It's taken me 6 years to realize I suck at GMing.

[SkyeFyre]

lol, I've been GMing for I think a little over that, but anyways... I've come to the conclusion that my games are generally 2D and boring. The plot is usually shallow and not really all that worth getting into, things aren't very realistic as far as NPC reactions and how they should be towards the players, I often finding myself bending the rules to accomodate for the players to help them out because when I try something even somewhat advanced they seem to drop the ball. So here is my main question: Can poor players affect my growth? (Don't worry, if they read this it's no secret... my players have openly said "Wow, 6 years, and we still totally suck". We all love the game, but many times it just seems like we're missing out on so much. Once and a while we end up walking away from a killer session going "That was awesome!" but not often.

Basically I was wondering if anyone had any pointers on GMing or playing in general that we could use to maybe break out of this rut we've created.

Right now I'll give you where my plot is.

Main plot: A fallen angel (Custom) by the name of Anzel was banished to a far corner of the Megaverse for crimes against the light...etc. This little corner happens to be Rifts Earth. He's been here for a while but it's come to his attention that his banishment/limitations of power (He was actually stripped of much of his power) stem from 4 temples on the planet. These temples are for the most part hidden, but do emit a strange magical aura as they actually bind him, or something within them binds him to this world. The temples themselves are indestructible and the use of a specific keystone is the only way to gain entrance and possibly unlock the means to release him and for him to regain his previous power (From the world he came from, his power would rival an AI). So obviously he wants revenge and sees this as a way to get back at his Banisher.

Another angel (Radiael) who is still weaker than Anzel is trying to stop him, and often lends the player characters a hand as they seem to want to prevent him from getting in there and are looking for a way to prevent him from attaining his goal. (Anzel cannot be permanently killed)

So where we're at, one of the player characters has 2 of the keystones... however the main plot has taken a side track due to an event that happened earlier.

His character was souldrank in a battle a while back. Instead of simply allowing his character to be killed off like that (At level 7 on top of that) I have allowed him to continue playing that character. Here's the catch, he has no soul, and his body is actually decaying slowly as if he were dead. He made a deal with a necromancer that he'd get something for him and the necromancer would see what he could do about perhaps directing him to someone who could restore his soul. So him and the party's Crazy are off doing that.

Another character is a Coalition dogboy who was working in a small town that was recently attacked by Mechanoids. While on a patrol him and his unit come under fire from these crazed doomsday people who are like freaking out because of the Mechanoids. After returning fire and taking out the nuts, they notice that the entire area is beginning to emanate a magical aura. Any people that have died begin to rise back up. It's zombie ville. So the dogboy and 4 other dogboys, and 3 battle cats are separated from the unit in some underground pre rifts tunnels dealing with zombies trying to find the source of the magical emanations.

So there you have my basic outline, if you want any more details that's fine.

Basically. Does anyone know of anywhere I could see example games? Is my plot screwy? Can players be responsible for my limitations? How does everyone describe things? Has anyone by chance ever recorded one of their sessions? I actually would find that really helpful having an example to look at. What are the most important things that you do while GMing? How much preparation do you have? How much NPC interaction? Daily? What are some good non-combat challenges?

Basically examples of gameplay, and anything you have to offer would be great. We only get to play like once a month for like 3-4 hours and I'd really like those 3-4 hours to be memorable.

[Warwolf]

1 - Does anyone know of anywhere I could see example games?

2 - Is my plot screwy?

3 - Can players be responsible for my limitations?

4 - How does everyone describe things?

5 - Has anyone by chance ever recorded one of their sessions?

6 - What are the most important things that you do while GMing?

7 - How much preparation do you have?

8 - How much NPC interaction?

9 - What are some good non-combat challenges?

First of all, relax. I'm betting that you are being a bit too hard on yourself. Like they say, you are your own worst critic. Keep in mind that not every gaming session is going to wrap up with, "Wow! That was the coolest session ever!" Everyone is allowed to have off-days, even GM's. The important thing is to learn from said off-days. Specifically, ask your players for feedback after each session to get their opinions of what you are doing well and what you could work on (this also helps you tailor your game to said players).

Some general advice is to read through the GM's Guide and Adventure Guide (not to mention any Rifter articles you can get your hands on), as they are both chock-full of excellent GMing information. Some other ways I've found to improve your craft is to look into literature/writing classes as well as psychology (the latter helping to make characters more authentic through the modeling of real human behavior). Heck, you don't necessarily even need to take psychology courses, just sit in a public place and observe the way people interact for a while. You can even take notes about character elements you want to use! Of course, if time or other factors limit your time to people-watch, you can do the same thing with movies, television, books, etc.

Now, to answer your specific questions:

1 - Try looking for groups in Yahoo Groups. Many tend to have open logs you can read that sometimes span years of gaming. I know there are other sites such as Nexus Point that offer open gaming as well, so run the gamut.

2 - Well sure, but the best plots typically are! Well, ok, maybe "screwy" isn't the right word. You have a good overall concept from what it sounds like, now you just need to develop some more supporting details and weave sub-plots in. For a good example of complex plot-schemes, look at shows like Lost and Heroes that reveal a little bit at a time and leave the viewer guessing. I adopt a similar style to my games, and my players still have a love-hate relationship with my cliffhanger stopping points (they hate having to wait, but it keeps them hooked and looking forward to the next game).

3 - Is it possible for players to limit a GM? I think so. However, that's why you have to develop your players along with you. After eight years of GMing, I can say that my original group and I have come quite a way in our gaming ability. How do you accomplish this? That would be quite a lengthy post in-and-of itself, so if you find you still need this information after reading this lengthy post feel free to PM me and we might be able to work something out. One suggestion I would make, though, is to have the players read through some of the GM/Player advice in the afore-mentioned GM's books.

4 - With words. Sorry, my inner smart-aleck crawled out for a moment. Seriously though, use enough detail to give them a solid idea of it (whatever "it" is), but leave enough room for the players to develop their own unique mental pictures (as long as it doesn't affect play, like having them thinking character locations are different than what they are and the like).

5 - I haven't in any kind of electronic format or anything like that (other than the online game I ran for a year and a half), but I know you can find transcripts and even some videos of games out there on the internet.

6 - I think most of us could write a small book on that. I would say making sure you and the players are interested and having fun (at least most of the time and to the best of your ability). Most everything else is secondary.

7 - That greatly depends on the game and how much time I have before it. Some sessions require quite a bit of planning and grunt-work (creating NPC's, mapping locations, etc.). I like to have at least a rough skeleton of where the story could go and some NPC and enemy stats on hand for every game. That said, some of my best games have been GMed on the fly (my players' opinions, not necessarily mine). On the other end of the spectrum, I had a mini-campaign that I worked on for 3+ years before I ran it (I consider it my crowning achievement so far).

8 - That greatly depends on the session. If the group is stumbling around the wilderness fighting off bands of monsters, probably not much. If they are in a major city trying to get to the bottom of an assassination plot, then quite a bit. Use your best judgement on this.

9 - Puzzles, intrigue, terrain and weather, moral quandaries, etc. There are lots out there to choose from, and I suggest looking at video games for some inspiration in this vein.

I hope this rambling treatise helps you out. If you need more specific info, either post here again or feel free to PM me.

[Rimmerdal]

As a first time GM of something like a month here's my 2 cents.

1. If you were a bad GM...you'd know. They'd tell you or not comeback. As players they realize not every game will be a great game. You as a person will have your bad games.

Skyfyre, don't worry and do your best, it takes a set of brass monkeys to GM. and you've been doing this long so you got be something right.

If you want you can join in my game on Swankytown...or one of the other sites already mentioned. I can show you some real first time PBP GMing to compare to. trust me, your probably better off than I am.

2. As far plots go..it's pretty good. I had similar conerns about my adventure "13". turns out the player I'm testing on is pretty good with it and has had nothing but praise so far.

Heck my first NPC a demonized Cyber-Knight might live through his supposed death scene..as the interaction is going nicely.

[Iczer]

There is a great little RPG called over the edge, written by Johnathan Tweet (of D&D fame...before the current D&D mess).

The game uses a number of precepts that I like to fall back on in case my games are getting away from me.

My favourites are:

1) the players are always right

2) Elastic logic.

The players are always right: Player character groups arealways talking. In character, out of character, on topic, off topic. Treat whatever they say out loud as possible Cannon. If the PC's suspect a local mechanic as the serial killer, don't waste time while they chase a red herring, just make the mechanic the killer. PC's say in passing 'look out for booby traps' then put a booby trap in. This rule makes the PC's think they are smart, makes them feel good and save you a little work.

Elastic logic: Essentially all plot deviations come back to you. One PC's wanst his soul back, and is in contact with a necromancer? make Anzel the necromancer (or someone the necromancer knows). Dog boys lost in tunnells under a zombie infecte zone? maybe it's a necromancer's doing (possibly Anzel's friend) or perhaps the tunnels lead to one of the temples.

essentially, it means you an allow the Players to tie up their own loose ends and it saves you work. It's not a substitution for an actual plot, but you have that plot in hand it seems.

Just keep tying everything back to Anzel, Radiael, a keystone or a temple with no more than one or two degrees of seperation.

specific answers:

Does anyone know of anywhere I could see example games?

Sorry. I would reccommend going to a forum board that runs a fourum based game though. you get to watch what happens when a ....game....moves....very...very...slowly.... though.
Is my plot screwy?

Can players be responsible for my limitations?

Yes and No. Firstly, be a man and take responsibility for your own limitations. seriously, wheather it is your fault or not, you learn a lot by toughening up and growing from setbacks. secondly, some players can take you for a ride from time to time. Just advise them from time to time that it is a co-operative game, and they may have to metagame to drive the game forward.

How does everyone describe things?

I like to keep 5-6 buzzwords for any given location. If i'm in a hidden temple, I may just want to re use the fish Motif. Fish murals, fish shaped statues, water logged area's filled with trout etc...You add flavour to a location when you add a little detail. Forests can have Mass, or creepers, or the sensation of being watched. In a new town, take the time to describe something innocuous, like kids playing in the mud, the predominance of rabbits in the region, or maybe all the streets are named after US presidents.

Has anyone by chance ever recorded one of their sessions?

Not for a long time, and we were drunk and it was mostly for S&G

What are the most important things that you do while GMing?

I have the basic stats for the bad guys, a mud map of relevant area's, the stats for generic badguys, and a sheet of paper with each players name, class, level for relevant notetaking (when describing a PC to another PC, it adds a little flavour to use their Character name)

How much preparation do you have? How much NPC interaction? Daily?

I fully expect to be winging it. I will usually have 3-6 lines as a plot summary, plus a list of necessary goals to call the game 'over'. but not much else.

What are some good non-combat challenges?

Diplomacy: any form of Roleplaying really. Just set a win/lose condition for any conversation they have, with a reward/punishment set up. you may have to wing this
(Character chats up Bar wench. Win condition: smooth talker, polite, flattery actualy buys a drink: reward: Insider info to make the game easier later on. Lose condition: really the opposite of above. Punishment: bar fight)

Traps: Just decide what has to be done to spot a trap, what has to be done to avoid it, and what damage it does ( a landslide for example can injure, trap and even isolate characters.

Survival: this is really hard in Palladium, becuase it's basically a bunch of land navigation rolls followed by wilderness survival rolls. Try spicing up trips with unexpected checks (tell them they could probably shorten thier trip by a few hours if only they can climb this cliff face...) or have them run from weather (which in and of itself is another trap)

Morale: Hard to do in a game. In game, there is no mechanical difference between walking through a forest and walking through the same forest while rain is driving down. In reality, people shiver, become desolate and miserable, rug up, move slower etc.. Have a reward ready for people who take a realistic approach to morale style situations. If the PC's have been on dry rations for the last week, and they have an opportuinity forreal food (or even luxury food) give them +2 init for the next 2 hours. or give them +5% to all skills for the next hour or so after a bath. it gives them an incentive to do things that peple do, and allows them to enjoy themselves (i mean, there is no in game reason to brush your teeth, have a shower, buy chocolate or get a hooker, but people do)

Batts

[Rockwolf66]

Last time I ran a game one of the adventures was against a nest of Vampires. One of the vampires turned out to be a young girl who was turned. When the Players found the Master Vampire and the sister of the child vamp they all got on their "game face" on and then they really nailed that master.

so while I can't seem to run an online game to save my life my RL games run well. The way I usually do it is get to know my players first. This means that I can plot the game around if they are a bunch of Hack 'n' Slashers or people who play almost totally in character.

[Noon]

Try writing a custom system. Think of chess - do the chess players try and make a enjoyable game for each other? No, they just try to get what they want and as a side effect that makes something both players enjoy. Roleplay can be exactly the same - players can be going for something they want and it creates story, instead of story being made before the game. It can be done, just by using rules.

Once and a while we end up walking away from a killer session going "That was awesome!" but not often.

Could you describe that session?

[t0m]

i find that letting my players take a lot more control is a good way to go. i barely have to do anything once i get them going on something. i usually only write game notes and do 'prep' stuff, after the game. i base most of my prep on what the players just did in the last session.

when im planning a plot, i only think of the enemies(stats, personality etc), and what their goal is. after that i come up with what they do to further their goals and have them do it (we need money to get the item to summon the thingy, lets rob a merchant caravan). then the players either hear about it or witness it or get hired to deal with it and its up to them to notice whats going on. the enemy reacts accordingly, and the circle of life begins sometimes it takes them forever to clue in, but once they do, and it turns out 4 out of the last 6 fights/npc encounters/seemingly random events are all somehow related, they get right into it and i dont have to do much other than try to keep up. try to react to the players more than you prepare for them...if that makes any sense.

let them make mistakes. if they miss a carefully crafted clue or go off half cocked, let them. just make up what happens as you go along, if it doesnt fit your notes. sometimes these things turn out to be much better than your notes and you get to change the course of your plan for the better, or get a new idea. its like brainstorming with your players but they think you already have it sorted out. you just have to react fast enough to keep that illusion

as for descriptions/describing things, i usually go into as much detail as i can about locations and then ask if everyone is cool/has any questions before i continue. sometimes the players have good questions like 'is there any running water here?' and i get to decide where to go from there. "yeah theres a stream burbling within earshot" or "no, are you already out of water? ".

in combat i describe enemies in lots of detail, and also describe the combat moves as much as i can, sometimes even recapping the whole round for the player when its done, so they can see the flow of combat rather than the flow of dice. it only takes 15 seconds to describe a round of combat, but it can take 15 mins to roll it out, leaving a player feeling like hes just rolling and rolling...after a bit of that all my players are becoming very creative with their moves and i dont have any one using the old 'hit nearest guy with biggest weapon' strategy. we also use minis/tokens to visualize tactics better.

describing npcs is a bit different for me. i describe what they look like, but the personality is the most important. i try to describe their personality as much as i can in one or two lines of text for my own guide, then work from there based on what characters say/do. we talk/play out all our conversations (for the most part) with merchants and barkeeps and everyone. my npcs ask the players about their adventures and make small talk and grow on everyone to the point where most of them are pretty important to the group, or the group is suspicious/dislikes/fears/whatever them. my npcs are usually pretty one sided (friend or foe). this is easy for me and its nice for the occasional twist, since no one ever expects one of their buddies to be a 'badguy'.

another thing is to give each player something other than stats and gear...this one came by accident in one of those random moments where the player caught me off guard. we play pf, and the group got limited access to a crystal ball. one player (character hadnt been home in like 15 years) decides to contact his mom. i had no idea what his mom would say but a little chat ensued and the player asked about dad. as a gm i was stuck, so i quickly blurted out that dad is sick and cut off communication temporarily to get some thinking time. next game day (a week later) the player had notes and a plan to get across the world (palladium fantasy) and try to help his dad. it turned into a cool side mission and rewarded us with a rich contact with a trading company (dad), and the possibility of new trading/traveling adventures we can go do at any time.

my last point is to try to set things up so the players have to figure out everything to get something done. for example, in one of the pf books (book2) there is mention of an office you can purchase mine claims at. as i described the various shops they walked past i mentioned it, and the players 'bit'. i didnt mean for them to but they did. i quickly came up with a system of, buy a claim, travel out there and mine it and the company either buys it at a fair price, or takes a cut and you sell it where ever you want. i tried to make it sound like a lot of work so they wouldnt consider it, but...next game day (week later) the group had notes and plans on equipment required, travel and shipping ideas, the ideal crew to hire etc. they got really excited about it, thinking i mentioned it for a reason, and did all the work for me to set it up

[bigbobsr6000]

I have been GMing for more years than I care to remember..or is it that I just can't..hhmmm....... ......Huh, what..oh..and as I was saying, I haven't learned that I suck at GMing yet!

You have a good campaign going, you have been given some great advice, so just hang in there and keep at it.

Big Bob.......................

[drakinn]

The first thing I would like to say is it doesn't sound half bad. there are a few things I do that are not standard.

I have each player develop a background that is 3 pages of questions with room for answers. it lays out long and short term goals and friends as well as enemies.

I revamped the exp point system to encourage more role-playing

The characters are constantly coming in contact with NPCs it is important for them to know they are not acting in a vacuum. every action and choice has a vary real consequence for good or bad.

part of character creation is picking a disposition and I am thinking of adding sub-archetypes from rifter 41

I ensure that in each adventure I tie in skills that are needed that only one or two characters have

every chance I get I tie in the goals of the characters depending on if they are a long term or short term goal and how they fit in the story

I also expect the characters to ask questions and investigate their surroundings. if they miss a plot line that plot continues without them. as an example in the Tolkeen war I had a group protecting a town that ignored what their demon allies were doing when not fighting. in fact towns people were being sacrificed on their watch. they completely overlooked the evil under their nose and a witch brought in he intelligence. the bad guys escaped and to this day they don't know what happened but they will someday come across that witch and the intelligence and they will find what their lack of vigilance has brought.

I also developed a way to determine notoriety, rank increase, and fame

I believe that the above items make for a good game that invests the players in the characters and developed the entire world. the most important piece to remember NPCs are not throw aways and they need to be treated as any pc would be it adds to the game.

This is just my 2 cents I could be wrong...am I? hmmm now I may start questioning myself again... I hate it when that happens

[SkyeFyre]

Wow guys. Sorry I haven't replied yet... um... all I can say is... wow, thanks a lot. There's a lot of good stuff here that will definately help me. After reading my book worth of posts I've determined that I do have some areas to work on, namely in life for my games. I need to breathe some more life into my game and work on making things stand out from just another generic <insert item here>. The other point I've realized is that without me actually diving into the role playing aspect entirely that my players cannot grow as they don't have the opportunity to. So I'm going to just blame myself here, take the wonderful advice that's been given and rock on.

Thanks a lot. I may give individual replies later... there's a lot to reply to .

[Sentinel]

Just remember: you have six years of experience to draw upon.

Even Thomas Edison had to discover 100+ ways NOT to invent the lightbulb.

[Rimmerdal]

SO, Skyefyre. here's a bit I remember When I get start to doubt my GMing or anything for that matter.

"You must never feel badly about making mistakes," explained Reason quietly, "as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons."

[SkyeFyre]

as one of ur players with minor GMing experience himself, and about 10 years experience gaming, if like to say ur doin a fine job, all be it yes we can limit things, like my recent misunderstanding of info given to me(meant the wards not the traps >.<)

my small advice, when in doubt, when in a rut, when the players dont seem to be jivin the way u forsaw, push on through, look at things from a players perspective, and if need be, try a few one on one sessions of just shootin the crap with the players, find out wat things might grab their attention, or wat aspect seem to be "boring" them, or putting them in the "rut"

me personaly, i get to many ideas in my head of wat type of character i want mine to be, and the gaps inbetween playin do cuz me to lose focus on my goals(add in a few stupid mistakes do to bein rusty) and yea

"like my recent misunderstanding of info given to me(meant the wards not the traps >.<)"

Either way dude. Just because someone says you may be able to get by the magical protection doesn't mean that when you see two magical orbs shooting mega-damage fireballs, you have no armor, that you can run right in front of them and not expect to get fried.

Noted, I'll be chatting with you later today

[Carl Gleba]

1 - Does anyone know of anywhere I could see example games?

Yes, go to a convention or even a Palladium Open house and play in a few games. I've learned a lot from watching how other GM's handle their games. You can learn a lot on what to do and not to do.

2 - Is my plot screwy?

Not at all. They sound very cool

3 - Can players be responsible for my limitations?

Well... yeah probably. But I never let that stop me. Just keep pushing them.

4 - How does everyone describe things?

I take the picture in my head and do my best. We also use mini's so players can get a sense of whats going on. Where everyone is and how the battlefield is set up. Maps also help too.

5 - Has anyone by chance ever recorded one of their sessions?

Nope, but this is something Palladium has considering doing. Maybe in the future.

6 - What are the most important things that you do while GMing?

Keep the story going as well as the interaction. Keep the players busy which can be hard if one player has his character take off by themself and do his own thing. Be prepared at least as best you can.

7 - How much preparation do you have?

I always do a basic plot outline. If I have a planed encounter have all the detail readily available on a single sheet if possible. Have NPC's fully fleshed out. You need this too for various towns or places the players could be going.

8 - How much NPC interaction?

I always have an NPC in the group. This way I can offer an opinon or help provide direction or even provide a clue if needed. Usually they help ask the necessary questions if no one comes up with them.

I like reoccuring villians. They make the game very memorable so they tend to be a fully fleshed out NPC. Perhaps a key lieutenant might be done up too, but it really depends on the game.

9 - What are some good non-combat challenges?

Riddles, deciphering codes. Those are the obvious. In Dimension Book Ten Hades I put in Random Terrain and Weather encounters. Maybe those could give ya some ideas.

SkyeFyre I agree with Warwolf. Sounds like you're being a little hard on yourself. First just relax If everyone is having a good time then don't worry how you run your game. Maybe you need a break for a little while. Put your game aside and let someone else run. Maybe they don't want to run so challenge them to run a game for a single session just to try it out.

Well I hope this helps out.

Carl

[Rimmerdal]

1 - Does anyone know of anywhere I could see example games?

Yes, go to a convention or even a Palladium Open house and play in a few games. I've learned a lot from watching how other GM's handle their games. You can learn a lot on what to do and not to do.

me n skye only gots one problem with that, much as we would both enjoy it, were all the way up in northern Ontario Canada, so getting to the open house and conventions is a wee bit of a problem, specialy trying to work around work n no time off

How far up north? I live Kirkland lake, Up near North Bay/Timmins area.

RD

[SkyeFyre]

1 - Does anyone know of anywhere I could see example games?

Yes, go to a convention or even a Palladium Open house and play in a few games. I've learned a lot from watching how other GM's handle their games. You can learn a lot on what to do and not to do.

me n skye only gots one problem with that, much as we would both enjoy it, were all the way up in northern Ontario Canada, so getting to the open house and conventions is a wee bit of a problem, specialy trying to work around work n no time off

How far up north? I live Kirkland lake, Up near North Bay/Timmins area.

RD

Timmins. So there are other people from around here on here. I've been to KL a few times.

[Gallahan]

Several things have helped me out as a GM, and I'll suggest them to you...

1. Read, read, read. Read different things. Read in and out of the genre your game is in. Sounds like it's RIFTS, so read classic Sci-Fi and current Sci-Fi. Read DUNE, Starship Troopers, Ben Bova (author) novels, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury. But also read a few Tom Clancy novels and some chic-lit. Read a Louis L'amour western. Cover the entire scope of things adventurous. And, hey, maybe you do read a lot... but read outside of what you normally read. This will be *invaluable* in plot/story creativity which will simmer in your mind and manifest itself as bright, new ideas for your game.

2. Again, you might already do this... But, if not, get some soundtracks/scores for your games to get the juices flowing in an epic way. Highly recommended is music that is non-verbal in nature. Lyrics and heavy metal tend to distract, especially if loud. The score to Blade Runner or some other modern movie (even non RIFTS-like ones) help. Independence Day, Transformers (very good), etc. Make mix CDs or put the MP3s on your ipod and set to random play. This kind of music enlivens the imagination.

3. Think of situations and plots OUTSIDE OF GAME MECHANICS. I.e., don't let the rules of the game and the sourcebook(s) limit your imagination. Think of neat ideas unhindered by the game itself, and then find a way to make the mechanics support your story.

4. Study/read about drama, theatre, screenwriting. As an aspiring writer, I've read many books/articles on writing over the years. I've found that those SAME articles apply to being a better GM/DM. Essentially, as the GM, you are also the "writer" of that epic (along with the players of course, but they take your lead, build from your foundation).

So there you have it. Essentially, read more. Plus, add a soundtrack to your own games. Then, don't allow your imagination to be limited by the game world or game rules. Finally, read more about writing good stories. Those four things should put the wind in your sails.

I know, it sounds like a lot of effort, and sure, there is effort, but what a great goal: to become a better storyteller, weaver of epics you and your friends will be talking about ten years from now! But, this learning process is fun, and you can really do all four in one evening by just devoting 1/2 an hour to each area.

Shoot for the stars! Whether or not you get there does not matter, for the effort yields rewards of its own.

[Gallahan]

As Churchill said: "Never, never, never give up."

[bigbobsr6000]

This reminds of the old joke:

Person asking a stranger on the street. "Excuse me, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
Answer: "Practice, practice, practice."

That's my advice. Keep at it. From what I have read, you seem to be doing okay. I am my worst critic. When I first started out or when I am trying to GM a new game system, I asked for input at the end of each session from the players. "How did you like it?" "What could be better?" "What was the best part? Worst?" etc. I was playing as another GM was running. At the end he actually had a "How am I doing?" questionaire for us to fill out. I thought that was cool.

Just some thoughts.