So, I was thinking about GMing a text based RP, like the ones here on the boards, but this would be my first time. Is there any advice you would give to some one who is starting there first RP?
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Don’t do what I did when I tried to be a GM.
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Which was?
Tons of advice out there on the web. Even if it’s advice for a tabletop game it’s still mostly applicable.
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Don’t let the players do whatever they want but also don’t beat them down the path you want to take. Make plans for your plans to fail eventually due to the players.
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Make sure you actually plan the story enough for an end goal but also plan it loosely enough so that you can flow with unpredictable things the players do
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LTV and Leo have the right idea. A good TBRPG GM is equally strict and loose with his storyline. It’s perfectly alright to stage battles and have a story you want followed, but you have to remember that these are other people’s characters playing. They’re going to do stuff you can’t predict, and sometimes, they’ll break things they shouldn’t.
In all seriousness though there are enough RPG vets here on the boards that if you can get a good one (And I mean a good one, not just your regular guy who posts a ton) they’ll both be more than willing to help you, and will do a really good job helping you cope with the random stuff players can pull off.
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My advice is to make sure you know your world thoroughly as this can help keep an order to the chaos while preventing things from getting ridiculous. the rwby Rps are a good example of what not to do
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I’m a vet of Bionicle RPs (and by that, I mean literally any other vet has more credit than I do) but if you have any specific questions as time goes on, shoot me a DM and I’ll be glad to help.
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i thought you were an actual bionicle though manz
im sorry for making this post
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Basically, think through story ideas before you use them. Don’t just add something on a whim because ‘oh, this’d be cool,’ because there’s a good chance you could either lose interest quickly, or it isn’t thought out well enough and wreaks havoc on other things in/about the universe the RP is set in, whether it be a universe from media, or one created from scratch.
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- Come up with a fairly simple and loose overall plot that can be easily modified as the game progresses.
- Worldbuild. No, seriously. Each playable area should have a brief description, a few notable locations that can be visited in-game, and its own characters, lore, and side plots.
- Establish your ground rules from the get-go. While the TTV MB rules are a good place to start, they shouldn’t be treated as a catch-all for everything; if you feel like someone’s being overly salty about something OOC, then don’t be afraid to reprimand them if necessary.
- Establish your other ground rules from the get-go. If your RP takes place in Mahri Nui, for example, and one of your players is actively trying to pop the massive air bubble surrounding the city and drown everyone, something that would massively derail things beyond comprehension, then it’s perfectly okay to send the entirety of the active city guard after their character in order to dissuade them from doing so. If they still persist afterwards, ramp up the difficulty, and if they put themselves in a position where they should definitely die, then don’t be afraid to kill them. As stated in my next point, there should be a fair amount of freedom for people to feel like they can do whatever they want, but even that freedom should have limits so people don’t casually go around breaking the game.
- Try not to railroad people into playing a certain way, just because you think it’s the best way to get from Point A to Point B. Include multiple paths in which they can go down to do so, and don’t be surprised if someone comes up with one of their own.
- Beware of power creep, and make sure you have a firm stance on what you consider to be OP. If your game is mostly populated by the usual races (Toa, Matoran, Skakdi, etc.), and later on, you want to add the Makuta to that list, then you should probably figure out a way to nerf them in order to maintain an even playing field. Likewise, before approving any quest rewards, such as powered weapons, make sure that they can be reasonably countered; this doesn’t necessarily need to apply to every character in the game, but it should still be doable at the very least. If any given person is capable of one-shotting anything you put them up against, chances are that people aren’t going to have a good time.
- Learn from your mistakes. You’re not going to become a Master GM overnight, no matter how hard you try, so maintain a healthy level of self-critique, and always be on the lookout for ways to better implement certain features in the future.
- Most importantly, don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun.
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Well said Ace. 
Which is why I’m bringing it back better
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