it mattered... Choni misses again, as per all her combat so far.

[LittleBlueNA]

Sorry guys, I got distracted by apps for new games. Always feel free to poke me to put up a post

[Sassafrass]

Gee, I wonder who started a new game that could have distracted you.

Could it be... Kapera? That heathen?

[LittleBlueNA]

Kappy, and Eli, and Alph, and an old game started up again, and Scimmy's got me thinking about a game where all my magic would be my own homebrew.

[Sassafrass]

Sounds dangerous. Don't do it.

Alright, more serious business while I get things in order to post: I've been tapped to potentially write a few guides for the site so I'm going to ask my players for their thoughts because I select players carefully and my opinion is that they are discerning. At least as discerning as to make the mistake of picking me as their ne'er-do-good DM.

So what are some habits of good games you've noticed? What keeps a game going? What do DMs do/can they do to keep things moving, other than the obvious of "keep posting"?

[LittleBlueNA]

I am not smart person, but brain think few things on the spot.

1: Take fewer players. 8 PCs sucks to get everybody to post.
2: Don't be afraid to post quick, short replies to players. I wouldn't move the game along before everyone has had a chance to post, but it can be nice for the more active players to get some enjoyable roleplaying in with an NPC while they wait.
3: Stick to the posting rate you've advertised. If a player can't post for whatever reason, NPC them. Ideally, ask them what their character would want to do. Games that keep momentum tend to keep momentum.
4: Encourage players to interact. Even if it doesn't move the plot forward, it helps keep that momentum going. *whistles innocently at his tendency to run around with NPCs in this game*

[JackinIrons]

There are a few things that I can see...

First, I've noticed that the games I've been in for a while usually have a healthy OOC section. Now, I'm a bit maladjusted so I don't participate quite as much, but the banter that you see between the players seems to be important. The closer the posters are, the more they tend to care about letting everyone down.

Second is the way the characters are treated. I've had characters where I lose touch with them, and as a result, I forgot how to really write for them. But my best characters in my longest running games... I can imagine their lives without my writing, and I care about what happens to them. So a characters that are real enough to be connected to helps as well.

The last thing I'll mention is the judicious use of hand waving. Things like I see in this game where initiative is streamlined, stats are visible so the player can go further with their writing without waiting for a response (ACs, HP and saves mostly). It should be remembered that there is no rapid table talk, so you have to adjust things that rely on that to get to things that are more important.

[Dressedtojazz]

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

o what are some habits of good games you've noticed? What keeps a game going? What do DMs do/can they do to keep things moving, other than the obvious of "keep posting"?

A busy OOC chat, where DM's and players establish a routine about absence from the site and if there is anything that bugs them, has transitional effect on the game threads.

A clear idea of what can be expected in the game is very important. Sass is clear about lots of RP, less combat. PIG is clear about lots of combat and massive side stories, EvilMadScientist is clear about a pretty close tie to the published AP and so on. I don't want to go into detail about those who are not clear, but I don't play with them anymore.

Transparency. If any rolls are effecting PCs, they should be able to see the rolls. Who want's to be cheated?

Dedication. Keep a decent posting rate. If people start forgetting their carefully crafted character concept, then it's a lost cause. Like... I remember I was in a game once, called the Jade Regent

Approval. Show your love and appreciation. I'm not saying that you need to go hand out some more RPXP (you should, though and congrats Norse on the nomination). E.g.: If you like how one player divide their post to make it more readable, let it be known.. it might inspire others.

I have also become a major fan of adding guest star NPCs in my games. Give them some space to work and they will surely bring in a whiff of fresh air to the game. PIG have used Thorsten and (very shortly) Blackfyre in his game. I have used Ekidnu twice in my own games. It is all adding great things to the mix.

That's what I came to think of, right away.

[Kapera]

I am going to repeat some here, but I think repetition shows it is a key point:

1. Busy OOC section, and/or discord channel depending on your group, this is a great way to keep in contact, build a bit of a camaraderie and understanding. It also means that when people cant be around, they feel comfortable letting you know they will be out and a note of what their character would do 'next' in the scene at hand. Likewise, the GM needs to be willing to share when they are crazy busy or whatnot, so the players know why there could be a week or two of nothing... or say finding out you have to sell a house and move across country... in cases like that, when you have been open with your players, they will wait the 2 months

2. Compliments. I get accused of over-rpxping, but I don't think I am, I think that it is a great way to let your players know that you have read and appreciate the work they put into a post. It can brighten someone's day to see a kind comment, or brighten your own day to leave taunting messages for Sass. Players that know their GM appreciates their writing and takes time to make note of it, stick around.

3. Honesty: If your game is low combat/handwavey, make this clear in the ad, if it is mostly rolls and mechanics, make this clear too and then make sure the applications you accept, fit into these expectations. If you want just mechanics with small blurbs... do not ask for a book application, if you want more rp and less rolls... do not accept/ask for just the barebones of a character. You get what you give. Be upfront and make sure that everyone is on the same writing page.

4. Railroading: Don't, just don't. If your characters go sideways on you and you had a great event planned... let it go. Sometimes you can redirect them with treats, othertimes just rework it for another time in the game. If the players are not free to explore, they are not going to stay.

5. God: You are not god, you are the GM, do not tell a player that they are playing their character wrong and argue with them about it. You may not like that their witch is too shy, or their paladin isn't lawful enough or their brawler doesn't start enough fights... your game will only work if you work WITH your players, not if you want to boss their every move.

6. Dedication: Keep that posting rate consistent. Once a week, twice a week, once every two weeks... make sure they know that there is a pattern, it encourages them to keep posting too, it also helps to drop notes when you know you will be posting in the next day or so, to pop that into the OOC, so people have something to look forward to.

7. Don't let the game drop. No need to pause if someone is away for a week, NPC the character, keep them in the background, if they are your main brute force... roll for them, but keep it moving. If we waited until everyone was on for a game at the same time, they would never happen.

8. Group size... bigger is NOT better... 4-6 seems to be the sweet spot depending on the GM, if you have too many people, it drags with people all needing to update/waiting... dragging... and then they want to split up into all directions, it gets to be a bit much and chaotic, smaller is better.

9. Carefully choose your players, I know everyone wants to be Drizzt, the loner, the outcast, everyone hates them... but if your whole group are antisocial... this is not going to work. Look for people who make characters that still socially interact even if they had a hard childhood, getting your applicants to make notes on how their character would interact with another character is a great way to see if they have thought of their awesome character being able to actually work in a group.

10. Don't be afraid to remove someone from the game if they are 'ruining' it... whether bringing in drama, complaints, purposefully ignoring other characters, arguing about outcomes or whatnot, if they are not working, don't get frustrated, just tell them that it isn't working, thanks for playing... good luck elsewhere and return the fun to the players who actually want to be there the way you are running it.

Those are the ones that popped into my head

[LittleBlueNA]

That's it. I'm retiring Venka as a fighter. Even if I got all five of her attacks of opportunity, she'd get no hits in this round.

Upon further inspection, I'm a big stupid and forgot to give myself +1 for masterwork weapon. It's fine, we're good

[Kapera]

Maths is hard

[LittleBlueNA]

I also keep forgetting to trip which is +9 instead of +7. What's the point of a reach-trip fighter if I don't reach-trip?

[Norse]

I should get a chance to make a post tonight. It will be short, be warned. I am making an event this week and it takes all my time.

I also agree with the statements above on what makes a good game. What's the talk about nomination?

[LittleBlueNA]

I just want to say, this is one of my favorite combat scenes I've ever been a part of. Everyone is responding so well and so differently to the horror. It's not all neat and tidy, and it feels hectic(Venka tells one gobbo that it can live if it doesn't move while Choni drops molten glass on it and then Doyle charges it while Rapid heads to cut anyone off if they flee), which makes it feel realistic to me. Great work everybody!

[Kapera]

The chaos of it feels more 'real' than if they all actually worked in unison