Expectations: Player vs GM

I suppose the title may be misleading; I don't mean to discuss what happens when the players and GM play against each other (though that might be a fun topic for another post), but rather when the players' expectations do not match the GM's plans.  This very issue was the end of a game I intended to run a few weeks ago, before it even started, and it was an educational, if not slightly traumatic, experience.

First, a little background may be in order.  Most of my gaming is done online, via either chat program (more specifically, OpenRPG) or message board post.  It's safe, it's comfortable, and it fits in nicely with my 24/7 parenting schedule.  However, it has left me VERY out-of-practice when it comes to interacting with *ahem* real-life people.  To pull myself out of the less-than-occasional rut that creates, i do sometimes reach out (via internet communities, of course) and attempt to meet up, in person, with local gamers.  So far I have had little to no luck, only banding together with a couple or two and playing a few games before something conveniently comes up to prevent further meet-ups.

This time i found a semi-local ("semi" because I have to drive approximately 3 hours, round-trip) gaming store that offers open gaming space, which would logically boast both a neutral gathering place and a more diverse pool of gamers--and thus far, the arrangement has delivered on both counts.  However, the group seemed too good to be true, especially after some pre-game correspondence that revealed that all of them were up for anything.  One would think this was a very good thing, but it left me wondering what they wanted in a game.  And i never found out.

Through message board posts, we decided that i would run Armageddon, and i provided them with information on how to obtain the necessary materials for play.  I had a setting in mind, and a few ideas for adventures, but i wanted to wait and see what sorts of characters they created before committing to a solid campaign.  Little did I know, it seems they had it in their minds to wait until they knew what the campaign concept was before creating characters.

*facepalm*

I suppose my method works just fine for online games, where the players may post messages for a few days, making suggestions and requests and bouncing character ideas off one another before game day.  But in face-to-face games, it seems that people expect to do these things in person.  And let me tell you, i was terrified.

One long, painful story short, and a panic attack later, we decided it would be best if someone else ran a game, and i graciously bowed out.

Lesson?  Make sure everyone's expectations are very clear from the beginning.  If the players expect an involved campaign, have one ready.  If they expect lots of flexibility and player-driven storylines, be prepared to toss out your notes.

Public Service Announcement

Anyone using a pyzam layout with the embedded comment option chosen, probably needs to adjust their settings.  I have so few readers, i didn't even know it was a problem.  Ha.  Ha.  But yet again, Nully came to the rescue and figured it out.

So.

My comments are fixed.

w00t!

Gamer Burnout?

I suppose there comes a time when each of us has to step back and look at how many games we're really playing in a week.  That in itself can be startling, once the hours are added up (for me it averages between 17 and 20, which i easily justify because it's all via chat or message board, so i can walk away from the computer as-needed to tend to my children, do housework and make dinner, etc. and no one's the wiser...right?), but my biggest downfall seems to be how many different systems i'm playing in a given week--right now it's 6.  And i am not keeping the combat formulas and whatnot straight.  Argh!  I find myself wondering if everyone has this problem, or just those of us that are math-challenged...or if the number of different games i play during a 7-day period is unusual.

Book Review: World War Z

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Max Brooks
Three Rivers Press
ISBN: 0307346617

A social and psychological commentary set to the entertaining backdrop of a zombie apocalypse--genius, really.  There is a reason people are calling this *the* zombie book to read; it is arranged as a series of short stories that artfully entwine to answer all the questions you ever asked yourself (and more) about what would happen if society spiraled into chaos.

I seriously squeed when i received this for my birthday from my husband--i've heard so many wonderful things, and it did not disappoint.  So often books about possible futures (especially post-apocalyptic ones) are so...i don't know.  Lame.  But this is not; it is gritty and horribly, beautifully realistic.  Each character has a story to tell (literally), and they are each unique and insightful.

It is more than a story about zombies, but a story about people, which will leave you walking away with a proper mix of disgust, humor, and pride at being human yourself.

Book Review: Game Widow

Game Widow
Wendy Kays
Synergy Books
ISBN: 1934454265

Not terrible, but not great--good if you're completely mystified as to why anyone would ever want to play video games, but provides nothing terribly insightful if you game yourself or have a lot of common sense.  It does cite a lot of sources and resources though, so it's not a completely useless if you're doing some research.  It's not especially well-written though, and it gives the reader a lot more "duh" than actual, helpful advice.

Slowly Working out the Blogger Kinks

After some frustrating hours, trying to add basic widgets, my favorite hippo pointed out that i was using an *ahem* outdated form of the site.  A little patience and no small amount of Google-Fu later, he found a way to bypass the bastardly little button that was standing in my way.  May i present to you...the label cloud.  I Googled that one all by myself, and edited it into the code.  w00t!  It needs a little work in the visual appeal department, along with my stock layout, but my humble little blog is getting there.

Edit: New Layout is a go; also, i can list followers and blogs i read--yeah, i'm pretty pleased that i've figured out how to do some basic stuff, with just a couple more hints from my pal NulSyn.  That being said, if anyone running a game-related blog is interested in listing each other on the sidebars (as links or blogs we follow; i'm not picky) just give me a shout.

Book Review: The Alterverse

The Alterverse: Book One of the Gamers Trilogy
Donald Semora
Self Published
ISBN: 0-615-30453-2

I’m always excited to read anything game related, so when Don told me he was writing a book about gamers, living their adventure, I was truly stoked. Gamers tell the best stories, afterall, and this guy is a player, GM, and game writer all in one.

When the book arrived in the mail* I was immediately impressed with how pretty it was; the paper is of good quality, the art varies from decent to great, and the layout is appealing. Definitely one of the better self-published paperbacks I’ve seen, and even above most mainstream titles in the same $10.50 price range.

What disappointed me upon further inspection was the number of typos. This, paired with difficult sentence structure, was pure distraction for me. I found myself re-reading paragraphs in an attempt to understand who had just said what. In all fairness, there was apparently a miscommunication of some sort with the printer, and the unedited version was sent out—I choose to be optimistic and believe that all of my gripes will be resolved with the second printing.

The story itself is good, but mildly cliché. I kept looking for something to break the mold; I was expecting to get rickrolled by the author, but that never really happened. The people that seem evil are the bad guys, and the guy you think is going to betray them all, does.

There were plot holes. Not huge ones, but ones that my own gaming group would have hounded me over if I ran this as an adventure. There were things that really stood out to me from the beginning as something that the party should have tried, and there were strategies and logic used that didn’t seem to fit their experiences.

Many of the elements that weren’t predictable seemed out of place or even illogical. Actions and dialog from many of the characters didn’t seem realistic. Some of these things may have been solved with more information from the author; for example, the seasoned warrior woman was nearly overtaken by something the untrained gamer geeks easily defeated; what other unmentioned variables caused this? The lack of detail almost seems to imply that she needed to be rescued just because she was a woman, or maybe the party was outnumbered by more than it seemed.

What I really look for in a novel is some major plot twist (which I suppose may come later in the trilogy), provocative social commentary, or some other element that really makes me think. I was disappointed to find nothing like that, only the story I went in expecting. This would make a very good book for young readers (if the grammar was cleaned up a bit), but I found it lacking anything of substance that would make it a classic for adults. It was probably better suited as a gaming adventure than a fantasy novel, though I do like the idea behind it. Not a bad first attempt by the author, but I want more.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author for review