tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838135041685819639.post6814042615794287829..comments2023-10-28T05:48:21.358-04:00Comments on Standard Hirelings: Improvisation and the Art of the Good DM, Rule 1post festumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03739727524742573286noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838135041685819639.post-22291927239336147142009-11-18T06:44:04.845-05:002009-11-18T06:44:04.845-05:00Yes...and-ing is, IMO diametrically opposed to &qu...Yes...and-ing is, IMO diametrically opposed to "old school" games like D&D. The central theme in games like D&D (and, I feel, in all role-playing) is exploration and the PoV of the character doing that exploration. That exploration can be geographical, political, social or psychological.<br /><br />Yes..and-ing is a meta-game style which both lifts the PoV up from the character, placing it at the level of the player, and undermines the exploration aspect by giving the player the power to sub-create the world. In that sense, it's no longer even role-playing and much closer to straight wargaming where each player commands much more than one limited person. But then, enforcing limits and challenging players to find ways around them is ungood non-fun, isn't it?<br /><br />Because the player, not the character, is now acting on the world the validity of the character's actions is lessened and eventually their goals bland and uninteresting as the game descends into wish-fulfillment of a very unchallenging nature.<br /><br />The nadir of this approach is the DM who won't kill off characters but always finds some way to keep the story going for fear of hurting the players' creations.<br /><br />It's bullshit. The DM's job is to run the game, not to indulge in co-operative storytelling with players who would obviously prefer to be writing Anne Rice fan-fic about their character's expensive clothes and richly detailed history.<br /><br />Place the focus on the characters and their <b>actions</b> and the reactions of the NPCs and you <i>will</i> get great improvisation and you <i>will</i> build a co-operative structure naturally. This modern obsession with Yes...and-ing, in various forms, leads to mental masturbation instead of the real thing.<br /><br />Get yourself a DM with some vision; you'll find it a lot better than creation by committee.Nagorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04934827653905274555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838135041685819639.post-15956516272861854252009-06-21T21:26:53.910-04:002009-06-21T21:26:53.910-04:00I've got back into GMing last week with Gamma ...I've got back into GMing last week with Gamma World. Not bull-dozing my players' suggestions really is something I have to work on esp. as one of them came up with an excellent suggestion to move the story in an area that I actually wanted but I blocked it because my preconceived set up for that particular scene where he made the suggestion... Now, I'm kicking myself.<br /><br />As you say it was a failure of sensitivity and thinking quickly on my feet - both qualities that I seem to have lost in the years since I used play way back when.<br /><br />Good post - lots of stuff for me to keep in mind for the next session.Chris Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11064988977152302364noreply@blogger.com