The time that is given

We had another Tuesday night fourth edition session last night with the “regular” group and I came to a conclusion: I’m not a huge fan of the way Wes runs his game. Now… This isn’t to say that I’m not enjoying myself or that Wes isn’t necessarily a good DM, rather it’s that I find that I have a few stylistic differences with the guy.

Instead of writing a long diatribe about the game in general, I think I’d like to list those things that I think Wes does well and those things that I think I would do differently.

Things that Wes does well:

1. He knows the rules of 4E like no one else I know. He’s a veritable treasure trove when it comes to what’s between the pages.
2. He can craft and tell a good story.
3. He plays some very memorable NPCs.
4. He’s very passionate about the game.
5. He controls the table.
6. He has a ton of D&D gew gaws. If there’s a mini crafted, accessory made, or book published and he doesn’t have it immediately then he certainly has it later.
7. He can paint the hell out of a mini. Seriously, the guy has some skill.
8. He’s very animated and that energy can often be transmitted to the players.
9. He takes a lot of pride in his story and in crafting each session.
10. He LIVES the hobby. Seriously, the guy is a paragon of geekdom. (remember this is a GOOD thing…)

Things that I might do differently:

1. Wes is very controlling at the table and sometimes takes to bullying (he’s a bit of a hot head). I might try a different tact with grownups…Maybe ask them what it is that I could do better, rather than assuming that I know exactly what they’re looking for.
2.  Wes likes to railroad. He has a very specific script laid out in his mind and uses a lot of strong arm tactics to get us to strictly adhere to it. Things like dream sequences, capture scenes, and overwhelming odds are his favorites. I once talked to him about a more sandbox approach and he claimed that he has always taken that approach. I beg to differ… I might open things up a bit more, depend less on heavy plot elements and let the characters steer a lot more.
3. Wes has a tendency to play the PCs when we’re not in a battle. He’s often telling me what Grachus, my current character, does or says in a certain situation. I wouldn’t be so bold as to assume that I know exactly what a person is going to say or do in any given situation, that’s one of the things that makes D&D so interesting, it’s the unknown quantity that each person brings to the table that helps shape the story going forward.
4. He plays favorites. Wes and Mike are very close, I understand that. But one of the very frustrating things about the game is that Wes often treats Mike like he’s the only intelligent player at the table. I find that this has curtailed the rest of us somewhat. It’s like a self fulfilling prophecy, in that we all look to Mike now to at least give his blessing. I’d strive to not do such a thing.
5. Wes is very critical of our “tactics”, as if that’s the only thing the game consists of. Sadly, he’s correct. The game is a running series of battles, and naturally, tactics consumes nearly 90% of our play time. While I like battles, I find that too many of them often dim the excitement. I would hope to add a little bit more to a game than just cut scenes.
6. He’s such a huge fan of the game that he refuses to either hear any criticisms nor consider that something else might be as good a game. I know that as a DM one of the huge pitfalls is that you create a game that you’d actually like to play in, that’s tough to avoid. But I would hope that you take enough stock in what your players want that you keep your options open.
7. The long long breaks to draw maps… I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not a huge fan of minis. While I think that they’re cool and that they can play a critical part in an adventure game, I don’t think that the game should be ALL about the figures on the table.

Now, as you’ll notice, there are more good points than bad. I might be a tad too critical in my assessment of the game, but as I stood over the table last night and moved my mini around after frantically trying to keep track of all of the things I could do on my sheet (I pretty consistently forgot to “mark” my target btw.), I had an epiphany, this is not Dungeons and Dragons. Odd thing is, while I’ve said it before, I didn’t truly quite feel that the game couldn’t be salvaged to play like the old game. (AD&D and previous) But I don’t honestly believe that this can be so, it’s just too different.

With all that I’ve said above, I do enjoy getting together with those guys and playing the game. Even if it isn’t Dungeons and Dragons.

(If Wes does end up reading this…consider it constructive criticism, from a fan.)

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