(TTRPG thoughts) Years ago, I planned an epic #ttrpgadventure out for my game I g group. I searched for a game that would be suitable for the story I wanted to tell (first mistake). I wanted to broaden my horizons with games I hadn’t played. I decided on GURPS (fourth edition) 1

I sent my players the quick start information, which included a surprising amount of character creation rules. I also sent them a brief setup of the game. The idea is they would send me any questions and then they would make their characters in their own, avoiding session 0 (2)

I did get a question. “This is pretty broad is there anything you don’t want us to use?” In my naivety (or was arrogance) I said no, we would use the rules as they were, and if I’m honest I don’t revenge think I looked at the rules that were being questioned. (3)

The game night finally got there. It was a science fiction game where the characters were taken out of their element on earth and thrust into an alien world. I was really excited about what I had planned. The first scene was set in an alien bar. No big deal, right? (4)

... now this is when the previous question comes I to play. Even at this point I hadn’t really bothered to really examine the players characters. I narrate that they are thrust into this bar and a player says hold on I have to roll. (5)

He points to the book and says he has something like PTSD and basically has to roll every time a strange or unusual situation occurs in game. (6)

He did . He failed... Also because he was in a bar. And also had taken alcoholic he had to roll anytime there was alcohol - he did - he failed. Mechanically the rules together essentially made this character useless in the adventure I had created. (7)

I froze. I completely shutdown. We had not been playing the game for 25 minutes - but the game was over. I didn’t know what to do. The. Ext day I traded those books to a used bookstore and never looked back. (8)

This did make me reevaluate the games I have been interested in and my preferred play style ever since. Looking back there is a lot wrong with this story. 1) I created a pretty miniature adventure with very little player choice or player voice. (9)

2. I didn’t pay attention to what the players created - and at least how it would interact with what I had planned. 3) as a GM I should have been able to move that story along regardless of mechanics. I should have moved it along. (10)

Next systems. I prefer less crunch systems. GURPS is super crunchy - but it doesn’t have to be. It is a tool box and I didn’t realize that. This lead me to investigate more narrative systems - these were not as widely spread (at least in my circles)then as they are now.(11)

A few years after this I took a break from gaming, When I fell back into it about 4 years ago I found a lot had changed - or at least the people who were talking had changed. (12)

As I listened to the people discussing game running and game design I thought back on this experience and everything I did wrong. Honestly it has probably been the best learning experience I have ever had with #TTRPGs. (13)

Its not about doing things wrong though - it’s about learning and improving in running and design. I had been playing and running for quite a while, but I was interretested in telling my story - and not in letting the players and the gm tell a story together. (14)

I’m not really sure of the point of this thread - but I’ve been wanting to write that out for a long time - so maybe it’s helpful to someone. (15)