So I've been running games on these boards for a couple of years now and I've realized I don't have a particularly good feedback mechanism from my players. I'm aware of some faults and strengths people comment on, but people are unlikely to volunteer up, or even be aware of stuff they like or dislike in my games.
So I'm going to write a quick survey for my players (which others are free to poach if anyone cares), but I'm looking for some advice on what criteria you judge a good GM by.
Here's what I have thus far. I'm just thinking of five-point questions (5 is strong yes, 3 is neutral, 1 is strong no) with comments sections. I think around ten questions is fair as that will just take a couple minutes to fill out.
I'm interested in feedback from GMs and players. What kind of stuff do you think is important in a good PbP GM? Here's what I have thus far:
Tone and Style - Are the games engrossing?
Communication - Are absences explained, the expectations of the game laid out, and what's going on communicated properly?
New Players - Is the GM accommodating to new players in training, answering rules questions, and so forth?
Fairness - If the GM rules on 'grey areas', or breaks the rules is it done fairly?
Attention to Detail - Does the GM read everything and respond to each character?
Character and Story - Does the GM encourage character development and give people space to roleplay and engage in the story?
Mapping System - Do you like the GM's mapping system?
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Pacing is key with play by post, if people aren't posting, then people don't post and it just feeds off itself until the game dies.
Yep - I'd prefer consistent and frequent posting that allws for forward momentum miles ahead of anything else.
No momentum = no game soon after.
Consistency/frequency was in my original list, can't believe I missed that one when posting. Thanks!
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+1 to this list.
+1 to consistency/pacing. It's the most important thing. Keep the game moving.
+2 to NOT having rules knowledge/crunch on the list. Pales in comparison to what *is* on the list: fairness. GMs can't be expected to know and memorize every rule, but they can happily work with the players on making good fair rulings after looking things up.
I have the players complete a googlesheet for their particulars.
There is a comments section at the end, frankly I love the comments - very encouraging!
As one of your future players, I wouldn't mind filling out one of these, though I would admittedly be hesitant to provide criticism otherwise, as it is often misinterpreted when not specifically sought.
You could also consider asking your players if they would like a follow-up evaluation from you, where you could provide them with specific, memorable examples of both the good and poor moments they gave you. I'm new, and would love to have my faults pointed out, with hopes to remedy them for future games; older, experienced players might even benefit from this more, as years of doing something can easily delude them into believing it to be a positive point, when in reality it has some negative aspects. I feel this would not only encourage your players to complete your survey, but to also gauge more honestly, and provide more sincere and meaningful commentary, rather than the ubiquitous "good job, had fun."