Re: Help! Seeking PBM Rules for "AD&D"

From: "Plod" <1001001@freeuk.com>

Date: Mon, 03 May 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I'd agree with Steve - How'd you know that you'll be a good GM if you're not
going to have a go and see what a 'good' GM does?

Best advice for a new GM of a free game is to start small and work upwards
towards insignificant - Large numbers of player makes the task of GMing
daunting - especially RPGs. If you are going to have a large pool of players
(we've 280) I'd suggest spreading them between a lot of GMs. If one GM gives
up the ghost then players can be absorbed amongst the others.

Another thing we tend to do at Day One / The Isles is be very selective in
what we do for players - The enthusiasts will get a lot of our time and
attention, whilst those playing 'because its free and nothing more' get the
basics and the offer for more things if they contribute.

Must admit that Day One is possbily not quite the style of most free PBM
games in that our PBeM players are very much in the minority, and our
presentation and 'style' is more in a professional vein, but as a free game
we still observe the single most important rule -
KEEP IT FUN - IF YOU START LOSING INTEREST THEN STOP GMING AND LET SOMEONE
ELSE DO IT BEFORE YOU DISAPPOINT YOUR PLAYERS.

ROY
www.anj.clara.co.uk (temporary web site)

MadCentral <madcentral@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19990502210545.06308.00001417@ng-fk1.aol.com...
> >>Granted, but I don't think he has the time for something like that -- he
> would rather jump right into the fray!
>
> Again, any info would be appreciated.<<
>
> Okay.  Well Im not the best person to ask, since I
> only run commercial games and I dont really know
> how the free ones work (much the same, but for free,
> I imagine.)  But I would advise anybody thinking of GMing
> to *not* jump 'straight into the fray' but to play
> a few games of a similiar type first.
>
> Of course... he could always stop if it wasn't working out...
> but then he lets all the players down... which is one
> of the problems with PBM both free and commercial... too
> many people who think they can do it, start it up, then
> find out they cant.  There's more to GMing than meets
> the eye and all the enthusiasm in the world can quickly
> wane when the reality of the work comes home to play.
>
> Not that Im trying to put him off.  GMing is a lot of fun and
> well worth doing.  He should just play a bit to find out how
> it works... not just think "I'd like to do that so I'll do it"
>
> You say "I don't think he has the time for that".  Well if he
> doesnt have the time to play a game he *certainly* doesnt
> have the time to run one.
>
> Steve Tierney

References

Re: Help! Seeking PBM Rules for "AD&D"
cr@interlog.com (Patrick/RPG)
Sat, 01 May 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Help! Seeking PBM Rules for "AD&D"
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Mon, 03 May 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Re: Help! Seeking PBM Rules for "AD&D"
cr@interlog.com (Patrick/RPG)
Sat, 01 May 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Help! Seeking PBM Rules for "AD&D"
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Mon, 03 May 1999 00:00:00 +0000