Players & Immortals, WoTMUD Style

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Sanguine
Posts: 351
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:48 pm

Players & Immortals, WoTMUD Style

Post by Sanguine » Tue May 18, 2021 2:26 am

Hey all. Might be starting my first ever D&D campaign this year. Close friend is going to DM it, and he mentioned holding a session to listen to players' expectations for the sessions, and then give his expectations, and reconcile any differences before starting, to make it as fun as possible. Fortunately it's a group of friends playing, unlike (but not THAT unlike) WoTMUD. But some searching tonight and I found a great post, credited below. I quoted it here replacing "DM" with immortal - hope it reads well enough, I didn't read it a second time. I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts, Immortals included, if you feel so inclined. I think it rings pretty true to me.
Playing WoTMUD
I am a player of Wheel of Time MUD.
As a player of this game, I have certain expectations. I consider these to be reasonable and applicable to all players.

As a player, I expect to have control over my character. I don’t expect control of my character’s background because that means having control over a portion of the setting. I don’t have control over the setting, the IMMORTAL does. I have my character from the moment I enter the game to the moment the character dies (and sometimes beyond).
My character is mine to control and I am free from anything that will limit that control. I understand there are exceptions to this freedom ~ I am not my character, after all; I am me and I am playing this game with friends and we are a team. As a member of a team, I will respect my friends’ thoughts and opinions; I am willing to work with my party to set agreeable goals for all of us; and I expect the same in return.

My character is mine to control, to be sure, but I’m not talking about in-game influences like enchantments or magic spells; I’m not seeking to shirk responsibilities; I’m not saying my character will never have attachments in the setting. These are superficial things. They are the window dressings of the game that we pretend are important, that we accept at face value. I’m saying that I, as a player, am not inherently beholden to anything in the game or to anyone outside the game, save my fellow players. I am a member of a team and must play the game accordingly; apart from that, I am free to play my character as I see fit.
As a member of a team, I will work with my fellow players. I will not work against them. I will not engage in player-vs-player behavior. I expect the same from my teammates.

I do not have control of the setting but I expect to be allowed the opportunity to gain control if I choose to pursue that goal. I expect that any goal I set for myself will be met with opposition. I do not expect the opposition to be appropriate to my level or my skill; only that it is appropriate to my circumstances and the setting around my character. If my character survives the setting and advances in any way ~ gold, equipment, power, status, level, skill ~ it will be because I (and my party) have triumphed against the odds.

As a player, I expect that the setting operates according to a rational design. There will be consequences for my actions, good or bad or indifferent, but always rational. I may not always understand the rationale or the reasoning behind why the setting behaves as it does. I merely expect that the IMMORTAL’s decisions will be driven by some sort of reason and logic, and that, given the opportunity, I may figure out that reason and apply it to my advantage.

Since I do not control the setting and I am not my character, I expect that the IMMORTAL will communicate my character’s circumstances to me. If I ask a question, I expect an answer, insofar as my character is able to reasonably know the answer. Without the IMMORTAL’s description of the setting, I am deaf and blind.

I expect that the IMMORTAL will follow the rules of the game and remain consistent in applying those rules. Where the rules are not clear for the immediate situation, I expect that the IMMORTAL will do the right thing by making a ruling on the spot and revising that ruling when time permits. I expect that rules introduced in the middle of a game will be constructed with input from the players.

As a player, I will roll my dice in the open and I will accept a fair roll without dispute. I expect my IMMORTAL will do the same.

As a IMMORTAL, I expect my players hold these same understandings and expectations.

Running WoTMUD
I am an IMMORTAL..
As a WoTMUD IMMORTAL, I have certain expectations. I consider these to be reasonable and applicable to everyone who sits at my table.

As the IMMORTAL, I have control over my world. I am the final authority on everything that happens in the world. I decide what rules we use; I populate the world with places, characters and creatures; I set the tone and genre for the game. When my players ask a question about the world, I will know the answer. If I do not know the answer, I will find it or make an answer, as appropriate.

As the IMMORTAL, I do not control the players’ characters. They are free agents in my world. I will not tell them what their characters do, only what their characters can experience about the world around them. This does not relieve the players of any sort of responsibility; the world will react to their presence and their actions in a manner that logical and consistent, given the circumstances.

I will know the rules. I will apply the rules consistently and fairly. I will not roll the dice (or call for a roll from the players) without a full understanding of the implications of that roll. I will accept the results of any roll as-is. I will not cheat or roll my dice behind a screen, but out in the open where the players may see them. If asked, I will tell the players why I (or they) are rolling, insofar as their characters are able to perceive the answer.

In the absence of clear rules for a given situation, I will make a ruling and keep the game moving forward. I will revisit that ruling in-between sessions with the intent to write a clear and concise rule that can be used in future sessions.

When writing new rules, I will consider the following factors: existing rules; real-world comparisons; practical implications (game theory); and the willingness of my players to apply or follow the rule. I will be responsive to feedback from my players concerning new rules.

I will get to know my players. The game’s action is driven by their choices. They set the agenda; they determine their own goals. While the world is independent of the players’ characters, I will nonetheless present them with opportunities that align with their goals (and make sense given their place in the world).

I will learn about the real world. I will apply as much of my knowledge about the real world to the game world. In this way, I will use real-world information to create a better understanding of our shared fantasy world.

I will study game theory. I will learn how people play games and how they react to various choices. I will apply this knowledge to create good rules for my game, that suit my players’ behaviors and tastes in the game.

I am the players’ eyes and ears. They cannot know anything about the world except what I tell them. If the players ask a question, I will give them an answer, insofar as they are able to conceivably know it. When in doubt, I will err on the side of caution and give the players more information.

I will provide my players with opportunities to adventure in my world. I will not hold their hands. I will not force them to follow a path. I will offer choices and I will present the world in a manner that encourages behavior, but does not force it.

I will tell the players what their characters know and think and feel, but only insofar as the moment is happening or as the rules apply to their character. I will not force a player to play a character according to a fleeting emotion. I will not insist the players avoid bringing information to the table from outside their character’s limits.

I seek to create tension and drama in the game. I want my players to succeed but it is my job to put obstacles and challenges in front of them. If I do not do my job well, they will have a less-than-satisfactory experience at my table. To accomplish this goal, I will not pull punches; I will not hide my dice rolls; I will not cheat or fudge or change stats in the middle of a game. I will give the players as much information as they need (and sometimes more) so that they can make good decisions about the course of their game.

I will moderate the social interaction at my table. The players are members of a team and this is a team game; their success or failure depends on their ability to work together. If they struggle with this, I will step in to provide guidance and advice. If a particular player is behaving poorly, is out-of-line, displays toxic attitudes or is generally being a bad person, I will address that player in the moment.
I will not seek to embarrass or make any player uncomfortable as a person. Tension in regard to the characters is one of my goals for the game. Tension in regard to the players is not.

As a IMMORTAL, I expect that my players hold similar views and play in a manner consistent with these expectations.
https://www.quora.com/How-should-I-set- ... pectations

Itesh
Posts: 828
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:59 am

Re: Players & Immortals, WoTMUD Style

Post by Itesh » Tue May 18, 2021 3:30 am

Hope you don't mind, I added paragraphs.

Sanguine
Posts: 351
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:48 pm

Re: Players & Immortals, WoTMUD Style

Post by Sanguine » Tue May 18, 2021 9:06 am

Itesh wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 3:30 am
Hope you don't mind, I added paragraphs.
I was about to do that but got too lazy since I was editing on my phone, thank you.

Sanguine
Posts: 351
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:48 pm

Re: Players & Immortals, WoTMUD Style

Post by Sanguine » Sat May 22, 2021 9:41 am

Too long of a read? No one's wanting to discuss this?

Nunzio
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:47 am
Location: USA, Virginia

Re: Players & Immortals, WoTMUD Style

Post by Nunzio » Mon May 24, 2021 11:59 am

Only partially read, almost tl;dr

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