GM Events, a couple of questions.

[Proglin]

Hello there everyone!

I am Proglin as a player, and Yill as a Game Master. Two seperated characters that both have a love for organising things. With Proglin it's guild quests and the tournaments I used to do. And with Yill it's the GM-events I organise together with the entire GM-team. These events are purely intended for you all to enjoy and give pretty shinies as rewards.... or not. I organised and wrote quiet a few now, and would like you all to tell me what you want. To keep it simple and understandable, here's a multiple choice sheeth for all of you. Please take some time to answer them and help me and the rest of team out when it comes to creating, hosting and organising these events.


1) What time-zone do you live in?
  a) GMT+0/GMT+2
  b) GMT+3/GMT+5
  c) GMT+6/GMT+8
  d) GMT+9/GMT+12
  d) GMT-1/ GMT-4
  e) GMT-5/ GMT-8
  f) GMT-9/GMT-11

2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  a) 0
  b) 1-2
  c) 2-5
  d) 6-10
  e) More.

3) What Type of events fo you prefer?
  a) Role-play
  b) Fighting, hacking and slashing.
  c) Riddles and puzzle solving.
  d) Scavenger hunt, collecting items and bringing them to the characters requesting them.
  e) No preferance.

4) Do the events last to long?
  a) Yes
  b) No
  c) Some of them
  d) A lot of them, but not every one of them.

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  a) All the walking
  b) OOC intteruptions
  c) The length
  d) the times when they are hosted.
  e) Other..................

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  a) Yes, it increases exitement.
  b) No, I awlays wat to win.
  c) Sometimes
  d) Other............

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  a) I prefer big epic events
  b) I prefer small events
  c) A mixture of both
  d) None.. gm events are boooooriiiing.

If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  a) A LOT!
  b) Yes, quite.
  c) Not really.
  d) A definite NO.
  e) what's a GM event?

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announing one?
  a) I like it random, just as Role-play is supposed to be.
  b) I like them pre-announced, so I can join in the ROle-play.
  c) Couldn't care less.
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you tink about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
  a) They are good as it is. No wonder you don't get a suit of heavy armour from a mushroom collector.
  b) To low. I want more stuff for the job I pulled.
  c) To high... where in the world did that mushroom lady get 10 times a farmers year salary from?!?
  d) Some are good, some are not. tough question, dunno.

And that concludes it for now. Please answer them as you please and take it somewhat serious even though some questions sound ridiculous. It would help me and other GM''s in creating bigger, better and more events. Thanks in advance and love you all.

[emeraldfool]

Hmm, sure, okay. I know how much my opinion is worth


1) What time-zone do you live in?
  a) GMT+0/GMT+2

2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  b) 1-2

3) What type of events do you prefer?
  a) Role-play

4) Do the events last too long?
  c) Some of them - I tend to link-die a lot (on average once every 30 minutes), which means I get cut off sometimes...

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  d) the times when they are hosted.

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can lose?
  a) Yes, it increases excitement.

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  a) I prefer big, epic events

8 ) If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  b) Yes, quite. There's always much more order and direction to them than regular role-plays...

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announcing one?
  b) I would like them pre-announced, so I can join in the Role-play, simply 'cause I always miss out because of my time-zone, which is just as OOC as announcing it - it's logical to assume my character would stumble upon these events even when I'm not plying him...
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you think about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
  a) They are good as it is. No wonder you don't get a suit of heavy armour from a mushroom collector.

[Idoru]

1) A,
2) 2 events that I can recall, but couldnt work out if that shoud be B or C ,
3) E,
4) B,
5) E- The fact im never around,
6) A - most certainly,
7) No preference,
8 ) B,
9) A - Even though I always miss them,
10) A

(Nice idea to survey people in this way, I would like to say that using yellow text is hell for those who use the 'grey theme' and that 8 ) becomes )

[Nikodemus]

1) What time-zone do you live in?
  a) GMT+0/GMT+2

2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  b) 1-2

3) What Type of events fo you prefer?
  a) Role-play - as first
  e) No preferance. - mix of all as second

4) Do the events last to long?
  b) No

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  b) OOC intteruptions

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  c) Sometimes

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  c) A mixture of both

If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  b) Yes, quite.

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announing one?
  b) I like them pre-announced, so I can join in the ROle-play.
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you tink about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
  a) They are good as it is. No wonder you don't get a suit of heavy armour from a mushroom collector.

[lanser]

1) What time-zone do you live in?
  a) GMT+0/GMT+2
 

2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  a) 0
 
3) What Type of events do you prefer?
  a) Role-play
 
4) Do the events last to long?
  e) dunno

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  b) OOC intteruptions

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  a) Yes, it increases exitement.

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  c) A mixture of both

If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  e) what's a GM event?

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announcing one?
  e) How about a mixture of both?.
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you think about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
   d) dunno. Best to try and make the rewards fit the circumstances.
[/quote]

[Nurahk]

1) What time-zone do you live in?
  e) GMT-5/ GMT-8


2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  c) 2-5

3) What Type of events fo you prefer?
  a) Role-play

4) Do the events last to long?
  b) No

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  b) OOC intteruptions

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  a) Yes, it increases exitement.

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  c) A mixture of both*

8 ) If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  a) A LOT!

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announing one?
  a) I like it random, just as Role-play is supposed to be.**
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you tink about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
  a) They are good as it is. No wonder you don't get a suit of heavy armour from a mushroom collector.


*A lot more smaller than larger but, they should both be present.
**[Though, there should be larger ones with IC forum posts announcing them.  If a large army was advancing on Hydlaa, I'm sure we would know about it IC a few days before they got there, for example.]

[Earl_Listbard]

1) What time-zone do you live in?
  e) GMT-5/ GMT-8

2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  b) 1-2

3) What Type of events fo you prefer?
  e) No preferance.

4) Do the events last to long?
  b) No

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  b) OOC intteruptions

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  a) Yes, it increases exitement.

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  b) I prefer small events

Cool If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  b) Yes, quite.

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announing one?
  a) I like it random, just as Role-play is supposed to be.
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you think about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
  d) Some are good, some are not. tough question, dunno.


-EL

[Sangwa]

1) a)
2) a)
3) e)
4) c)
5) e) Other. That they seem detached from all the other day to day events that take place. Plus, they're really irrelevant as people usually forget what happened as the plot rarely contributes with enough to make things felt overall, and they usually (those I've seen) don't take advantage of things that happen in the past.
6) d) Other. Events shouldn't be done keeping in mind anyone's chance to win. They should be planned, a lot of outcomes should be predicted and they should allow equal chance to each of these outcomes. That's how Game Masters usually plan their roleplays in the ancestral Pen & Paper roleplays. It's hardly about winning or losing, more about what actually happens and how fun it is.
7) d)

9) a)
10)

[LARAGORN]

1)   e) GMT-5/ GMT-8
2)   c) 2-5
3)  e) No preferance.
4)   b) No
5)  b) OOC intteruptions
6)   c) Sometimes
7)   b) I prefer small events
  b) Yes, quite.
9)   b) I like them pre-announced, so I can join in the ROle-play.
10)   d) Some are good, some are not. tough question, dunno.

[Garile]

1. a)GMT+0/GMT+2
2. c) 2-5
3. a) Role-play
4. d) A lot of them, but not every one of them.
5. b) OOC intteruptions
6. a) Yes, it increases exitement.
7. b) I prefer small events
8. c) Not really.
9. a) I like it random, just as Role-play is supposed to be.
10.  d) Some are good, some are not. tough question, dunno.

[Zan]

1. What time-zone do you live in?
  a) GMT+0/GMT+2

2. How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  c) 2-5 (To be honest, none as a player yet)

3. What Type of events fo you prefer?
  a) Role-play

4. Do the events last to long?
  c) Some of them

5. What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  d) the times when they are hosted.

6. GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  a) Yes, it increases exitement.
 
7. Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  c) A mixture of both

8. If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  b) Yes, quite.

9. GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announing one?
  a) I like it random, just as Role-play is supposed to be.
 
10. And at last, rewards. What do you tink about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
  d) Some are good, some are not. tough question, dunno. (Personally I'd go for mostly XP awards and some occasional item/tria when it fits into the storyline.)

[Piker]

1. A
2. B
3. E
4. C
5. B and a but of D
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. B

[peeg]

1) What time-zone do you live in?
  a) GMT+0/GMT+2

2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  c) 2-5

3) What Type of events fo you prefer?
  e) No preferance.

4) Do the events last to long?
  c) Some of them

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  d) the times when they are hosted.

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  c) Sometimes

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  c) A mixture of both

If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  a) A LOT!

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announing one?
  c) Couldn't care less.
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you tink about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
  a) They are good as it is. No wonder you don't get a suit of heavy armour from a mushroom collector.

[Parallo]

1) What time-zone do you live in?
  a) GMT+0

2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  a) 0
 

3) What Type of events fo you prefer?
  a) Role-play

4) Do the events last to long?

 I don't know but I doubt it.

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
 
  b) OOC intteruptions
 

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  a) Yes, it increases exitement.

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
 
  c) A mixture of both

If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?

 I'd imagine so.

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announing one?
  a) I like it random, just as Role-play is supposed to be.
 
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you tink about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.

  c) To high... where in the world did that mushroom lady get 10 times a farmers year salary from?!?


If I had of been in any maybe I'd have been more help  but thats my thoughts anyway.

[Under the moon]

Well put questions.

I am UtM, as many of you know. As a character... well as at least twelve characters, I tend to play the 'normal' folks, more like NPCs than heroes. I also am an organizer of events, and a director from the shadows. Some of you have knowingly participated in events I have created and anounced. Other times you have been my unwitting victims, as the RP was never anounced as mine, or anounced as an event at all. I see events as a way to create, or add to the existing and evolving flow of your character's life stories. So, I answer these questions from that perspective, and will make a few comment of my own.



1) What time-zone do you live in?
  e) GMT-5/6 (damn the daylight savings)


2) How many GM events did you participate in as a whole?
  a) 0, But I have watched a few small ones happen by Harn's. Never been on for the 'big' ones, so can not comment.

3) What Type of events fo you prefer?
  a) Role-play
  b) Fighting, hacking and slashing.
  c) Riddles and puzzle solving.
  d) Scavenger hunt, collecting items and bringing them to the characters requesting them.
  F) All of the above. An event can have aspects from all mentioned choices. By a) RP, I assume you mean a bit of drama/comedy/emotion/story/etc. All events should start with this, or they feel like pure fluff.

4) Do the events last to long?
  e) other. The small events I have seen lasted little more than five to ten minutes, and generally involved a group of characters being lead around by the nose by a GM. They seemed short and forced to me. The large events last hours (I have heard), and if you get disconnected, you miss out on things. So, it is actually a hard question to answer. Both are actually too short for most players to get a taste of.

Anyone who knows my RP events knows they last weeks and months, not hours. But there is always a way to get caught up, and one can join any time without knowing the entire story.

5) What do you dislike most when it comes to events?
  b) OOC intteruptions
  d) the times when they are hosted.
  e) b, d, and Other. The second a GM comes into the scene, they are often surrounded by people who want to be in the event. Something just feels off about this to me.

6) GM events are made so that the players have a 99% chance of winning. Is it a good idea to lower this chance, making it so that a player can loose?
  c) Sometimes. Some events should be set up as 100% chance of completing. Others -talking from the evil side of the Moon- should be almost impossible to win. I did this in my RPs. Sometimes bad things happened that players could do nothing about, no matter how hard they tried. The Un-Common Cold was actually set up so that if done wrong, players would have lost terribly.

7) Small events always tend to be more realistic. Big events are always... big. Do you prefer Big epic events, or small events such as a woman in need of herbs?
  c) A mixture of both. You know how much I like the huge story events that last weeks (though GMs can not do this yet), but I also like to set up small senarios with some of my unknown characters. Sometimes it is as simple as asking directions to a certain place, others it is running around collecting imaginary bugs *grins*. The point of these is just to liven up the place, and have a little fun. Ah yes, and since mushrooms are back, perhaps a certain Menki will be retuning to start serving up the 'Quest' again.

If you joined in one, do you enjoy GM events?
  f) From what I have seen, small GM events seem too forced to me. I could have taken part, but seeing all the other players there made me want to stay back. They have the feel of /GMevent <stuff happens> /endGMevent. Too cut and dry, with no past, nor future to them.

9) GM events are random, cause otherwise it would be OOC. Do you prefer random events, or would you like to see a forum post announing one?
  e) Both. Small events should not be anounced, and be done at a GM's whim. They should be pure RP, as if playing a character. It might even help if the GM used a non-GM character, so players did not know they were in an event.
Large events, on the other hand, should be anounced in a better way. Little hints and clues could be dropped in the game, or in the forum. I am not saying to say straight out that <this> will be happening at <this place> at <this time>, as that robs some of the mood from the event.
 
10) And at last, rewards. What do you tink about the rewards in the events. Think realistic for this one.
  e) I do not know what rewards are given. Frankly, if a reward is needed to get people to want to be in an event, then the event has something wrong with it. In my mind, the event, and the story it creates, is the reward. Nothing more is needed for most events.


Many of the above issues could be solved with better GM tools. Controlling an event from single/first person(or even third) is a hard thing to do. GMs need the ability to control more characters at once on the fly, see what is going on in large areas, maybe even more than one map at a time, and have better tools for single use NPC triggers. That way, GM NPCs could help run the events, and events can go on even if all the GMs log off. Events -could- last weeks, then, and it would be far easier to step in and out of the event.