Open Question to ALFA about DMing

[Hialmar]

Well of course I could lie and tell that I will DM again with all the red tape we have but it won't help us get out of the gutter we have managed to end-up.

[Kest]

That's a great sentiment coming from one of the administrators...

Please be frank. Holding back wont solve the current issue of a lack of DMs in ALFA. If ALFA learns from its mistakes then it can correct them if it truly wishes too.

[paazin]

I know that if I get time to DM I'll do it in Exodus...
Unless of course the next DMA simplify the standards.

I didn't DM before the Quake and only briefly played but if it was simpler and more efficient then it could be a good solution.

I would have figured you of all people would appreciate an algorithm (albeit simplistic) for calculating risk/reward ratios

Honestly, in my day-to-day DMing I rarely hit any trouble with standards, as most of the annoying part is already don't for you, thanks to cipher's great work. If we expand upon that, we can make standards virtually 'transparent'

[psycho_leo]

If we expand upon that, we can make standards virtually 'transparent'

Making it actually transparent would also go a long way I think.

[Hialmar]

*nods* I will have to try the new tools.

The old ones I used for NWN1 were so bugged that I had to re-compute manually what XP people should have after using the XP Rod.

And my main problem wasn't much on what XP to give but how do you evaluate the CR of your DM session.
CR are a mess in DnD3 and they are only for encounters.
For a whole session or a whole campaign I have no idea how you compute them.
The new solution brought by DnD4 sounds simpler.

[paazin]

*nods* I will have to try the new tools.

The old ones I used for NWN1 were so bugged that I had to re-compute manually what XP people should have after using the XP Rod.

And my main problem wasn't much on what XP to give but how do you evaluate the CR of your DM session.
CR are a mess in DnD3 and they are only for encounters.
For a whole session or a whole campaign I have no idea how you compute them.
The new solution brought by DnD4 sounds simpler.

Actually there isn't even a CR with the new tools - it just ranks it in a 'Easy/medium/hard' manner, so very human-readable and intuitive

[Brokenbone]

I don't think publishing the xp:gp ratios which DMs are encouraged to use would be letting the "cat out of the bag", i.e., transparency isn't a bad thing.

Note it's not like punching a timeclock though, DMs are asked to kind of "bank" awards, so that they can happen at reasonable times, and sometimes in big fat lump sums (like "end of plot").

Guess next DMA can figure that stuff out.

[mishmash]

Well I finally found the DM application under the sticky: Joining the dark side... Hadn't thought to look there but it seems obvious now hehe.

I must admit filling in the application form was quite easy... Hopefully the rest of the notorious red tape will be that simple. I'm hoping I can start DMing soon, any ideas about how long it takes to process these applications?

[Sintaqx]

With luck soon after the DMA is selected. Then there's the provisional time period and training, not exactly sure what all is involved in all that any more but you can actively DM during the training. Wealth and Exp standards are the biggest pains for a DM, but if we now have tools to calculate them, that's a huge improvement.

When I was DMing I just used common sense and figured it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. The vast majority of the players here, as Rick pointed out, are educated professionals in the real world and there's absolutely nothing in the game that can't be undone if it's done wrong. And if something does go wrong all the parties need to discuss the situation, at all levels. If it's an issue between a player and a dm, then the player admin, dm admin, possibly lead admin as moderator, the involved dm, and the involved player need to discuss the situation in such a manner that it is handled quickly and transparently to all those involved. Few things tear a community apart worse, or faster than a closed door witch hunt/inquisition.

I do look forward to seeing you in the dm seat, mishmash, and feel free to hit me up in-game with anything you would like to test. I've been a guinea-pig for at least three of the TMS DMs at various times so far

[mishmash]

Oh, when will they select a DMA?

[Brokenbone]

Probably have a DMA in a few days, think there'll be an election runoff.

The application is in the DM Apps forum, discussion on it has started, though again, it takes a DMA to mint new DMs... usually this is done quickly, if they're not AFK / or haven't delegated the authority to their Staff.

[psycho_leo]

Oh, when will they select a DMA?

Election should be over by the end of the weekend.

[mishmash]

So if my app is accepted, then I should be using the client by next week?

[oldgrayrogue]

Standards are absolutely necessary, but they are just that -- standards, guidelines, a measuring stick to conform conduct to. Based on the comments of former DM's who decided to quit because of the standards it seems like they are or have been interpreted more like hard and fast rules, with DM's overly worried about breaking them.

I'm sorry, but this just seems really silly to me. This is a GAME that we all play (I assume) to have fun and relieve stress. Yes we are serious gamers, but if the standards, either because of their complexity or the way they are being applied and enforced, instead serve to create stress then there is clearly a problem.

Moreover -- and I know this will be controversial but the OP asked for a frank discussion-- what is this obsession with parity? Class parity, wealth parity item parity -- sheesh! I never thought the FR setting was one where all clases are absolutely comparable -- in fact I think that's not the case at all. Nor is it a place where everyone has the same wealth and the same or comparable gear. Yes adhering to a standard or guideline to preserve fairness in a game is important and we should strive for that, but when it starts ruining the fun (at least for the few former DMs who have spoken out) its time to seriously consider if its worth it.

[psycho_leo]

Moreover -- and I know this will be controversial but the OP asked for a frank discussion-- what is this obsession with parity? Class parity, wealth parity item parity -- sheesh! I never thought the FR setting was one where all clases are absolutely comparable -- in fact I think that's not the case at all. Nor is it a place where everyone has the same wealth and the same or comparable gear. Yes adhering to a standard or guideline to preserve fairness in a game is important and we should strive for that, but when it starts ruining the fun (at least for the few former DMs who have spoken out) its time to seriously consider if its worth it.

It makes really hard for DMs to balance encounters when wealth levels are all over the place. If you put two PCs of the same lvl through the same encounter and one of tehn has gear appropriate to a PC wice his lvl while the other is sitting on average, either the rich one will breeze through or the second will be squished.

It also reduces the perception of favoritism as you can't get "twinked" past a certain point. And that's an issue that turns out to be important as we allow CvC and nobody really likes when someone starts screaming because their beloved PC was killed by a lvl 5 paking the gear of a lvl 15.

While in an ideal world all PCs would float around average wealth lvls you can still have your rich PCs (as long as they don't go over the warning cut off).