There’s something to be said for trying the wrong thing too. Learning something doesn’t work is just as valuable as learning something works. A lot of people (myself included) are afraid to fail so it’s easier to do nothing than to try and fail. I force myself everyday to get out there and fail because if I’ve been the loser who did nothing and that was far worse than failing.

You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about. Current polling has major regions in russia polling 113% of the popular vote to putin. Do your research.

Actually going to agree with this one. To adress the other commenters pushing against this post. Yes, roleplay can trigger a trauma response especially if it is done without consent. And creating a backstory is far different than creating pieces of a backstory, having it passed around to the other players and having the potential of conflict because of rumors. A lot of people will find that fun (I’m thinking of using this in my next campaign), if you have had a terrible experience with this it won’t be.

On the other side of the coin, roleplay can be a wonderful way of facing traumas, but it has to be done right and with consent. Having clear communication between DM and players should be default and if allowing one player to not participate in that or have an altered participation (maybe leave out the one false), then so be it.

I also think it’s sort of fucked up to dogpile this post.

Not who you responded to, but I can’t follow a pre made campaign as a DM. My current campaign started as a pre made, but prepping for it felt too much like homework so we hopped the rails and I’ve been my own story.

To answer your question from how I operate, I have a rough idea of what the conclusion of the campaign looks like and a rough odea of how the party might get there. I only really know the specifics of what the party is currently doing or what they might encounter in the next months. At this point in the campaign the the players know who the big baddie is, what they’re up to, and know of means to stop them. It’s up to them to figure out a plan to stop the big bad. The party has taken some of my hooks to solve their problems and have gone completely off the rails at some points to solve their problems. There are some points in the campaign that are pretty linear (like right now, they need a macguffin from a particular place) and some where they’re given set pieces, a location, and a good luck slap of the ass.

As it pertains to the meme up here for me personally, sometimes I’ll build an encounter/boss/set piece and the party will completely fucking skip it. That’s okay though, now I have a partial idea for later. I hope that gives you some insight into the other side. I’m also interested in other DMs that make their own, what methods they use.

Musk throws thermonuclear tantrum

Knowledge is a grower and a shower

My strategy was to give the group some notoriety after they had done some stuff in the local region and have the local populous come up with really bad names and descriptions for them. Eventually they came up with their own name that fit them really well. They still have a few in jokes based on the names they were given. It felt fun and collaborative so I’ll probably keep that strategy.

Does it hold up after a rewatch?

Lots of good answers so far. From my experience, most people know what the fuck to do or at least they know they have a few options, so they don’t need me to tell them how to solve their problem.

To specifically answer your question… sitting there listening allows you to figure out if the person needs to vent, talk out their options, validation about their reaction, validation for their own solution, social connection, to know they have a support system in you, encouragement, and sometimes, yes, advice or a solution. So to assume it’s only a solution they want leaves out a whole host of other possible reasons they might come to you. “I know I just need to send an email, I just wanted to removed about my boss being a bag of dicks”.

And then it bleeds into the internet and communities for fans of the show/movie/game get overrun with people who just want to complain. Complaining gets more engagement than enjoying and the hate rises to the top. And I’m sitting here wondering again: Why don’t you just watch things you enjoy and then go lift weights and/or talk to someone (good friend or therapist)?

Am I your boy?

Borrowed it from his gardener

Right? The only one that doesn’t really apply is cooking for 1, but I like cooking and cooking for 2 is often the same amount of effort.

That was my plan. Are… are we not doing rhat anymore?

This isn’t a pissing contest and no one is acting like this is unique. We saw the same excitement for the last 2 Zelda games, God of War, Spiderman, Elden Ring etc. (post more examples, I don’t pay as much attention to the industry anymore so I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch). Let’s celebrate them if that’s what you’d like to see more of. They’re all awesome and they all add to the evidence that there is a large population that still want to experience games this way.

They don’t need to stop recognizing deplomas from there. All they need to do is maintain appropriate application standards and the fully indoctrinated will weed themselves out.

Mint leaves are too hippy. Prayer will do it.

My ex works for our state’s revenue department and they don’t give a fuck. The cases she would handle were honestly baffling how these people “made these mistakes”. They were either incredibly stupid or it was intentional tax fraud (it was intentional tax fraud). If you get tagged for an innocent mistake it seemed like an easy process to get out.

Hey man, they did the best they could with the minds they had available.

https://youtu.be/Obagb7RQeYo