Assuming you have a favorite genre (fantasy, pulp, four-color supers, etc.), and at least one genre you don’t like, there’s a fertile middle ground: genres you haven’t tried yet.
There are lots of reasons to stick with what you know: not wanting to learn a new system, being really jazzed about a particular genre, having a group that likes the games you usually play, etc.
But there are plenty of good reasons to step out of your genre comfort zone, too (a subset of getting out of your general GMing comfort zone [1]):
- Explore new conventions. All genres have their own conventions, and by crossing genre boundaries you can learn about, and then make use of, those conventions in your genre of choice.
- You might find a new favorite. If you’ve never run a supers game, how do you know you won’t love it? More imporantly, how do you know your players won’t love it?
- Taste new flavors. Flavor is a big part of what defines different genres, and like conventions it can be pretty easy to export to other genres.
- Simply trying something new. “Try new things” is one of my three maxims for GMs [2], and it certainly applies here. Even if you take a step outside your genre comfort zone and hate it, you’ll benefit from having tried that new thing.
What’s your favorite genre to GM? Do you have more than one favorite? What about anti-favorites — genres you refuse to GM?
Comments Disabled To "Step Out of Your Genre Groove"
#1 Comment By Ishmayl On May 21, 2007 @ 9:42 am
Very well said. My group just recently tried Modern d20, after playing 10+ years of fantasy-esque D&D, and we absolutely loved it. It was a very espionagey game, with lots of James Bond elements, and we all had a blast. We are now planning on taking turns between it and D&D.
#2 Comment By robustyoungsoul On May 21, 2007 @ 10:30 am
After close to a decade of D&D, a few of us have been playing Burning Empires for a couple of months now.
I don’t think I’ll ever run a D&D game again! Who knew!
#3 Comment By SmithyW On May 21, 2007 @ 12:22 pm
I’ve tried genre other than midevil fantasy, but unfortunately my players do not care for anything else. It’s been a bumpy history with my particular gaming group.
Steampunk: no interest; players never picked it up.
Future SCIFI: tried it; players always chose to request D&D when it was my turn to run.
Gothic Horror: tried it twice; players weren’t interested in the theme of the game and just wanted to run around flinging magic or sacrificing virgins.
Weird West: Couldn’t get them to touch it – one of them actually turned their nose up and said “ewww.”
Super-Heroes: Wound up just like the horror games… players terrorizing the populace with their powers.
It doesn’t seem to matter how much I might like to try a genre other than D&D, I’m either running that or stuck looking for a new group of gamers 🙁
#4 Comment By John Arcadian On May 21, 2007 @ 5:38 pm
The best thing I found when I took my group out of the standard genre, was to change the standard group type. When I played a sci-fi setting (Serenity game) I made them all part of the same military unit and had them pick roles from a hat. Since it was a short game (4 sessions) it wasn’t too heartbreaking. They merged well to that idea even though fantasy and world of darkness (with much mass carnage in all genres) was their norm.
Genre breaking can be great though. It gets you out of thinking in the standard ways, and when you go back to the genre you started in (most do), then you find you bring new elements to that. Thinking about the technology more in a fantasy game, or thinking about the political intrigue more in a modern game, etc.
#5 Comment By maikeru On May 21, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Funny you brought this up, just yesterday, had a friend come over and we decided to play a game. I absolutly hate westerns, books movies, etc… He wanted to play a western type game. 🙁 I said ok, but I want fantasy too, so i grabed my true20 book and we had a blast, we had a half-elf gunslinger and a halfling diplomat. Was probably the most fun I’ve had in a while. My wife hated it so… will probably will not be playing it again.
#6 Comment By Telas On May 21, 2007 @ 9:08 pm
I was in a brief Deadlands game (SW version), and enjoyed the heck out of it, although the public location the first session really kept me from the Blazing Saddles quotes…
I default to euro-fantasy, but I’m willing to try something different. Finding it is the hard part.
#7 Comment By Roger On May 22, 2007 @ 8:16 am
I find there’s a lot of fun to be had with a genre that everyone hates.
Namely, you can all get together and decide to subvert and pervert that genre to the best of your abilities.
Don’t like romantic comedies? Stir in a goodly dose of senseless violence, fatal STDs, and spousal abuse, and you might have yourselves a good time.