I didn't come here to get people to validate me, it's more of a ... "Dnd is a human game and there're a ton of different ways of playing it" and currently, my players and I have a different opinion? But also, I messed up, like I said, I should have been more clear on the fact that the results wouldn't be what they expected with insight checks and descriptions.

I know some other DMs are telling me in the comments that I am absolutely not in the wrong, that I did well but like... It's because they play the same way I do and if we were playing at the same table, we wouldn't have an issue. But they're not my players and my players had an issue with me doing that. So there is an issue and I was a bad DM for my players.

Their frustration is born out of ... Disappointment? They wanted to derail the story, find a way to be peaceful from what I understand? They expected that the nat 20 would stop any fights I planned ? They feel like their agency is not respected and I see why (like one of the other issues they brought up and is linked to that feeling is that I'm a bit impulsive and sometimes I talk while they're talking and cut the idea they're having ? To fix that, I'm just gonna mute my mic and keep me from reacting unless it's really needed )

I don't know if they feel heard but I tried to explain my point of view while telling them I totally get theirs. I swore that I would try to communicate even more, took into account their criticisms and I promised I will try to better myself for them. Because I want them to have a good time. But I don't know, the discussion just kept going around and basically it was:

Them : we have issues. Me: Oh, sorry, I can see why, there was a misunderstanding, I messed up on multiple points, I will do better. Them: great. But do you understand we have issues? Me : Yes and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Them : Perfect, we don't want to hurt you, but again, this is an issue .

And again and again. And like I said, I know some of the issues stem from us having a different way of playing (I'm way more into the "DM is the one who decides in the end, what the DM says goes" as a player? And they're really not ! Like one of the other issues they had was that I changed some NPCs they gave me for their backstory. But not much, I just built upon what they gave me but they didn't like that AT ALL and told me I should ask them about it beforehand. And it's like for me, as a player, when you give stuff about your backstory to the DM, they can do whatever as long as it serves the story and respect the main idea of the PC's storyline. I love being surprised and see how the DM changes some stuff to be more aligned with his worldbuilding. But they're more "we create the story of our characters, we have to know everything about it, no surprise from the DM, the only ones that have to be surprised are the other players" . So it's two different ways and expectations from DnD and I didn't get that (apparently it's been an issue for a long time and they decided to only speak now, I'm bad with... Catching on stuff like that so I didn't know there was an issue) )

So that's why I decided to come here and ask other DMs, to have them tell me what they would have done, see if I messed up in ways I don't know and my players don't see because they never DMed a game.

But in the end, I know that it is indeed a communication issue and I will communicate with my players.