Let's hear about your experience with GURPS

[Hide]

Hey there,

I have been wondering how you, the experienced GMs handle your RPG sessions. When I started playing, I thought it would be something like this (indulge the subtitles). It's been sightly different indeed, and play after play I wonder how a GM might enthrall their players (if not in the aforementioned way).

What makes your GURPS session stand out?

On the other hand, about 90% of the sessions I have participated in, fall within discussions that take 1/4 of the time, and people are starting to lose their motivation. Strangely, the internet is filled with memes that make it look "normal".

Is it normal? How do you handle discussions within your group (as a GM and as a player)?

Finally, I vaguely remember some movies or TV shows featuring RPG sessions, but nothing fitting as an example. Do you know if there's a sort of repository with documented RPG sessions (videos)?

- Hide

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Hide

When I started playing, I thought it would be something like this. It's been sightly different indeed, and play after play I wonder how a GM might enthrall their players (if not in the aforementioned way).

You want to complain to strangers about how the people in charge of you are idiots? Or did you mean to link to a version of that scene without the parody subtitles? In which case that still isn't right; RPGs differ significantly from traditional storytelling in that they are collaborative.

What makes your GURPS session stand out?

Compared to other RPGs? I would say the level of detail and sense of realism results in a better sense of relatability to the characters and game world compared to systems with more abstract mechanics.

I think my players also appreciate my worldbuilding, and while I can do that with other systems, I haven't run an original setting in another system in decades.

On the other hand, about 90% of the sessions I have participated in, fall within discussions that take 1/4 of the time, and people are starting to lose their motivation.

It is a collaborative medium, if you just want to tell a story to an audience instead there are places where you can do that. You might start with open mic events.

Strangely, the internet is filled with memes that make it look "normal".

I don't really understand the relevance. What chain of command is letting you down here? Are you talking about in-game leadership?

Is it normal? How do you handle discussions within your group (as a GM and as a player)?

Sometimes I talk, other times I listen. That is how conversation works...

I feel like there is some meaning to "discussion" here that I am missing.

[Culture20]

For a lot of adult gamers, RPG sessions are the only times they can meet as a group, so they will often (if not invariably) devolve into discussions of family or the new geeky trend, jokes, shared RPG history ("remember the time Gronak the Barbarian saved the village by poisoning himself before dressing himself as a maiden and getting eaten by the dragon? Good times."), or just plain goofiness. If you start mid-afternoon, you'll likely break for an evening meal too, instead of powering theough the hunger. My groups have always been good at making about half of our time count.
The best way to enthrall players is to make your game fluid and allow them to participate in the world creation. I think we're all aware of the frustration that occurs when you're railroaded in video games. The same goes for RPGs. Give the players real choices that might destroy your preparations. Prepare yourself to improvise instead of read from a script.

[mehrkat]

I set aside time before the game begins to let everyone have a little chat time.

This seems to shorten the game interruptions. I pretty strongly discourage more than about a minute of rules discussion that tends to boil down to
1. Rules clarification with why it effects that moment.
2. Tentative decision from game master (even if it doesn't match rules to keep game rolling)
3. Short response
4. possible change or sticking to original decision in this case.
5. offer to discuss out of game for future decisions.

The thing is I make it clear that my decisions are an attempt to make the game fun for everyone. I try to be fair to everyone but sometimes the rules allow gestalts of abilities that make something too powerful and sometimes gestalts create abilities that aren't useful according to the rules but I'm ok with stretching them to make the game more fun.

I've found that people are not very frustrated with "hehe that description reminded me of Gardock the Barbarian knocking out the camel" "yeah that was funny" ... "ok back on task guys."

However, I've found lots of players who get frustrated with "But wait on Page 145 the spell Arrow Return says that the spell does double damage in whenever the sun is up. That makes my arrow do 4d6" "But wait he has armor harden spell up it seems reasonably likely he would have cast it" "I've been counting the fatigue he's used on the 3 spells he has cast before he's got to have 23 fatigue to be able to have that spell running" "could he have taken a step back to get a bonus to his dodge"

By that time at least 2 of my players are sobbing in their hands.

[ericthered]

• Every RPG group is different. Different players have different dynamics and different goals. They know each other in different ways. A game with cousins plays differently than with friends, and differently than total strangers from the internet.
• Players are incredibly 'smart'. They will causally pass obstacles you never dreamed that they would, without breaking a sweat and sometimes without even noticing this was supposed to be hard. They outnumber drastically and I don't care how smart you are, they have more brainpower combined than you do. If you miss an inch, they'll make it a mile.
• Players are incredibly 'dumb'. They'll forget to do the most basic of things until they're up a creek and you spoon feed to them the most obvious of ways out. They're only seen this scenario once, had this one GM describe part of the situation to them, and they're anything but professionals.
• Its ok, and in fact one of the joys of the game, to pause, sit back and laugh, marvel, make fun of, or otherwise comment on the absolutely ridiculous situations PC's get themselves into. Its not breaking the flow of the game. It is worth noting some players are better at getting into these situations than others. Gurps is also really good at getting you into these situations, when compared with other RPGs.
• Players respond well to goals. This does not necessarily mean the goals the GM sets for them, but there is a big payoff when you acomplish something you're working towards. Just spending the time helps with the payoff. You do need to let the players make progress though: if they can't see the progress, the goal isn't going to help drive things.
• The GM must play with the enjoyment of the others in mind. Most GM mistakes come from forgetting that. You must make it fun for everyone else. That doesn't mean you can't have fun: you are one of the players to consider, but it is your responsibility.

I hope that helps. I've had lots of fun playing with what were originally strangers from the internet. We've done lots of weird things.

[Mailanka]

I do a lot of front-prep for all of my campaigns, whatever they are, but it particularly suits GURPS well. I tend to work out any optional rules and such in advance and if I'm doing something particularly unusual, I'll practice a little here and there and then I run.

When it comes to the actual game, the rule of the day is "roll and shout." I prefer to make sure that whatever mechanics I'm using, I can modify them on the fly in case I forgot some modifier here or there. When it comes to arguments, the rule is that my ruling is final in the session, but to bring it up again after the session. Between sessions is when I refine my rules knowledge. In the midst of the session, that's when it's time for drama and flowing gameplay.

I prefer GURPS for games that really embrace highly detailed gameplay, or where I want a system that can handle real-world elements very well. Martial arts, gunplay, games that try to at least somewhat accurately explore alien worlds all benefit from GURPS.

[sir_pudding]

Ah, we are talking about digressions?

I find that having a defined meeting time, a defined start time a bit after, a plan for meals, and set end time helps a lot, as does having everyone seated around a table rather than sprawling all over the place.

[mook]

Originally Posted by Hide

Hey there... I vaguely remember some movies or TV shows featuring RPG sessions, but nothing fitting as an example. Do you know if there's a sort of repository with documented RPG sessions (videos)?

- Hide

Hiya, Hide.

Those are two separate things... the second are "Actual Plays," and you can find a bajillion of them on YouTube (though the majority are not GURPS, and quality varies widely).

The first reminds me of a recent post I put together for fun recently about RPGs appearing in movies and TV -- there are many, many more!

[sir_pudding]

If we are talking side-chatter digression, there is nothing unique to GURPS there.

[GM Joe]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

If we are talking side-chatter digression, there is nothing unique to GURPS there.

Well, to be fair, GURPS does attract the best and brightest, who often have interesting things to talk about.