Question: Do You Play Without a DM?

[EyeOfMyrkul]

When I logged on to play , I played with or without a DM. Sometimes your schedule doesnt permit u to play when Dms r on so u make the most of it and try to gather with friends, etc to have an enjoyable time. Thats what counts the most , as long as u r havn fun playn the game.

[Smoothie]

I answered, "Hecks no! Are you silly?"

I used to play with very very little dm interaction.

Now, I'm mostly interested in furthering plots/finishing quests and I see my character being busy doing that. The times I've played without a dm recently I feel it's ooc to not be working on solving some problem which she can't work on without a dm. I also don't play nearly as much as I used to.

[Bitterman]

Basically asking if people purposely play where they know they won't have a DM for the most part, if ever.

Like, me, I'd only select a server to play on if I knew there was a DM on regularly during times I would be playing.

Players play where the DMs are, it's that simple. All those dead servers are only empty because their DMs crews are absent or rarely on. I have yet to see a server with a DM sitting there alone for hours and days on end. Throw chum (Live DM) in the water and the players can smell it for miles

Server activity speaks for itself. At least more than a poll with fuzzy questions.

[Swift]

Players play where the DMs are, it's that simple. All those dead servers are only empty because their DMs crews are absent or rarely on. I have yet to see a server with a DM sitting there alone for hours and days on end. Throw chum (Live DM) in the water and the players can smell it for miles

You dont come to chat much, do you

Regularly ive seen TPI and SG DMs say that there are one or two DMs on waiting for players. Not all servers are dead because their DM teams couldnt give a crap.

As to the topic at hand, i rarely play without a DM, though that is due to other reasons than not wanting to RP.

[Bitterman]

Players play where the DMs are, it's that simple. All those dead servers are only empty because their DMs crews are absent or rarely on. I have yet to see a server with a DM sitting there alone for hours and days on end. Throw chum (Live DM) in the water and the players can smell it for miles

You dont come to chat much, do you

Regularly ive seen TPI and SG DMs say that there are one or two DMs on waiting for players. Not all servers are dead because their DM teams couldnt give a crap.

As to the topic at hand, i rarely play without a DM, though that is due to other reasons than not wanting to RP.

HAHA! I play regularly on both those servers and neither are "Dead" by any means. They both have regulars. Besides, TPI doesn't require a DM to play with it's XP system.

Neither TPI nor SG DMs need to wait long before players start to arrive. My point was that IF those servers DMs stopped getting IG as often as they do, the player base would dry up and leave for another server that did have regular DM coverage.

The ALFA servers that are dead empty 99% of the time are like that because the server DMs are absent 99% of the time.

[Arianna]

Contrary to Bitterman's point of view I never chose a server because of when the DM;s were around I chose my server on teh basis of the enviroment since I play PC's that are very city oriented .......... the RP with the other PC's were more interesting ...usually involving more intrigue and plotting than anything the DM's ever contrived for me ........... I don't play PC's that are heavy into the combat scene............

[Twiggy]

I've had months of little to no DM attention before, and still enjoyed them. I have never required DM attention to play. I'm here for the RP and story, the xp and levels are just perks along the way.

[ballonger]

I chose number three, but meaning I play when there's no DM on, because there is hardly any euro-DMs. I have a full-time job and trouble being on late in the evenings.

[Veilan]

Playing without a DM is pretty much pointless, to my experience... and XP, too .

Seriously, the world is just not alive, and it does not feel "real". You cannot move things, achieve something, or interact with the environment properly. PCs are nice, but cannot replace the "world" being alive through a DM.

[Mord]

Meh, I play all the time wtithout a DM, the players around me are so good the DM is hardly needed to have fun.

[GlassRain]

I pick servers depending on where I have the most fun with PCs. Rule 1 is there is always going to be time where there are no DMs around, so pick a place where it's not going to be like pulling teeth on a slow day.

and FYI I have never actually looked into the "dm times" topics on any server..

[Cynon]

GR Rules! When can i get some DMing from you again your plots were teh coolzits!

[ava]

There are DMs who have posted times who say they have been unable to find Players who will consistently join them, fyi. I polled the DMs about what sort of style they have and that was not an uncommon reply.

What I guess I really got out of this poll is that there are a few different types of Players. I come from more the same point of view as OP- limited, more or less set times when I can play and I won't be playing more than say 8 hours a week and would want to know a DM will be there much of the times I can play (even if they aren't paying specific attention to me, per se).

Then, we have Players saying they're on up to 80 hours a week. Obviously, these people will not see a DM during most or all of that time and maybe don't care.

And, I'm sure we have everything inbetween.

How about server hopping? Do people tend to server hop for Dms and statics or stay on one server for the most part?

If you had to wait to get a DM for something, say a ress, do you think you could find a DM within a reasonable amount of time? I'd say "reasonable" would be different to the 4-8 hour a week Players and the 80 hours a week Players. I'd say "reasonable" would be say... 2 to 5 days just from my point of view. I'm guessing other people would say 1-2 days would be tops.

[Drankathar]

i try and pick places that have people playing on them in the times that i want to play. DMs, Players dont matter to me, just as long as theres a few people to rp with im happy.

[Phosphor]

How about server hopping? Do people tend to server hop for Dms and statics or stay on one server for the most part?

I stay or go depending on what is appropriate for my PC. So far, I've only left my home server once, for a player-organised and DM supervised expedition, and then returned to my home server. The number of players and/or DMs on a server has zero influence on my choice of server, I chose Daggerford as my server as I liked the feel I got about it when reading up on the servers, and reading the forums. I like rural, frontier style settings and so would not go to, say, Waterdeep just because of player/DM population.

If you had to wait to get a DM for something, say a ress, do you think you could find a DM within a reasonable amount of time? I'd say "reasonable" would be different to the 4-8 hour a week Players and the 80 hours a week Players. I'd say "reasonable" would be say... 2 to 5 days just from my point of view. I'm guessing other people would say 1-2 days would be tops.

Within a reasonable time for the most part. I may not see a DM all the time, but if I need something tended to, I find the DMs I've interacted with tend to be quick about responding and addressing the problem for the most part. Some are slower than others of course, but I tend to find that if you pick the DM you see the most to harass with requests, the process is quick.