Grubman's recent thread as well as a comment in my recent "Why AD&D2 sucks" thread about how "AD&D2 makes it seem like someone HAS to be the DM rather than GETS to be the DM" made me think about this.

I really don't like to GM.

I like coming up with worlds and NPCs, but I largely find the actual process of running a game to be extremely unfun.  It's something I do because of the hope of getting to play in the future, not something I do because I enjoy it.  I often find my prepwork much more exciting than the idea of running it.  And doing that is something I honestly do because I'm not getting to play very much.

Generally speaking, I have this attitude because, IMX, players primarily act in one of two ways:

1) They are extremely predictable.  While I'm doing my prepwork, I already know how several players will respond to certain stimuli.  So, when they do so, its not interesting to me because I already know how this will go in my head.

2) They become completely passive.  They just sit there waiting to be tossed a bone.  Then they complain when I give them one.  "You're railroading us!"  Of course I'm railroading you.  I'm trying to use the damn train to push your fat lazy asses down the track or convince you to get off it!  Do something!

And those are besides all the other issues which players bring (or don't bring) to the table.

Now, I do sometimes enjoy GMing.  When the players praise the ingenuity of my game or on the rare occasions they do something which I really never would have expected, I get a wonderful feeling.  However, I've learned even that can be manipulated, and that knowledge of manipulation has damaged my enjoyment of even those few moments.

A few years ago, I had a group and we were passing off GMing duties between three people.  I always got high praises from one player, until one day when he got pissed at something in game.  He told me my game sucked, and I responded by asking him why he said it was so great all the rest of the time.  His response?  "I just tell you that I enjoy your game so that you'll be happy and keep running it, because I don't like James's game (the other GM) and I don't want to have to GM!"  Basically, my game sucked, but it didn't suck as hard as the other guy's game and it meant the player didn't HAVE to GM.

Another time I was told perfectly straight faced by a player, "You're the GM.  You're not supposed have any fun.  You're just supposed to make it fun for us."

Whenever I've assembled a new group, the most common question is "Do I HAVE to GM?"

Now, I can't be alone in this.  From what I've seen the vast majority of people see the GMing duties as extremely distasteful and the worst part of RPGs.  So, opinions?

I really like GMing.  I just want to play now and again as well.  

It's, like, always a bridesmaid, never a bride, only without the dress.

I prefer to GM. It's more fun.

Seanchai

It's been nearly twenty years now since I first started playing RPGs, and in that time I've been the GM in all but a handful of games. Yup, I prefer GMing whenever possible.

As GM, at least you're constantly involved in the action.

Yes, I like to GM, and also like to play. Keeping everyone involved as GM is a constant challenge.

I like to GM:  I like to present a wonderful situation and scene, to watch the players make it their own by throwing their characters bravely into it, and to be constantly surprised by the way our various contributions come together in unexpected ways.

I love to GM. Perhaps it's my ADD liking the ability to change characters every scene. Or it may be my MPd wanting out. Maybe I'm just a control freak. But I like to GM and the players seem to enjoy my campaigns, so I'm happy with it.

I like to play and I like to GM. For different reasons much like how I like to go for walks and ride my bike. Both get me where I am going, allow me to exercise and enjoy the outside but in different ways. GMing lets me flex my world building, theatrics, and story telling while playing lets me flex my theatrics, roll some dice and explore a GM's world as well as the character I am playing.

So, I guess I am the freak and like both.:deflated:

Bill

Quote from: GabrielNow, I can't be alone in this.  From what I've seen the vast majority of people see the GMing duties as extremely distasteful and the worst part of RPGs.  So, opinions?

I love GMing. More than playing but I will happily do both and in fact, I'd be disappointed if I never got to play.

Gabriel, it seems you like to prep things up and then it crumbles during play for you. You need to carefully evaluate why it is so and tweak things up. Maybe you need different players. Maybe you need a different game system. Maybe you need to change the way you prep.

Since you like coming up with worlds and stuff, I think it would be a shame not to experience that. Unless you are ok with just coming up with worlds for yourself (which is ok by me).

I love GMing, but I have the problem of wanting to play in the worlds I create. I'm not real big on having a GMPC I play along with the players, so either I just stifle the urge or, as in my current Rifts campaign, I hand the reins to another player-turned-GM for a bit once things are underway.

Yes, provided that I have a group of players who are willing to work with one another to ensure that everybody has fun.

I used to love it a lot more than I do now, but that's simply a matter of having so little time left these days that prepping can feel like scrambling to meet a deadline.

Quote from: Consonant DudeGabriel, it seems you like to prep things up and then it crumbles during play for you.

No.  Actually, it doesn't.  And that's the problem.  I WANT it to "crumble" during play.  I want to be surprised and wowed constantly by my players.

Not too long ago, I ran a little sequel to my old MSH game.  In the interrim a dark future had formed, and I intended to originally run something like a Days of Future Past kind of thing.  But my player turned it all around and used his knowledge of the campaign world to devise an incredibly reasonable and logical plan to travel back to the past and at least avert the worst of the future.  It became a lot more fun in the process.

But that's the exception to the rule.

I've said it before, but most of my enjoyment comes from discovering and exploring a new world or setting. Can't really do that if I'm the GM and I already know what's over the next hill or behind that door.

I much prefer playing.

I really enjoy GMing more than playing. Couldn't really tell you why, maybe it's playing lots of characters or maybe its the world building, though I'm more of a "build as we go" sort of world builder. It could be because thats the only way I get to play some games. Whenever I am a player, the other GMs almost always run AD&D, or (rarely) Warhammer. I don't think I have been the player in a game that wasn't a Fantasy game in 10 years or so. WELL, I did join up with a different group when gaming was scarce and they played RIFTS a couple of times...

So partly I GM by default so I can use different rules and try different genres. My players are great, but I wish they had broader tastes when it is someone elses turn to run. Those guys really love their fantasy, I tell you what. That and their aversion to superheroes is just unamerican.