I wish our DMs did more of _____

[Leaving Hope]

Sundren is an amazing world filled with dynamic players, challenging encounters, and gorgeous visuals. However, we're not going to rest on our laurels. Every day team members work to add to and enhance the world.

To further that end, I'd like to start this thread and ask you, our players, what you would like to see from DMs.

Our jobs as DMs is to help facilitate an incredible gaming experience. We want to make sure that you look forward to logging in, that things are fair, and that you continually find new and interesting things to do.

But what can we do differently to take it to the next level? What do you wish the DMs did more of? What do you think they should do less of? What DM experiences have you been part of in the past that you just loved?

Please keep your feedback constructive. Let's hear it!

LH

[Jaeram]

Ooh ooh, DM's should take the form of cool magical animals and be my pets, can we do that? I need more pets, like a 'cat-lady' amount of pets . Seriously though, the only thing I think I would suggest right now is to continue doing the cool, awesome job that you're doing .

[ThePaganKing]

I think there has been more DM interaction lately and I think it has been very positive. I also like the fact that DMs are willing to help us with our personal or group RP ideas (one happened last night and it was fun)!

The only thing I would like is maybe institute one or more larger or Epic stories that may involve a couple weeks. Come in when there are a lot of players, state the levels and if anyone is interested, then they become the core of the story. then have the story go from there. I think people would be very eager to come on knowing that something epic is going on. You could even post the times so that the core players could be there for all of the episodes.

[Aries1918]

I wish the DM's would encourage people to hang out at other places other than the Exigo campfire. Too many people just sit around the fire all day, and I think the DM's might be able to help this by "herding" people over to places like bars, and the entertainment district (normal hang out places).

Other than that, the DM's are doing a great job IMO. Keep up the good work!

[sparkeh]

For me the fun of Sundren is the small things, not the epic world driving stories. I've had a couple of small DM stories (like Dune's sick cat story) that were great fun. More little incidental events would be great.

[Leaving Hope]

DM's should take the form of cool magical animals

Though you jest, I think you make a great point. DMs should not always possess the standard human. We should use our imaginations and come up with interesting and new ways to interact with players.

DM Mako did a very good job with this the other day by possessing a winter wolf.

Thanks for the suggestion.

The only thing I would like is maybe institute one or more larger or Epic stories

Count on seeing much larger, epic stories in the future.

I personally will hop in and do some spontaneous one-offs, but there will also be multi-session and scheduled events.

I wish the DM's would encourage people to hang out at other places other than the Exigo campfire.

Unfortunately, there will be places that players just gravitate to. In every persistent world I've ever played on, there have always been areas where players like to gather.

You know, you could always work behind the scenes to bring about the destruction of the camp--provided your character has the IC motivations, of course.

[Aries1918]

Unfortunately, there will be places that players just gravitate to. In every persistent world I've ever played on, there have always been areas where players like to gather.

You know, you could always work behind the scenes to bring about the destruction of the camp--provided your character has the IC motivations, of course.

I'm not saying people shouldn't RP around the campfire at all. I'm just saying that other places should be used more often as well. And about the destruction of the camp.... Chrinne is still level 6 =P

[Leaving Hope]

I'm not saying people shouldn't RP around the campfire at all. I'm just saying that other places should be used more often as well. And about the destruction of the camp.... Chrinne is still level 6 =P

I agree 100%. And I'll herd players to other locations.

But I wanted to point out that it's very common for one or two places per server to become the regular meeting ground. In our case, it just so happens to be Exigo right now.

Your level shouldn't keep you from scheming. You don't have to bring about destruction through combat. Your HP doesn't determine how devious or cunning or ruthless you are. RP it. Anything is possible; the sky is the limit. Let your imagination go crazy. If you roleplay well enough, level is mostly irrelevant.

[Shadoweaver]

I'd like to suggest the campfire be made more 'player-friendly' since it's already where players gather. It has the advantages everyone wants, free rest, safety enforced by numbers and often guards (if any DM is on) and it's centrally located. I think the constant pack of adventurers should put in some furnishings, a lean-to to huddle under against the rain, some benches around the fire, I don't know the toolset but any other furnishings that are appropriate like some torch stands or a picnic table maybe. I'd also suggest widening the free rest zone so it covers more area, still staying on the side of the road where it currently is, just maybe let it go all the way to the big rocks.

Shad

[Chiangtao]

I'd like to see DMs be a bit more reactive to PC requests that are already going on as opposed to designing their own events and stories. Don't get me wrong, I know it's a pain to set up events, create a story, and get buy-in... the effort is very much appreciated! But, in the last week, I've had some issues where PCs have ignored NPCs (being pickpocketed by a rogue while the Helm priest is staring RIGHT at him five feet away; having a cleric chase me into the Exigo campfire with a shadow summon, which is a really evil being, something even neutral rogues or guards would certainly not want brought to their safehold). I used the DM channel to inform the DMs at the time regarding this, having my character try to influence the guards ICly, but wasn't met with much enthusiasm. Being reactive and responsive to current events instead of running your own story can really make the world seem more alive (and in the above cases, hold PCs accountable for questionable practices!).

[ThePaganKing]

Talking about inhabiting other creatures besides humans, I remember that the NWN1 DM toolset let you change your DM avatar into different creatures. You could also code it into your quickbar and then change at will.

I used that many times in RP sessions. Not sure if you can do that in NWN2.

[Kangleton]

Conflict. Conflict, conflict, conflict!

Absolute did a great job, while he was here, of producing authentic conflict between characters. It wasn't even so much the storyline that mattered, as much as the fact that the entire momentum of the plot required people to take sides in a situation, and were thusly divided. It was the essence of that conflict itself that made the on-going event so interesting! It was dramatic, emotional, tense, and it gave people something to do other than campfire talk.

People were required to plan, plot, strategize... think. It was so much fun, in my opinion, to see that happen. It makes things so interesting.

Anything that creates tension and divides the playerbase is good in my books. It means people have to make choices, and thats what RPG's are all about.

[Peridan]

I just wish I could catch some events sometimes, lol. I accidentley ran into someone else's event the other day, and I was offered a choice of dying or being manipulated out of the story. I of course offered to let myself be manipulated out, but it still stung a little that I could never catch any events. Ah well, that little bit of whining aside, I still hope against hope that I can be drawn into one of these awesome events that the Dm's plan! keep it up!

[Jaeram]

Having cool non-human like creatures to role play with was one of the reasons I made my druid, so I could appear in front of people in the forest out of the blue as some huge elemental, or giant bear. One time I was talking in bear form and another druid sent me a tell saying I can't speak in bear form it's just grunt noises, and that kind of shot me down. (I had natural spell which since spells require specific verbal commands, I figured I could talk in animal form as well, but the other druid explained it some other way, and that it didn't. Whatever, no big deal.) The point was, non-human characters to role play with are cool.

[GodBeastX]

I'd like to see DMs be a bit more reactive to PC requests that are already going on as opposed to designing their own events and stories. Don't get me wrong, I know it's a pain to set up events, create a story, and get buy-in... the effort is very much appreciated! But, in the last week, I've had some issues where PCs have ignored NPCs (being pickpocketed by a rogue while the Helm priest is staring RIGHT at him five feet away; having a cleric chase me into the Exigo campfire with a shadow summon, which is a really evil being, something even neutral rogues or guards would certainly not want brought to their safehold). I used the DM channel to inform the DMs at the time regarding this, having my character try to influence the guards ICly, but wasn't met with much enthusiasm. Being reactive and responsive to current events instead of running your own story can really make the world seem more alive (and in the above cases, hold PCs accountable for questionable practices!).

I don't think players often request things. I think a great majority of players think the answer is automatically no all the time. Truth is, if people request things that are reasonable, you get a yes, unless of course, DMs are flooded.