When you GM, do you visualize the action as it happens? And if so, how important is that visualization to you?
For my part, I have an intensely visual imagination. I get mental images of what I’m describing, and of what my players describe, and they’re often very vivid. Years later, I can remember the mental images from some of my favorite games.
To a lesser extent, the same is true when I’m on the outside of the screen. Not being as actively involved in descriptions lowers the detail level of my mental visuals, but they’re often still pretty detailed.
I would say that I am very much like you Martin. When I am planning a session, I can picture different scenes in my head, and it helps me to get them down on paper. Often one really vivid image can help me focus an entire set of session notes.
On the flip-side of the screen, I try very hard to visualize what is going on. The more I can visualize the closer I am to my character and the campaign.
I can often recall past scenes in my mind when looking back on past sessions; in the same way I can remember all my favorite movie scenes.
I’m not terribly visual, as you’ve probably guessed from my “eh” responses to pictures and props posts. For me, it’s very like reading– a strong sense of place, but definately not “seeing” the buildings and brickwork.
I do have visual players– being better at roping them in and making the world shine for them would make me happy.
All the time, both as player and as DM.
As DM, if I can visualise a scene, then I’m not fumbling for notes or stuttering when the players ask something I hadn’t anticipated.
As a player it’s more difficult, as my DM’s not particuarly descriptive. We’ve had occations where my mental image doesn’t fit with what he was thinking and that caused some confusion for a while. He’s getting better. 🙂 I like having a good mental image as a player since I’m the unofficial chronicler for my game
I tend to be very visual, but find a block trying to convey it to words. So I grab a mental image right off the bat, and then concentrate on depicting that, or use 60% pictures to bring the players to the same page as me. Then I play out characters to give a better sense of the situation. I tend to be real bad about using maps though, having such an idea of the area in my head, but not conveying that adequately enough to my players.
I’m always trying to visualize the action in someway that isn’t a bird’s-eye view — which is how most people view the tactical map and miniatures.
Of course, what’s often interesting is when players are also visualizing — but perceive things differently than you.
This is the one time as a GM that I’m very open to suggestions/descriptions of players as to their perceptions. I WANT to know how they perceive combat, even if it’s different. It think it’s crucial to making combat “come alive.”
Otherwise, it’s just little metal figs squaring off on a grid — and how boring is that?
I’ve never actually sat down and compared “mental movie notes” with the other folks in my groups, but I’d be willing to bet nearly everyone is visualizing things differently. It’s a lot like reading a book, putting together images of the various characters and places, and then watching the movie version — they’re never the same!
Scott’s point about being a largely non-visual GM but having visual players makes me think that it would be worth finding out up front (before the game) how your players imagine the action. I’ve never done that, but it could be a very good social contract issue.