A Land Far Away

Dear players,

A note on my DM preference, that seems to go counter to ALFA habits:

When I'm running something and you log in the middle of it, please send a tell to *me* and ask if you can join. Unless we are somewhere ICly obvious, like town center / tavern. If we are somewhere off the market square, more often than not I will be able to spin a short story on why you came there, too, and not make it a wholly OoC event. If we can't come up with a story, then let me decide whether to break immersion and just drop you there.

Don't ask the other players where are we and just run there to barge in. This is metagaming, and a serious break of immersion if it happens at the wrong moment. You can ask the other players where we are, and suggest why you would be there / come there - I appreciate initiative and creative effort. But ask me first before you burst in the middle of my session - that should be common courtesy. I sincerely do want to play with people rather than not, but let me bring you in a as IC way as possible, as opposed to *poof* "Oh, you're here as well, how nice, rock on!". And allow me a chance to call it if I can't have you - it can unfortunately happen.

Thanks.

I don't know what specifically caused this, but I do think a large part of the responsibility lies on the player getting asked as well, at least to say "We're at location C, however we're in the middle of the DM session". The player doing the asking has no way of knowing who is and who isn't getting DMed.

Rotku wrote:I don't know what specifically caused this

Nothing specific caused this, it's just my reading of the "culture and habit" among players over half a dozen instances or so. Perhaps it's just that players are timid in contacting the DM. There seems to be some habit among players to "not bother the DM", and rather just try to barge into events than ask for an invite. Or perhaps people have been turned down or ignored too often - which won't happen if you don't ask. Regardless, please don't barge uninvited. Speak to me when I'm DMing you, so I can weave you in. More often than not I'd be itching to have you. Thanks

Rotku wrote:The player doing the asking has no way of knowing who is and who isn't getting DMed.

Which is yet another reason to at least try to contact the DM before the players.