Comments on: 21 Sure-Fire Ways to Lose Players http://www.rpggm.com/blog/2009/10/23/21-sure-fire-ways-to-loose-players/ No scenario survives contact with the PCs ... No system survives contact with the GM Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:27:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jade http://www.rpggm.com/blog/2009/10/23/21-sure-fire-ways-to-loose-players/#comment-819 Jade Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:19:21 +0000 http://www.rpggm.com/blog/?p=456#comment-819 @Chris -- I think we've all probably violated one or more of these. I know I have ;) . On the lethality -- I completely agree with you for games like Paranoia, etc. where lethality if part of the game itself. I mean, without it, how can you brag that you made it through the entire adventure with one clone :) !? #16 was basically meant for games where that isn't an expected part of it. @Chris — I think we’ve all probably violated one or more of these. I know I have ;) . On the lethality — I completely agree with you for games like Paranoia, etc. where lethality if part of the game itself. I mean, without it, how can you brag that you made it through the entire adventure with one clone :) !? #16 was basically meant for games where that isn’t an expected part of it.

]]> By: Chris http://www.rpggm.com/blog/2009/10/23/21-sure-fire-ways-to-loose-players/#comment-717 Chris Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:03:44 +0000 http://www.rpggm.com/blog/?p=456#comment-717 This seems to be a pretty comprehensive list, and I can't say that I haven't violated more than a few of them in my GM-ing career (...especially 13 and 14 for various reasons, both legitimate and otherwise). It's hard enough to find four or five people with the same general interests who can schedule a night (...or, in some cases an afternoon) to come together for a few hours. Many GM's in my experience, especially those who are new to it, tend to forget that it's a social activity and it's their responsibility to make it interesting and fun for their players (...which makes it fun for them as well when they put the effort into it). The two rules of thumb that I've always followed is "Know your audience" and "Keep it fun." The only thing I'd take issue with is #16. Sometimes the level of lethality needs to be ramped up to absurd levels in order to capture the right spirit of the game...especially when it comes to RPG's like Cyberpunk or Paranoia where PC's tend to die in job lots simply because the games are kind of engineered that way. .-= Chris´s last blog ..<a href="http://blackcoffeeatmidnight.blogspot.com/2009/09/just-follow-me.html" rel="nofollow">Just follow me...</a> =-. This seems to be a pretty comprehensive list, and I can’t say that I haven’t violated more than a few of them in my GM-ing career (…especially 13 and 14 for various reasons, both legitimate and otherwise). It’s hard enough to find four or five people with the same general interests who can schedule a night (…or, in some cases an afternoon) to come together for a few hours. Many GM’s in my experience, especially those who are new to it, tend to forget that it’s a social activity and it’s their responsibility to make it interesting and fun for their players (…which makes it fun for them as well when they put the effort into it).

The two rules of thumb that I’ve always followed is “Know your audience” and “Keep it fun.”

The only thing I’d take issue with is #16. Sometimes the level of lethality needs to be ramped up to absurd levels in order to capture the right spirit of the game…especially when it comes to RPG’s like Cyberpunk or Paranoia where PC’s tend to die in job lots simply because the games are kind of engineered that way.
.-= Chris´s last blog ..Just follow me… =-.

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