>> This is "the party" ethic and it's not restricted to D&D. The healer
>> is expected to heal members of the party so that the party
>> succeeds.
>
>It's that "success" thing again, isn't it? The meaning of the word
>has changed, and expectations change with it.
I don't think the meaning of the word has changed. The objective of some RPGs has changed and some people have changed their expectations and others haven't. HQ seems to be at one end of the spectrum and D&D at the other.
>> I'd aim for at least one important decision
>> for each player
>> in each F2F session. More is probably better.
>
>*Good* point. Decision points. Not necessarily plot related,
>character-development related are probably at least as important.
>And you don't need rule-based Power to make a decision.
>
>> That's a difference between F2F and email games. A
>> scene is a lot shorter than a normal F2F session
>
>er..... several weeks?
It's as well I re-expressed the point below then. I was talking about time spent, not elapsed time.
>> If someone has bothered to turn up and spends the whole 2-4
>> hour session sitting on the sidelines the game balance is
>> wrong.
>
>I think that's more the point. 2-4 hours of expecting to devote
>your time to an activity is a LOT, so not being able to join in
>is bad.
>> >> Also, combat in RPG's is like chase scenes in
>> >> action movies. When the GM's imagination fails,
>> >> combat becomes a good fall back option.
>> >
>> >(wince). I know as a plot device it worked for Raymond
>> Chandler, but surely we can do better?
>>
>> Not if imaginations fail. I'd suggest if the GM is that
>> out of ideas then they should have a break for a few months.
>
>So would I, but it was being suggested as a natural thing to do.
>Maybe this is another difference between PBem and F2F - as a PBeM
>GM, I have far more time to think of responses.
I think it's more to do with style and emphasis of the game than the medium. And while the GM determines those they are influenced by the players and what they want to do.
The F2F v. PBem affects who you get as players. I can see Raymond's point that most gaming groups have a small pool of GMs and players which doesn't allow you to be very selective. That's true whether the group has been going for 20 years or got together a few weeks ago. Unfortunatly most players have an expectation that the emphasis is on combat and succeeding. That's even when you say that the emphasis of the game is on relationships, decisions and the consequences thereof.
Time to think is useful, particularly when the player has got their character in a hole and the GM needs to find a plausible escape route for them. Switching scenes to another player is the way to go.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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