Potluck Sessions (Michael)

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How Potluck Sessions (Michael) runs games

Besides the implication to seek enjoyment, I only have 3 rules: RULE 1. Be Respectful: Of me. Of others. Of yourself. The forum, the rules that regard it, and the time and/or money invested. Don’t fray the social fabric. Don’t betray the social contract. Refuse and be removed. We're all here to have a good time. I reserve the right, as GM, to remove any and all participants and/or terminate sessions, without explanation. I also reserve the right, as a person, to refuse service to anyone, without explanation. I honor all refund requests, except from those removed through verifiable violations of the rules presented. RULE 2. The Power of “No”: There are two ways to gain the power of “No.” Both must be conducted in a manner that doesn’t violate the first rule. A. by sending a private message to me, as the GM, before play. This way, I will have a record for any and/or all future appearances. or B. briefly to me in a private message during play to avoid confrontation and/or disrupting play. The new status quo will be established. “No” is an announcement. An acknowledgement by all involved that an offense has occurred or will occur if the topic(s), in question, is addressed further. They require no explanation. Use common sense in matters of privacy. I will honor refund requests if “No's" presented would result in a violation of the first and third rule. RULE 3. Maintain Momentum: DO: Relate. Create. Innovate. Collaborate. Participate. Gravitate. Acclimate. Accentuate. Toss the ball. DON’T: Hate. Devastate. Stagnate. Dictate. Spectate. Hesitate. Agitate. Discriminate. Take the ball home. Violating the rule in this way comes with three warnings. The first warning will be a reminder to reflect. An agreement about the game being played. The second warning will be a call to action. An attempt to rouse engagement utilizing DOs opposed to DON’Ts. The third will result in removal and/or termination of session, if not resolved with remainder. The participant's motives may be considered deliberate and disruptive thus violating the first rule. Don't be that person. Disagreement should only give way to complements not arguments. *Amendments to these rules are contingent upon interactions, perspectives, and interpretations that reframe, while also serving to improve the entire experience for all, without undermining initial intentions pursued during creation of original guidelines.

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Potluck Sessions (Michael)'s ideal table

FEASTS 1. Feasts require respite. Postprandial somnolence also known as the “itis,” is the drowsy feeling that usually accompanies a large meal. Five-minute breaks will be provided halfway between all sessions, no exception. I refer to the pre-respite period as the Ingestion Phase. Appearance. Aroma. The first taste. Do buds salivate? Mastication of texture. Structural integrity. The swallow. Freedom to experiment sans food poisoning. If you happen to become ill during this phase, I will honor all refund requests. The respite itself is the Digestion Phase. Now that you have savored what’s on hand, how do you feel? Do you seek to finish or do you want the check? This is the final moment to either keep eating or to thank all who contributed. I will still honor refund requests during this phase. Post-respite is, crudely enough, the Excretion Phase. Jokes aside, it is relief. Waste removal. Nutrient storage. Healthy biome indicators. Influences to personal diet. Reflection. It reveals how interests satiate and frames what’s forsaken. Refund requests will not be honored during or after this phase despite being given appropriate opportunities to perform prior. This violates the first rule. 2. Feasts attract crowds. I want my sessions to resemble reserved tables. Chairs present are chairs available. No one eats until all are occupied. No extra chairs allowed. This is a promise. This assures everyone involved understands the social exchange of energy they’re opting into. A threshold uncrossed. Company comfort capped. No more, no less. A ten-minute grace period will be honored when the session starts. The absence of notifications from any and/or all tardy persons before that period is a violation of the first rule. Attending the session, after that period has expired, violates the first rule, with or without notification. I will not honor refund requests. The tardy person(s) can only attend the session after the grace period if A. the remaining persons agree, B. it occurs during the Ingestion Phase. If the table is not full when this grace period begins or ends, I, as the GM, will propose session termination to the remaining persons, all in an attempt to preserve the sanctity of my promise. If agreed upon, I will honor refund requests and propose an upcoming session that may suffice. If, however, the party agrees to continue, play will commence between the remaining person(s). If the party agrees to continue during the Excretion Phase with participants involved, the decision to renege during this phase violates the first rule thus no refund requests will be honored. (See Rule 1) Barring unforeseen circumstances, absences are frowned upon. The failure to highlight engagements made before, on, or after acknowledgement of the schedule and/or lack of commitment to the schedule violates the first rule. (See Rule 1) Invites will only be entertained if: A. inclusion of the person(s) would meet the chair quota, B. it occurs within the five-minute grace period, if no notification from tardy person(s) or between the grace period and digestion phase, with or without notification from tardy person(s), C. the remaining person(s) agrees to the participation of invited person(s), D. the invited person(s) has read and understands the rules. I am powerless to control actions that are not my own. Those who didn’t receive a full table during the Ingestion Phase of the attended session, due to a violation or self-removal by another, and chose not to continue post-respite will have refund requests honored. I will also propose an upcoming session that may suffice, as a courtesy. 3. Feasts can be expensive. I want my sessions to resemble a pay-what-you-want cafe. Instituted limit. Nothing higher. Whatever’s affordable. Feast quality at snack prices. Worth is subjective. Perspective matters. Buyer’s remorse is always a possibility. Times are tough. Monies scarce. Guarantees are crucial. Downright necessary. False advertisements, be damned. First sessions will automatically be adjusted to $0 for new person(s). Once the first session has been attended, any session attended afterwards will be considered a successive session. Successive sessions will max out at $5 per player. The desired payment amount or adjustment must be stated clearly in a private message to avoid overpaying. Payment must be adjusted, according to preference, before the session’s start time. Do not request payment adjustment during the Ingestion Phase. This violates the first rule. Payment may also be adjusted during the Digestion Phase. This is the final time. Any requests to adjust payment outside of or beyond these two windows violates the first rule. If you remove yourself from a successive session during the Ingestion or Digestion Phases, without a notification to adjust payment, I will not adjust that payment to $0. I will honor all refund requests, unless rules were violated. If you remove yourself from a successive session during the Excretion Phase, no payments will be adjusted nor refund requests honored, as it would violate the first rule. SNACKS 1. Snacks are consistent. Often bought in bulk. Enjoyed piecemeal. Paced by those with restraint, yet capable of becoming a feast sans moderation. I want my sessions to resemble an automatic cat feeder. Timer activated. Reliable. Anticipatory. Routine. The fiddling of impatient paws rewarding ingenuity between scheduled meals. Twelve hours. Three days a week. Two-hour intervals. Continue your story. Anytime. No commitment. 2. Snacks are curated. You know what you like. Browsing menus under pressure, only to default. The usual. Your go-to. Convenience. No sweat. I want my sessions to resemble a food delivery app. Not how you think. One that works with you. No substitutions. One that remembers preferences and recommends proposals in response. Give to get. “The Pantry” will be used to build a database that highlights similarities. Complimentary flavors. No oil and water here. Archived recordings. Reviewable by any potential players. Note playstyles. Locate niches. Connect. Curate. 3. Snacks are diverse. Sweet. Sour. Chewy. Crunchy. Bars. Gummies. I want my sessions to resemble a Halloween bag. Variety galore. Every house offers something new. What will you keep? What will you trade? Every session will be an exercise in introducing something different. Dusty maps. Unexplored mechanics. Buried musings. Philosophy. Theory. The whole shebang contained within a bright metallized film wrapper. Eat what you can. Keep what you don't. Forget the rest.

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