"Giving up The Narrative" Collaboration and Ownership in RPG Play Spaces

One of the gentlemen who own and run the local gaming club I attend asked me last week to do a little presentation about my DM'ing style this weekend. At The Historic Haven here in Frederick, Maryland the club owners are really into using data-driven analysis of the discord forum and use of the physical space to drive good decisions for the members. So every so often they have a "DM Conclave" which I have been invited to in the past but avoided because when I'm not going out of my way to play games with pals there at the club, I jealously guard my free-time to spend with my family.

I had to do it a little extemporaneously because of personal circumstances, and I don't know if it was well-received or not. My take was essentially, share more than what you usually do in the crating of game narratives. Let the players have a good time with it. Rulings not rules. Reflective listening. "Yes, and..." the old chestnut from improv comedy. Don't inflict your tedious novel on players, and don't let them inflict their precious backstory on you and the others. What your character is is what comes in playtime. I tend to solicit meaning and world-building stuff from players in real time so that we can build our world together.

Of 10 or 15 participants (I guess I was doing the talking), only one or two people asked about the HOWs and WHYs of the thing. I heard a lady say "well neither of these talks are anything I'm interested in".

The question I can recall from the gentleman was "I guess I'm afraid of failing a little bit so I don't improv more and I have to take a lot of time to prep. How do you know if it's working properly?" Well, the answer in that case is to ask the players if their having fun, if it's not clear from the context. Laughing and enjoying each other's company is the reason I play. But it's clear everybody has their own game. System mastery, competition, adversarial approaches. I have not interest in dominating or subjecting anyone who would sit down at our table. And since it's "DCC" at the bottom, if you bring a 5th edition character, I can with some confidence convert your PC on the fly to fit into our open-table, rules-light, freewheeling adventures.

I'm trying to understand my reaction to their reaction, which was kind of dead-eyed and insolent. Seemed like a lot of the participants really like hours of dice-rolling combat, which ugh. Hey man, or ma'am, whatever you're into. Most mooks and grunts are one-hit wonders for us. Why would I want to go around a table rolling dice for an hour or more for one encounter?

Anyways, be well. In other hobby spaces I am playing a lot of skirmish/regiment games these days. Turnip 28. I'm learning "Muskets and Tomahawks 2.0" so that's fun. 3d printers are sort of on hold. Trying some new painting techniques - acrylic nail transfer gizmo and also slap-chop with a makeup sponge. Lots of Genshin Impact (not good for my brain, really, but still a gorgeous game).