GM'ing tips, tricks, and how to kill 'em all!

"Or, hell, letting somebody else GM so the GM can actually play."  Truer words were never spoken.

Thanks for the video, Min.  Several tips stand out, and I've added my own commentary here:

1. Theme. Decide upon it before you begin. Figure out what players are into. If you don't know, ask them. (PbP players tune out if not interested, by the way).

2. Plot hooks: you need a good, strong plothook. You don't want them wandering for half the story, wondering what they're supposed to do. In PbP formats, that initial wandering can stall a game for weeks. Frustrated, with interest waning for both players and GM, the entire story falls apart. Grab their interest early. The technique he recommends - something large that can't be missed, and that gives your players no chance for anything but swift response - is a technique I commonly employ.

We can see the difference between an explosive plot hook and the "player wandering" issue by looking at PL's last two IC thread kickoffs. In Epic, players were hit right away with the Fiends. Everyone scrambled. Posts flew. Holy hell rained down upon their characters and they rose to the challenge. The play didn't lose speed until the GM (that's me) got pulled away for real life problems. Players stalled themselves with "feelings" conversations and planning. In contrast, the Demens Chosen IC kicked off with the world's most incredibly boring meeting. Players were left wondering what they needed to do. This was the fault of the GM (that's me). Through no fault of our own, our exciting kickoff was fettered by the project lead CoOP's untimely illness. As OP, it's my responsibility to, well, take responsibility. Epic fail adventure is epic fail, and soon to be corrected. Might even start a new IC (rare occurrence) to rekindle the energy.

3. Design a solid Big Bad. You want the climax of the story to be worth the effort.

4. Make the Big Bad and other elements fit the theme. (Make it challenging, but not insurmountable.) What resources (manpower, traps etc) to they have at their disposal? (I'll add this: your character is NOT the star. If your story involves them rising to a challenge and overcoming the Big Bad while the other party members serve as an audience to their greatness, you're doing it wrong.)

5. Design a middle. Figure out key NPCs that can provide information/resources. Be flexible. No plan survives contact with players. The party is supposed to meet the NPC upon entering a clearing, but the part circumnavigated it? Don't be rigid. Don't pout and demand they change their posts. Don't railroad them into the clearing. Think of a reason for that NPC to meet them elsewhere. Be flexible. Adapt, improvise, and overcome.

6. Design some challenges that are tailored towards each PC's abilities. Let those players shine for a moment. In PbP, focusing on just one character can leave others with nothing to do for several RL days/weeks. You have to balance it to keep the group engaged. This is where your OOC thread comes in handy. The other players love to show off their knowledge. They'll pipe up with all sorts of advice for that player. Encourage that discussion. It keeps things interesting for the group.

7. Give them a chance for loot, resources, experience, and more. Design in some locals that tie in with the story. I consider these GM gifts. You know that a player has been craving a helmet for his fighter. He's engaged in your stories, has worked hard at char dev, and helps the group. Repay his good efforts by offering him an unexpected boon. It's no skin off your nose to design something that allows him to gain it without detracting from the overarching story. Reward and praise - two things players love getting.

8. Starting off techniques: I'm in agreement with this video. Don't just start off with "everyone meets in a bar". Prior to starting the game, find reasons for the characters to know each other. Or give them a reason right off the bat. In one of my games, I started the characters in a lab. They awoke to the odd rumble of generators dying, and found themselves trapped together in a padded room. Each had a tag in their ear (the sort used to catalog animals in the wild). They had to move quickly, and forged bonds with each other while escaping from their predicament.

9. Keep it moving. Use your elements to nudge them back on track. Introduce an NPC earlier than expected, for example, or give a new clue. The video suggests using atmospheric elements to increase tension - a storm, a sound, a smell. This doesn't always work in PbP. The GM can't use their voice to stir player emotions. Instead, it's based entirely upon your ability to convey tension in your writing, and on your players' reading comprehension skills. This is why I tend to forgo lengthy posts in favor of an attention-snatching, brief paragraph with easily digestible nuances.

The sole post: They stumbled almost blindly through the deep, black forest. The dense and gloomy leaves gave them brief glimpsed of faint glows as the rain drops shifted each leaf. The moisture filled their nostrils with damp. Boots squelched through muddy earth. They tread on, cautiously and sometimes caught by surprise by spooky and mysterious noises coming from all directions. Suddenly something big and dark flapped across the path, startling a few of them into shock and almost fear. It's only an owl, which now sits on a high branch, cooing loudly as if the warn others of their humble presence. The party sighs and begins to move again, and then unnatural and ringing silence envelops the world around them.

As a brief aside: do not let your players write out every action as you transition the group. You're the GM. Players grant you limited license to control their characters. Move them collectively from element to element. It keeps the tempo and allows the story to flow. Also, you should never assign emotions or actions to one character. Instead, introduce elements to the entire group (They tread on, cautiously and sometimes caught by surprise and startling a few of them into shock and almost fear) that give your players the privilege of tailoring their character's unique reaction (Ulgarth could sense his friends' tension. Each new noise made him grip his sword more tightly. When the owl swept from the gloom, he drew his sword by instinct, and then almost laughed at his foolishness. He sheathed it, and then gasped as total silence broke out. Oh shit, things were about to get real! His lips parted in a whisper, "Guys? I don't have a good feeling about this!").

Notice how my "player reply" is as short as my GM post? Sometimes short posts are necessary in order to maintain the atmosphere. Don't insist on large paragraphs. Usually three lines do the trick in tense situations.


As he says in the vid, these techniques aren't just for one-shot stories. These work well for any kind of story, including a major campaign.


"Ho, shit, Cer. GMing is a lot of work! I have to do all that?"

You should. The game is your responsibility. Your players contribute to the story. It's a group effort. However, they are blind without your vision, and they will flag and falter without your guidance.

/Cer rambling
 

The pain, it huuurts.

"Take a walk, enjoy something"...drink yourself stupid.

"Postpone your game session"...fuck off, I'm drinking!

"Consider if the regular schedule is too difficult"...Fuckers, post so I can respond before Mond- oh, it's now 11:59 PM Sunday and you're all posting. Ugh.

"Find a good spot to end it in order to take a break"...Fucking kill them all! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

"Let players GM for a while"...the FUCK have you done to the setting? Who destroyed the holodeck? WHY are all the teens PREGNANT?! And WHY is the OOC and IC filled with Mod red text???!??!!!!?

ooo! This one is real handy!



link, cause its not showing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=52OICIEyWXA

Geez I'm going to be posting here every week with these things at this rate! Anyways, I found this very relevant for GMing, especially for how we do it. A fascinating and intriguing watch, I liked the analogy of a orchestra for a group mentioned in this episode. 

Another goodie!!!

Very helpful vid on social encounters in RPs.

Here's another good one from this week, very relevant, especially for stories that extend over a longer period of time with a central plot to tie it together.