Score- 25/30 (Pass)
James is an amazing writer and an incredible storyteller. In the course of this sim he created a mission that was both original, inventive, and unexpected, and his creativity really shone. I think that in the beginning, James had a little bit of trouble with the crew approaching the mission in ways he hadn’t anticipated, but through the course of the sim it was clear that he was more and more comfortable with allowing the players take the reigns within the story and work with their actions rather than trying to steer them to what he expected them to be. All in all, it was a wonderful sim that was an absolute blast to be a part of!
James had hardly any weaknesses as far as the IC side of the sim was concerned, however, his biggest weakness lies on the OOC side, and that is communication. As this was my first GMT as well, my experience with more seasoned GMs led me to disregard how James might struggle with the roster changes, LOAs, and AWOLs that the Dresden faced during the course of the sim (we went through a rough patch where most of the crew had IRL issues pulling them away, myself included). However, his concerns during the final stretch of the sim were brought to my attention by third parties rather than James himself, which was a little disheartening to me as I strive to be as approachable as I possibly can, and especially as I felt that communication was fairly easy before. This, unfortunately, led to some jumps in action that I feel could have been worked through together if we had talked about them. I want to reiterate that this is not all on James, but as a CO, I might not realize that the GM is having a hard time dealing with certain issues, if I am not told about them explicitly. I am a firm believer that the line of communication between the command team (be it either CO or XO) and the GM is one of the most important things to keep open and honest, and I would really like to see James making more use of it in the future, not just for the good news (which he did communicate), but also for any problems he may encounter.
Score- 29/30 (High Pass)
Over the course of his sim James learned to tackle the many challenges that arise during a sim with openness. Even when he was at times frustrated, he was open to whatever tips and advice people offered. He kept to his core sim idea but was flexible as needed to adjust to the crew. As he went along his pacing improved, though the crew became less active so that hindered him at times.
While his communication skills were great, he will do even better when his first instinct to troubleshoot first with the CO. Learning that balance between keeping things a surprise and fun for the crew and sometimes having to hand them large hints to keep things moving will also help here. But he was already developing these skills and it’s definitely just something you get good at as you GM more.
James is a solid GM and inventive with his sims. I expect nothing but great GMing from him in the days and years to come. I’m super excited to see him amongst our GM ranks and participate in his sims.
Greetings to you all,
James Sinclair inquired about a recommendation for GMM.
I’ve known James for some time now and have been on several ships with him during recent years. Throughout he has been present, involved and skillful in both posting and pressing the sim along. As well as being engaged he has been helpful - certainly to me - patient (definitely with me!) and willing to help. To me these qualities are much welcome in being able to guide another along in a sim. James knows how sims go and what is needed to both tell a good story and to move the story along so I am not hesitant in recommending him as a GMM.
Gene, aka Wookiee
James Sinclair is, without a single momentary doubt, one of the finest writers and storytellers in this club. His training sim was an award winner. When I consider who knows best how to create an engaging and meaningful story and can teach it, the first and the best answer is James. He is patient and kind and encouraging, everything you could want a mentor to be. We need more mentors and we have the chance here to get a really good one.
James is a reliably individual both as a GM and as a player from what I have seen and experienced. He is approachable and friendly, but also gives constructive criticism and aides when needed. This coupled together I feel makes him a good fit to be a GMM
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