What makes a good online DM?

[Anastasia]

I was talking with Gatewalker about this and what do you know? It' stuck in my head like a bit of corn between my teeth. So, I ask you, what makes a good DM for an online game? What's important for an online DM to have success? What skill set is important and why? What about online player group management? What keeps the players interested in the game?

Very broad question, like to see what you guys think before putting in my two cents.

[Dracos]

Well, the basics are always necessary, so might as well rattle them off first.  Dedication to whatever game they're playing.  Communicating well with your players.  Having a stern enough back not to get rolled over by them, but also not to be blind to them being disinterested, bored, or otherwise.  Willingness to plan.  Ability to improvise.  And knowledge of the rules (whatever they are) and comfort arbitrating them in a mostly consistent manner.  Plan around your players and their characters first, your story second.  Involve your players so they are invested in the continuation of the game.

I'm going to handwave over the fact that a lot depends on the group, because that's banal and obvious.  All groups find their niche or die.  While it is night and day between groups, focusing on that really makes it impossible to comment (Is a banal DM that simply blathers aimlessly good if a set of players is willing to go with that every night and never gets anywhere?  Well the group is happy!)

For online dungeon masters, comfort writing is actually probably one of the more critical skills, versus oratory.  While meticulous dungeon crafting is still a valuable skill, you really can't use props to supplement it.  Fast typing is useful, even for play by email or play by post.

  A dm that understands and uses some kind of real time element is generally better suited for success for all but the most diligent and patient of players, as it helps keep the team a community, something that is often taken for granted and is much more difficult to achieve in online than it is in table (everyone's coming to the same spot for hours, it's practically free that they'll chatter and recognize each other as people).  Without having some shared time, most delayed action games fall entirely apart.

I'd like to say that DMs that set a schedule that's frequent and consistent tend to do better, but really that's not true and more just a personal pet peeve these days.  It is usually a more serious audience with a schedule, but I've seen many games, COR or the Sailor games for instance here, that while they might have some vague schedule is pretty much 'whenever we can sit down and play'.  Truthfully, frequency and consistency tend to matter most.  2 weeks as a frequency is usually the limit for most groups.  Beyond that its almost certain to fall apart.  This is technically around the same for face to face groups.

Keeping some kind of mid week going on is useful for success.  Spreading the tasks that make DMing work about is also useful for success and can contribute to this.  Basically, if there's something to do mid session for small intervals that contributes to the session, players tend to stay more involved and interactive.  Whether this is divying up treasure, identifying things, dealing with a small puzzle, arguing over minutia, whatever.  A DM with none of this going on generally has a harder time succeeding unless their game sessions are frequent enough for this not to matter.

A DM who knows how to play to the strengths of the medium rather than hit the weaknesses is important.  Writing in a fashion where players have to make rolls all the time works better in irc or on table than it does in PBP or PBeM as it drags the game.  Short but descriptive is the order of the day on ircs or chats.  Long with a lot to react and interact with is for post based.  Letting players have freedom to describe and elaborate on things is also much more important there.  Strict reins generally work better in real time environments where you can afford to actively guide the scene every moment and not potentially leave a player hanging for a day or two when they find there's nothing they can do in their play window.

and I be sleepy.  That's enough to start.

[Merc]

It's 3:30am, so I may not be entirely focused here. I -should- be asleep, but well, can't. Even though I feel tired as all heck. >_<

Anyhow..., a lot of what Drac hit upon really applies to a DM whether he's doing an online game or not. I'm assuming you're particularly focusing on the online aspect of DMing.

Things like both willingness to plan and ability to improvise are key to any DM, whether an online game or not. Same for knowledge of rules if using a particular system and how to adjust those rules for the players, knowing when to give them what they want, and when to be steadfast so they don't steamroll you.

If you're looking specifically towards online DMs, then the most important thing, I think is: Is the DM using the online medium to the best of their capability to grab hold the attention of his players and keep it in the game?

Online DMing is both easier and harder than its oral counterpart. If you were playing at a table, you have tools such as the tone of your voice to set the mood, gestures you make with your hands, etc. You engage your players the very moment you begin to speak.

With the typed medium, such as forum posts or IRC real-time play, you lack all these tools. Your players are left waiting, and their attentions can and will wander. They can't do anything while you type, they do not see what you type as you type it. At best, they can tell that you are, in fact, typing -something- (either they let you know, or some programs show if someone is typing), but as to what this is, they have zero clue.

So you have to type. What you do with the time you're typing, then, is what shows the quality of that online DM.

If you take too long typing or making a post, players will lose interest. With a forum game, they'll check more infrequently, with a real-time game, they'll start alt-tabbing, and that breaks the pacing and mood.

A good DM should be able to respond fast. Of course, I don't think this is -entirely- critical. For all that a fast response is important in keeping a player engaged, moreso is it important they can make up for the inability to engage their players through vocal inflection or gestures.

Good descriptions are a must. If a scene is nothing more than 'roll X.' '*rolls X*' 'you hit. monster rolls Y. What's your def' 'It's Z' 'he hits' or 'I try to convince the lord' 'roll diplo' 'you convince him'...well, it doesn't do much to engage the players. To pardon the cliche statement, avoid roll play, focus on role play. More than an oral-based game, a text game is more in danger of becoming boring if you don't take care of that cliche.

Another reason why speed isn't entirely critical...Online DMs also have one advantage in that, unlike an oral DM, they can 'take back' lines, without disturbing flow of the game much. As they're typing, they can quite easily erase their lines, and write something new. Sure, it uses up time, but if the new line is -better-...USE IT!

A DM at a table is practically incapable of going through this grandiose description and then pausing, looking thoughtful and then saying 'Wait, nevermind, I think instead...' and describing something new. An online DM essentially gets away with doing exactly this every time he erases anything in a line before posting it.

Online DMs can also much more markedly separate the in-character from the out-of-character. Separate forum threads, or different channels, or just markers to show what's ooc and what's ic.

There's times that a player simply doesn't get much action in-game. Keeping them active through ooc chatter helps keeps them involved in the game, even when it doesn't particularly affect their characters. Of course, this isn't purely on the DM's neck, other players can and should participate as well, but it is another thing a good online DM can do.

Speaking of this, obviously, I think it's important for an online DM to use their time well. Because people have to type, a game that's played in a typed medium will always take much much longer than one played orally. For the love of god, DON'T leave players hanging for hours with nothing to do. Just...don't. There's only so much ooc chatter can do to keep a player from feeling forgotten.

[Anastasia]

For online dungeon masters, comfort writing is actually probably one of the more critical skills, versus oratory.  While meticulous dungeon crafting is still a valuable skill, you really can't use props to supplement it.  Fast typing is useful, even for play by email or play by post.

What do you mean by 'comfort writing'?

I agree with fast typing. Fast typing and by extension fast reactions are highly useful for play by post or email, and absolutely critical for chat based. The game moves at the DM's pace; a slow DM ensures a slow game while a fast one gives the potential for a faster pace. The more time PCs spend waiting for the DM to reply, the less they're interacting, reacting and playing the game.  Faster players appreciate being able to go at things faster, while slower ones will have quick replies, so they can spend more time thinking and replying. Since the DM's fast, the slower players have more leeway with how fast they reply. Not as much time's been lost waiting for the DM, y'know?

A dm that understands and uses some kind of real time element is generally better suited for success for all but the most diligent and patient of players, as it helps keep the team a community, something that is often taken for granted and is much more difficult to achieve in online than it is in table (everyone's coming to the same spot for hours, it's practically free that they'll chatter and recognize each other as people).  Without having some shared time, most delayed action games fall entirely apart.

Yeah. I find it telling that the successful post games I've ran have us sitting in a chat room and going 'Post!' back and forth to each other, almost like the board was another IRC channel.

I'd like to say that DMs that set a schedule that's frequent and consistent tend to do better, but really that's not true and more just a personal pet peeve these days.  It is usually a more serious audience with a schedule, but I've seen many games, COR or the Sailor games for instance here, that while they might have some vague schedule is pretty much 'whenever we can sit down and play'.  Truthfully, frequency and consistency tend to matter most.  2 weeks as a frequency is usually the limit for most groups.  Beyond that its almost certain to fall apart.  This is technically around the same for face to face groups.

I think what you're hitting at is pace and momentum, Drac. A game that has a constant, steady pace to keep momentum up will thrive better than an erratic one, even if that pace is 'We play when we can'.

Keeping some kind of mid week going on is useful for success.  Spreading the tasks that make DMing work about is also useful for success and can contribute to this.  Basically, if there's something to do mid session for small intervals that contributes to the session, players tend to stay more involved and interactive.  Whether this is divying up treasure, identifying things, dealing with a small puzzle, arguing over minutia, whatever.  A DM with none of this going on generally has a harder time succeeding unless their game sessions are frequent enough for this not to matter.

Yeeeep. I've been doing this for Planar to keep a low buzz of conversation going. Let's make an assertion here: Gaming is fundamentally a social activity. What happens to a social activity when no one's chatting and nothing's going on? Keeeer-zip. People get bored. It's a complete failure, man! The more time people spend talking about the game, thinking about the game, debating about the game makes the game more involved and alive.  It makes you want to play more, increasing the investment. This goes both ways; as a DM, I try and make my mid-week posts entertaining. This makes doing them fun for me and enjoyable for you guys to read. Call it a life of the party approach, or maybe calling the DM nothing but a big old cheerleader.

[Merc]

Since the DM's fast, the slower players have more leeway with how fast they reply. Not as much time's been lost waiting for the DM, y'know?

I'd disagree here, as slower players have the problem of getting sniped by the fast players. It's actually easier to be a slow DM than a slow player in that sense. I can't count the number of times I've started typing something only to stop, watch as someone else says exactly (or close to) what I was typing, and starting to delete it all, forcing myself to remain silent rather than just be a parrot.

[Anastasia]

If you're looking specifically towards online DMs, then the most important thing, I think is: Is the DM using the online medium to the best of their capability to grab hold the attention of his players and keep it in the game? Online DMing is both easier and harder than its oral counterpart. If you were playing at a table, you have tools such as the tone of your voice to set the mood, gestures you make with your hands, etc. You engage your players the very moment you begin to speak. With the typed medium, such as forum posts or IRC real-time play, you lack all these tools. Your players are left waiting, and their attentions can and will wander. They can't do anything while you type, they do not see what you type as you type it. At best, they can tell that you are, in fact, typing -something- (either they let you know, or some programs show if someone is typing), but as to what this is, they have zero clue. So you have to type. What you do with the time you're typing, then, is what shows the quality of that online DM. If you take too long typing or making a post, players will lose interest. With a forum game, they'll check more infrequently, with a real-time game, they'll start alt-tabbing, and that breaks the pacing and mood.

I don't think you can eliminate attention splits with online gaming. You can try, but the internet is a fundamentally multitasking media. Any player probably has a browser window or two open, some extra chat windows, a music player going, and maybe some other stuff. That kettle of fish is already spilled all over the steps of online gaming. It's a lot easier to eliminate these in RL gaming(And more critical, but that's an aside), and almost impossible to do and enforce with online gaming. Even if you ask your players to stay focused, you can't stop them if they get bored. New entertainment's a mouseclick away!  I feel an online DM is always competing for PCs attention. What do you think?

Online DMs can also much more markedly separate the in-character from the out-of-character. Separate forum threads, or different channels, or just markers to show what's ooc and what's ic.

Yes. I'm of a firm opinion that a lively OOC channel is just as important for gaming as lively IC channel. That way you have two separate paths to getting and keeping the attention of your players, as well as letting the group keep each others attention.

There's times that a player simply doesn't get much action in-game. Keeping them active through ooc chatter helps keeps them involved in the game, even when it doesn't particularly affect their characters. Of course, this isn't purely on the DM's neck, other players can and should participate as well, but it is another thing a good online DM can do. Speaking of this, obviously, I think it's important for an online DM to use their time well. Because people have to type, a game that's played in a typed medium will always take much much longer than one played orally. For the love of god, DON'T leave players hanging for hours with nothing to do. Just...don't. There's only so much ooc chatter can do to keep a player from feeling forgotten.

I'm of two minds of this. While I agree leaving people hanging is exactly what you should be avoiding due to easy attention drift online, sometimes it's inevitable despite your best efforts. Hell, sometimes the group does it to themselves by having one PC go ahead or do something by themselves. I always struggle to handle these situations well, even if just comes down to being entertaining in the OOC room.

[Dracos]

For online dungeon masters, comfort writing is actually probably one of the more critical skills, versus oratory.  While meticulous dungeon crafting is still a valuable skill, you really can't use props to supplement it.  Fast typing is useful, even for play by email or play by post.

What do you mean by 'comfort writing'?

I agree with fast typing. Fast typing and by extension fast reactions are highly useful for play by post or email, and absolutely critical for chat based. The game moves at the DM's pace; a slow DM ensures a slow game while a fast one gives the potential for a faster pace. The more time PCs spend waiting for the DM to reply, the less they're interacting, reacting and playing the game.  Faster players appreciate being able to go at things faster, while slower ones will have quick replies, so they can spend more time thinking and replying. Since the DM's fast, the slower players have more leeway with how fast they reply. Not as much time's been lost waiting for the DM, y'know?

A good DM is generally going to end up doing between 30 and 60 percent of the total written stuff in a session, whether it's simply describe the scene, responding to player questions, responding to player interactions with the world.  Pretty much any time the party isn't simply hamming it up, its pretty likely for the DM to be 1 response out of every 2.  Fast typing certainly is a beneficial skill, but more than that, you have to be comfortable doing a lot of writing and responses.  This is in the same way that a table top DM generally needs to be comfortable speaking.  

Put another way, a DM that falls back to small chirps a lot is going to have trouble.  If you are a play by post DM and looking at a question and responding with a paragraph or more is a challenge, you're going to have trouble.  If you're a chat DM and players have to struggle to get you to write more about what's going on or deal with very short descs, they're likely to become disinterested.

Slow writing in an online environment can be overcome, a lack of writing in it is a deathnail in the game.

[Anastasia]

Since the DM's fast, the slower players have more leeway with how fast they reply. Not as much time's been lost waiting for the DM, y'know?

I'd disagree here, as slower players have the problem of getting sniped by the fast players. It's actually easier to be a slow DM than a slow player in that sense. I can't count the number of times I've started typing something only to stop, watch as someone else says exactly (or close to) what I was typing, and starting to delete it all, forcing myself to remain silent rather than just be a parrot.

Query: Why are people afraid of being redundant? Is there something inherently bad about posting much of the same thought a little after someone else does it?

[Carthrat]

It makes conversations look stupid.

[Anastasia]

It makes conversations look stupid.

It also happens plenty enough - someone starts to say something and someone else beats them to it. Why not roll with it and go along with what they said mid-reply instead of scrapping the entire thing?

(I'm playing devil's advocate here, I admit.)

[Carthrat]

Well, in HH, at least, it is surprising how often I find myself with a line mostly typed that says pretty much exactly the same thing someone else says. It's not something easy to just redo.

[Anastasia]

Is that because it's usually something like, 'Rena put some clothes on dammit!'?

I dunno. I look at it like this: A reply that steals yours isn't a stopper, but a building block to use to climb higher with your own reply. Besides, I'd err on the side of participating rather than not participating by being silent, y'know?

[Carthrat]

I can certainly write a new line, yes.

[Anastasia]

That's not quite what I meant, but I get the intent.

[Carthrat]

Not every line makes a sensical reply to the previous one.

It's not like real conversations make any kind of grammatical sense when you write them down, admittedly...