Question: Do You Play Without a DM?

ava · Post by **ava** » Tue May 10, 2005 10:50 pm

I'm curious- do people regularly play on a server where they never see a DM?

Post by **ayergo** » Tue May 10, 2005 10:54 pm

Not sure how to answer. I go where i *think* i will get some DM time, but that doesn't always mean i do. If i don't get a DM at first, i try to stay there and work my way into things. At some point if i decide it is a futile effort for some reason, i move on. I think many are this way.

Khazar Stoneblood · Post by **Khazar Stoneblood** » Tue May 10, 2005 10:54 pm

I don't know the difference between the first and third option. I picked the third meaning I prefer a DM but play when one isn't around as well.

ava · Post by **ava** » Tue May 10, 2005 10:59 pm

To clarify, Choice one means you never interact with a DM on the server you've chosen as your home server. Meaning, you could have chosen a different serve that maybe had active DMs during your time, but you chose to play on the DMless server instead.

Choice 3 would be that you chose a mostly DMless server during your playtime slots despite the fact that other servers might have a better DM schedule for you.

Lazlo · Post by **Lazlo** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:15 pm

Didn't vote b/c I am teh confused by the choices and I don't think answer fits into one of those categories.

Basically it depends on the server. I recently left WD to go play elsewhere b/c I felt like a particular player faction was getting the majority of the DM attention. It being a heavily urban server, I felt there wasn't much in the way of non-DMd opportunities for my char to get out and generate RP. The kind of char I was playing also had an impact in my decision. If I was playing a hard-thief with a good crew, a server like WD would be awesome even without a DM.

I like servers with a mix of urban/rural and med/high content. It allows players to create their own adventures.

...but lets not kid ourselves.

Even the most boring server with very little content can be made extremely fun with constant DM attention.

Phosphor · Post by **Phosphor** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:26 pm

I'd say about 75% of my playing is without a DM, and 25% is with a DM.

Fionn · Post by **Fionn** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:30 pm

Teh Ava is teh confusing.

ava · Post by **ava** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:37 pm

Fionn wrote:Teh Ava is teh confusing.

Basically asking if people purposely play where they know they won't have a DM for the most part, if ever.

Like, me, I'd only select a server to play on if I knew there was a DM on regularly during times I would be playing.

Roekemoes · Post by **Roekemoes** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:37 pm

Well I do mostly, though I only played on Waterdeep and made one little trip to TLR server.
I voted for the third one. When there are lots of players but no DM I just play with the other players and have fun, forming relations etc.

Though some DM attention from time to time is very nice. So it basicly comes down to 'yes I do' with 1 condition, I won't play for weeks without a DM once.

Sandermann · Post by **Sandermann** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:41 pm

Voted three, because I'll stick around on a server where its IC to be, DM attention or no. Though I'll travel elsewhere for short periods, I call one place home.

Mizbiz · Post by **Mizbiz** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:47 pm

I hope I don't come of sounding sanctimonious, but I RP for RP's sake, and so do a lot of people I RP with. DM attention and especially RP EXP is gravy. So much character development happens off camera, it would seem a shame to limit your RP to just when the DM is watching you.

Because of the caliber of people who have been my RP partners, Arien has a network of friends, some of whom she has known for all of her existance. Now I am lucky enough to play with Grand Fromage, spiderjones, Miles, Glass Rain, Hazelthorne, Alynnrobinson, and, when in Shadowdale, Adalia and Tdawg, among others, who also just show up to hang out.

There was a core group of players who stayed with Daggerdale when we lost every DM in the quake, and for a goodly length of time there was little or no DM interaction. Players like Squatamus (Arien's dead adoptinve father). McJoker (a dead lover), Twiggee (sister in the Circle), Virvaldin (Brother in the Fellowship), and Killthorne (dead husband) took up the torch of DMing and have worked their butts off keeping the server alive. Damn, I appreciate them all, even when they are pushing my character to the limit.

-MizBiz

idoru · Post by **idoru** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:54 pm

I only log on for DM events. Usually I get my share of tavern RPing while waiting for the DM to show up, or wrapping things up afterwards.

ava · Post by **ava** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:54 pm

Mizbiz wrote:I hope I don't come of sounding sanctimonious, but I RP for RP's sake, and so do a lot of people I RP with. DM attention and especially RP EXP is gravy. So much character development happens off camera, it would seem a shame to limit your RP to just when the DM is watching you.

Sorry if the question wasn't clear- I was in a hurry when I posted.

Of course you RP when there's no DM around. However, do you pick a home server knowing there will likely never be DMs in your timeslot? If so, why? That's really what I'm curious about.

For example, my schedule doesn't match TLR at all. So, while Ills is the most evil of our HDMs, I'd not make a PC for that server. Instead, I'd find a server that had Dms available on a regular basis that matched my availability and make a PC for that server. I wouldn't expect to get DM attenion all the time, but I would expect it sometimes for required plot progression. I do this knowing that I'd hit a wall with progressing plots, even if I'd made them up, without a DM since NPC interaction is required.

Make sense?

Kat

Cynon · Post by **Cynon** » Wed May 11, 2005 12:03 am

I think the overall point here is everyone Plays whether there is a DM or not. I get cirtain times i can log on and play and i do, There is not any DM to DM me 99% of the time i can log on and so i play 99% of the time with no DM.

The server i play on is not an issue because i will go to every server going to try to find something to do and there is never a DM on.

The 1% of the time i will usually get a DM it involves heavy planning and a prayer the DM turns up in the end. When it happens it is as someone said earlier, "The Gravy!"

Some people may think i'm exaggerating with this 1% lark, but it's pretty accurate tell the truth.

ALFA is heavily under DMed right now. Make a poll on that.

Is ALFA under DMed in your oppinion?

1: Yes, catching a DM is like winning the lottery.

2: No, I log on and get hounded by DM's daily to be in thier plots, it's soo irritating.

Blackbrrd · Post by **Blackbrrd** » Wed May 11, 2005 12:24 am

I play some without a DM, but less than I would had there been a DM on. I usually try to do something, so if a DM drops by, my character - and the ones I drag along are actually doing something. That should make it a lot easier for the DM drop some npcs or monsters on us for talking or fighting.. or both...

If I had always been sitting at an inn, it would probably take much more effort for the DM to start something. It gets a bit like a soap opera - everybody has been with everybody, been raped, attacked or.. the same inn assaulted for the 100. time...

I don't log on if there are nobody else on, but I do try to meet up with people in irc to start a game, even without a dm.

A Land Far Away

Question: Do You Play Without a DM?

Well, do you, punk?

Question: Do You Play Without a DM?