GMing Style

The stories on my campaigns are a mixture of dark and heroic fantasy genres. That's my personal GMing style. If you sit down at one of my games, that's probably the type of adventure I will run.

The main plots on my stories are remarkably similar. I have switched settings three times and systems twice, and I still find myself running basically the same type of game.

The party gets hired for some work. In the course of fulfilling their contractual obligations, they slowly start to unveil a much larger plot. This plot entails the fate of an entire region and they become major actors in that scheme. At that point, they may have aroused the interests of several competing factions. Some want them as allies, while others will be glad to hunt them down.

The sense of dread in my games is really high. The players often feel they don't have quite enough to fight their enemies. They are constantly managing their meager resources. Rushing head first, as opposed to careful planing, often results in dire consequences.

To me, that style of campaign would be labeled as dark heroic fantasy. Since, it does feel like a cross of at least two popular literary genres. The characters are heroes but at the same time, the world around them is not quite what it seems. There are a lot of 'things' lurking in the shadows.

This style is truly not for everyone. I have had people that liked it, and looked forward to the games, while others totally despised it.

It is a matter of taste. It is not because a person doesn't like that style that he is a bad player. Often times, these individuals are merely looking for something a little lighter.

That is why I make sure to clearly state my GMing style to the players. If I run a game, chances are, it is a dark heroic fantasy campaign.

Group Dynamics

An often overlooked component of a tabletop role-playing game is the group dynamics. While having a good game system, a cool campaign setting, and an awesome storyline are all important, the game will only be enjoyable if the attendees share a similar play style and etiquette.

Conventional tabletop role-playing games are about the interactive story that gets created by the GM and players. The story will only be fun if everyone is enjoying themselves during the sessions. Unfortunately, there were many instances in which that wasn't the case for me. In some games, I even regretted being there.

My approach to gaming would sometimes collide with that of the other participants. While some people focused solely on the tactical nature of the game system, I wanted to focus on the inner struggles of my characters.

The aforementioned disagreement illustrates the problems that arise from differing playing styles. While some people are willing to modify some aspects of their approach, expecting someone to completely change their entire style of play will lead to frustration.

Dissimilar etiquette can equally frustrate, if not anger, individuals during the game. The way a person behaves, and what they say, will greatly influence the experiences everyone has at the sessions.

Truthfully, there were some people I really enjoyed as both players and GM's but not could not stand outside those roles. Unfortunately, when you game with a person for four or more hours, there will be a lot happening outside of gaming.

Most everyone would, at one time or another, say or do things that made others uncomfortable. There were some, however, that were absolutely insufferable.

In those cases, the simplest and best solution is to move forward. Forcing an individual to change can easily lead to a complete disaster.

I have had to apply that principle several times. If the group dynamics were not working well, even after spending a lot of effort in it, I would just move forward and save myself the grief of seeing the problems escalate.

It all comes down to your enjoyment of the game. Are you content with the group's overall approach to gaming? What about their etiquette? If the answer to those questions is a resounding "no", moving forward may be the best option.