Hi to everone new to the board
As a gm or dm I try to play it a little looseand not a tight campaign. After all the group is going to do what they want. You can't force them to follow a story, they will fight back.To start a campaign start off easy but have a plot let them be heros and figure out the problem but then build off of that.Put in the other stuff that build characters.
If its a one run like for a tornament make it a mystery or something quick like a hunt for Orc's.
Don't and I repeat don't get caught up in your own story that your NPC's are the hero's and they win. I have seen that and thats not fun for anyone in the end except for some GM's.You can loose a group over that.
Thats enough from me.
Sassy

Hello,

Welcome to the Forge!

Everyone, the above post was split from Identifying one's priorities and tells.

Sassy, if you would, tell me a little more about your game. How many people are in it, what's the age range, and how long have you been playing together? And what game system are you using?

Best,
Ron

"Loose" is awfully... well... Loose.

As a GM, I script VIGNETTE events for players. But I don't try and presume their course of action... I like being surprised as a GM. I do try and predict the MOST likely course of action based on what I know of their characters... just so I can put some thought and effort into it. But I find when they go "off script", because I've got a decent foundation down, I can roll with the changes pretty easily. If I can't, I admit it to the players and ask for their advice.

But for major plotlines, the real trick to my GMing is I think a LOT about the Villain(s) plan if it was to go PERFECT for the Villain.

That means Time, Resources, Underlings, lack of intereference, Emotions Weather... all of it falls in line and cooperates. For the Villain. Then I think of the Villain(s) personality a lot.

But somehow, somewhere.. that plan is going to hit a rub. 9 times out of 10, it will be PC action, even if it inadvertent (PCs delay Villain henchmen by hapstance). Sometimes, it will be an unforseen problem, like bad weather, that exposes a part of the plan to the PCs. The classic bad guys are forced to stay at the same Inn as the good guys during inclemate weather (Dragon Inn, great chinese movie uses this plot perfectly)

But one of those key ingredients to the Master Plan is going to be noticed and possibly acted upon by the PCs (suspicious cargo, suspicious people, flat out henchmen attacking the PCs...whatever). Once the PCs interefere with something, timetable, resources, underlings... now I get to react as the Villain.

The trick is to LIMIT the Villains. When they are limited, by time, resources, men... they become more desperate, make more bold moves, try to rebuild the Master Plan, more chances for the PCs to trip over the Master Plan. And the plan starts to unravel. Yet, very little of this has been scripted. I don't presume what part of the plan is going to be exposed... I just trust my players that it will be.

And if my players completely ignore the cues... then consequences will happen and the Master Plan succeeds. Which generally then demands player reaction.