Let's share some inspiring tales of GMs.  Tell us about a moment in a game when the GM did great.  

What was the situation?  What did the GM do?  Why was it great?   What did you learn from that moment?

Is there not a case to say that a GM is at his best then he is invisible?

There is some logic to that Soylent.  I have more than a few horror stories, or at least 'somewhat dumb GM moment' stories but damn few 'Great GM' stories. Most of those are 'great gaming session' stories instead, and while the GM was assuradly a part of the greatness, his effort is hidden.


Still: I had a GM who had been running a game for some time and we beat his 'big bad', a lich in an epic battle that saw a few of our companions permanently dead, and most of the rest MOSTLY dead by the end of hte fight.  

It was great GMing in that the fight was suitably epic for a campaign ended, and more so because when the players (ok... ME) came up with follow on adventures he was able to spin some stuff out for the next sessions that overcame the original 'end of the campaign' idea. Sadly personal shit got in the way and the group migrated to a more reliable GM (who, sadly, suffers modulitis)

Quote from: Soylent Green;280938Is there not a case to say that a GM is at his best then he is invisible?

Invisible?  Explain.

Quote from: Spike;280961Most of those are 'great gaming session' stories instead, and while the GM was assuradly a part of the greatness, his effort is hidden.

Hidden?  Explain.

Our main DM is able to do female characters convincingly, especially in romantic situations, without it seeming either cartoonish, creepy or awkwardly homoerotic. In our last major campaign, he managed to turn a Baron's daughter into a major NPC and the love interest of one of the PCs, and spun a major storyline out of it. I've always been impressed by his ability to do so, since I don't think I do female NPCs nearly as well.

Quote from: Spinachcat;280967Invisible?  Explain.



Hidden?  Explain.

Pretty much what Spike said. If you ask around, most tales about "great gaming moment" revolve around things the players, rather than the GM, did or said.

The best GM I ever played with by far wasn't necessarily the most impressive one. His NPCs were terrible, they pretty much the same and just seemed to say "Indeed." all the time, he had no real flair for descriptions and never really seemed to do much prep for his games. What he did do though was listen to his players, listen and respond accordingly.

If he'd pitched a gritty Cyberpunk 2020 game to us and we somehow, in the dumb sort of way players do, created character's more suitable to the A-Team style silliness, he'd adapt his game's plot and tone to match the players characters rather than try and get the playes to conform to his style.

And even when players within the same game seem to be pulling in totally different directions (say a superhero game in which one player has gone for dark vigilante type, another for a four-colour, silver age type hero and another still is playing a normal guy discovers abilities character on the lines of the "Heroes" TV show) - the sort messy game you migth get in noisy gaming club with a large party full of pick-up players - he'd find ways to let each player play the game the way they wanted.

I guess what it come down to is that we was a very selfless GM. His priority was always on keeping each individual player entertained rather than expressing, let alone protecting, his own personal vision. And that is hard because I think a lot of us get into GMing precisely because we have a personal vision we want to bring to life.

I generally GM, so I don't have many examples, but...

I played with the creator of the Window at a con once. I really enjoyed the game. I think part of reason why was, beyond his solid GMing skills, his ability to fool us into think the game was something it wasn't.

Seanchai

Yes, generally the best moments in GMing is when the players aren't even thinking about the GM; I think that's what was meant by "invisible".

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;281043Yes, generally the best moments in GMing is when the players aren't even thinking about the GM; I think that's what was meant by "invisible".

Are we talking immersion?   The point where the game becomes so enjoyable that you become an elf in the dungeon and not just a pawn on the board or guy with dice?

That sounds like quite a leap. How'd you get that?

Seriously: If the GM isn't harshing on your fun and everything is clicking in the group and the adventure, doesn't matter if you start to think of yourself as Blackleaf the Elf, or Spike the gamer dude, then you are having a great time. You rarely will consider, in my experience, that the greatness of the adventure comes in part from that fat bearded dude behind his silly little screen.  He becomes invisible.

What is so freaking hard to get?

Quote from: Spinachcat;281085Are we talking immersion?   The point where the game becomes so enjoyable that you become an elf in the dungeon and not just a pawn on the board or guy with dice?

Yes, more or less. Really that you lose yourself in the game and the emulation of your character, so that you "forget" (not in a literal but in an essential sense) that you are playing a given system and being directed by a GM, and you "see into the world".

RPGPundit

Quote from: Spike;281086That sounds like quite a leap. How'd you get that?

Seriously: If the GM isn't harshing on your fun and everything is clicking in the group and the adventure, doesn't matter if you start to think of yourself as Blackleaf the Elf, or Spike the gamer dude, then you are having a great time. You rarely will consider, in my experience, that the greatness of the adventure comes in part from that fat bearded dude behind his silly little screen.  He becomes invisible.

What is so freaking hard to get?

I don't see why you're scared to say "Yes, Immersion is what makes roleplaying great".  Its only ever been the ENEMIES of roleplaying: fundamentalist christian nutcases who would have censored us and the Forge-storygamers who would destroy us, that hate that concept.

REAL roleplayers know that immersion is the highest state of the roleplaying experience. And yes, a great GM is a GM who consistently contributes to the state of immersion in his players.

RPGPundit

I don't consider that "immersion" in the sense I see the word used... particularly by Spinachat in his comment.

I don't have a problem with 'immersion' in that form, but I, and no one I know, have ever... to my knowledge... experienced it. I don't think it is necessary for awesome play experiences where the players essentially forget the GM's role in their fun, thus my reluctance to consider all player where the GM becomes invisible 'immersion'.

Quote from: Spike;281086You rarely will consider, in my experience, that the greatness of the adventure comes in part from that fat bearded dude behind his silly little screen.  He becomes invisible.

What is so freaking hard to get?

Maybe some of us never can forget the dude behind the screen. I find it a bit difficult to forget people I'm constantly talking to, myself.

Quote from: Spike;281268I don't have a problem with 'immersion' in that form, but I, and no one I know, have ever... to my knowledge... experienced it.

That obviously means you're not a REAL roleplayer, Spike.