There is a lot so bear with me, and also forgive my grammatical errors. There is a lot to cover. First James is a very good world builder and is happy to tie your character into the world. And this is only one part of how he is with characters. I would say his strength is long, narratively rich campaigns. As long as you are clear about where you would like your character's story to go he will do his best to help you get there and make that goal feel earned. He treats backstories and NPC with respect and is happy to keep to certain boundaries with your backstory. Anytime I was anxious about a story beat he was quick to assure me about things and give those assurances without spoilers which takes great skill. So if you are clear about your wants and your boundaries they will be listened to within reason. The reason being that they don't inhibit other player's fun or other player's feeling of safety. He is happy to homebrew with you and try to make things work to again work in world and also not step on other player's toes. It is OKAY to power game with him. Give him your most broken build and he'll still make you sweat in combat. I would say that if you want rp heavy with very light or easy combat this isn't the DM for you. He will challenge you but if you know your stuff or think well on your feet you'll get my favorite reaction which is. ..."There goes my plans, well done guys." Talking about thinking well on the spot he is very adaptable and thinks well on his feet and tries to keep choices open for players, even if it ruins plans, while also balancing keeping us engaged with the plot. Here is some things you need to know. Advocate for yourself. If you think the ruling was a little harsh or the combat a little hard tell him, respectfully, don't just insult him of course. But anytime I've had a concern it was handled quickly with direct communication. He will be an advocate for you if you don't know how to approach another player. I would say that he is inclusive and safe place. I am a Bi woman, and he has been respectful of both my gender and sexuality, same with my fiancé who is a Bi man. In conclusion: RP rich, narratively rich, tough combat, flexible World building, be direct in communication. I've played with him for about 3 ish years now, and I've been happy with the stories I've been able to experience.