Kazig
Member
I've been a player in a decent amount of Rps and I am considering giving creating one myself a spin. However, I am unfamiliar with what it takes to be a gm. Any general tips for what I should and shouldn't do to make a Group Rp go well?
Advice/Help Any basic advice for new gms?
- Thread starter Kazig
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Idea
The Pun Tyrant
I want to preface what I'm about to say but commenting on the irony that this thread being posted was what moved the previous thread on this topic out of the first page. It's hilarious.
In any case, basic GMing advice:
1. Accept that you WILL fail. Not every single time of course, but most of the time. Being a GM comes with knowing how to cope with and accept that failure is a part of the process.
2. Remember who the involved are. Your creative decisions are important as is the story you want to create, however just as important your players must be having fun. So don't twist your RP to become unrecognizable but aim first and foremost to create a suitable experience for your players within the bounds of the type of story you wanted to create.
3. Be concrete and decisive on the matter of rules and what you are or not willing to tolerate. This has to be done before creating the roleplay. If you want a detailed roleplay make sure that is actually something your rules promote and not just a blanket statement. If you want players to interact arrange rules that way as well. If there is something you can't accept that would otherwise be acceptable define it in the rules. From point where it isn't in the rules it's either an oversight to be corrected or something you should not be policing.
4.For the love of God, MAKE SURE YOU CAN COMMIT. Don't start RPs about fandoms you've got lingering hype about from less than three weeks (as losing that hype can often kill the movitation to roleplay it), triple check your schedule for the next month before starting the roleplay and so on and so forth. GMing is stressful, hard work, don't kid yourself well. If it goes well, it's also very rewarding work, but it can only ever go well if you're doing your job there. Don't disappear on your players either, maybe try getting a co-Gm once you find a player you think is sufficiently reliable.
5. There's plenty of more advice to be had, and I cannot recommend enough that you look it up, there have been many threads on this topic within this subforum, such as the one I'm about to link: Advice/Help - Advice for GM-ing
So feel free to check them out and learn!
In any case, basic GMing advice:
1. Accept that you WILL fail. Not every single time of course, but most of the time. Being a GM comes with knowing how to cope with and accept that failure is a part of the process.
2. Remember who the involved are. Your creative decisions are important as is the story you want to create, however just as important your players must be having fun. So don't twist your RP to become unrecognizable but aim first and foremost to create a suitable experience for your players within the bounds of the type of story you wanted to create.
3. Be concrete and decisive on the matter of rules and what you are or not willing to tolerate. This has to be done before creating the roleplay. If you want a detailed roleplay make sure that is actually something your rules promote and not just a blanket statement. If you want players to interact arrange rules that way as well. If there is something you can't accept that would otherwise be acceptable define it in the rules. From point where it isn't in the rules it's either an oversight to be corrected or something you should not be policing.
4.For the love of God, MAKE SURE YOU CAN COMMIT. Don't start RPs about fandoms you've got lingering hype about from less than three weeks (as losing that hype can often kill the movitation to roleplay it), triple check your schedule for the next month before starting the roleplay and so on and so forth. GMing is stressful, hard work, don't kid yourself well. If it goes well, it's also very rewarding work, but it can only ever go well if you're doing your job there. Don't disappear on your players either, maybe try getting a co-Gm once you find a player you think is sufficiently reliable.
5. There's plenty of more advice to be had, and I cannot recommend enough that you look it up, there have been many threads on this topic within this subforum, such as the one I'm about to link: Advice/Help - Advice for GM-ing
So feel free to check them out and learn!
Idea
The Pun Tyrant
After going through my other post I realized I missed a couple things, so here we go:
6. Have a strategy for the slow moments.
90% of a lot of RPs are down moments where basically no action is happening or action just happened and the plot needs to take a rest. This is typically the period where most RPs die because the hype dies here or because players aren't as good at getting the ball rolling as they thought. Having a good strategy for this can make or break certain RPs. Don't worry though: Even if you don't get it immediately, all of this is stuff you have to master over time and with experience and willingness to learn.
7.Take Genuine Interest in your Players and THEIR stories
Players want to be involved. This goes a bit into what I was saying in point 2, but more in depth on the part that players aren't RPing for you, but for themselves. Bringing to light their ideas and really giving their hard work the time of day and genuine involvement in the story can make players very happy.
8.Keep an active OOC
More statistical than anything, RPs with dead OOCs die quickly.
Hope all of this helps!
6. Have a strategy for the slow moments.
90% of a lot of RPs are down moments where basically no action is happening or action just happened and the plot needs to take a rest. This is typically the period where most RPs die because the hype dies here or because players aren't as good at getting the ball rolling as they thought. Having a good strategy for this can make or break certain RPs. Don't worry though: Even if you don't get it immediately, all of this is stuff you have to master over time and with experience and willingness to learn.
7.Take Genuine Interest in your Players and THEIR stories
Players want to be involved. This goes a bit into what I was saying in point 2, but more in depth on the part that players aren't RPing for you, but for themselves. Bringing to light their ideas and really giving their hard work the time of day and genuine involvement in the story can make players very happy.
8.Keep an active OOC
More statistical than anything, RPs with dead OOCs die quickly.
Hope all of this helps!
Bacon is fluffy
Wut'n th'name of davy jonez lockr is uh sall-add?
1. Don't have favorites.
2. Your needs are secondary to your players.
3. Check in and check in often with them.
4. Don't take the easy way out. Put the extra effort to learn a new skill as opposed to taking the easy way out. Example: Don't use face claims, don't use pregenerated maps
5. Know the difference between plot and story. You make the plot, the framework for your rp. The players make the story, the stuff inbetween major plot points.
6. Never do anything that isn't meant to enhance player experience. Ever word you write must be geared toward your players.
7. Don't overwhelm your players with lore. Only give details when asked.
8. That said, don't forego small snippets of lore. Interesting lore integrated into the rp scene help hook players in.
9. Don't have npcs more important than your players.
10. Don't prioritize your story over your players. Be flexible but stick to a general plan.
2. Your needs are secondary to your players.
3. Check in and check in often with them.
4. Don't take the easy way out. Put the extra effort to learn a new skill as opposed to taking the easy way out. Example: Don't use face claims, don't use pregenerated maps
5. Know the difference between plot and story. You make the plot, the framework for your rp. The players make the story, the stuff inbetween major plot points.
6. Never do anything that isn't meant to enhance player experience. Ever word you write must be geared toward your players.
7. Don't overwhelm your players with lore. Only give details when asked.
8. That said, don't forego small snippets of lore. Interesting lore integrated into the rp scene help hook players in.
9. Don't have npcs more important than your players.
10. Don't prioritize your story over your players. Be flexible but stick to a general plan.
I can't stress this enough. The only time you can be selfish is by taking interest in your player's stories. Your reward is their character progression because it serves to help advance and enhance the story.
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