Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 flyingfox Nov 26, 2011 9:06:53	So I used to run a D&D campaign with my friends, which I thought I did pretty well, although there were far too many player in the group. We are all pretty young, but it was the closest campaign whe have ever played to real D&D, with a grid and real comabt encounters and everything! However, one of my good friends quit because he did not lke to play with minitures and the game pretty much fell apart when I went to camp.  My friend, who had expressed interest in DMing before, asked if he could get a select group of people together and GM a game of Pathfinder (before we had played loose 3.5). He was basing it off a one-shot campaign he had played with a group of older friends. So we started playing, less realistically than my last game as my aforementioned nti-minitures friend was playing. It all started well and good, with us baically screwing around with no real goal. My personal combination of a low-powered character and tupid luck could make it a little frustrating, but  that was really it. Then my GM decided he needed to plan more and that's when I felt like things really wen downhill.  See, when I play I generally have two goals: Play my character as realistically as possible and try to come up with creative solutions to problems.  So I work best playing deep, role play heavy intrigue, puzzle games. My DM, however, plays so there is a set goal in mind and he wants the players to reach it in a certain way. I.E, railroading.  It's not always bad. We have definately got into some pretty fun encounters, but sometimes, especially when the GM is in a bd mood, he will shut down everything you do without the roll of a dice, until you figure out exctly what her wants the solution to your problem to be. Usually the solution involves killing innocents, and I'm playing CG, so this really rubs me the wrong way. So my question is, what sould I do? Should I just change my playing style so I can do what the GM wants instead of what my character would do realistically in my situation? Should I talk to him about it?
#2 therion666 Nov 26, 2011 9:29:56	Usually the solution involves killing innocents, and I'm playing CG, so this really rubs me the wrong way. So my question is, what sould I do? Should I just change my playing style so I can do what the GM wants instead of what my character would do realistically in my situation? Should I talk to him about it?  Unfortunately you have one of those nasty cases of contradictory approaches to the game, you like an open sandbox approach and your DM apparently wants to railroad the campaign. Maybe the railroading is due to inexperience DMing, or due to limited knowledge on how to freeform the game.  I do struggle to image anyone who DM's a game that REQUIRES the group to kill innocents to succeed, if that's the case any good character would be against him. The best approach is to have a chat with him, something that may not be easy but speaking as a DM, I want to hear feedback from players on whether the game was good, not enough roleplay, too much roleplay, did they feel drawn into the story or just pushed through it (I like to think I let my players freeform the game but I do like to check their perceptions). Utlimately some DM's will try and railroad, something I can live with if done gently and your not getting shot down with no valid reasoning for your plan not to work.
#3 Langrishe Nov 27, 2011 16:35:35	DM's do a lot of work, planning and writting and making a fun session. Sometimes when players what to bypass the DM's plans, kill an NPC before a hook is dropped or turn down rewards, it can be a little frustrating. It can also be scary for a DM when they players wonder to far from his game notes and start bring up issues he/she hasn't planned for. I remember creating a new adventure that had to be jammed in between to planned adventures because players wanted to search a near by forest. If a DM isn't good at dealing with curved balls they can often stone wall you when it comes to leaving the rail road. Talk to your DM and tell them how you feel. If you have DMed before offer some advice. I can't be sure what you did when it came to dealing with the innocents but if you voiced your oppinion to the group "roleplaying" and told them you would have no part in murder they should have agreed if they were good or killed them if they were all evil. If all your group were good and the DM said, "they must die!" you have a problem on your hands. Why did they need to die?