What's Your GMing Style?

[Hecatoncheires]

Do you have a particular style or method for running your RPs?

Every GM has a different style when it comes to RPs and the running of them; some are more relaxed, letting their players direct the story where they can, and some are more hands-on with their managing of the plot and where it is going.

What's your style?

I've recently come up with a fairly solid method for running RPs through the P&P games I run for various friends. I imagine the game as the season of a TV show, for example, laying it out and plotting it accordingly. The first session/game is your Pilot; in it, you introduce the setting and allow the characters to get to know each other, you make sure it's suitably engaging for the players and you try and introduce the themes of your game as well, slowly developing it as the season/sessions continue. It's worked okay so far; with any luck I might be able to use this method on Iwaku.

 

[Diana]

The one thing that's been consistent about my roleplay style, is that I ALWAYS let players add to the plot. Either by using the history they created for their character, or just the ideas they come up with by chatting and plotting. People are always more interested in your roleplays when they get to help create the story. :D


Otherwise I've tried a lot of different methods trying to find what works best for me. At the moment I am kinda doing something like your seasons thing. XD Only I'm calling it chapters... I've written down this list of "must do scenes" based on player requests. And so faaar playing has gone okay!

 

[Paorou-sama]

My GM style is very sandbox-ish, with an overarching plot that they need not involve themselves in at the onset. I only tell the players the general theme of the setting. I then create the conspiracies and mysteries based on how my players react and deal with their situation/s.

 

[Vay]

I like to have a rough plan but let the specifics be decided by the player's actions. Theres a lot of good articles for "GMing on the fly." AKA what to do when your players jump the rails. Also "Minimalistic GMing." I.E. starting with a minimum of prepared plot and running with what the players want to do. And I agree with Diana, always let the players add to the plot.

 

[October Knight]

I have just discovered the art of 'Dominating GM posts', not hijacking, but very forcefully moving the plot in a progressive direction. Seems to work well when posting slows or players start loosing interest.

 

[Karsikan the Berzerker]

Every time I've dm'd it was with power gaming fucknuggets. this has caused me to become extremely vindictive, this caused me to run worlds that were very bleak, post apocalyptic...etc, and utilize the very environment as a weapon (Cause roll players are dipshits in this regard.)
Now when my players are good and I have the attention span to do so, the players efforts could change the very world around them, both to their benefit and bane.

Also, not every encounter is one you can win, though that shouldn't stop you from trying.

 

[Spammy]

I like to plan out the major events ahead of time and thus have an idea of what needs to happen next and what needs to be said when, and let the interim be filled with player-involved stuff.

I would also say that I'm from the school of, "Whatever the players don't know the GM can change to better fir the story," so I I like to leave some things unmentioned or explained when I'm either playing or GMing so that I have something to change if I need to change it.