Shadowrun
Shadowrun General => General Discussion => Topic started by: TheDai on <03-02-16/1250:57>
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Good Morning everyone,
the longer I lurk in this forum and any other SR related forums on the net, the more often I see outcries of desperate Players about their GM and desperate GMs on how to do stuff properly.
One of the most standardized answer for many game related problems has been: "Your GM should've considered this when creating this NPC/Building/Encounter and because he didn't things started to fall apart." or simply "Your GM is bad and should feel bad."
When creating a Run of any kind, you as the GM have to answer almost uncountable questions: "What do they have as Security measures? Are Devices inside or outside of the host? If an alarm is triggered, who responds in what time? When does the HTR arrive and if they do, how big of a threat are they? Where's the general "difficulty spike" between a B and a AA Con? Do they have Magic defenses? If yes, which ones on what power and where? How does the typical Conslave react to you? How does the typical Security Guard react to you? When do Hosts make sense? What's a usual line-up of IC he spawns? What's the typical Security for the private homes of the Super rich? Middle rich? Poor?
What's the general plan of a security mage? What's the general plan of a security Decker?" ... The list can go on and on. Now, I personally believe that after crawling through the net for countless and countless hours, I have a pretty good idea of what I should and shouldn't do as a GM. But I'm far from being the bestest GM out there. Far. FAR from it !
And all of that leaves me with the hope of getting one specific core book some time in the future. Let's call it: "HOW TO BLOODY GM THIS THING!" written by all the experts which do those 4-hour Mission stuff at Cons, by the masters and visionaires of all the cool stuff and gadgets in the book - by the experts. Make it 10 Bucks, make it 50 bucks - heck MAKE IT 100 BUCKS. I would buy it. I would buy it for me and a copy for everyone on my table.
Honestly, I'm getting wet-eyed just thinking of how amazing such a book could be. To have at least a few guidelines for starting GM's (more specific than what we have in the CRB).
How do you guys think about that?
Regards,
TheDai
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I think what's needed is a corporate security book that lays this all out
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I have a pretty good grasp on how to run Shadowrun but I have also asked for a GM book. It's pretty much invaluable, even if you learn just one or two techniques it's going to enhance your game.
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There are said books out there in some systems.
DnD used to publish the GM rulebook. It was filled ideas and suggestions on how to GM, deal with unexpected rules questions, dealing with different player personalities... the shebang....
And it was consistantly the worst selling book. For whatever reason, people just do not buy books that tell them either how to roleplay, or how to GM.
Which is a shame, as these 'GM books' have some great info and ideas in them regardless of the systems they where written for.
I think the problem comes down to 'Vision'. We all (player or GM) envision the worlds we play in differently. We may all read the same books and the same words, but based on our life experiences, education, and imagination, all picture something different with our mind's eye...
And this can be a problem if 2 people's vision is wildly different, and is probably where a lot of issues come from.
I've found that if I spend a little time with my players/GMs and ask pointed questions, I can generally suss out if they are a good match for my playstyle or not. (Which has cut down on my wasted time and nonenjoyment of games)
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And it was consistantly the worst selling book. For whatever reason, people just do not buy books that tell them either how to roleplay, or how to GM.
More than likely the real reason for these books and the setting-only books not selling that well regardless of system, game or company is because just about every company puts a price tag on them that is the same as the more useful (more useful for more people that is) books. If all of those were cheaper, they'd sell more readily.
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DnD used to publish the GM rulebook. It was filled ideas and suggestions on how to GM, deal with unexpected rules questions, dealing with different player personalities... the shebang....
And it was consistantly the worst selling book. For whatever reason, people just do not buy books that tell them either how to roleplay, or how to GM.
Which is a shame, as these 'GM books' have some great info and ideas in them regardless of the systems they where written for.
Really? Wow ... I did not expect that. I guess my hopes and dreams are just a niche market? Because that would be just mandatory for me if I could push my group to play DnD. (Sadly, 5th Edition DnD doesn't get translated into german and we have players on the table, refusing to read english rulebooks)
I think what's needed is a corporate security book that lays this all out
I'd be happy with that, too. :)
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A security book of some kind would be awesome; detail response times, general levels of security for various levels of value, etc. Throw in a bunch of security gear and drones too, to provide plenty of mechanics that would benefit everyone. Maybe even do a write-up for building your own bolt-holes/strongholds.
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There's a 40+ page chapter in the SR5 core rulebook called "Gamemaster Advice," and it's actually pretty good.
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The player's guide for a game will sell quite a bit, as everyone needs the rules.
The "splatbooks" tend to sell well as both players who need Type X will buy it, those who are completeists will buy it, and often one or two more in the group will be their own, just in case they want to make a blank sometime.
The GM book, by definition, only sells to GMs. This means that about one fifth of your main book's sales, if that, will go that-a-way.
In general, this is a bad thing, but the books are normally important enough that publishers push through it for certain games (like D&D) but not for others.
Me?
I'd love to put together a PDF-release of a GM book. We have a published GM screen, true, but a book that could walk a GM through a bunch of situations, explain some options, lay out how to do stuff... I think that there's a market for it. (Mind you, I'd also expect a small tornado of complaints form people who play differently, but, that's to be expected.)
But I'm totally down for it.
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Corporate Security book would be welcome. Mix in a little Magic, a little Matrix, a Machine Gun, something for the whole family. Really just expanding a bit on the GM section of the basic book would be great. While there are some great "bare bones" in the GM section of the basic book, each page in the security measures and countermeasures section is covering several specific things. Alarms get a paragraph. The assorted sensors and detectors get two or three pages.
Some more meat and potatoes would be nice for the GM to work with. A basic, you should start usually start with X, add some Y, and then flavor with Z as needed. Some of the Extraction stuff from, whatever splat book that was, had some nice fluff, but didn't really spell it out for the GM, or at least left some fairly large gaps for the GM to fill in on his own.
Anyway, yeah, a generic Security book with a few crunchy bits for each sub-system for the GMs and Players to chew on.
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The corpsec security book would attracts players and gms I suspect as players need to know how to penetrate said security.
I bet it would sell quite well.
Heck absent a catalyst product a community driven section in falars wiki would be useful IMHO.
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I thought that there was also some info in the Runners Toolkit (might be getting editions mixed up), that outlined an actual session...covering player and GM actions/rolls/etc. Hmmm...need to look that up.
That aside, I'm a huge proponent of GM books...love what Paizo did with the GMG. Unfortunately, as noted above, they font tend to be big sellers. I do like the idea of a digital release, as well as adzling's comment re the wiki. Perhaps this might be a good series of topics for Bobby and his Complex Action videos?
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The answers to a lot of your questions would probably vary, TheDai, depending on who GMs and what how dystopian and magical they want their shadowrun world.
The answers also vary a bit depending on the powerlevel of each group. What works as a HTR in a group that has maybe one MAG 4 Magicians + 3 Mundanes (which would be sorta fitting with the background) would be a sad joke with a group that packs 4 MAG 6 Arcanes.
Go with the general info in the books. If you need general advise on gamemastering, I'd advise you to try the book "Spielleiten" from Dominic Wäsch.
Should give you some decent hints.
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DnD used to publish the GM rulebook. It was filled ideas and suggestions on how to GM, deal with unexpected rules questions, dealing with different player personalities... the shebang....
Wait, used to? They don't sell the D&D 5th edition GM book anymore? ???
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DnD used to publish the GM rulebook. It was filled ideas and suggestions on how to GM, deal with unexpected rules questions, dealing with different player personalities... the shebang....
Wait, used to? They don't sell the D&D 5th edition GM book anymore? ???
No idea.
I don't play DnD anymore. 4e killed it for me.
I moved on to pathfinder. (And they do have a GM book)
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What is both a strength and a weakness of the Shadowrun rules is that they support a wide variety of play styles and power levels. Some GM advice is good. Useful hints, time-saving tactics (such as the "use the highest modifier" option), and optional rules tweaks are all good. One thing I wish they had more of is examples and walkthroughs - comprehensive ones that cover complicated situations, not basic ones. But you want to be careful not to sound like you are telling GM's the "right" way to run the game.
I would like a book with more GM crunch, though. Stats for typical guards that go beyond generic mooks, examples of matrix and magical defense setups, and so on. They have done some of this, but I would prefer one corporate security/runner's toolkit type package, instead of getting this and that piecemeal in location or adventure books.
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Let me try coming at this from a different angle. Yes, the GM book isn't going to sell as many copies as other books, but, would it help retain players? I think it would because Shadowun is VERY complicated compared to most games and so many new players don't actually know how to run the game. Having a very detailed guide would make GM's prepared and confident, their sessions and campaigns would be better, everyone would have more fun. So ultimately it's about reduced profit from the GM book combined with, in theory, more profit in the long run. Not to mention the fact that the community does have interest in the book and imo we kind of deserve a GM book considering how complex the game is.
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I don't really disagree with that.
But, I will say I think CGL has other areas that need attention, and would be a better use of current resources and leave it at that....
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There're a few moving parts here to consider. For instance, do you mostly want a rules-walkthrough and clarification? Do you want how to design adventures? How to handle NPC interaction? Do you want to train a GM from the ground up in how to construct a story or do you want to show how to wiggle through layering rules? There're a few different angles, and getting that plan right goes a long way.
Like, for myself? aaron Allston's Strike Force was a *Bible* on how to run a game, on how to identify players, and, in a real sense, how to be a GM. Buffy teh Vampire Slayer opned my eyes to the concept of seasons and how to build a game with that mindset (So huge!) ... Champions brings an understanding of character downsides and both how to use them and how OFTEN to use them. D&D brings adventure-as-flowchart and resource management ... there are a ton of little elements that blend together and can really up your game. What's obvious to one group isn't to another, and everyone gets exposed to a new idea for the first time... those lessons can change *everything*.
Heck, Shadowrun's probably the single best game for having a co-GM, an idea that most gamers I've run into have never even considered. (Two GMs? Madness! You just need one!) Once you lay out the bonuses, some people click to it quickly.
Complex topics to navigate, this.
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Like, for myself? aaron Allston's Strike Force was a *Bible* on how to run a game, on how to identify players, and, in a real sense, how to be a GM. .... Champions brings an understanding of character downsides and both how to use them and how OFTEN to use them.
Ah, a Champions survivor. I knew I liked you. Personally I was exposed while still in Jr. High to the first edition, practically printed out one at time on the old Daisy Wheel printers. Phenomenal game, especially for it time. The whole idea of Fire, Ice, Electricity, all the same mechanically, write whatever fluff you want to describe it was a revolutionary concept to me at the time.
I do wish more games took the approach of granting players complete say on the stuff that doesn't mechanically drive anything. Shadowrun is not so good at this as character fluff drives a lot of mechanical choices.
Sorry, off topic... uh. More GM stuff! Raw!
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I'd love to see a Corporate Security book updated for 5th edition. It would be easy to cram a ton of crunch as well as GM design ideas into a book like that. The crunch would (hopefully) make it appealing enough that you don't create an overly narrow market.
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Gogo kincaid & wak!
I'd buy a corpsec book in a hot minute.
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Like, for myself? aaron Allston's Strike Force was a *Bible* on how to run a game, on how to identify players, and, in a real sense, how to be a GM. .... Champions brings an understanding of character downsides and both how to use them and how OFTEN to use them.
Ah, a Champions survivor. I knew I liked you. Personally I was exposed while still in Jr. High to the first edition, practically printed out one at time on the old Daisy Wheel printers. Phenomenal game, especially for it time. The whole idea of Fire, Ice, Electricity, all the same mechanically, write whatever fluff you want to describe it was a revolutionary concept to me at the time.
I do wish more games took the approach of granting players complete say on the stuff that doesn't mechanically drive anything. Shadowrun is not so good at this as character fluff drives a lot of mechanical choices.
Sorry, off topic... uh. More GM stuff! Raw!
Don't get me started. I'll go on about the glory of Deathstroke and yammer about the old days for *hours*. Yeah, I picked up man of the OLD printing-style books back in the day as well, but weirdly my fist super-RPG ws Golden Heroes. We only found teh GM book, so reverse-engineered all of the powers.
Good times, good times.
But, off topic.
Now, was everyone aware that there HAD been a corporate security handbook, back in 2nd ed?
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I think the GM book can be layed out in a plethora of ways. I think it would be interesting if it explained overarching campaign themes, how to create main atagonists, how to handle social scenes such as shopping, dining, attending a sporting event, a section of security, an explanation of how fencing items actually works, how to set up a double cross from Mr. Johnson, GM pitfalls to avoid, the use of foreshadowing, building a compelling story for your campaign, a section on how to handle character death and when to intervene and when to allow/disallow burning edge, and so on. There are tons of hot topics to include in this book and it would actually be invaluable and settle a lot of heated debates. I would be stoked if this book actually got published and I would read it over and over. It's essentially a tool to make shadowrun more fun and more fun means more people playing the game and buying merchandise.
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And it was consistantly the worst selling book. For whatever reason, people just do not buy books that tell them either how to roleplay, or how to GM.
More than likely the real reason for these books and the setting-only books not selling that well regardless of system, game or company is because just about every company puts a price tag on them that is the same as the more useful (more useful for more people that is) books. If all of those were cheaper, they'd sell more readily.
That's because you don't get a discount at the printer or the shipper, or ask the writer or the artist or the layout guy to work for free, just because a book isn't "useful." You put a price tag on a book because you need to pay the people that make the book. Yes, the price tag is the same on a DM's Guide as on any other product, because you have to work to make it, just like any other product.
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The Corporate Security book was marvelous, however all the information (or most at least) can now be fun in the CRB along with much of the specialized equipment. What isn't found gets introduced when the rest of the core books got released (fab, rail drones etc).
But as always a new book would be nice with new nasties to challenge your players yet
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One of my favourite Shadowrun books ever was Mr Johnson's Little Black Book, for SR3. I had been mastering Shadowrun for a couple of years but I found the read enlightening on many aspects. Some update of that for SR5 would be cool I think (although I think some of it already found its way into the SR5 core rulebook).
Just my two cents :)
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I still delve into both from time to time ^^ (Black & Security)
I kind of hope they'll bring CC security back again.
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One of my favourite Shadowrun books ever was Mr Johnson's Little Black Book, for SR3. I had been mastering Shadowrun for a couple of years but I found the read enlightening on many aspects. Some update of that for SR5 would be cool I think (although I think some of it already found its way into the SR5 core rulebook).
Just my two cents :)
I didn't own that one back in the day. I've been tempted to buy it even now just to see if I can add anything to my GM skillset. I would be very happy with a 5th edition version although I would prefer a general GM guide. However, if both become available that's even better :)
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And all of that leaves me with the hope of getting one specific core book some time in the future. Let's call it: "HOW TO BLOODY GM THIS THING!" written by all the experts which do those 4-hour Mission stuff at Cons, by the masters and visionaires of all the cool stuff and gadgets in the book - by the experts. Make it 10 Bucks, make it 50 bucks - heck MAKE IT 100 BUCKS. I would buy it. I would buy it for me and a copy for everyone on my table.
Once you get pass the idea of "experts" you're making progress.
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I have no experience as a GM, but I have years of playing under my belt in most game systems, and I only have one big piece of universal advice for every game: make sure everyone is invested in the story.
After the first session together, have everyone do a write up. Have them talk about backgrounds and get involved in the story and share a vision of the world you're playing in. Some people are born storytellers, some need a little help to express their idea of the world around them. Giving everyone a chance to explore the world they're playing in makes everyone feel involved, have a stake in the game beyond just playing - they're creating the game.
To each their own of course, I can just assure you that players who feel invested tend to play together more, and have more fun in the sessions.
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The big problem with a 'GM advice book' is that people will GM in very different ways. In essence most GMing advice I've seen actually boils down to:
- Prepare, but not too much. So for each problem make sure there are at least 3 solutions, but don't limit yourself to a railed plot.
- Improvise. This is where I see the most problems, with GMs either sticking to rails so that they don't have anything unplanned come up, or freezing when an unplanned event occurs.
- If you don't use something you planned, don't throw it away, but slot it in there yourself.
Now my GMing style (I arrive at games with a folder of NPCs and a basic outline, and then try to go from there) might be different to my friend's (have a campaign plan, think on your feet when the PCs go off the outline to get the plot proceeding okay) and my other friend's style (rewrite the plot after every session to accommodate new developments), but the key is that we are all willing to put in some effort and think on our feet in varying amounts. What that means is that any GM guide has to have some suggestions on what not to plan, because in my experience overplanning leads to GM burnout.
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The big problem with a 'GM advice book' is that people will GM in very different ways. In essence most GMing advice I've seen actually boils down to:
- Prepare, but not too much. So for each problem make sure there are at least 3 solutions, but don't limit yourself to a railed plot.
- Improvise. This is where I see the most problems, with GMs either sticking to rails so that they don't have anything unplanned come up, or freezing when an unplanned event occurs.
- If you don't use something you planned, don't throw it away, but slot it in there yourself.
Now my GMing style (I arrive at games with a folder of NPCs and a basic outline, and then try to go from there) might be different to my friend's (have a campaign plan, think on your feet when the PCs go off the outline to get the plot proceeding okay) and my other friend's style (rewrite the plot after every session to accommodate new developments), but the key is that we are all willing to put in some effort and think on our feet in varying amounts. What that means is that any GM guide has to have some suggestions on what not to plan, because in my experience overplanning leads to GM burnout.
Lol.
"If you present a player with 3 choices, he'll pick the 9th option."
No plan survives first contact with the players. Simple as that. No matter how smart you think you are, or how many plans you have, your players will always choose the unexpected option. Always.
So yea, have an idea, have some notes, and then be prepared to wing it from there! If your lucky or good, you will be able to poke and prod your players in the direction you want them to go without using a shoe horn.
My general strategy is to have 3 (three) completely seperate runs planned and available at any given time. That way, if the players throw me a curve, and are not interested in a certain job, I have 2 others I can offer up on the spot. (And the rejected run goes back into the stack for a later date.)
TBH, I have about 8 generic runs all mapped out that I can pull out to use at anytime. And often do when working on the overall campaign plot. This allows me to both provide something every week, and allows me time to work out details and hooks towards the overall campaign, while offering the players a chance to 'do something' while I am working on the main plot. (Think Side Quests in any Crpg product...)
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The big problem with a 'GM advice book' is that people will GM in very different ways. In essence most GMing advice I've seen actually boils down to:
- Prepare, but not too much. So for each problem make sure there are at least 3 solutions, but don't limit yourself to a railed plot.
- Improvise. This is where I see the most problems, with GMs either sticking to rails so that they don't have anything unplanned come up, or freezing when an unplanned event occurs.
- If you don't use something you planned, don't throw it away, but slot it in there yourself.
Now my GMing style (I arrive at games with a folder of NPCs and a basic outline, and then try to go from there) might be different to my friend's (have a campaign plan, think on your feet when the PCs go off the outline to get the plot proceeding okay) and my other friend's style (rewrite the plot after every session to accommodate new developments), but the key is that we are all willing to put in some effort and think on our feet in varying amounts. What that means is that any GM guide has to have some suggestions on what not to plan, because in my experience overplanning leads to GM burnout.
Lol.
"If you present a player with 3 choices, he'll pick the 9th option."
No plan survives first contact with the players. Simple as that. No matter how smart you think you are, or how many plans you have, your players will always choose the unexpected option. Always.
Sorry, to explain where 'prepare 3 solutions' comes from:
If you prepare one solution, you will see that as the right way to solve it.
If you prepare two solutions you'll want one of them to be used.
If you can think of three solutions you are more likely to be open to player ideas.
The entire point is 'the more solutions you plan the more likely you are to accept the player's inventive solution'. 3 is just a number that's consistently plausible.
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Reminds me of how to do investigative adventures right:
If there is one central clue to find, create at least three objects that can deliver that clue. And for every object create at least three ways the PCs can find them.
After that be prepared to have an NPC ready, to bash the PCs over the head with the clue (Someone breaking in to steal said clue usually works)
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I anyone is half-way serious about this (an idea which I love) one way to provide some good crunch with minimal cost would be to take some of the scenarios from existing Mission's play (one scene, not the whole shebang) and have a 'crew' run through it showing the dice rolls, etc and applying all the rules correctly.
Another easy-to-implement but valuable section would be to have a listing of the current big metaplots, perhaps broken down by region/city, and their respective status. This would make it easier for GM's to incorporate cannon material into their games (if desired) or at least help inspire home-brew ideas.
Frankly, especially as a GM's guide, you could even ditch a lot of the filler art you normally have to commission (further saving on costs). Those who buy it will be doing so for the rules explanations, creation guidelines, etc. While I always love the art I can live without it for a good crunchy PDF.
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The big problem with a 'GM advice book' is that people will GM in very different ways. In essence most GMing advice I've seen actually boils down to:
- Prepare, but not too much. So for each problem make sure there are at least 3 solutions, but don't limit yourself to a railed plot.
- Improvise. This is where I see the most problems, with GMs either sticking to rails so that they don't have anything unplanned come up, or freezing when an unplanned event occurs.
- If you don't use something you planned, don't throw it away, but slot it in there yourself.
Now my GMing style (I arrive at games with a folder of NPCs and a basic outline, and then try to go from there) might be different to my friend's (have a campaign plan, think on your feet when the PCs go off the outline to get the plot proceeding okay) and my other friend's style (rewrite the plot after every session to accommodate new developments), but the key is that we are all willing to put in some effort and think on our feet in varying amounts. What that means is that any GM guide has to have some suggestions on what not to plan, because in my experience overplanning leads to GM burnout.
Lol.
"If you present a player with 3 choices, he'll pick the 9th option."
No plan survives first contact with the players. Simple as that. No matter how smart you think you are, or how many plans you have, your players will always choose the unexpected option. Always.
So yea, have an idea, have some notes, and then be prepared to wing it from there! If your lucky or good, you will be able to poke and prod your players in the direction you want them to go without using a shoe horn.
My general strategy is to have 3 (three) completely seperate runs planned and available at any given time. That way, if the players throw me a curve, and are not interested in a certain job, I have 2 others I can offer up on the spot. (And the rejected run goes back into the stack for a later date.)
TBH, I have about 8 generic runs all mapped out that I can pull out to use at anytime. And often do when working on the overall campaign plot. This allows me to both provide something every week, and allows me time to work out details and hooks towards the overall campaign, while offering the players a chance to 'do something' while I am working on the main plot. (Think Side Quests in any Crpg product...)
I disagree.
From my experience gamers(both Gm and Players) are not nearly as smart or unpredictable as they think they are.
Players are predictable, very predictable.
I used to think it 'only if I haven't played with them before would I be surprised', but now that isn't even the case.
YMMV
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Yeah even if the players think they've picked a 9th option, I believe a GM worth his salt will always manage to subtly lead them back into one of his planned three paths.
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The idea is always to get them down whatever choices you've laid out.... The lies in doing it without a shoe horn.... Which is a technique I've seen used too many times sadly.
Another goid skill to develop is knowing when your players are not 'into' whatever little adventure you have planned. If your players are not interested, they are more likely to 'create' their own fun.... learning when to pull the plug on what you had planned, and starting new (or at least getting something fresh) is a skill good GMs also have....
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The idea is always to get them down whatever choices you've laid out.... The lies in doing it without a shoe horn.... Which is a technique I've seen used too many times sadly.
Another goid skill to develop is knowing when your players are not 'into' whatever little adventure you have planned. If your players are not interested, they are more likely to 'create' their own fun.... learning when to pull the plug on what you had planned, and starting new (or at least getting something fresh) is a skill good GMs also have....
My favourite is when I had a GM essentially tell us 'stop exploring the interesting abandoned extradimenional city and go explore the boring tower in the center in order to stop the bad guy'. The GM then complained that he had to trim his cutscene down to fit in (seriously? Why are you using the shoe horn).
I mean yes, we could have done that, but that adventure was really obviously railroaded and our PCs had no clue that there wasn't a portal out in the city itself, the idea was we'd spend a few hours exploring it to find interesting stuff before going to the tower.
In my experience, the trick is learning when to use 'quantum opposition' and when to just let it go. If the PCs must find out that CEO Exploitsalot is planning to blow up the city, make sure they stumble across the situation somehow. But if it's just meeting Awesome McBadass so he can give them a bit of dirt on their target, let them ignore the scene and go about it in their own way.
This is why I recommend GMs learn to improvise. I've had far more problems with players not taking the initiative and expecting me to give them a solution than with players who think outside the box, because the second I can roll with and work out a way for 'get a canister of doomgas in the CEO's office*' to be fun, whereas I can't do anything if I present a problem and the PCs come up with nothing.
* For example, how are they going to get the doomgas, and how will they trigger it so they get the CEO instead of the janitor (or the other way round).
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There are said books out there in some systems.
DnD used to publish the GM rulebook. It was filled ideas and suggestions on how to GM, deal with unexpected rules questions, dealing with different player personalities... the shebang....
And it was consistantly the worst selling book. For whatever reason, people just do not buy books that tell them either how to roleplay, or how to GM.
Which is a shame, as these 'GM books' have some great info and ideas in them regardless of the systems they where written for.
I think the problem comes down to 'Vision'. We all (player or GM) envision the worlds we play in differently. We may all read the same books and the same words, but based on our life experiences, education, and imagination, all picture something different with our mind's eye...
And this can be a problem if 2 people's vision is wildly different, and is probably where a lot of issues come from.
I've found that if I spend a little time with my players/GMs and ask pointed questions, I can generally suss out if they are a good match for my playstyle or not. (Which has cut down on my wasted time and nonenjoyment of games)
Jokes on them in 5e. They missed out on an entire race and subrace if they didn't get the DM Guide. That and like the rules for most of the freaking universe. Seriously. One man cannot create an entire universe single handed. You need a reference. Which is why I love my old DM used the sourcebooks as much as possible.
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Uh, yes you can. You can easily make a more 'accurate' setting than D&D while you're at it, too. Well, sensical is a better term. One where diseases aren't just mummy rot and filth fever and the population actually makes sense.
I wouldn't even call Aasimar that worth it.
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For running shadowrun I've found its works better if at the end of a run you have the met for the next one. In game it a week or 2 later but for the players it's before everybody goes home. That way your players can talk and figure out a good plan, do leg work with their contacts over email, all the while it means you game day isn't taken over with well what about this or that. It gives you time to make good calls and means you may get throu a run instead of just getting started.
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I think that the best way to improvise is to prepare far in advance.
It might not make sense at first, but in the game I am running, the PCs are working for a dude operating under both the names "Thermidor" and "Raphael" who is working for Damon (they don't know this last part) to essentially start a mob war that will weaken the syndicates in Boston enough that Damon can swoop in and take total control of Boston's underworld. They heard Damon's name dropped and were looking into him for totally different reasons (they bought into the corporate line, at first, that Damon was the dragon who had attacked NeoNet Towers and crashed into Fenway). They decide to go check out one of his clubs. I had not been expecting this, and it has nothing to do with tonight's run. However, I have enough moving pieces to the larger plot that I decide I can drop some teasers.
I have my party role edge to see how much they can find out here, and they get one hit with a glitch. Alright, so they learn something, but the manner in which they learn it is not enough for them. So far, they've only done a single job for Raphael (which sparked tensions between the two mafia families), have no idea he's connected to Damon, and don't know what the big plan is. They don't know this either, but I decide that he's meeting with the Vory right now to try to con them into getting involved in this mob war. They aren't there five minutes before a bouncer places his hand on the decker's shoulder and tells him "Raphael doesn't know how you found out about his meeting, but he says you need to leave. Now." Just before they're ejected from the club, the party makes good on a perception check and sees a couple of dudes with weird tattoos guarding the door to a back room. Definitely not club security. They run the tattoos through a matrix search later and learn they are the mark of a thief-in-law (Vory grunts)
So with roleplay and research, this detour ate up almost half an extra hour of game time, but because I've plotted out what's happening behind the scenes, I've been able to show that party that Raphael is meeting in Damon's clubs, that he's talking to the Vory, and now he also doesn't much care for them because he assumes they're trying to snoop on him. They actually may end up fighting him later, because the decker HATES him. Then they get to learn the hard way he used to be a Seraphim! :D
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One of the best GM guide books that I have ever used for the Cyberpunk genre is Listen Up, You Primitive Screwheads!!!!: The Unexpurgated Cyberpunk Referee's Guide. I know that it is for Cyberpunk 2020 but it still gives a good feel for any Dystopian setting. Also I have to agree with some of the other folks on this thread Mr. Johnson's Little Black Book is awesome and if you want to see how to run Corpsec. try Corporate Security Handbook.