| Juan Calle |
Perhaps announcing your play style at the very start of the game is not optimal, but it is important to discuss it before the start of the game. Some of the worst times I have had as a player or a GM have come from conflicting play styles, even with well-meaning people.
pauljathome wrote:trollbill wrote:One thing that annoys me is DMs who make announcements about their DMing style when you sit down at the table. Such announcements invariably end up being some warning to the players about how the DM strictly adheres to something. In theory, the DM is being polite by making this announcement. In practice he is making all the players paranoid about their behavior and I do not find paranoia conducive to fun. Strictly adhering to something in a home game where everyone is on the same page is fine. But in organized play, where there is a huge variety of play styles, strictly adhering to anything to the point you feel it is necessary to make an announcement is bound to drive players away, or at the very least, make them feel uncomfortable.I find this very interesting. I'm one of those GMs who announces stuff before hand. I honestly can't see where anything I say would cause paranoia, but obviously I'm biased.
Could you please give some concrete examples of "bad" things GMs say?
I have never had a GM make such announcements and thought anything but "Great. One of -these- guys." It really doesn't matter what is being said. The mere fact that the GM feels the need to warn the players (and it's always a warning, veiled or not) takes the fun right out of the game. Now it's not a bunch of gamers, it's an authority figure and the lucky recipients of his wisdom and time.
Perhaps it isn't always that way, but it usually is, and that's enough to color the perceptions every time a game starts with the announcement. Just play the game, please. We're all there to have fun.