All DM's Your Group Dynamic [Archive] - Wizards Community

All DM's Your Group Dynamic [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ankalagon
04-29-04, 11:07 AM This has interested me for a while and I suppose the responses will dictate whether anyone else gives a toss.

Maybe it's been discussed before and for that I apologise.

All playing groups take on their own way of working. Laughter? Serious Play? A combination?

As a DM do you enforce a particular type and if so how, if you just chill and let the group happen does it ever get you :headexplo

Q: What is your group dynamic and what in your opinion is best and please be honest. No nancing liberals (unless that's your way), say what you think is best and why.
Laak
04-29-04, 11:34 AM It is a combination with my group. We play to have fun, so it's okay to laugh and joke about. Having said that, we are playing a game and the game does go on. Everyone's put a lot of effort in his character and we (only) play once a week. So if it needs be, the dm keeps the group in check.
But because all of us have been the dm at one time or another, the balance is clear.
Stuntman
04-29-04, 12:36 PM A D&D game is like any situation where a bunch of people congregate. Whether it is playing D&D, playing a sporting event or just hanging out together, the dynamics just depend on what the group of individuals are like and what they want to get out of the event.

Personally, I play D&D as a good reason to get together and socialise. We joke at times and are serious at times. I find that each of my players are different and bring their own personalities and desires into the game. Each player has their own seriousness about D&D and want to get something different out of the game.

As the DM and host, I do try to keep things moving along. I also ask for comments about how I run the game and host the event in order to better satisfy everyone. The bottom line for me is to make sure my players want to play again. Enforcing a certain style of play may satisfy those players who want to play that way, but may alienate those who do not want to play that way. Not everyone will be completely happy with everything, but you can say that about almost any type of situation or function, not just a D&D game.
SmiloDan
04-29-04, 01:16 PM I run a twice a month game at an open gaming time at the local university. So I have a core group of players and a periphery group of players. It's pretty serious, but there is a lot of joking and bad puns and movie quotes. It's also pretty free-wheeling, in that the players come up with story and quest ideas, and I just make the world and run the game. It's worked out OK, but I keep having to come up with new background material. The PCs have decided to go to an island nation for no real reason, so I have to make details about it. I initially thought it was a more boring part of my world, but I've come up with some interesting ideas for it.
Angered Roach
04-29-04, 10:59 PM It depends. Sometimes my players will say something completely off the wall for humour's sake, mostly if nothing really interesting is going on, but once lots of RP or combat starts happening, they shut up.
Xyplex
04-30-04, 12:04 AM In one group I was involved with the group dynamic was directed by the DM ... that is, he didn't know what the term "Role Playing" meant, and so we routinely spent each game killing monster after monster that the DM just thought up for the next room ... it quickly degraded into horrible metagaming and I didn't go back. Essentially the fun was had outside of the game, in spite of the DM's dynamic with us.

In another group we had roleplaying thrust down our throats ... and the DM had a tendnancy to thus overlook the actual stats of the monsters (giving them, what we dubbed, the "Thwart PC" skill) for the purposes of achieving a better story, from his point of view. We didn't have much fun, and the game was often about us arguing with the DM over rulings he had made ... needless to say when you have two DMs with way more experience playing in a group with a DM that refuses to even listen to suggestions (I know rule 0, but before rule 0 kicks in you've got to listen to suggestions ... and having a few years of DMing under one's belt teaches one a few things). We played because we enjoyed one another's company, again, not anything that the DM created with us.

Those were the bad ones.

In another game, we spent a lot of the time joking out of character about things going on in character, or about life in general. We hung out and had fun as friends, using D&D as a social lubricant and a reason for us to get together (being that we were all computer geeks to one extent or another, our actions had to have usefull consequences ... like advancing a plot or getting a new widget). Sure we probably progressed through the games slowly, but we had a lot of fun.

In another game we had a lot of tension ... but it was good tension. There were a lot of hidden plots and secrets between players ... it was the coolest game I've ever played in ... but it burnt out the DM and caused serious fractures in some of our out of game relationships ... I suppose we sharpened the blade of Roleplaying too well and it cut us all. The dynamic there was the plot, the intertwining stories, and the desire to see things through to the end ... we all got very attached to our characters (and it was the first time I ever personally felt anything when my character suffered an in game loss).

In my own games ... it depends. I usually play to what the players want ... I try to introduce serious elements, but if they don't bounce with the players, I downplay them and move on ... the serious stuff is still there if they want to pick it up, but I don't force feed it to them ... I usually prefer to let the players make their own decisions, even if it means more work for me in the end.

As for laughter ... I don't even try to force it or create it. None of my NPCs or situations are designed to elicit humour ... but inevitably humour comes out nonetheless.

What is best in life? Besides driving your enemies before you and hearing the lamentations of the women? For me a DM that is willing to run a game that has a lot of depth, but doesn't get frustrated if we get sidetracked on some red herring ... or start joking about something we saw on TV. Sure we're there to play, but I'm there first to hang and chill with my buds.
Loftower
04-30-04, 12:50 AM About the only prodding I do to keep players in character is to use their character names instead of the players’ names when I address them. We generally spend about 15-25% of the time off-topic. My players will only tolerate so much distraction from other players (I get more leeway but I don’t think I use it). Most of the jokes are OOC and they are welcome.
KismetRose
04-30-04, 01:25 AM We usually start off our session by eating a meal together, and during that time it's almost purely out of character socialization, although the players will often talk about what they're thinking of doing in the game.

During the game there are some jokes and laughs, and occassionally someone will go through a story they just can't let go of.

For the most part, however, once the game has started it is focused. We can laugh and joke but we stay in the realm of the game.

There was one player I had who used the game as almost purely a social function. He seemed bored when the actual gaming started, but wanted to be in the company of friends. We distinguish our gaming from other social functions, however, and try to keep them separate.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ankalagon 04-29-04, 11:07 AM	This has interested me for a while and I suppose the responses will dictate whether anyone else gives a toss. Maybe it's been discussed before and for that I apologise. All playing groups take on their own way of working. Laughter? Serious Play? A combination? As a DM do you enforce a particular type and if so how, if you just chill and let the group happen does it ever get you :headexplo Q: What is your group dynamic and what in your opinion is best and please be honest. No nancing liberals (unless that's your way), say what you think is best and why.
Laak 04-29-04, 11:34 AM	It is a combination with my group. We play to have fun, so it's okay to laugh and joke about. Having said that, we are playing a game and the game does go on. Everyone's put a lot of effort in his character and we (only) play once a week. So if it needs be, the dm keeps the group in check. But because all of us have been the dm at one time or another, the balance is clear.
Stuntman 04-29-04, 12:36 PM	A D&D game is like any situation where a bunch of people congregate. Whether it is playing D&D, playing a sporting event or just hanging out together, the dynamics just depend on what the group of individuals are like and what they want to get out of the event. Personally, I play D&D as a good reason to get together and socialise. We joke at times and are serious at times. I find that each of my players are different and bring their own personalities and desires into the game. Each player has their own seriousness about D&D and want to get something different out of the game. As the DM and host, I do try to keep things moving along. I also ask for comments about how I run the game and host the event in order to better satisfy everyone. The bottom line for me is to make sure my players want to play again. Enforcing a certain style of play may satisfy those players who want to play that way, but may alienate those who do not want to play that way. Not everyone will be completely happy with everything, but you can say that about almost any type of situation or function, not just a D&D game.
SmiloDan 04-29-04, 01:16 PM	I run a twice a month game at an open gaming time at the local university. So I have a core group of players and a periphery group of players. It's pretty serious, but there is a lot of joking and bad puns and movie quotes. It's also pretty free-wheeling, in that the players come up with story and quest ideas, and I just make the world and run the game. It's worked out OK, but I keep having to come up with new background material. The PCs have decided to go to an island nation for no real reason, so I have to make details about it. I initially thought it was a more boring part of my world, but I've come up with some interesting ideas for it.
Angered Roach 04-29-04, 10:59 PM	It depends. Sometimes my players will say something completely off the wall for humour's sake, mostly if nothing really interesting is going on, but once lots of RP or combat starts happening, they shut up.
Xyplex 04-30-04, 12:04 AM	In one group I was involved with the group dynamic was directed by the DM ... that is, he didn't know what the term "Role Playing" meant, and so we routinely spent each game killing monster after monster that the DM just thought up for the next room ... it quickly degraded into horrible metagaming and I didn't go back. Essentially the fun was had outside of the game, in spite of the DM's dynamic with us. In another group we had roleplaying thrust down our throats ... and the DM had a tendnancy to thus overlook the actual stats of the monsters (giving them, what we dubbed, the "Thwart PC" skill) for the purposes of achieving a better story, from his point of view. We didn't have much fun, and the game was often about us arguing with the DM over rulings he had made ... needless to say when you have two DMs with way more experience playing in a group with a DM that refuses to even listen to suggestions (I know rule 0, but before rule 0 kicks in you've got to listen to suggestions ... and having a few years of DMing under one's belt teaches one a few things). We played because we enjoyed one another's company, again, not anything that the DM created with us. Those were the bad ones. In another game, we spent a lot of the time joking out of character about things going on in character, or about life in general. We hung out and had fun as friends, using D&D as a social lubricant and a reason for us to get together (being that we were all computer geeks to one extent or another, our actions had to have usefull consequences ... like advancing a plot or getting a new widget). Sure we probably progressed through the games slowly, but we had a lot of fun. In another game we had a lot of tension ... but it was good tension. There were a lot of hidden plots and secrets between players ... it was the coolest game I've ever played in ... but it burnt out the DM and caused serious fractures in some of our out of game relationships ... I suppose we sharpened the blade of Roleplaying too well and it cut us all. The dynamic there was the plot, the intertwining stories, and the desire to see things through to the end ... we all got very attached to our characters (and it was the first time I ever personally felt anything when my character suffered an in game loss). In my own games ... it depends. I usually play to what the players want ... I try to introduce serious elements, but if they don't bounce with the players, I downplay them and move on ... the serious stuff is still there if they want to pick it up, but I don't force feed it to them ... I usually prefer to let the players make their own decisions, even if it means more work for me in the end. As for laughter ... I don't even try to force it or create it. None of my NPCs or situations are designed to elicit humour ... but inevitably humour comes out nonetheless. What is best in life? Besides driving your enemies before you and hearing the lamentations of the women? For me a DM that is willing to run a game that has a lot of depth, but doesn't get frustrated if we get sidetracked on some red herring ... or start joking about something we saw on TV. Sure we're there to play, but I'm there first to hang and chill with my buds.
Loftower 04-30-04, 12:50 AM	About the only prodding I do to keep players in character is to use their character names instead of the players’ names when I address them. We generally spend about 15-25% of the time off-topic. My players will only tolerate so much distraction from other players (I get more leeway but I don’t think I use it). Most of the jokes are OOC and they are welcome.
KismetRose 04-30-04, 01:25 AM	We usually start off our session by eating a meal together, and during that time it's almost purely out of character socialization, although the players will often talk about what they're thinking of doing in the game. During the game there are some jokes and laughs, and occassionally someone will go through a story they just can't let go of. For the most part, however, once the game has started it is focused. We can laugh and joke but we stay in the realm of the game. There was one player I had who used the game as almost purely a social function. He seemed bored when the actual gaming started, but wanted to be in the company of friends. We distinguish our gaming from other social functions, however, and try to keep them separate.