How to organize GM data?

[aFacelessZealot]

In your opinion, what is the best way to store/organize all the relevant information during an RPG?

   I've been making due with a word document where I have all of the dialogue, narration, and rulebook reference page numbers laid out in a rough chronological order. I find that this forces me to compress too much data, and therefore I forget some stuff. Also, it's very difficult to write branching decisions in this format.

  I'm new at this, so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[sliksham]

I set-up a free forum, let my players create accounts and then only have acces to certain portions of the site. I use the rest for anything I need, encounter building, campaign notes etc. etc.
I can access it from anywhere on my phone.

Anything I dont need or use I can later delete.

[Gaumer]

If you are just using Word I would make links to other documents in the documents you have. You have an inn with a certain number of specific NPCs that hang out there? You have a link in the description part of the inn that's in a document with all of your places descriptions that links to the NPC descriptions who regular that location that are together with all the other NPC descriptions in a separate document.

But I don't think Word is a good solution for this. What you need is a simple organization tool for documents, but you also need a sort of project management tool to add as you go...hmm. I'm not sure.

You can try Evernote for some management of the documents. But you'll have to simply have more than one document. I think if you have a main story document and put everything else into categories and and keep those things off of the story document you'd stay more focused on fixing the compression problem.

I don't think there's a way to fix this without just writing out everything in its own documents.

[bugminion]

I use docs.google.com for preparation, because I can access it from everywhere, quickly write down things that come to mind and check it out later.
That's in fact nothing else than a bunch of text-documents or table-sheets though. I think there are more options, but I haven't explored them yet. In fact I did not have any need for them.

The most capable campaign organizer I know is Masterplan.
It lets you do almost everything, from plot organisation over encounter planning down to dungeonmap building. Also it is free of charge, so probably worth a look.
Personally I found it too complicated for my simple needs. Probably didn't match my chaotic neutral alignment...

[CrowTRobot]

Word Documents are great for writing out dialogue and the general story. I also use Excel spreadsheets for more detailed information. I'll have one spreadsheet tab for Characters that they will encounter and information on them (a column for names, location, loot, xp, items they can sell, etc.). Excel is also great for punching in the order of combat and skill tests.

For each person its best for you to find what works for you. I write everything into those programs BUT I also have a notepad next to me to write out things and to pass out notes if one character sees something that they might want to keep for themselves.

[Tondi-]

I tell you wants not great.  Human Brain.  I have heaps of trouble because I don't have the time to document things!

[Navarre]

You need Hermione's time-turner. Those things are great.

[The Mighty King Cobra]

I have an ancient artifact that I use...

Pencil of writing, +5 against paper.

[CrowTRobot]

Hey, I still use a pencil as well. It's not even mechanical!

[Navarre]

Is it the great big pencil like first graders use?

[CrowTRobot]

Sadly no. I learned a long time ago that those could be used as a weapon against you as soon as you drop your guard.

Although when I bought a pencil sharpener the 18 year old store clerk asked me what the device I was buying was used for.

[SpiderLover]

I use a lot of things in games. Props (Paper, Candles, Lighters, etc), My laptop and music selection for when the time comes for it. Some pre recorded audio files (For like the Big bad or spooky noises) and of course Excel.

[Forresst]

Hello!

Googly Docs are great!  But if you're looking to organize a campaign's worth of data in a form that you and your players can easily use, is easy to access anywhere you can find some internets, and you as the GM can stratify into "GM only stuff" vs. "everybody stuff", my favourite is Obsidian Portal.  I think the site is www.obsidianportal.com .  Anyway, they give you a little wiki thing for your background information, a blog to record what happened, a little forum for everyone to post in, a section for homebrewed items and things, and you can have a map for your campaign setting.  It's all free with a premium membership that gives you more extras, but I find the free stuff is exactly what I need, and more than my players will ever actually use ( ).

[Gaumer]

Good call, Forrest!

I checked out ObsidianPortal and it looks like a really good website.

This and RP tools, maybe some Skype, leaves no excuse to not have more DnD games going on on the interwebz

[litanyofthieves]

I've used Obsidian Portal but I find it a bit too complex for me, because when I started out I just used notebooks. Unfortunately, this meant many a moment of flipping from page to page and killing the action. Now I use Evernote, and I find that works great, especially since it can be used cross-computer and on my phone as well, so if I have a flash of inspiration I don't have to find the nearest scrap of paper and writing tool to keep from forgetting it. (The art gallery never did let me back in the W.B. Yeats exhibit though.)