Looking for feedback from DMs

[worstlife3]

Hey everyone,

I'm working on a project that aims to explore possible ways of reducing the cognitive overhead for beginners to get into the role of DMing and I've created a short survey to help gather information about the learning process which existing DMs have gone through in their personal experience.

If you have 3 minutes I would greatly appreciate some feedback and I'll be looking to share the findings after the fact with the general public for those that are interested.

Link to survey: https://goo.gl/forms/OAZvH1HNtSAzCUez1

Thanks in advance and let me know if you have any additional comments about your experience becoming a DM.
:smallsmile:

[Ninja_Prawn]

I've responded, but some of the answers should probably be discarded because they aren't really applicable.

For 'how long did you prep before your first session', I took a stab in the dark. It's a huge number because, in preparing for that campaign, I wrote a 50-page book of homebrew content (now expanded to 102 pages and available on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/posts/fey-folio-17893628) for $1 #shamelesspromo) specifically for the game, plus lots of NPCs, pages of mind maps detailing in-game politics, a spreadsheet that generates pseudorandom weather conditions in three biomes over a 4-year period... Plus all of the other prep I mentioned in a previous answer, including dozens of YouTube videos. In fact, now that I think on it, 40 hours is probably a significant underestimate. But it's not representative of the amount of time I'd normally spend prepping for a campaign, which is probably more like 2 hours.

For 'how long was your first session' and 'how long do you spend between sessions', I can't really answer (so I put 0.1 and 0) because I only play online via the forum. We don't have sessions; we're just playing continuously, 24/7. Or whenever I check my phone, at least. I've always got the campaigns in the back of my mind, but it's not like I allocate time in my day purely for that.

[Callak_Remier]

I answered. That said your exclusion of a Dm being aware of the players fun is troubling

[terodil]

Hi,

I also answered.

One bit of feedback: There are two single-choice questions that really should allow several answers at once, imo: "What made you want to become a DM?" and "What did you do to prepare for DMing your first session?"

[tchntm43]

I answered but I don't really know how accurate some of it is. I started DMing in 2nd Edition in the early 90s. I really have little idea how long it took to prepare the first adventure or how long it took to complete. I wish those questions followed up with asking how long it takes to prepare and play now, because I know the answer would be much, much more for both.

[Nifft]

Several of these are either pointlessly vague or just weird -- I sense some kind of hardline distinction driving the choices, and I suspect the distinction being sought is only partially valid.

The last question is a good example of just too vague to be useful. What does "all the time" even mean? Once every four sessions? Five times per session? For a bunch of these, you're going to get feels, not reals -- and that's purely due to your questions.

Also weird stuff like "play in person" vs. "at a game store" -- do you NOT show up in person to the store? How does that even work?



I answered. That said your exclusion of a Dm being aware of the players fun is troubling

Heh, I wrote in basically that.

[Ninja_Prawn]

The last question is a good example of just too vague to be useful.

Oh yeah. A definition of what you mean by reference materials (or whatever the phrasing was) would help too. Like, obviously I refer to the stat blocks and character sheets every turn... I have to keep track of how much HP people have left, especially when most rounds take 24 hours of real time to complete! But I can't tell if that should count for your question.

[Dungeon-noob]

Filled it out, but this survey does contain gaps. 1, this assumes you got into rpgs with D&D, which isn't quite the way it happend for me. 2, the first session always requires more prep then the rest.

[Metamorph]

Hello there, same for me. I just finished it, but the reason why I started was simply because people heart that I play it and they wanted to try it. So they asked if i could dm.

[MThurston]

DMing is not for everyone.

The main issue with being a good DM is making sure encounters are not always equal. Sometimes the players need to have a hard or weaker challenge depending on their play.

Challenge Rating is tough. Some groups may need help at the CR while others walk through them.

A DM needs to find the right spot.

I honestly believe one should be a player for a good amount of time before jumping into DMing. Take notes on what they like in the game they are playing. Also take notes on the things that they don't like.

On a side note. There are tons of games to DM. Making this about D&D isn't a set point.

My first game was D&D 2E. It was ok and the only thing I knew. When I was introduced to rolemaster it was over with D&D. Then I was introduced to Harn Master and I was done with Rolemaster.

When I got stationed in Norfolk I could not find a group that played Harn Master. D&D 3E was heavy there and I liked it. Liked all the D&D that came after.

My main game is Harn Master 3 which I play on Roll20. I still play 5E weekly on Roll20 also.

So being a DM shouldn't be linked to D&D. DMing is universal to all game systems.

[terodil]

I honestly believe one should be a player for a good amount of time before jumping into DMing.
This is sadly an unvailable luxury for quite a few budding DMs.

Hence my dislike of people immediately jumping to label a DM as 'bad' if they make a mistake, and to recommend to players to leave their table at once. Sometimes DMs start with a handicap. Don't prevent them from learning and improving -- you had just that opportunity several years ago, it's only courteous to extend the same good will to newcomers, players and DMs alike.

[DMThac0]

I started DMing when I was 8 yrs old, I'm 40 now... I answered the questions to the best of my ability, I had to treat each question as though it had no correlation to any other question in the survey. It's an interesting start to your project, however I believe you started with too many assumptions. I'd love to see some follow up to this and some more detailed questions and results.

[Nifft]

This is sadly an unvailable luxury for quite a few budding DMs.

Hence my dislike of people immediately jumping to label a DM as 'bad' if they make a mistake, and to recommend to players to leave their table at once. Sometimes DMs start with a handicap. Don't prevent them from learning and improving -- you had just that opportunity several years ago, it's only courteous to extend the same good will to newcomers, players and DMs alike.

Sometimes I wonder if some of the "no gaming is better than _____ gaming" crowd are just misery seeking company.

My experience is that most people want to improve.

[MThurston]

I started DMing when I was 8 yrs old, I'm 40 now... I answered the questions to the best of my ability, I had to treat each question as though it had no correlation to any other question in the survey. It's an interesting start to your project, however I believe you started with too many assumptions. I'd love to see some follow up to this and some more detailed questions and results.
With Roll20 and Battle Grounds, you should be able to get games in no matter where you are in the world. (You will need the internet)

Also you can watch games on the internet to learn the rules.

But yes, if 5 people want to play table top then someone has to DM.

[NRSASD]

Answered the survey. I feel like a lot of these questions would be better off as weighted questions rather than single answer. One question I had trouble answering was how much time I spend prepping. I probably only spend like an hour or two a week "preparing", but I spend something like 30-40 hours thinking and planning. Every spare moment, cause it's fun to do.

[ErHo]

I did it, but really cant remember much about these specifics on my first couple games after 28+ years