When did you first start playing RPGs and what were they? When I was teen, or possibly before then. It would probably have been D&D or Advanced D&D or Warhammer Fantasy back then. What was the most memorable part of those sessions? Building and exploring a strange world. Why did you start GMing? I really enjoy having a story that the players not only play in but can move in directions you did not foresee, creating a new story out of it. How long have you been GMing? Years and years on and off What systems have you GMed? D&D multiple editions, Warhammer Fantasy and soon Walking Dead What are the pleasures and pitfalls of GMing? Thinking on your feet, when the party inevitably does something or goes somewhere you did not think of. What was the most memorable part of the sessions you GMed? Any session where the players tackle it in new and unexpected ways. For example an expected battle is prevented/circumvented via other means or an extremely lucky roll, that means that the
As with all things, this started off with a random idea, a premise.. What are the different genres and styles of Tabletop RPGs? This set me off into a little rabbit hole, as there are loads of both and they cross over between themselves a lot. With protagonists and detractors of each. So its all about style… isn’t it? Well no, style is just one aspect of a RPG, it gets confused with the core mechanic of the system used to play the RPG, but is different. The System is the mechanical aspect of the RPG, the rules, dice or cards, how interactions/combats etc are mechanically done. This in a lot of respects is the minor part of the RPG, yes some systems are more complicated and intricate than others, but this is just mechanics. Style is above the mechanics, it uses them to enact the style of play. So what are some Styles of Play? What is Style? While you may not think about it all the time, there’s a lot more than storylines and content. Style is the way in which a GM tells a story. It’s wh