Advice/Help Running a Group roleplay

[stepherz345]

Hello!

I’m looking for some advice in regarding a to group roleplays and GMing. I typically stick with a 1x1 setting but lately find myself interested in doing a group roleplay for some fandoms. However I’ve never GMed in a group setting before and don’t really know the “rules” other than don’t be a jerk. What are some basic rules or maybe some unspoken rules? What are some tips/advice that you have for a newbie such as myself? I’d like to try and learn as much before diving head first.

I‘m thinking a co-gm would be helpful for my first time, but again don’t know how to go about finding one. I’m assuming the group interest check? Again would love any pros/cons or advice on this notion. Also feel free to share any fun/bad experiences you’ve had for kicks and giggles.

Thank you!

 

[Ayama]

Here is some advice I can give, based off of my experience here and elsewhere.
Feel free to take or leave any of it depending on whether or not you think it works for you ^^

-Make sure you have a solid idea of what you're going for in your RP beforehand (maybe do a writeup, run it by a couple people)
-When you put up the interest check, give people enough details to know whether or not this RP is for them without being overwhelming
-Include setting, lore, character roles/limits and group size, faceclaim preferences, literacy and posting requirements, OOC, etc.
-Be sure to be online regularly so you can keep up with the thread and answer questions for interested players
-Don't let people lose interest. Once there are enough players, put up a CS and an OOC. Then the IC a while later.
-Don't be afraid to refuse players or ask them to modify their characters if they aren't a good fit.
-When you come up with a set of rules, be sure to stick to and enforce them!
-Try to make sure the RP keeps moving- it's your job to moderate the pace and the events~
-Have fun with it! 'cause if you're not having fun, then your players won't be either :/

Hope that was somewhat helpful- feel free to ask if you have questions or need help ^^ ​

 

[Silanon]

Quite a while ago, I attempted to gm myself - overall, things went surprisingly well for a long time, but having an awesome group that knew that I had little clue what I was doing certainly helped. Plus, I was running a dice rp, so things might be slightly different for you.

Don't have much time right now, but a few things that come to mind, in addition to the things mentioned above:
- Let the players tell their story, don't let them tell yours. Give them a direction, a path forward, and options, but don't force them onto one specific path if that's not what they're there for (don't send a group of diplomats fighting 24/7)
- make sure that every player has something to do - the moment where someone comes online, wants to write something, and finds himself in a situation where there's nothing to write about, is usually the point where he/she is most likely to quit. Give every character moments to shine. You have that rogue character? Put a door in the characters' path that only he can open. Got a priest with the group? Put him in a position where his beliefs can be put to a test. Basically: make sure that the things that the players wanted to play actually matter.
- listen to advice
- be picky about your players; it's your game, and if you feel like there's someone who attempts to ruin it - don't let it happen. When I created my rp, I went with people I knew, people they knew and recommended, and thoroughly checked the post history of everyone who applied. I ended up with a few who weren't quite as invested as I had hoped, they dropped out along the way; but I never had someone who tried to ruin everyone else's fun.

In general, there's stuff that helped me back then - check the entire forum, but the posts written by Grey were my biggest help, I think.

Tutorials

Do you have a tutorial or resource to give your fellow roleplayers? Post it here so that it can be easily referenced.

www.rpnation.com

Maybe you can find something there as well?

Before I gmed, I made a similar thread - now some parts of that are quite specific, but there's some good general advice right there.

Seeking advice on GMing

To start things off, let me note that I am aware that this is not the first topic of its kind. In fact, numerous persons have already posted good guidelines on things like these, for example the ones listed in this thread here: https://www.rpnation.com/topic/260970-how-to-dm/ Furthermore...

www.rpnation.com

General advice by Dannigan, copied from there:

Yes.


To Do List


1. Take notes (especially here on Rp Nation where everyone has their own Private Workshop! Wooo!)


2. Listen to your players when you "talk shop," but do what is best for everyone at the table, not just one person (I, for one, am not having fun unless everyone is having fun.


It's our game.)


3. Before posting (in or out of game) reread the posts other folks have made right before you post. Not only does this act as a reminder, but it may jog new thoughts and ideas.


4. Communicate with your players. Always have your door open to their thoughts and feelings. Ask them to send you a private message if the subject matter is touchy.


5. ABOVE ALL - Do your research into the folks you want to roleplay with and only accept players whom you could see as potential long-term buddies.


Put another way, add only to the game people with personalities that you genuinely like or admire. Remember that it's people that make or break any game. I hand-pick every one of players. Either I know them or someone else on this site that I count as friend knows them. And upon consideration for play, I do some research on the player in question. I'll gladly take twenty minutes or so out of my time to check out a prospective player's profile, posting history, status updates, etc.


What I'm looking for is - will they fit in well? Do they seem to be responsible? Trustworthy? Respectful? What's their definition of the word 'fun'? There's nothing worse than not doing this and then, surprise! The person your buddy recommended turns out to a big jerk and now you're in a pickle (Oh noes! DRAMA!)! Also, there's nothing better than finding someone who just might turn out to be a long-term player you can enjoy roleplaying with. So, when a player asks me, "Can my buddy join us?" I immediately think of the good of our game and reply, "What's she or he like?" and go from there. I could go on and on, but you probably get the picture. =)


Not-to-do List


1. Don't "railroad" the party unless they really want it. Railroading is the fine art of making the players follow the exact story you have written with no chance of their doing things their own way (hence railroad tracks). At worst, if they're really in a bind, give them a hint of what to do, but don't tell them how to do it. They may surprise you (and, better yet, they may surprise themselves - that's always fun to watch and be a part of).


2. Don't take one person's fun over another. If one player thinks it's funny, but another seriously doesn't, stop it for the sake everyone's fun.


3. Don't play favorites.


4. Don't say promise something you're not absolutely willing to follow through with. Your integrity is your word (not to mention your reputation - word does get around, good and bad, when it comes to PCs and Dungeon Masters). Be the kind of DM you want to play with.


5. Don't go too deep! When Real Life comes into play, Real Life Always Comes First. Other than that, just enjoy the game for what it is and no more than that.


6. Don't fret! =) Sometimes, as the Dungeon Master, you'll be tasked with decisions you didn't see coming. But remember, this is a game! We're all here for fun! If you need an extra day or two to figure something out, tell your players as much. Be open with them (without spilling what's in your Private Workshop if you get my meaning). In the long run, you'll be glad you did. =)

Hope this helps a bit!

 

[still watching fma]

You can think of gm'ing much in the same vein as starting a party. There is no set requirements for having a fun party. All the food, booze, and music in the world won't entertain people if you can't do it yourself to a small degree. Gming is the same way. You can check off as many boxes as you can and be as careful as possible, but if you can't inspire your players, then it's all for naught.

Second, it's a lot of work. A lot of work. And sometimes you'll churn out 3-4 pages per post and get 2-3 paragraphs in response. And sometimes the responses you get need to be nudged along in order to eventually get something to work with.

Third, having clear guidelines is important. I find that players are often more cautious than they need to be and sometimes that just ends up in a failure to launch scenario.

Fourth, are you A WORLD BUILDER? If not, find one. Even in an established fandom, you need to be able to create the world your players will inhabit.

good luck. The reward for gming is often seeing the ideas you couldn't do as a player in someone else's rp, come to life. However you don't get the joy of developing characters from weaklings to strong and well developed adults(or pathetic ingrates, whatever you want man). Because you're the one creating the world. You get the joy of smiting a city with a vengeful thunderbolt. Your players get the reward of playing characters shaped by that tragedy.

 

[Crayons]

Here's another thread to read on the subject:

Advice/Help - What would you consider the makings of a good DM/GM/SLL and a SL/SB?

Greetings all. I realize this is an open-ended question with few (if any) set opinions that are applicable across the board. That said, what, in your mind, is the making of a good dungeon master/game master/storyline leader and a good storyline/board in general?

www.rpnation.com

 

[Purr]

Hello, stepherz345 (and heya Silly Silanon)!

Concerning your original post and queries, allow me to add this to the conversation? Here are some elements that have served me well for decades in the Dungeon Master/Game Master/Storyteller/Referee/etc. Perhaps they will work well for you too? =)

1. Know your stuff. "Stuff" is... the rules and guidelines of the game system you're playing. I try hard to master the basics of any game I'm playing as a PC (Player Character) in and that goes double for GMing (Game Mastering). Not only will mastering the basics give you a strong sense of confidence about the game you're running, it will take away a lot less of your time in the long run. In addition, your knowledge will help everyone at the table. I feel I don't have to know everything, but I do have to know where everything is. Your PCs (especially the naturally-creative ones) will throw wild cards your way and it can be a frustrating experience to have no idea what to do. On the other hand, mastering the basics and knowing the rules well will provide you the freedom of knowing when to bend or break rules to your campaign's advantage. Plus, I have never enjoyed playing with lazy GMs who, instead of knowing their stuff just make it up on the fly (and forget a week later). These GMs tend to be unpredictable and so I avoid them. I think GMs who have their act together most of the time are a joy to play with!

2. Let the PCs know what you expect from them. In my games, I have PCs who have many years of RP experience and some who have little. These same people also have different amounts of time, energy, and opportunity to devote to my games. I will give of myself to all of them. But every one of them knows what I expect from them at my table. Some examples: Be respectful of everyone (you and your rules included). No ghosting! I won't ghost on you; you don't ghost on us ("ghosting" is to just up and stop posting for weeks at a time without anyone at the "table" having any idea why you're not posting). No god-modding (the act of attempting to roleplaying a character you did not create and have no permission to play - this includes NPCs). Sometimes people goof and type up a scene telling the rest of the table what someone else's character did. That's a fast road to drama and I politely shut it down and erase said actions immediately. Help other players and you might earn goodies for everyone! Recently, I had some wonderful new players join an ongoing game of mine. Instead of them having to read through 3+ years of posts to learn the story, I created a separate thread and asked my PCs who had been there to share the story from their point of view - and it was wonderful! Everyone participated and I awarded experience points and an extra bonus on top of it. Plus (and most importantly) everyone had fun! If the PCs know what you expect from them, they in turn might ask things of you too, so be prepared to compromise for the sake of everyone's fun! =)

3. The Game Master must be the adult. Ever share a table with a GM who left their backbone in a previous life and just kowtows to player "demands" or worse, plays favorites with certain players for out-of-game reasons (like a child)? Or how about that stern and rules-heavy GM who has to have it their way, even if that includes telling you every little thing your character "needs" to be doing to move their game forward (like a bad parent)? Barf, right? In my experience, a good Game Master is comfortable-enough in their own skin to not let the parent or the child in their head run their game. The parent and the child in my head have plenty of "talk-time" but it is the adult in me that sails the ship and makes the decisions - and I think my fun is important too! Remember that while you're the Game Master, you're also the game's first Player Character! When you're creating an encounter or story or character, you're the first person to see it all, right? You're hoping your PCs are going to have fun too! With my adult in charge, the game is more stable and more fun without an ounce of drama if I have anything to say about (which I will). =)

And one more here before I have to get back to my games, heh!

4. Buy, collect, and read gaming books! Have you ever sat down and wondered how many successful and happy Game Masters are out there? Wouldn't it be a joy to sit down, buy them a cup of coffee and lunch, and just chat with them about their gaming experiences? I've been lucky in that I've gamed with some terrific Game Masters out there, but since I can't pull us all to a table, I do the next best thing - I buy gaming books! I buy PDFs! In other words, I invest in the companies I care about because more business in their pocket means they stay in business longer. I include RP Nation in this and I am a proud supporter of this, my favorite website! Why? Because I'd be pretty unhappy if these people couldn't create games any more. I mean, look at Palladium Games. These folks have been putting out games for decades and decades and in many of their books, I find resources to use in other games, GMing advice, neat items that my players sometimes get their hands on, delightful artwork that spurs my imagination (who else out there is a Larry Elmore fan?), and well...

... they supply all of the things I need to make my games last! These are fellow gamers. Sure, I've created a lot on my own, but really - I ask myself, where would I be without them? Plus, I learn things and enjoy gaming all the more for it while admiring those books on my shelves and in my hard drives (purchased, not pirated).

Anyways, your avatar is super, stepherz345! Happy gaming!

Honor and fun,
Dann =)

 

[Purr]

Oh! And one more... =)

5. Remember, it's a game not a job. Take breaks when you need them; just tell everyone when you do. =)

 

[stepherz345]

Thank you everyone for your assistance! I greatly appreciate it!

 

[Purr]

You're welcome! Have a great time!