FG Convention Hosting Workshop for GM's

[LordEntrails]

Ok, the intent for this thread is to discuss and organize a workshop to help potential GM's become comfortable with hosting games at one of the FG online conventions (FG Con or FG Daze).

First, is this something others are interested both in wanting to attend and in helping setup and run?

If sufficient interest, we then need to work out the details.

[LordEntrails]

(placeholder)

[damned]

Im happy to help o to run another session in another timezone/timeslot.

[Zacchaeus]

Depending on my availability I'll certainly help.

[LordEntrails]

I'm thinkin the Saturday two weeks before FG Con 10. That way it will give people time to then prepare for hosting and getting a game setup and all that.

I can host via Goto Meeting, but not sure that's the best solution (it does record). But then we also need to figure out an agenda and any slides or presentation type stuff.

[Wookiee420]

I can host any game in a system I am comfortable with :)

[goodmanje]

I'd like to host a game at the next FG Con.

[Trenloe]

Hey guys - this thread is about the possibility of a GM workshop *before* FG Con. If you're interested in posting a game at FG Con and have questions/comments please use the thread here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?36389-FG-Con-10-Friday-April-7th-Sunday-April-9th-2017 Thanks.

[Atua]

I think we need to nail down the main aim of this workshop. I assume hosting an FG CON game is the same as any other FG game. Surely there are videos for this?

Are the any unique aspects to FG CON? If so, probably try to focus on that with a link to the "How to DM a FG game" video to cover the basics.

My 2 cents worth.

[damned]

Tis true Atua.
The main differences for a Con game are that the game finishes on or before time, you provide pre-gens, you use the FG Con Teamspeak server, you use FG as the VTT, you communicate regularly and that wherever possible you make the table beginner friendly. All tables must be pretty PG.
Otherwise it is the same as hosting a game any other night of the year.

[LordEntrails]

So, my intent with this thread, and for a possible resulting workshop, was to help encourage people to GM more, especially at FG Con.

Yes, it's almost the same as GMing anytime with FG. But as Damned points out, their are a few differences.

Yes there are videos, yes there is written help, but people still are nervous or shy, and we (the entire RPG community) still have a shortage of GM's (when you compare the number of available game slots to the number of those looking to play). Different people learn different ways; by watching videos, by reading documents, and by doing. This would try to get to the "doing" approach for learning.

So, if a "workshop" format would help, then I would volunteer to help do such.

[Trenloe]

It's something a few people have requested so, as we appear to have a volunteer, I think it's a great idea to run this perhaps 3-4 weeks before FG Con. I think two weeks before might be a bit late for some GMs who may still be on the fence and haven't posted an event yet. We usually cut off GM submissions a week before and want to allow GMs time to think about their session details and post with enough time to stand a reasonable chance to get enough players for their game.

Maybe a second Q&A session at 2 weeks before may be an additional option to help GMs put the finishing touches to their prep?

[Wookiee420]

Im down for workshops, i will never be to a point where i cannot get better

[Seya]

Wow this is a great idea. Thanks guys

[Atua]

I think my initial post was a little bit abrupt. I am happy you guys are doing this, I think it is a great idea. I was just concerned that some of the effort involved might be wasted as the resources are already present.

You guys are certainly more experienced here, and would certainly see where the deficiencies are. Good luck with the demonstration and I hope this does bring in the much needed DMs.

[LordEntrails]

I think my initial post was a little bit abrupt. I am happy you guys are doing this, I think it is a great idea. I was just concerned that some of the effort involved might be wasted as the resources are already present.

You guys are certainly more experienced here, and would certainly see where the deficiencies are. Good luck with the demonstration and I hope this does bring in the much needed DMs.
No problem. You raised valid concerns. I myself am a read/document type of guy. Can't abide by the pace of a video and would usually learn by doing. But, others learn differently and GMing on something as uncertain as an online convention is actually pretty intimidating for most people.

Hopefully this will help with that :)

[LordEntrails]

So, what things, unique to a Con or not, need to be addressed?

I'm thinking;

- What you need to run
- - FG license (none!)
- - Adventure
- - - How to pick and size an adventure...
- - Reference/Resources?
- - Pre-Gen characters

- What to do before the game starts
- - Emails...
- - Scheduling...

- What to do during the game
- - Introductions
- - Staying on Track
...

[Trenloe]

- What you need to run
- - FG license (none!)

GM needs a Standard license, which will be upgraded to Ultimate for the duration of the convention so that any player can join.

I'd expand the list to:

- What you need to run
- - FG license (Standard or Ultimate) running in the latest "live" (not "test" or "dev") mode.
- - TeamSpeak 3 client with a headset & built-in mic.
- - Adventure
- - - How to pick and size an adventure...
- - Reference/Resources?
- - Pre-Gen characters
- - Getting it all setup in FG
- - - Own creation gotchas - image optimisation, etc..
- - - Testing

- - FG Con website
- - - Navigation.
- - - Registering your event. Information needed & getting the time right.
- - - Reviewing event once published
- - - Checking/responding to comments.
- - - Managing Player bookings.

- What to do before the game starts
- - Emails... Communicate, communicate, communicate...
- - Scheduling...
- - Test player connection check.
- - Teamspeak Channel setup.

- What to do during the game
- - Introductions
- - Staying on Track
- - Closing it out.
- - Post game activities (if any) - e.g. 3PP support activities if required.

[GunbunnyFuFu]

I would be really interested in this, as I'm hoping to host my first Con game at FG Con in April.

[LordEntrails]

Trenloe, thanks for fleshing that out :)

So, Other than just going through this, all of this needs to be documented so that there is a handout or place to take notes. What would be the best format? A presentation/slides? A document? Or...?

Then, is capturing the session via a video with audio sufficient?

Is a web meeting the right workshop format?

[Myrdin Potter]

I would be interested in ever advice is given.

[tsemana]

I would also be interested in this workshop

[LordEntrails]

So, is a web meeting with hands on exercises and presentation slides the right format?

Any suggestions to Trenloe's outline? I will put together the presentation and make it available in advance (and during the workshop) to other presenters.

Is the weekend of April 4/5 good?
Damned has offered to host a session. I can host another, probably best time frame would be between the 4th @1500 UTC to the 5th @0500.

Are there significant enough difference between the rulesets to need to address?

[Trenloe]

Is the weekend of April 4/5 good?
That's not a weekend. And even if it was that is way too close to the convention to help most people - especially with planning, using the FG Con website, communicating with players. As I recommend above, the first session should be 4 weeks out - like March 11/12.

[Wookiee420]

So, is a web meeting with hands on exercises and presentation slides the right format?

Any suggestions to Trenloe's outline? I will put together the presentation and make it available in advance (and during the workshop) to other presenters.

Is the weekend of April 4/5 good?
Damned has offered to host a session. I can host another, probably best time frame would be between the 4th @1500 UTC to the 5th @0500.

Are there significant enough difference between the rulesets to need to address?

There are some huge differences with some ruleset, there are: dice rules (Savage and exploding, Star Wars and those dice) also the combat tracker acts differently for 5e and Savage (the Savage tracker deals cards each round, and targeting in general is more difficult, as well as it needs to be shared fir players) well as accessories like bennies and stuff

[Trenloe]

I don't think these sessions should be system specific. They should be aimed at covering the "Stuff" a GM needs to know to get prepared for, and run, a game at FG Con.

Doing RPG specific workshops is something that might be considered to be ran during FG Con itself - as part of the convention events.

I know this might seem counter-productive, but the pre-convention workshop/s should be generic to cover all of the stuff potential GMs need to know in one session all interested parties can attend.

[LordEntrails]

April 4/5... Yea, don't read what I wrote, read what I meant! March 4/5. I can't do March 11/12, but doesn't mean someone else couldn't.

I agree they should be as generic as possible. I'm just really familiar with 5E and not others so really wanted to know how much carries back from 5E to CoreRPG. i.e. combat tracker and targeting are specifically what I'm wondering about.

So, before I start putting together something on this (probably tomorrow night, though it's never too late), any one want to comment on the format or agenda?

[Hector Trelane]

Spam reported. There's been a recent uptick... :mad:

[LordEntrails]

I'm not going to be able to get this ready in time. Work and projects have been too time consuming. If someone else wants to take over, go for it. Otherwise I'll will start this back up before the next FG Con.

[rob2e]

I would be down for helping with this. My forte' would be to help people with 5E only.

[valiantcosmos]

As someone who is beginning to think about trying to dm for the first time, this sounds like a great idea. Having a target like FG Con is motivating for me and so even if redundant because there is info available on how to DM using FG in other places, putting that information in a place/form that is specifically related to running a game at FG Con is appealing (I would probably access that material in time to prepare for FG Con whereas I might procrastinate on looking at the same material in other places). I would even find it helpful if the material was presented as a document attached to a thread like this where I, and other tentative DM's, could then post related questions/issues that would be answered by those with more experience. Again, we could post those issues in other threads/forums, but I'd be more likely to post in and monitor a dedicated thread. Also, in terms of picking or composing a suitably scaled adventure, I'd love to have a list of available adventures that worked well (got positive reviews by the players) at previous FG Con/FG Daze events as a reference.

[Trenloe]

First GM workshops, covering FG Con admin, have been scheduled - posted here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?37065-FG-Con-10-GM-Admin-workshops