What do you look for in a GM?

Started by AxeGunner, Jul 15, 2007, 10:03 PM

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AxeGunner

What exactly do you look for when you describe a good GM to someone?  Does he do events all the time?  Does he spontaneously spout random jokes?

Also, what about sub-GMs as well.

I'd just like to get different opinions from other people.

The undersigned,
   Axe
His name was [deXter], not dexter.

:(

Pow

There are many types of "Good" Game Masters, since most of them are good at doing different things.

I for one believe that honesty is always the best policy - whether you want the community to know the truth or not. I also believe in doing what the players want - not just what I want which is a HUGE plus when it comes to people describing you as "good".


Anyway - basically be yourself and don't let people tell you how to do your job =p



-Pow
Divided we stand, together we fall.
There isn't any god that can save us all
So don't pray on your knees, just beg on your hands
There is no belief in this promised land

Transcend

Copy cat me and you will be the best hybrid GM ever :D!
anyway,don t be emo/g§§ with ¨^_^
No no,be serious,LISTEN TO THEM,DO WHAT THEY WANT IF YOU CAN [IMMEDIATELY] D:
for EG they wanted guild bases i made them ones where u enter with a password !!!
So don t be lazy
also,a good gm is one who is skilled (TECHNIQUALY) who has potential and a near to 0 limit when it s about creating something :D

Slaw

A good GM is professional, he doesn't care if he's disliked by the community or not, nor is he rude. He tries to balance good support and a friendly atmosphere while at the same time keeping a distance from the rest of the community, making sure everyone knows he isn't a player, but a staff member. A good GM shouldn't be afraid to ban/warn/jail, no matter who's done something wrong, nor should he be afraid to keep an eye on the rest of the staff (Face it people, corruption is a big problem with private RO servers). A good GM does not believe everything can be solved by holding two events a day (Boy have I seen that one too many times), nor does he completely abandon the idea of causing the players some sort of relief from the grinding every now and then, be it a simple event every month or so, or just some random drop-by chats.

A good GM is mature, and he is also a good player, knowing most ingame mechanics. He is knowledgable in (as far as private servers go atleast) basic NPC/item/monster scripting, and should know enough about the used RO clients to be able to give some off-game tech support. A good GM does not have too many strong connections to the community. If he does, there's a bigger chance he'll either go corrupt, or be disliked by certain members. He should also not know the administrators too well. If he does do something wrong, it's alot easier to fire someone if you don't know him.

That's a good GM to me. Professional and knowledgeable.

Mieu

I forget where I first heard this, but I like to say that a good GM makes and enforces the rules, while making it seem like there are none.

Transcend

Quote from: Mieu on Jul 16, 2007, 01:58 AM
I forget where I first heard this, but I like to say that a good GM makes and enforces the rules, while making it seem like there are none.
Aka make it impossible for the players to cheat techniqualy?

Mieu

That would go under enforcing the rules.  Enforcing rules effectively makes for good administration and a good atmosphere.  Enforcing them TOO harshly or TOO leniently makes it so that the rules are either a joke or a burden.

Pandora

Professional, mature, patient, humble, honest, hardworking. That last one is important, most people who apply to be a GM don't understand that it is work, it's not all fun and play, it's not to show off. If you're looking for a GM you need someone with a head on their shoulders. Sure it's good if they hold events, but they must not spoil the players too much or give insane reward for small events with little efforts. A GM must have a good judgement, not only must they enforce rule but they must judge what punishment applies in different situation. Good GMs are hard to find.
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sineas

@Pandora:
Well said /no1

GMs should also know how to be approachable. Create a bond with players but never forget to draw a line between players and GMs/Staff... this will keep those players in line without drawbacks. ;D
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Transcend

hmm i kind of make them part of the staff,being the only GM (GM01 lol and probably i will always be the only one since the guys like it like that :D) so i never add an npc,give a prize without asking them O_o!

MetalMessiah

I have been many Levels of GM's since i joined the Ro scene i Have learned what makes a good gm a good gm. A good Gm is somebody who knows both server side and client side stuff and somebody who has a little bit of experience.

PerfectDeath

hmm, so it seems that a lot of you prefer GMs to be able to work on different levels.  I'm very familiar with GMs who specialize in one area and work with GMs who specialize in other areas.  Like a very creative event GM works with a scripting GM to build an event script and some other GMs who know more about the server's econ can help with making the prizes etc.

Cause I don't see many GMs who CAN do all of those scripting things but are very good in the other areas.  Also I've seen and read about many GMs that get hired just because they can script and they end up messing up the server because they don't listen to players.

Arcenciel

I would stick to what Slaw said. He said all things that I would expect from a GM.

AceJay


SakuraX

Quote from: Slaw on Jul 16, 2007, 01:12 AM
A good GM is professional, he doesn't care if he's disliked by the community or not, nor is he rude. He tries to balance good support and a friendly atmosphere while at the same time keeping a distance from the rest of the community, making sure everyone knows he isn't a player, but a staff member. A good GM shouldn't be afraid to ban/warn/jail, no matter who's done something wrong, nor should he be afraid to keep an eye on the rest of the staff (Face it people, corruption is a big problem with private RO servers). A good GM does not believe everything can be solved by holding two events a day (Boy have I seen that one too many times), nor does he completely abandon the idea of causing the players some sort of relief from the grinding every now and then, be it a simple event every month or so, or just some random drop-by chats.

A good GM is mature, and he is also a good player, knowing most ingame mechanics. He is knowledgable in (as far as private servers go atleast) basic NPC/item/monster scripting, and should know enough about the used RO clients to be able to give some off-game tech support. A good GM does not have too many strong connections to the community. If he does, there's a bigger chance he'll either go corrupt, or be disliked by certain members. He should also not know the administrators too well. If he does do something wrong, it's alot easier to fire someone if you don't know him.

That's a good GM to me. Professional and knowledgeable.

i totally agree with you! indeed there are lots of corrupted GMs out there in private servers, most of them are also a friend of the admin which makes the whole community completely biased! i have seen lots of GMs pretending to be "smart" through joking around, showing off their "GM's power" or even worse favoring certain players and gives item to them! no, people (GM/admin) who does something just for the sake of somebody (players) without a reasonable reason is completely a bs! things such as allowing player sticking up to them (being friends), making the players "happy" through cheap means (by that i mean "physical happiness" which is using a physical object* to satisfy one's desire) in exchange for donation, votes and such

physical object: as in real life they count as the objects that are touchable, useable anything that is PHYSICAL; things that not only exist in the mind concept. in game, physical object is referring to items like useable items (potions, food, etc...), equpiments, and etc drops (cards, stones, arrows... whatever that falls into this section)

an ideal GM is those one who DO NOT care about how players or admin force them to do things that is out of the policy guideline (in other words an ideal GM SHOULD remain neutral as always and forever!) (there were GMs who only did things in favor for donators; where as the non-donators were asking for help, they ignored it or giving delay into it). in addition to that ideal GM SHOULD NOT have an attitude of "below one person (admin); above millions (players)". by far this one is one of the most important aspect of making people think being a GM should/would be, COOL, being LOOKED UP, SPECIAL and DOMINATING (there was once a GM out there who fought a losing battle in pvp then turn everyone into a lunatic just for the sake of his own rage). lastly, an ideal GM should also be what Slaw mentioned, professional and knowledgeable. if a GM fails that, i am sorry but to say he/she is truely a n**b that abuses power only and bringing disasters to the community!

P.S. perhaps someone (an ideal GM) should write a guide on "how to be a good GM"