Anyway, a discussion began in my game on the subject of firing missiles into melee, and how to know if it's safe. (If you're interested, the discussion can be found here:
viewtopic.php?p=153205#p153205).
If you take a step back from the specific question of ranged combat and think in terms of general descriptions in a game, what is the minimum amount of detail a player needs to adequately assess a situation and not be left wondering about some detail?
If you're a player, what are your thoughts?
If you're a DM, do you have any suggestions on how to know when you're providing enough detail?
I posed the following questions to my group, but wanted to open it up to the US population as a whole as I think the discussion could improve the quality of games on the board (at least the ones I'm running).
I fell asleep thinking about this last night (in fact, my previous post from this morning was actually composed last night; I actually dozed off proof reading it and found it unsubmitted this morning).AleBelly wrote:It depends how much information the DM provides.
I think this is a great comment.
Providing thorough and detailed updates is one of the primary responsibilities of a DM, and I accept that it's something I struggle with. That is the reason for this follow up response:
I've been jotting down some notes on my own, but I want to open the question up for a wider audience (and may post the question in one of the main forums for even more perspectives), but:
What are the most important or essential details a player needs from a DM in every update?
It wasn't until I actually forced myself to think about it that I realized I routinely omit some of the "who, what, when, where, why, how" questions. I'd like to think that the "who" and "how" are adequately addressed in my updates (maybe not?), but what's missing?
It will obviously vary by situation, but, for now, let's focus on a combat situation.
Apparently, just providing numbers of opponents and what they're doing isn't enough. Knowing approximate positioning and distances needs to be communicated as well.
What else?
I'm thinking, given the unique online environment we're playing in, composing a list of details for the DM to provide (or at least consider) to accurately paint a picture for the players would be a great resource.
What specific questions would you like to have answered by a DM, every time?
What specific details, if initially provided would cut down on the number of questions you have when trying to respond for your character?
I tend to be very systems oriented and like to establish and follow routines. If I had a checklist of criteria to follow when composing my updates, it would only benefit the game as a whole.
I'd appreciate any feedback you're willing to provide, so thanks in advance.