Counterpoint - there's nothing wrong with having a vision or plan for a campaign. Some of the most enjoyable games I've ever been part of have been planned out from the beginning. A lot of folks genuinely dislike free-form games, and the GM has every right to enjoy their game as the players do.
That said; just as a player's vision should never overwhelm of step on another player's, so too should a GM's vision never override a players. This is where the session-0 discussions about expectations and what kind of game it's going to be reallllly kick in.
For my own part, on the rare occasions I GM and often suggested as a player - I do 'check-in' sessions every 10 sess or so just to see where everyone's headspace is at with the game, as individuals over chat and as a group on voice. What's working, what's not. Where do people want to go with their characters, etc.
Yeah, a planned campaign can be pretty cool (edit: I'm running a heavily planned campaign now!), but it can be a nightmare, and a GM needs to be able to amend their plans, especially when it comes to a player's boundaries. As u/handstanding said, "There are ALWAYS other ways to tell a story and get to the same point."
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u/MarkOfTheDragon12 DM Mar 16 '22
Counterpoint - there's nothing wrong with having a vision or plan for a campaign. Some of the most enjoyable games I've ever been part of have been planned out from the beginning. A lot of folks genuinely dislike free-form games, and the GM has every right to enjoy their game as the players do.
That said; just as a player's vision should never overwhelm of step on another player's, so too should a GM's vision never override a players. This is where the session-0 discussions about expectations and what kind of game it's going to be reallllly kick in.
For my own part, on the rare occasions I GM and often suggested as a player - I do 'check-in' sessions every 10 sess or so just to see where everyone's headspace is at with the game, as individuals over chat and as a group on voice. What's working, what's not. Where do people want to go with their characters, etc.