Gm questions

[Bacon is fluffy]

Heres the basic rundown of my rp, it's a fandom rp based on fate/zero. I wanted to take elements of the story which were background only and for the most part have started to get that ball rolling for the most part.


But now I need to transition from introductory posts to where the players start roleplaying.


There is going to be 7 people in a big ol city looking for eachother and then they have to kill eachother. My problem is as the gm, how to get them to do that.


So far the structure has been, I set up a situation and they react. I develop the world they're in and they react. Now I want to get them to do things on their own.


Would I let them go cold turkey with an outline for how they should go about meeting eachother or do I continue to meddle as the gm and never stop guiding them?


I sort of took on this gm business without a solid plan outside of my idea for the plot and don't know what to do . :x

 

[White Masquerade]

I would say set up an interest check maybe asking for help?


@Archer


This is one of the only users I know that has actually started a FATE/STAY Rp. Maybe you can get some tips.




I know a bit about the world, but I'm no expert. I plan to a Fate RP in the future, but how you have it set is hard. I see your predicament. As for getting them to do things on their own, post a question about it in "RP Discussion." It's not really a FATE/STAY related question you're asking for that part.


As for the plot, FATE/STAY is pretty straightforward from what I know. You really don't need a story. Kill each other until one person is left.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

@Archer[/URL]


This is one of the only users I know that has actually started a FATE/STAY Rp. Maybe you can get some tips.




I know a bit about the world, but I'm no expert. I plan to a Fate RP in the future, but how you have it set is hard. I see your predicament. As for getting them to do things on their own, post a question about it in "RP Discussion." It's not really a FATE/STAY related question you're asking for that part.


As for the plot, FATE/STAY is pretty straightforward from what I know. You really don't need a story. Kill each other until one person is left.

Nah I don't really need help with setting one up as I have already done so,but now I'm stuck lol.


Well I don't really want to make a new thread when I'm not asking for fate help. I've started a thread with a certain structure and want to transition from holding everyone's hands to letting them go on their own. Though I don't know how to do that or if it's even a good idea.


p.s: It's actually a convoluted mess when you actually research it. And the base story is full of ironies and gruesome ends that it's actually a fantastic story with a relatively simple premise.

 

[White Masquerade]

xD You better have dedicated players to have them jumping into a convoluted mess =P


I couldn't say whether to hand-hold or not. GM experience is limited and have only Rped for a little over a year. Let's hope someone else comes along to let you know. I do wish you luck! IMO, do what feels natural. I'm sure you're leaning towards one way on this issue. Follow your instinct

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

e.e Sendpai pls


I don't have any good experiences with running an rp, as most of them were on one site with the same goons(nice one though,they were bad at rp). So I hoped someone else could lend some advice on the subject.

 

[Lexielai]

There's lots of ways to do it. My favorite is the one that requires the least effort: tell your players, straight up, they have to go do X. If you're playing with friends or people you trust, works like a charm; not so easy with strangers. You've come up with two options, so pick one and roll with it. Flip a coin if you have to. If it doesn't work out too well, try the other one.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

Thanks for the idea brah, I'm going leave that up to my players if they want me to be their director or hands off boss.

 

[Chordling]

With GMing, you need to plan in advance. Make separate notes on a word document and outline what you want each week of roleplaying to look like. If you just jump into the water straight, then you might not get the results you're looking for, especially with a fandom.


I think fandoms are even harder to plot with than other genres because you have to be familiar with the subject like no one else. If you have to question what would likely happen in the universe, you need to do a lot more research.


Again, planning is key. If you stay ahead of things, it's much easier, and you won't have to fall into this situation.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

Uh huh, so the players are merely my puppets and are supposed to act out my script? I mean the world they're supposed to be roleplaying in is fleshed out and they've all been given that nudge they needed to start,but no one is taking any independent action.


Unless they were never supposed to and my role as the gm was to basically have people act out my fanfic. LOL

 

[Chordling]

You're taking what I said too literally. You don't need to plan everything. You don't have to dictate what Jimmy and Sally are going to do the following chapters of the story. Generalize this idea a little more. What is this journey that the characters are going to experience together? What is their common goal and how are they all going to achieve this? For example, you've already stated that they've passed the introductory phrase. Now you want them to start "roleplaying". Does this mean that they're going to begin their adventure now? What does that mean? Where do you want it to lead them?


Your plans might not follow exactly and that's okay. The reason why I say to plan week by week and not all at once is because the people you are going to roleplay with will influence the story as long as you plan things right. Don't tell them directly to go in a certain direction if it doesn't go the way you planned. If it goes in a totally different alley, then adjust accordingly, and keep going.

 

[Lexielai]

The role of the GM is to create a story with your players, together. You and them are on the same team. Early on I struggled a lot with being too strict with my plans and forgoing player contributions. It worked, but it wasn't as fun for me as it could have been.


As a new GM, here's the style I'd suggest for you: plan out the major points, but skim the details. For example, you might say that everyone will eventually go to Church X at the same time where they'll have to fight a dragon. That's an important event in your story. Exactly how everyone gets to that point though, is up to the people you're playing with.


You can definitely use the world and NPCs you have to nudge everyone in the right direction, but your players will be making the decisions of what path to take, who to talk to, what to do beforehand etc. You're like a guide that way.


Don't get too hung up on the plans you made. It's good to have a structure that you can reference and use to keep the story consistent, but the second half of GMing is good improvisation. Keep in mind that you and them are writing a story together, and if everything goes in a way you didn't expect but totally like, roll with it. Don't be afraid to make new things up or change your plans if working with your group gives you a great idea

 

[Jaye]

[QUOTE="Bacon is fluffy]Uh huh, so the players are merely my puppets and are supposed to act out my script? I mean the world they're supposed to be roleplaying in is fleshed out and they've all been given that nudge they needed to start,but no one is taking any independent action.
Unless they were never supposed to and my role as the gm was to basically have people act out my fanfic. LOL

[/QUOTE]
That's such a strict interpretation that it's almost sarcastic.


Look, my first ever GMing was really, really free-form but even I still had a story. I always knew what was happening in the world around the characters - sometimes the characters actions effected the world at large, sometimes it didn't. Sometimes the characters completely strayed from where I thought the story would go, so I made up a new story that followed where the players where taking their characters.


But roleplays - especially fandom roleplays that don't really need wordlbuilding because that's already done (because fandoms) really need direction. If you just say "You're in the universe of FATE/ZERO - what do you do?" players won't do anything because there's no context and too much possibility. Give them context, give them a push in the direction of a goal and see if they go there or if they find a new goal.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

lol, it was meant to be. From the beginning I only intended on being the catalyst, rather than the director for the roleplay. After asking them myself and reading the responses here, I've come to terms with having to be that director. It's just I was doing this roleplay under the assumption that even if the world is built, that you'd still take basic independent action. If your goal is to kill people, then you'd expect players to actually go and do that right?


As of now, I practically have to pm them and say, go to the museum of national art and meet eachother.

 

[Grey]

Nope.


What you have to do is have an overarching plot, right, and encourage the players to make characters who would be interested in pursuing that plot. They're not interested? Fine. Plot happens to them. Villain blows something up, and the players can either deal with it or wait for him to destroy something else. Encourage your players to have strong motivations within the context of the setting, so that when they aren't pursuing plot clues or in addition to pursuing the plot, they'll also be compelled to do things for themselves.


Use what you know player-character motives to forward your plot, exploit the beliefs and desires of the players.


Among the many things here I think will help you is my short guide on GMing: Journal - Grey's Learning Annex | RpNation.com - Best Roleplay Forum

 

[Doctor Calgori]

Suppose that one has an assortment of balls situated on a flat surface. You desire to have the balls arranged in a small circle, somewhere on the surface. There are several ways to coerce your spherical subjects to your goal.


One might push each ball to the circle, one at a time, until they are all neatly arranged. This produces the neatest circle; however, one quickly finds pushing so many balls more trouble than it is worth. Moreover, only one ball can be pushed at a time.


It is much more convenient to have the balls roll all at once to the goal. One might then construct a series of hills along the surface. Height attracts gravity, and so the balls will seek lower ground to avoid depredation. In this way it might be possible to guide each ball to the circle. However, it is very difficult to control each ball, for although they seek lower ground, they will seek it anywhere, not just in the direction you desire. One quickly finds that an ever more complicated system of hills is necessary to keep each ball from rolling away from the circle.


Instead of creating high ground, from which the balls will flee, one might instead dig valleys along the surface, to which the balls will flock. By constructing a series of ever-deepening valleys, one might easily guide every ball to the circle, quickly and efficiently. Of course, one might also simply dig one singular valley centered about the circle, and thus avoid any fuss at all.


Obvious caveats include the closer similarity of a typical PbP game to a soccer field, or perhaps an off-roading course, than to a tennis court. Similarly, expect footballs and ball bearings amongst your tennis balls. Remember that simplicity and interest are often antithetical.