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Incidence of David's Odd Humor #482
I find today's installment of Little Dee absolutely hilarious. "Oh, I see, it must be naptime!" :D :D :D
Have my D+D game tonight, after a brief and self-induced hiatus (which caused![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stickypawz to throw a bit of a fit. In my defense, I was feeling pretty wiped and wasn't quite up to the task of fielding all of the accusations of suckage that I've been getting from some of my players lately. *wry grin*
Being a DM for this has made me slightly bitter at this. ;) I do work at making this game a successful one, but between work (I've been working 40+ hours at the Bookshop for about two months now), other social obligations (two other games which are also a bit demanding, and "Buffy/Angel" nights) and other creative obligations I don't always have the time to be up to snuff with things. More than anything, I wish people would understand that the game is just a part of my life and there's a lot of other eggs I'm juggling with it. It'd be nice if there was a bit of empathy for my perspective.
Sorry, that bit of kvetching just crept up, didn't it? Reading the post again gave me an odd taste, and since it was posted a week ago I should just let it drop. Besides, I always *could* get better at time management...
Anyway, I'm hoping that this game will make up for the inconsistent run, since the players are finally starting to get some answers and make some progress on solving the problems the town's been gripped by. This is essentially the time where I have to put up or shut up, show my hand, provide some answers as it were. This is the hardest part of the mystery-based game...where all of these seemingly random, innocuous elements come together in a clear, concrete way. You have to find a way to disseminate the information quickly enough that the players feel a sense of accomplishment, but...slowly enough so that they're still curious and wanting more. It's such a *tense* balance and I'm trying to maintain it, so the prep time and everything for this game has ramped up considerably.
stickypawz, the bastard, had gotten a lot of things right well before the big 'reveal' last game. Mainly, it's because he's playing a character that's very well-suited for picking up clues and putting them together (an elven mage). He's been my own personal Agent Cooper, though his gladhanding skills leave quite a bit to be desired. The townsfolk would be a lot more co-operative with the group if he didn't insist on doing the verbal equivalent of jabbing a stick into the eyes of people who hold the answers. ;) But that's his character, and he's playing it well.
The other characters, while not quite as immersed in the metaplot as Odis is, are proving to be very interesting in their own right. Ryni (daroneasa plays him) is a fighter with severe anger management issues and a daddy complex *and* an eye towards romance. Gavin (fisherking) is a gambler-turned-priest who's had to take on the enormous responsibility of heading the local Church in the blink of an eye. This has caused a strain on his newly-minted marriage to Kass (bamboofae), who is struggling with all the changes that being a Deputy Sheriff has brought to her and Gavin. The characters are very well-realized here, and the continual conflict between PCs cause all of these interesting permutations that really flavor the game. It's as much about how they deal with the situation as the situation itself.
Needless to say, I'm *really* enjoying this game...despite it making me bitter. :)
It's very difficult juggling all of the player's needs, I'm finding; I have such a diverse group of people that I need to throw in something for everyone. Odis is really into solving the puzzle and attacking the problem until it gets solved, Daro's into the psychodrama angle and exploring her character's frequent meltdowns, Chaser's into those serendipitous moments where everything comes together, and Virginia likes...role-playing the intricacies of the courtship (and subsequent wooing) with her character. So there needs to be plot development, character development, drama and...slice-of-life stuff all in one game. It's really a joy to try and keep it all together, even if I'm not doing it particularly well. (I really am trying, folks.)
Anyway, work is knocking at my door, so I guess I should be going.
Have my D+D game tonight, after a brief and self-induced hiatus (which caused
stickypawz to throw a bit of a fit. In my defense, I was feeling pretty wiped and wasn't quite up to the task of fielding all of the accusations of suckage that I've been getting from some of my players lately. *wry grin*Being a DM for this has made me slightly bitter at this. ;) I do work at making this game a successful one, but between work (I've been working 40+ hours at the Bookshop for about two months now), other social obligations (two other games which are also a bit demanding, and "Buffy/Angel" nights) and other creative obligations I don't always have the time to be up to snuff with things. More than anything, I wish people would understand that the game is just a part of my life and there's a lot of other eggs I'm juggling with it. It'd be nice if there was a bit of empathy for my perspective.
Sorry, that bit of kvetching just crept up, didn't it? Reading the post again gave me an odd taste, and since it was posted a week ago I should just let it drop. Besides, I always *could* get better at time management...
Anyway, I'm hoping that this game will make up for the inconsistent run, since the players are finally starting to get some answers and make some progress on solving the problems the town's been gripped by. This is essentially the time where I have to put up or shut up, show my hand, provide some answers as it were. This is the hardest part of the mystery-based game...where all of these seemingly random, innocuous elements come together in a clear, concrete way. You have to find a way to disseminate the information quickly enough that the players feel a sense of accomplishment, but...slowly enough so that they're still curious and wanting more. It's such a *tense* balance and I'm trying to maintain it, so the prep time and everything for this game has ramped up considerably.
stickypawz, the bastard, had gotten a lot of things right well before the big 'reveal' last game. Mainly, it's because he's playing a character that's very well-suited for picking up clues and putting them together (an elven mage). He's been my own personal Agent Cooper, though his gladhanding skills leave quite a bit to be desired. The townsfolk would be a lot more co-operative with the group if he didn't insist on doing the verbal equivalent of jabbing a stick into the eyes of people who hold the answers. ;) But that's his character, and he's playing it well.The other characters, while not quite as immersed in the metaplot as Odis is, are proving to be very interesting in their own right. Ryni (
daroneasa plays him) is a fighter with severe anger management issues and a daddy complex *and* an eye towards romance. Gavin (fisherking) is a gambler-turned-priest who's had to take on the enormous responsibility of heading the local Church in the blink of an eye. This has caused a strain on his newly-minted marriage to Kass (bamboofae), who is struggling with all the changes that being a Deputy Sheriff has brought to her and Gavin. The characters are very well-realized here, and the continual conflict between PCs cause all of these interesting permutations that really flavor the game. It's as much about how they deal with the situation as the situation itself.Needless to say, I'm *really* enjoying this game...despite it making me bitter. :)
It's very difficult juggling all of the player's needs, I'm finding; I have such a diverse group of people that I need to throw in something for everyone. Odis is really into solving the puzzle and attacking the problem until it gets solved, Daro's into the psychodrama angle and exploring her character's frequent meltdowns, Chaser's into those serendipitous moments where everything comes together, and Virginia likes...role-playing the intricacies of the courtship (and subsequent wooing) with her character. So there needs to be plot development, character development, drama and...slice-of-life stuff all in one game. It's really a joy to try and keep it all together, even if I'm not doing it particularly well. (I really am trying, folks.)
Anyway, work is knocking at my door, so I guess I should be going.