dawwius

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a completely new player with very little frame of reference for what constitutes a good or bad DnD experience. There is a good chance that points I make fall more in line with overall comments on DnD rather than feedback for the gamemaster himself, moreover comments may also reflect my inexperience with the game and would not be relevant for experienced players. The new player experience was overall great, and Mark really shined at helping me assimilate core information, allowing me to establish a firm foothold despite joining mid-campaign and despite my relative inexperience. Outside of combat scenarios, Mark made sure to guide the game in a way that did not feel forced by giving us the necessary information or nudges to handle new developments without removing any sense of our own agency. During combat, I felt a little bit more out of my depth due to the sudden increase in complexity presented and I struggled a little bit with knowing what I was allowed to do and what actions I should take, although Mark did help ease these burdens. On top of this, the pacing of the game felt slower during combat scenarios and there were noticeably long periods where I felt I had less to contribute. Hopefully with a little bit more confidence, these issues will resolve themselves. With regards to world-building, Mark's usage of online visual aids really aided in setting a concrete tone and giving me a stepping stone with which I could better visualise the narrative, keeping the experience both exciting and engaging. Overall, Mark was clearly knowledgeable and very professional, and I really enjoyed the experience. The few issues I had involving combat, owing to my inexperience, did not overshadow the things I did enjoy. I am looking forward to my next game session!