Admit your GMing biases

[Mike1984]

iunno....I can understand a certain amount of leeway given, particularly at the beginning, but I think the threat of real character death improves the game because it forces you to RP as if your character actually had a normal fear of death.

Well, for an RP where there's no restarting, IMO it should be avoided where possible. The only real exceptions, IMO, are if the player does something that actually deserves it, you're nearing the end of the story (when things should get a bit more heated) or it's a result of a battle with another player and can't really be worked around in a reasonable manner.

[DarkMAN]

I'm rather merciful to my players because, if I kill them in the first chapter, then what was the point of making the whole campaign?

[Tobias]

Well I am not saying flag out kill everyone, but I don't think it's good to limit death only to the really stupid, a risk should be a risk. If you choose to walk into the creepy forest/pitch black cave with no weapons, allies, or supplies, that's a risk. Maybe a nice GM says something like "you feel a terrifying feeling/horrifying presence" but, you make a gamble, I think both characters and players should be worried about te outcome. If only to make them actually prepare for a risk.

I go back into town and buy a sword
I cut myself a torch and light it
I leave a trail of breadcrumbs so I can find my way out quickly
I ready my potion of expeditious retreat
I dress up in a disguise and make out with a dude.

You know, something.

[Mike1984]

I'd say that walking into a creepy forest with no weapons, allies or supplies counts as "really stupid", personally, particularly if you're warned beforehand.

[Froggie]

Fishie ;__;

This is kind of weird for me to be writing since I only have one experience GM’ing for others and it’s on this very forum. Midnight Carnival is my first attempt at running a Web-RP so I’m not really sure I’ve developed any biases yet. Still, I think, over the course of developing it and writing updates for it, I’ve come to develop a feel for a few things I like to do.

1) As others have mentioned, I’m reluctant to kill characters early on. That is not to say that I make things easy for them. I try to make every encounter as challenging as possible. It will be harrowing, but everything’s survivable by playing “smart”. That is not to say that only “stupid” characters will die. It’s entirely possible that sometimes, well…

2) I don’t like numbers and I don’t like rolling dice to determine the success of actions. My decisions are pretty much arbitrary, based on a comparison between stat ranks and whatever I feel will enhance a scene. If missing an important attack will make a scene more dramatic, that’s what will happen. If hitting at the critical time that will change the tide of battle will make a scene more dramatic, that’s what will happen.

3) I don’t like having GMPC’s or giving out super-powered allies. The plot should be moved forward by the players, not by a GMPC magically taking the appropriate actions to move the plot forward. This removes the spotlight away from the players. I don’t like that. Similarly, having god-like NPCs appear and solve everything for them? Not going to happen. The players are the protagonists and anything that diminishes their role as movers and shakers is not good in my book. Now, I realize I have powerful NPCs running around in Midnight Carnival and some of them are even friendly.

They won’t help you. And even if it’s in character for them do so, and if you somehow manage to talk to them into helping you, I’ll just get more vicious and throw even worse things your way.

Struggle and bleed and gnash your teeth and fight. Give me a story to send shivers down my spine.

4) I give my players fair and explicit warning when they’re about to do something that might end badly for them. Elyrin and Bloble can both attest to this.

5) It will come as no surprise that I like tragic developments. If any player heads in that direction, I’ll giddily cheer them on and pile on the misery.

6) I like overcoming terrible odds and arriving at both happy and bittersweet endings.

7) I don’t make complicated plans ahead of time. I’m pretty much making up everything on the spot for each update.

8) I like being creepy and scaring players.

9) Diabolos and Deus Ex Machina.

Can’t think of anything else. Time to go update Midnight Carnival. Port Island and SE Iwatodai, incoming.

[Neir]

And for gods sake, pick a power level and stick to it when you are making an RP. Not swap it around every 2 days like an indecisive teenage girl.

Hi Mellon.

[Mellon]

Hi Mellon.

Hey Neir. :3

I was not referring to you, tbh. More to the general trend that seems to be quite widespread around here.

[Neir]

oh. I know I did that, though. But that's mostly due to it the rp initially being a work in progress.

[Mellon]

oh. I know I did that, though. But that's mostly due to it the rp initially being a work in progress.

You might want to remove/rewrite the "General Powerlevel" bit from the first post though. Might give a wrong idea to anyone making a character.

[Neir]

Good call. I'll do that now.

[RacingeR]

I generally agree with Verg and Mellon on the interesting powers approach. Still, I do think there are certain powers that are just too plot breaking and generally... well, let's just say that when you are the player on the receiving end of mind control or memory manipulation, you are not going to like it at all xP.

I generally tend to make my RPs pretty challenging, and the possibility of death is always present. I do tend to be merciful and sometimes go out of my way to save a character, but this has been pretty rare nowadays. As the stakes go up, it is pretty much natural that both PCs and NPCs start finding their survival harder and harder. I simply don't have problems with a PC death as long as it is natural, speaking in terms of setting and story, and there is no bullshit involved.

Also, I do suscribe a bit to Froggie's way, and I sometimes ignore stats or logic for the sake of dramatism or awesomeness. Leo can attest to that in Notes.

[SeiKeo]

Also, I do suscribe a bit to Froggie's way, and I sometimes ignore stats or logic for the sake of dramatism or awesomeness. Leo can attest to that in Notes.

And I called ye on it.

[RacingeR]

And I called ye on it.

Was it awesome, or was it not? .

[Neir]

The problem with 'interesting' powers is that they tend to be completely abusable.

[SeiKeo]

Was it awesome, or was it not? .

It was significantly more awesome when I tanked it.

[RacingeR]

It was significantly more awesome when I tanked it.

Remind me to talk with Erl about shields in general, though. They are a tad too sturdy.

[SeiKeo]

Remind me to talk with Erl about shields in general, though. They are a tad too sturdy.

You would say that.

[Neir]

ahahaha~

[RacingeR]

You would say that.

Yes, because it is not like my character also has a shield too :/

[SeiKeo]

Anyways, not really the place for it: I shouldn't have brought it up.