Storyboarding - This is probably the most utilised style of Sim plan there is. The GM lays out a series of storyboards connecting his plot from start to finish. It’s a lot like writing a choose your own adventure story. This style requires the most amount of prep work.
Pro’s - You have a very definite idea of where and how the sim will progress. Probably the best style for the new GM.
Cons - Its structure is its downfall, fairly rigid and may require you to drop hints or give out cheats to help move the sim where you want it to, to prevent it getting stuck. It is the least spontaneous style type.
Table Topping - Similar in type to the storyboard but looser in that the GM sets up a more loosely connected series of encounters or obstacles and then judges the player’s actions based upon a roll of a dice which advances the sims through the series of encounters. (Oldest method of GMing) It requires a moderate amount of prep work.
Pros - An inherent amount of flexibility is designed into the sim. Allows a degree of spontaneity, and fun because chance plays a significant element in the sim’s outcomes. More realistic as it can easily incorporate and resolve unexpected actions.
Cons - Its reliance on chance is also its downfall as it doesn’t necessarily reward player creativity and research. Players can and should be rewarded for going the extra effort to come up with great ideas and this method doesn’t necessarily do that.
Free Form - This is both the riskiest and by far the most rewarding of styles out there. Definitely not for your first time up to bat. A GM who free forms basically throws a problem or a premise at his crew and then lets them dictate where the action goes from there. Requires minimal prep work.
Pros - The most spontaneous of all the styles, this is best utilised amongst a very creative crew and is highly rewarding and satisfying because players feel that their actions matter fundamentally to the outcome.
Cons - Not for the faint of heart. The GM needs to be constantly on the pulse of what their crew wants, providing little nudges here and there and then taking the hands off the reins. Your sim premises must be tailored to engage your crew or else you’ll find it falling flat quickly.
Combo - Some GMs in the club do a style that is a mix of free form and storyboarding. This is where you set up the main crux of the story, plus all the key character and world-building details and then let the crew go where they want to.
Pros- It provides a modicum of structure and ensures that as you go along you have something to refer back to to keep the sim grounded in the bubble reality you are creating. It provides lots of room for the crew to be creative, and for you to make changes as needed without having to come up with every detail.
Cons- When you have room for a lot of flexibility, you have to be prepared to go with the flow. You might need to re-write some things in your basic plan to make things work, or you may need to steer the crew slightly back to where you need them to be. Otherwise they may go so far that things stop making sense and you end up with contradictions.