Reboot of the Cave of Games
So here's a reboot with some thoughts and plans for upcoming gaming...
Henceforth, the blog will be centered around gaming, and specifically, the groups in which I am involved in. As a player or as a GM, but with the weight centered around the last part.
First, I do notice that a lot of groups, at least mine, tend to collapse on themselves due to player inactivity. This has been a trend during latter years, but used to be so different. This led me to thinking - what are the different roles and responsibilities in a typical gaming group?
Why do we need to talk about this?
There's a huge change in RPGs, how they are shaped, how they are designed, and how they are played. That's fine. This here is probably some kind of rift between how an oldie like me is used to it being, or how I think it should be, for raising an issue with what I perceive to be a problem today.
A GM buys all the books, reads up on the rules, buys the adventures and supplements, reads up on all the supplements. Then hen has to prepare the adventure, knowing it more or less by heart with all the threads that lead out. Then comes further preparation, like hand-outs, musics, setting the scene. Then there might be character creation and setting the storyarcs together.
Now we are ready to play - except that we need players!
So the GM now has to search for players as well. When hen finds them, they want to play ten different games, none of which the GM has prepared, so there comes a period of negotiation or persuasion.
Finally, there's a group taking form. Next comes finding the time to play. For those of us who are older, perhaps have shift work or small kids at home, finding the time is not always the easiest. And it becomes exponentially more complicated with every player in the group.
And when all that is done, there's setting up the game. If it's IRL, the GM is often responsible for getting the locale. Since there are so many books to drag around, it's handy for the play to take place close to the GM, so hen often becomes responsible for food, trash, cleaning etc.
And with players having less and less of responsibilities, I find they tend to be more and more detached from the game, losing out on a huge part of the experience of a great RPG session. So, here's my thoughts on who can do what.
Roles and responsibilities in a gaming group
The GM. The GM guides the adventure, so hen needs to have created the adventure and the setting, and is responsible for guiding the PCs through it. There's work enough to be had with that, trust me. There's upcoming material with thoughts on the process and the activities of being a GM.
The Player then basically has to respond to dates (which of course means getting the life puzzle in order - NOT the easiest task either, but that kind of comes as a prerequisite) and show up for gaming sessions. As this robs the player of a lot of finer points of the experience, I will look at being a player in an upcoming blogsession with some useful hints and tips on how to enrich your experience.
The Inspiration is an important part. There has to be planning in a gaming group, if it's to last, about what games to play, what types of styles to play, gathering ideas for characters and for sessions. This is a very unoffical role to play, but a very important one. You also gather points of view - how did the session turn out? What can be improved? What was excellent? What do we want more of, or less of? This is basically the link between the gaming group and the GM, ensuring that gaming becomes better for everyone.
The Research. There is an abundance of games, sessions, information, scenarios and other stuff out there, and that means there's a lot of research to be done. As well, once a game has been selected, there are rules to be studied, and a setting to be developed. Players can easily help here, gathering photos, music, anecdotes, information and stories, as well as reading up on the rules. Somebody perhaps knows the magic rules and can help out? Somebody checks up on the rules of large scale warfare, if a campaign of nobles might be of interest?
The Chronicler is another important part of the game group. What happened last time? What clues do we have to investigate? Where do we want to go? With longer times between sessions, memory can be an issue, and a chronicle is not a bad thing. Having the GM take the notes and trying to remember what was, what is and what will be is perhaps not the most effective choice, as hen has the highest workload anyway, without the added weight. And there's the risk of lapses, in that the GM lets information slip. It's the player's perception and memories we are interested in - so let a player be the keeper of chronicles. And what better way to start a session than a summary of what has passed, perhaps even read in character?
The Coordinator keeps the group playing, setting up dates and locations for the meets. Naturally, since the GM has the highest workload with the scenarios, this would preferably be a player's interest. Somebody needs to kindle the flame, keep the spark alive, and keep signalling interest in the group to keep it alive. My suggestion is clearly that this part should be ALL the players! Keep talking about the game, keep developing the game, and keep coming with suggestions so that the game doesn't fall apart.
Why so serious?
For me, personally, as a GM, I want the experience to be rich and rewarding, but that door should swing both ways. Basically, it's a cry for help. All players out there, help out your GMs. I have had a couple of gaming groups disintegrate recently due to perceived lack of interest. The players express no interest in setting up new meets, don't partake in game material and don't really take part in discussions about where the game should be headed? There's a huge risk that game will fall apart. The GMs part is not to play the game as well, but provide the playgrounds for the PCs. As for the rest of keeping the group together and playing - it's not the GMs responsibility. It's the group's! An effort from the players will surely be multiplied by the GM. For the joy of all!
Henceforth, the blog will be centered around gaming, and specifically, the groups in which I am involved in. As a player or as a GM, but with the weight centered around the last part.
First, I do notice that a lot of groups, at least mine, tend to collapse on themselves due to player inactivity. This has been a trend during latter years, but used to be so different. This led me to thinking - what are the different roles and responsibilities in a typical gaming group?
Why do we need to talk about this?
There's a huge change in RPGs, how they are shaped, how they are designed, and how they are played. That's fine. This here is probably some kind of rift between how an oldie like me is used to it being, or how I think it should be, for raising an issue with what I perceive to be a problem today.A GM buys all the books, reads up on the rules, buys the adventures and supplements, reads up on all the supplements. Then hen has to prepare the adventure, knowing it more or less by heart with all the threads that lead out. Then comes further preparation, like hand-outs, musics, setting the scene. Then there might be character creation and setting the storyarcs together.
Now we are ready to play - except that we need players!
So the GM now has to search for players as well. When hen finds them, they want to play ten different games, none of which the GM has prepared, so there comes a period of negotiation or persuasion.
Finally, there's a group taking form. Next comes finding the time to play. For those of us who are older, perhaps have shift work or small kids at home, finding the time is not always the easiest. And it becomes exponentially more complicated with every player in the group.
And when all that is done, there's setting up the game. If it's IRL, the GM is often responsible for getting the locale. Since there are so many books to drag around, it's handy for the play to take place close to the GM, so hen often becomes responsible for food, trash, cleaning etc.
And with players having less and less of responsibilities, I find they tend to be more and more detached from the game, losing out on a huge part of the experience of a great RPG session. So, here's my thoughts on who can do what.
Roles and responsibilities in a gaming group
The GM. The GM guides the adventure, so hen needs to have created the adventure and the setting, and is responsible for guiding the PCs through it. There's work enough to be had with that, trust me. There's upcoming material with thoughts on the process and the activities of being a GM.
The Player then basically has to respond to dates (which of course means getting the life puzzle in order - NOT the easiest task either, but that kind of comes as a prerequisite) and show up for gaming sessions. As this robs the player of a lot of finer points of the experience, I will look at being a player in an upcoming blogsession with some useful hints and tips on how to enrich your experience.The Inspiration is an important part. There has to be planning in a gaming group, if it's to last, about what games to play, what types of styles to play, gathering ideas for characters and for sessions. This is a very unoffical role to play, but a very important one. You also gather points of view - how did the session turn out? What can be improved? What was excellent? What do we want more of, or less of? This is basically the link between the gaming group and the GM, ensuring that gaming becomes better for everyone.
The Research. There is an abundance of games, sessions, information, scenarios and other stuff out there, and that means there's a lot of research to be done. As well, once a game has been selected, there are rules to be studied, and a setting to be developed. Players can easily help here, gathering photos, music, anecdotes, information and stories, as well as reading up on the rules. Somebody perhaps knows the magic rules and can help out? Somebody checks up on the rules of large scale warfare, if a campaign of nobles might be of interest?
The Chronicler is another important part of the game group. What happened last time? What clues do we have to investigate? Where do we want to go? With longer times between sessions, memory can be an issue, and a chronicle is not a bad thing. Having the GM take the notes and trying to remember what was, what is and what will be is perhaps not the most effective choice, as hen has the highest workload anyway, without the added weight. And there's the risk of lapses, in that the GM lets information slip. It's the player's perception and memories we are interested in - so let a player be the keeper of chronicles. And what better way to start a session than a summary of what has passed, perhaps even read in character?
The Coordinator keeps the group playing, setting up dates and locations for the meets. Naturally, since the GM has the highest workload with the scenarios, this would preferably be a player's interest. Somebody needs to kindle the flame, keep the spark alive, and keep signalling interest in the group to keep it alive. My suggestion is clearly that this part should be ALL the players! Keep talking about the game, keep developing the game, and keep coming with suggestions so that the game doesn't fall apart.
Why so serious?
For me, personally, as a GM, I want the experience to be rich and rewarding, but that door should swing both ways. Basically, it's a cry for help. All players out there, help out your GMs. I have had a couple of gaming groups disintegrate recently due to perceived lack of interest. The players express no interest in setting up new meets, don't partake in game material and don't really take part in discussions about where the game should be headed? There's a huge risk that game will fall apart. The GMs part is not to play the game as well, but provide the playgrounds for the PCs. As for the rest of keeping the group together and playing - it's not the GMs responsibility. It's the group's! An effort from the players will surely be multiplied by the GM. For the joy of all!
Kommentarer
Skicka en kommentar