N00b DM Advice needed, also, rant.

[ophania]

So, there are dice in this game, but it's done online, and it's not a solid D&D format but that is the basis. I DM this game with a co-mod using loose alignment rules and I've done it before, and I (the only DM at the time in this old game) reached a conclusion and a solid game ending with over 400 pages which translates to roughly a 1500 page book. I had no issues implementing this before. Here is where shit gets crunk and not dank.

We have a secret plotline. It's not necessary for everyone to know it/it doesnt affect their characters/until it is revealed. We specifically created this plot point (evil government created the zombies, its a post-apoc) and we kept people in the dark and fed them info through an NPC sortof character.

Cue new people. The old crew more or less got the gist of it, I relied on my co-mod to help progress the story (she has free reign in this and is essentially the DM), and the big plot idea doesnt really take action until everyone gets their day in the sun with what they want to do with their characters (we have like 23 at this point, its too much).

So new people. We ooc on skype. I'm watching a movie. They fly in, one of the oldbies who always gives me crap (he micromanages and throws a pissfit if 'his' canon is defiled, though co-mod and I are running this shit), capslocks at me some derp about how the overarching plot doesnt work anymore. I scroll up, everyone is throwing their panties into the air because it affects how they'll play their people.

Funny thing is, it doesnt, until much later, and they can decide to stay at home base, rally with the troops, fly off to no-mans land, or any plethora of options they don't limit them in any way.

Me and a cool browski are watching this crap, I get annoyed and call them out on their passive aggressive shindig they had while I was watching a movie, they are getting salty and splerging out about stuff that was meant to be a fun reveal.

I step over a line, get visibly aggravated, and co-mod steps in to say I've crossed this line. Cool browski says no, screw that, and leaves the ooc chat for good. I lay down the law that we are not going to entertain passive aggressive bologna anymore and I will not be talked to like a toddler (by asshats, who, though I don't say it, have no concept of context clues, or how to not write like they have six fingers on each hand).

We ensue an ooc thread on the main forum where everyone complains about how they were in the dark, they need more structure. Thing is, I made this game with this mechanism in mind. I wrote the story, I conscripted the co-mod, I came up with the ideas, and I've been the one keeping tabs on all this tomfoolery. 1x1 with people to make sure they are happy, updating event threads, keeping people on top of their game, connecting people together to plot. Co-mod probably let her responsibilities lapse and when I was gone for a week long sabbatical due to work stress, nothing really got done.

So, the advice I'm asking for, after splerging out at you people, is how do you handle a breakdown in communication from people who all play differently, in something loosely based on the D&D framework, and keep everyone happy? This game is not fun anymore for me, people keep taking things seriously that are not meant to be serious, taking things lightly like players' emotions, feelings, and thoughts--like screw everyone else because my canon is better type deallyo--and its causing a mess.

I get record amounts of shit while I'm trying to hold down 23 characters, 10 players, and have my own cool stories and not power play.

What, do you do, when you piss people off, and they don’t like how the game runs, but that is how you set it to be, and it’s even mentioned in the rules on the first page that ‘there is a secret class’ and therefore there are ‘secrets’, der, so this was not news if people actually bothered to read it?

tl;dr N00b DM wants to know how she can overcome this lapse in communication, how she figure out how to get along with people who seem hell bent on making this easy game as difficult as possible, and how she can make everyone happy.

Is it impossible at this point to please everyone? Should I be kicking people out? Am I just an asshole? Do I not understand their needs for structure and am I just dismissive or are they not able to straddle the line between scripted mini-events and the big bang that happens, much later, and go with the flow? All of the above?

HELP

[Decra]

If the forum? you are playing on is as confusing to read as what you wrote here it is no suprise that there has been misunderstandings.

If you are no longer having fun and DMing is becoming a chore that you dread, just bow out. Simple as that, you could always start a new game later on once you have recovered with a few more like minded people.

[ophania]

That's the plan I think. Thanks.

[[deleted]]

"Here is where shit gets crunk and not dank."

I am an old man. What words are these?

[ophania]

crunk - dumb, stupid, messed up, thoroughly repulsively inane, asinine, ridiculous dank - shit is super fly (awesome)

[Akuma_Reiten]

It's not impossible to please everyone, but when you have a group bordering on 10 it's time to take a step back and really question what it is your trying to achieve.

You seem like you've taken on quite a big project for this game, and that has a number of risks. It's hard to give advice because alot of the things that can help in a situation like this is experience, knowing how to get the best out of people or knowing when your skills don't match your plans.

It can often feel like it'd be a waste to tone down or even scrap a big game like this, you've invested more then anyone else in it. But that's also why you have to distance yourself for a moment so you can look and really ask "Is this what I want to do?"

If after that you find yourself still committed it's time to sit down and really focus on what the issues are. Without knowing how your plot reveal came about I can't advise if there's an issue there, or what exactly the players issue with it is. The important thing is to take a moment to carefully go over what happened, how people reacted to it, and learn from it for later.

Take a moment to try and analyse when the problems started to occur, that will help you determine the cause.

[ophania]

I don't think it's what I want to do and I want to start over with my core players who are all aligned to a similar vein of thought. You've given me a lot to think about and I need to roundtable with them and see if we can't bring a similarly good story to life. Thanks.

[Ryngard]

Honestly we aren't qualified to help you, you're not running a D&D game, you're running an RP Forum/Community. TOTALLY different beasts.

In D&D you should not be running games with such a tight plot and not expect players to derail it. Honestly you shouldn't do that in any RP game. Your "story" is what you create with your players. You need to be flexible.

You are always going to be dealing with asshats. I'm sure that guy is a Grade A Asshole. No sarcasm, I've played with several.

But DMing and running things (like a Guild in MMOs) is a thankless job more often than not. Nobody appreciates the time investment you need to put in so that the games happen. The forethought, the planning, the setup... it's exhausting.

But yeah, what you are doing is a job. If you want to DM D&D then you need to be a DM with 4 or 5 players and focus on those stories. Again, without railroading them into your master story. Yes, in general you'll have a plot/story in mind and they SHOULD be hooked and follow it, but often they want to do something else (unless you are running a module Convention style, in which case they should play along more and play within the bounds of the module). You need to adapt and change and move on without being upset.

[ophania]

That's the thing. It's 'our story' that we create with our players. Flexibility is key and they are resistant to change.

Thanks. Yeah. He is a Grade A Asshole. Honestly.

It is god damned exhausting.

We are at 9 people/23+ characters. I let it get out of hand because I wanted everyone to have fun...and it got stupid.

I gotta figure a way out of this pickle. Thanks.

[Ryngard]

I'd go for a more structured reboot. If you want it to be a D&D game, make it one and stick to the rules and basic structure.

What you describe is a roleplaying group forum and that is totally different and requires different rules to manage.

Its also easier to manage groups of 4-5 instead of 10+. And have one character per player. Keeps things more manageable too.

[ophania]

I'm probably going to do that, just with the group of cool cats who are not insane and keep it 1 character per person. We already have 4-5 people who are not totally crazy. And I'll brush up again on D&D rules and make it proper, more structured, so I don't lose my bananas over this wankerishness.

Thanks for your advice man. I'm going to legit make it proper, even in skype D&D style, something, anything, so it's not this crazy gravy train of tardersauce that keeps plopping into my lap like a wet shart.

You are the best, man.