@Xeiyenreisha You've triggered a (positive) rant on what I value in this RP. You've been warned.
I appreciate the compliment, but all I'm really doing is just trying to avoid mucking things up. If I'm honest, I'm not entirely content with the way I'm handling things. I feel like I'm not giving enough freedom to the players in the actual playing field, having railroaded them pretty hard through the first part. I also have the issue with my systems, they're untested and highly hypothetical. Something could go wrong at any moment. I try to do the best I can for my players whilst keeping a strict eye on my rules, and well, keep anyone out that'd spoil the fun. I'm by no means a good GM, this is the first time I have ever tried it and it's quite the project as well. It's certainly nothing grand-scale like an entire continent, but keeping an eye on a smaller area is sometimes even more difficult. You have to keep an eye on it and establish rules, whilst also making sure it doesn't become boring by not having enough places people go to. That, and this RP isn't even a month old which comes as the biggest surprise. The old DT lasted only about a month or two-three itself, and we hadn't even gotten CLOSE to the success this has had so far. I feel like I'm doing a lot of things right, but also that I may be biting off a little more than I can chew.
Still, I'll try to make the best choices I can. The thing I'm most concerned about first and foremost is fun for everyone, and the second is keeping it that way. The third is actually my rules, whilst I am a little looser on some like, say, the posting rule, I still place value in that everyone follows the same guidelines so no one person has more of an advantage. I follow these strictly myself, and I must say I've gotten a lot more responsible in this short amount of time because of it. I also try not to have my characters take the spot light away from everyone else, I feel like a GM should never make their characters become more important than their players unless it is by pure chance. I regret not being a simple player myself, I actually love both the Ethel and Haas characters and the way they operate, but it's also the best for everyone if I do it like this. Not to say I handicap myself, just that they're more akin to slightly more important NPC's rather than the protagonists, which would be all of you.
TLDR: Thanks for the compliment, now let me tell you what I think of my future choices.
Well, as a GM you do what you feel is best for the RP to keep it alive. You try to be lenient and understanding toward those who contribute toward you though you don't allow them to take that for granted by putting some restraint toward what they can and cannot do. You have a little less rules than I do as guidelines for your RP which is probably good since stricter GMs tend to scare the masses away at times.
I understand that you are trying to keep your RP in complete symmetry not allowing it fall into complete discord and disarray. The best way to do that is to stamp your foot down when you think someone is abusing the rules. If they are unknowingly doing it then you just inform them. Hopefully they will understand and cooperate but as you saw with mintywater and Doctor Doc there are some people out there that will not. Those are usually the ones that want you to cater to their needs and if you're satisfied with the layout and format you utilize for your RP structure then there is no reason to compromise your standards due their beliefs. I mean I like people who offer ideas and try to facilitate my progress, but those who demand me to alter things just for their own personal preference and are 'my way or the highway' kind of folk are usually the kind you just want to show the door to. They're more trouble than they are worth, trust me. Suggestions are fine, but someone who thinks they can just own your RP needs to be removed immediately.
I know I didn't say this at the time it happened, but I was very impressed how you handled the troll Doctor Doc and didn't lose your composure or attempt to insult him staring a flame war. It's bad policy to just allow someone to draw you into their own naivety just for their own personal amusement which is why I'm usually very straight forward with what I usually have to say.
As I GM myself I want to state that you are doing a pretty good job at your job. Take your time with your RP and do what you feel is best for it. Listen to ideas when they are offered, but don't allow people to take you for granted. Do that and you should be just fine and it looks like you are just doing fine from my perception. Also, I am no hurry to get Custom Cards back in commission and think it's rather unfair to you that people did harass you about bringing them back rather than giving you your space which you rightfully deserve. I will wait for when you make the decision to reintroduce them, but don't do so in haste. Know that the best RPs take time to establish and if they are running at a steady pace there is a good possibility that they will survive no matter what the odds are.
