I'm a Dungeons and Dragons player, although almost certainly the most casual one you've ever met. In a gaming niche that prides itself on tradition and nostalgia as much as innovation a player who started with 3.5 probably doesn't even qualify by some people's definition. But my girlfriend, some of her friends, another couple we know, and even a few of my drinking buddies have all taken turns around the table and there's usually at least one game on the go at any time. The trouble is, I suck at it.
I don't mean munchkining my character to oblivion, I can metagame incredibly well when I put my mind to it. If the only goal of roleplaying was to "win" I'd be set.
I don't even mean roleplaying. I did a lot of acting in high school, love to write and think I'm very funny. Creating memorable characters is as easy as breathing.
No the problem is invariably when my turn to DM comes up. When my girlfriend is running a game, everyone is interested and interacting with as much as possible. Their characters have really fleshed-out back stories and everyone has a good time. When I DM, players are listless and uninterested. If I try to improvise, they feel I haven't given them enough direction. If I put hours and hours into crafting a great story with multiple paths and cool hooks, I get accused of railroading. Even worse, sometimes my players just lose all initiative and force me to railroad them, not once complaining as I push them around.
I've read a fair bit of Shamus Young at this point, both on his site and here at the Escapist. I've also been reading High Adventure quite a bit. It makes me yearn for the skills and talents to get people involved. My girlfriend's stories are good and everything, but I'd like to let her just play every once in awhile without everyone just humouring me, Where's that magic spot, where the players are interested in the story and don't feel restricted by it?
I don't mean munchkining my character to oblivion, I can metagame incredibly well when I put my mind to it. If the only goal of roleplaying was to "win" I'd be set.
I don't even mean roleplaying. I did a lot of acting in high school, love to write and think I'm very funny. Creating memorable characters is as easy as breathing.
No the problem is invariably when my turn to DM comes up. When my girlfriend is running a game, everyone is interested and interacting with as much as possible. Their characters have really fleshed-out back stories and everyone has a good time. When I DM, players are listless and uninterested. If I try to improvise, they feel I haven't given them enough direction. If I put hours and hours into crafting a great story with multiple paths and cool hooks, I get accused of railroading. Even worse, sometimes my players just lose all initiative and force me to railroad them, not once complaining as I push them around.
I've read a fair bit of Shamus Young at this point, both on his site and here at the Escapist. I've also been reading High Adventure quite a bit. It makes me yearn for the skills and talents to get people involved. My girlfriend's stories are good and everything, but I'd like to let her just play every once in awhile without everyone just humouring me, Where's that magic spot, where the players are interested in the story and don't feel restricted by it?
