Open Question to ALFA about DMing

[Mulu]

Seems like the current dearth of DM's is due mainly to Rusty's behavior (including hoops for application and enforcement of standards, among others) and having only one server. The first has been solved and the second will be eventually. In the meantime, allowing peeps to DM and play on the same server would help, setting up DM training times on OAS2 and encouraging people to join the ranks would help, letting prospective DM's know that they aren't expected to be perfect and can make mistakes would help.

And on that last note, in general reducing the elitist attitude both to be a DM and a member would help. Rusty seemed to act like it was a priviledge to be one of his DM's, when in fact it sounds like it was or at least could be a very unpleasant experience. Opening up the doors to more DM's will require providing plot hooks and themes that are currently being run on the server (if there are any left) and allowing new DM's to, well, use their own judgment as well.

I love DM'ing personally, but I'm very satisfied running my NWC campaigns. What makes DM'ing fun is being allowed to run your own plots....

[ayergo]

and the second (server) will be eventually.

Only if people start helping out.

-If you can toolset, do some simple merchants, bartenders, areas whatever.

-If you can't, do some playtesting.

[Mulu]

The last time Sembia was struggling, I dedicated set timeslots and showed up. Say, twice a week for one hour at a time. Posted in advance in the forums. By the end of the month on the 'no set plot'-sort of DMing, there were enough players to start an actual plotline.

This time it didn't work. I got all of one player, as all the other regulars were tied up in a specific plotline or generally unavailable Tuesday nights. Not exactly able to attract new players with a one day-per week committment on the old platform.

You know, my weekly NWN1 campaign has 8 players and 5 people on my waiting list. It's not the platform.

You guys should consider scheduling your games at NWC. It's easy to do, you can put a membership link in the game description, and you may just fill up your weekly campaign slots as a result.

[Lusipher]

the problem with that Mulu is those people have to be ALFA members to play here. I dont think regardless of anything happening that we are going to open up membership. Otherwise, I dont see any use for NWC since we can post DM times here if the DMs will just do it.

edit: just saw your membership idea there.

[FanaticusIncendi]

FWIW, I feel that people fear the supposed complexities of standards and 'red tape' more than is warranted.

I went through all the standards training when it was first put in place and it really wasn't that onerous. Note that I am about as far from a 'math person' as any DM here can get, lol.

IMO the standards have actually made it easier for me to award my players regularly and fairly. I no longer have to worry about their wealth, or what I'm giving them, because it's clear. If I want to make an item for them but I can't deal with the headache of what all the properties cost, etc etc, I just ask one of the many people who can do that stuff without even looking at the charts or busting out a calculator. I think new DMs sometimes forget that if they don't know, they can ask. Or maybe they're just mostly all men who never ask for directions in RL either. Hell, we even have a special place for questions like that, it's called the Helpdesk forum.

To be perfectly honest, I feel that what is FAR more difficult than standards and ALFA red tape is the ability to weave a good story without railroading your PCs or resorting to tired old cliches. I have yet to see any DM fail at the standards training, but I have witnessed and/or taken part in some very vanilla plots over the years, not to mention plots where the DM basically determines a story with an outcome and then expects the PCs to fit into roles to move that outcome forward. Not very dynamic or imaginative IMO.

DMing is extremely rewarding for me, more so even than playing. I've had the same players in my campaign group for well over a year with no signs of loss of interest. I encourage anyone who thinks they might like to try their hand at it to ignore the doomsayers, don't fear the standards and just apply. Stretch your imagination and spend your time learning how to tell a good story rather than worrying about how you're going to calculate CR and whatnot. The former is the real meat of DMing, the latter is just the paperwork.

[Sintaqx]

Maybe one of the things people fear are a re-occurance of witch hunts and inquisitionthat have happened in the past. It's not just massive amounts of standards, it's the strict adherence to the letter of the standards and the preemptive and punitive measures taken against violations. People tend to remember the bad things that have happened.

[psycho_leo]

Most of the witch hunting that generated from PC wealth, at least in the time I've been here to witness, came basically from the fact that we didn't have a firm guideline for awards, so everyone could scream foul when they saw something that was overpowered in their mind.

[Rick7475]

Oh, the tools are awesome and very accurate. Rusty would have a ball going through the logs and double check all the exp granted by the DM's to players.

If there was any exp granted just a smidgen over he would post in the TSM DM forum and demand why that amount of EXP exceeded the standards. "Was his RP really excellent for 2 hours, shouldn't it be average"

Guidelines my ass. Like Hialmar, I was worried that if I gave too much exp I'd have to defend myself on a continual basis and my judgements would be constantly under fire.

But hey, who knows what the next DMA will do. And maybe it is just me, I'm just a shitty at building quests, content, and DM'ing to standards.

[Lusipher]

Rick, I agree you got the raw end of the deal with Rusty.

I've always enjoyed your servers.

I have a lot of respect for you.

That being said you need to calm down. Your not happy I know how you feel you were treated even up to the last week here. You may have or may not have had your spawns out of wack or there were problems with your work. I cant say either way.

All I know is that its not helping anything. You wear your heart on your sleeve and I appreciate that, but theres nothing I know that can be done about it. You will either stay here or go. Many have said you have some problems with authority or feel entitled because you were a past DM. I feel your entitled to some leeway because of the past, but I also agree everyone has to follow the rules.

Everyone.

All of us have to play/build/DM within the rules. If we cant then we have to decide if our "vision" is the same as those running things here and decide to conform or go our seperate ways.

Instead of being angry and venting on the boards (even though I said please be frank) I think you need to step back for a bit and cool down.

[LancasterX_2]

[Moderated by FI for vulgar content]

[psycho_leo]

[Moderated by FI: Quotes a moderated post]

[LancasterX_2]

[Moderated by FI: Quotes moderated post]

[Rick7475]

You are right, Dan, I take this too seriously. I am going to leave for a long while. Good luck with the DM stuff.

[paazin]

So if my app is accepted, then I should be using the client by next week?

You can be using the client by the next day. It's mostly on-the-job training.

[White Warlock]

And as much as I dislike trying to quash comment and debate, I cringed when I read that post on the NWN2 forums.... Smelled too much like dirty laundry. Anyway, spilled milk. It is a discussion that needs to be had.

No, i agree with you Mulu. I don't think it was all that good an idea to air our laundry in Bioware. Many ex-alfans don't even go to the bioware forums (and, if some do, only a minute fraction would travel back to our forums, possibly create a new account, and post here to help this community out). Also, the majority of bioware forum participants are 'new' people to NWN2.

If we're to question ex-members, we should go the email route using the old member lists that are 'somewhere' in an ex-admin's possession (wink wink nudge nudge).

Now, on to my next post in this thread.