Gamemastering

Overview

This video goes through the basics of gamemastering while using Drawbridge.

Ahead/Behind Timer

A closer look at Drawbridge’s ahead/behind timer and how it can benefit your gamemastering experience.

Alert Sounds and Colors

A quick introduction to Drawbridge’s alert system, which keeps you up to date on the current state of all games with just a glance.

Camera Audio

Learn how to use cameras that have integrated audio in Drawbridge to enhance your gamemastering experience.

Camera Viewing

Take a closer look at how to manipulate cameras in Drawbridge for easy game viewing.

Map cameras to specific objectives in order to get the priority camera to shift automatically as the game progresses.

Device Dashboard

Depending on what game control system is in use, this dashboard can be configured to show the status of devices in the game and will appear below the objectives column. When the device is inactive it will be red, and when it is active it will be green. If you have multiple sensors in a puzzle, this dashboard will let you identify which items in the sequence are correct without having to ask the group.

• If you want this turned on, you’ll have to set a device default value in settings. Navigate to the story and then under devices. In here, you’ll set what objective the device is related to and what the device should look like when it’s ‘correct’ in the game. The dashboard will only appear for the objective it is assigned to.

*The device dashboard is intended for users with M3 game control and devices need to be on/off style, not lock/unlock style

Mastering Multiple Games per Monitor

When mastering more than one game per monitor, adjust your browser’s “Zoom” setting until Drawbridge’s bottom menu bar is fully visible and spans the entire length of the browser window (see example below).

The exact zoom needed will vary depending on the resolution and physical size of monitors used.

Custom Hint

Follow along with this video to learn how to send not just pre-typed hints, but also custom hints.

• ALT + ENTER will quickly send whatever text you have typed in the Custom Hint

  dialog box—even if the hint was typed previously and the dialog box is currently closed.

• Hints can also be cleared from the timer screen by pressing the eraser button on the lower menu bar.

Common & Global Hints

Find yourself sending the same hints or warnings that are unrelated to gameplay to players over and over again? Take a look at our solution with common and global hints.

GameSense and AutoHint

Take a look at some of the features Drawbridge offers that make Gamemastering a breeze.

AutoNudge

If a group has spent a while on an objective without receiving a hint, a popup may appear under the Ahead/Behind timer. This popup will suggest a nudge be sent to the group, but can be dismissed if it’s not applicable. Info on setup here.

Lifeline

Drawbridge offers integrated two-way audio. Watch this video to learn about Gamemastering with Lifeline.

Event Mapping

Trigger props in the room with a single click by mapping events to their corresponding objectives.

Log

Depending on the game control system, some users will have the option to toggle game objectives to view a log of everything happening in the game.

Maintenance and Reset Errors

Keep a log of maintenance needs and reset errors in your rooms.

Messaging

Need to notify a host of something that happened with a group? Take a look at Drawbridge’s solution.

Next Task

Reduce the need for memorization by keeping track of the tasks players must complete to reach new objectives throughout the game.

Pausing Games

When a game is paused, you can select a reason why. This gets logged in game stats and on the overview screen. Having this data can help determine frequency of issues and reduce those issues in the future.

Upcoming

The Upcoming tab on the GM page shows bookings coming up for that game and allows GM’s to claim and start games from this page. This can be helpful if your host and GM are the same person. It also lets GM’s know exactly when the next game is supposed to start to ensure things are happening on schedule.

Group Annotation

Game Masters can now provide feedback on how groups are performing in games. This will be sent to the assigned host to help provide context when they retrieve the group. This button appears on the bottom bar on the GM page.

When pressed, GMs will see this menu.

GMs can select any of the options and provide commentary. This can help give the host a highlight from the game to discuss with the group or give them context around a frustrating moment.