GM's or Players?

[Loki]

A half hour ago I was the only one here but now it is starting to see some traffic.

Maybe I missed this poll but are the folks here predominately players or GM's? By the tone of many postings I can tell that there are several GM's but I wonder if this is true of most everyone or do players make up the bulk of visitors?

 

[Secrect Cow Level]

I'm always the referee in my group, not because I want to be but because nobody else in my group will run anything except D&D. When my turn comes up I always hear, "why don't you run TRAVELLER?" I want to PLAY TRAVELLER! Just once I'd like to see somebody else in my group go "behind the screen" and give me a chance to play! O.K. rant over, now back to our scheduled TRAVELLER discussion!

 

[MichaelL65]

I'm playing T20, and a long time ago (in a life far, far away) I used to ref Classic Traveller.

Someday I'll ref a T20 game, hopefully bringing new players into the fold.

 

[mshoen]

For Traveller I have always been the Ref of our group....I love playing but I always seem to be the GM the group wants for SF RPGs...My group loves my multi-layered plots and "wheels within wheels" conspiracies. I actually relish playing very different and memorable NPCs...and nothing makes me smile more than when one of my players has that look on their face when they realize that they have doomed themselves!

Be careful out there!
Big Mike

 

[FANTASYFAN1968]

I'm both a player and a referee in a number of games, but tend to be the ref when we play Traveller, since I'm most familiar with the setting.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by LCDR J. R. Sinclair III:
I'm both a player and a referee in a number of games, but tend to be the ref when we play Traveller, since I'm most familiar with the setting.

________________________________________________
I do both, online. FTF, I'm the ref at present.
See our postings on random static: ISS URSULA, for the adventures.

EH, Big Mike, Ye need to e-mail me lad!

wee Liam,

 

[Shadowdancer]

Currently, player in a T20 online game and ref in a T20 live game.

Previously, I'd only been a ref for several CT games.

 

[Forged]

I got stuck with the referee job when the last one quit.

As with a lot of other people, I'd much rather play!!!

 

[lord irial]

Referee. The only game I get to play in right now, out of three, is Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG. My D&D and T20 games are fun too, but I'd rather play than GM.

 

[eclipse]

I'm currently a GM for a T20 PBEM game & a player in a GT PBEM & several CT PBEM games.

 

[orion_blastar]

Originally posted by Loki:
A half hour ago I was the only one here but now it is starting to see some traffic.

Maybe I missed this poll but are the folks here predominately players or GM's? By the tone of many postings I can tell that there are several GM's but I wonder if this is true of most everyone or do players make up the bulk of visitors?

I am a player, I tried to be a GM once and kind of messed up the game. Then I lost my notebook that I made months worth of notes in for the game, and I couldn't continue the game the next session so I reversed everything that happened.

What does it take to be a good GM? You need a great imagination, great ideas, and a way to try and control things when the characters get out of hand.

 

[sandman]

Originally posted by orion_blastar:
What does it take to be a good GM? You need a great imagination, great ideas, and a way to try and control things when the characters get out of hand.

Being good at improvisation is a real plus. Really helps you out when the PCs won't go the way planned or screw up everything planned.

In my group of seven, only One hasn't ref'ed and we try to let those with lesser experience take up some before throwing the towel on that particular game. Simply put, if you never Ref, you'll never be a good ref.

Mastering the rules isn't that important (unless rule lawyer are present) but being consistent in your ruling is. Knowing them enough not to be flipping thru the book everytime is a must tho. Don't be afraid to wing it or to make judgement calls.

No GM is alike. Some are great on very long storyline but not in subplots, some are good at making the game flowing while having trouble getting very original ideas, while others are expert at adapting everything they read/see/hear.

The most important thing for a GM is "Having Fun".

constructing a plot where the players and you hare having fun (without going TOON ) is really necessary, else why would you continue to GM?


my 0,02Cr

 

[Ellros]

I "usually" end up as ref for any sci-fi RPG, and player or GM for D&D.

 

[Maghwi]

I'm a Traveller player to the core. Couldn't run an SF game to save my life. In fantasy games, I ref and play.

 

[Gaming Glen]

I'm reffing T20.

I'd rather play, but will try to fit in some "play" with my former PC/now NPC character. She was elected captain (had highest D&D3e Diplomacy skill, converted to Liaison & Leader skills) of their new found starship (Traveller in 1939 AD). Being Vargr-like (fox), she will send the PCs on planet-based missions while being "overwatch" in the ship.

Warning: anecdote story of last session's play coming up.

PCs hear on BBC (in Canada) while buying supplies: "Flying saucers seen over London. Citizens frightened. War Minister denies these are new secret aerocraft of the Germans. Did not say if they were experimental RAF aeroplanes". So when returning to the starship aboard the pinnace they had to give security clearance codes since the ship went on auto-defensive mode after said flying saucers came from the backside of the moon. They all made their INT check (DC 15) to remember the codes given to them (I hadn't before, made it up on the spot), EXCEPT the captain (my PC).

A few tense moments later everything was okay. (The lizards are watching. )


Glen

 

[rlvargas]

I'm the Ref of a T20 PBEM and that's a lot of fun but I would love to be able to run a PC. I've always shared time equally between game mastering and running a PC in whatever we play, but it's never Traveller for some reason. In fact, in my current group we have only played D&D.

With the T20 PBEM, though, two of the players are new and they love it so far. I'm also working on my face-to-face group and maybe once we finish the current D&D campaign I'll have them convinced to try Traveller. T20 will help a lot because they feel a certain familiarity with the d20 system.

 

[Falkayn]

I usually ref, and am the only person interested in reffing T20, so that is the only way I get to have some Traveller fun.

The hardest part is trying to drum into my d20 players what Traveller is all about - they keep reacting like it's a dungeon crawl or a Star Wars adventure.

 

[rlvargas]

Originally posted by Falkayn:
The hardest part is trying to drum into my d20 players what Traveller is all about - they keep reacting like it's a dungeon crawl or a Star Wars adventure.

Ohh, I know. I've found old games like Privateer to be good in describing what the classic campaign of the free/far trader is all about. The other thing is trying to come up with a campaign style that is closer to what happens in your classic D&D, but I think that takes away some of the charm of the Traveller milieu.

I'm going to have to use force because I know that once they try it they will enjoy it.

 

[cgriffen]

For 99.9 percent of my group's Traveller games over the last 20 years, I've been the referee.

My one or two playing experiences were great, however. I'd love to play more. It just seems that I've been the most passionate about telling stories set in the Traveller universe, so I end up reffing the most.

 

[hirch duckfinder]

ref and player ; im an immersiveness freak . there is nothing better than the feeling of a completely believable internally consistent world . if a ref can maintain this with a self confidence and sureness of touch i am a very happy player . otherwise im happy to attempt to set this up myself . im big on description , imagery and mood , ref or player .