What is the best DMing Style?

[GRWelsh]

I don't like the term "old school" since it is vague and used differently depending on who is talking. To some people, it may just mean playing an older edition. But I think it is best defined as a style of DMing. I can't think of a better term right now for what I want to discuss, so I'll just say "old school". My own concept of old school is a simulated environment with the DM as a completely neutral referee -- basically just the tabletop wargame tradition. In the most extreme example of this, the DM is purely neutral, let's the chips fall where they may, fudges no die rolls, never tailors or modifies encounters, never gives players hints in achieving any goals, and merely describes and simulates the environment with complete neutrality. "Old school" is the DMing style that leans towards this extreme. The other end of the spectrum would be the "Storyteller" game, where the DM plots everything out and tells the players a story. Most if not all campaigns fall somewhere along this spectrum without being completely at the extreme of either end. So where is the best "point" on this spectrum?

[Scott]

For a while I was pretty far on the "Old School" side of things, but I think it was part of really learning the rules, and not playing what I assumed the rules were since I was 12. After trying it out, and many conversations with Gary, Rob, Ernie, etc. I realized they never played that way. They never lost site of the fact that it was game and it was supposed to be fun. If the players played well, they would fudge, give hints, etc. They would not allow one bad roll, or one poor design decision to ruin the game. Not all the time, but as an exception. The game was still a challenge; PCs did have bad things happen to them. That sense of danger made the game more fun.
So I think there is no right style. Know your players and make it fun for them.
Don't worry about being meta. Challenge the players and not just the stats on their sheets.

[geneweigel]

For me, immersion is chief and that is where any random feel or story-like feel gets interesting. You can say, "Get me the chips, please." as long as you get right back to: "Zounds! Ye gods!" in half a second. Strapping on a resolvable story is an art that should be reserved for DMs that can manage the rules feeling palpable to serve the reality. Any "destiny" or "chosen one" game isn't really D&D and isn't really a game.

[geneweigel]

Geez, I should have said "warning this is a condensed outline of ideas that I don't have time to answer fully".

Seriously, another aspect is that today's DMs have to be talented to navigate around bad fantasy of many forms.

In 1982, one could stick to the flavor of the D&D content as a guideline then "Howard" or "Leiber" or "Tolkien" or Lovecraft" it from there. These days the bulk of things called D&D, especially the deranged "CORE" of late 80's first edition and up, is a literal "Dead Marshes" for a DM to try to get through to a game that feels right.

[Scott]

Not to jump on the curmudgeon bandwagon but... I think another factor that skews newer players' perspective is that many of them learned to play D&D after years of playing Elder Scrolls, Diablo, World of Warcraft, etc. and their views of what a fantasy role playing game should be have been shaped by that experience.
You're right, in 1982 Howard, Leiber, Tolkien, etc. was pretty much all you had for inspiration.

[howandwhy99]

Referee.

D&D is simply a game where someone has placed a bar and asked the players to jump over it for points. That bar is the game world. The better players are at playing the game (i.e. accomplishing goals within it), the better they are at scoring points.

Unlike storytelling culture, games are a completely separate culture. D&D is a game from the tradition of 60s & 70s wargames, some of the most challenging and rewarding mental games ever.

Follow the path activities can only be games if staying on the path is a challenge, not a ride.
Make up a story activities can only be games if players are capable of failing at storytelling.

Ironically, reading (deciphering) is more like playing a game than any kind of "make stuff up" activity.

[geneweigel]

Just to add to the book inspiration for DMing style one must add other sci-fi fantasy media which in our day was about the juxtaposition of a twist into something straightforward.

Typical TV would be "its really Earth/Hell/Zoo/etc.!!!" and comics would be its really a guesome death instead of a win at least moreso than TV. The comics code had worn out by the time that I had started reading comics in the 70's and Gygax was a pre-code reader.