This is one of the reasons for why MMOs are as popular as they are; far, far more people want to play than GM and being the GM is seen as a chore to be endured more than a differently-fun role to play.  (This, itself, is due to a change in what's expected out of the GM over the last 30 years.)

Quote from: James McMurrayI 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.

That's me too.  It's why I especially like cross-genre games like Sliders and Dreamwalker, and Star Wars to some extent---I can watch a movie, come up with a cool idea for an adventure, and then change the setting to match.  I get bored playing one character week after week.  These days I only play so as not to be a total GM hog.  

Pete

EDIT:  Forgot to mention---I do enjoy playing one-shots and miniseries, though.  Just not long term campaigns.

I think I like both equally, but I haven't GMed in ages. (Then again I only recently started playing again.)

Quote from: GabrielGenerally 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.

I think you've phrased your problem very well, to the extent that an obvious (?) answer pops right out. Aren't there any things you're curious about your players--situations you can think of where you don't know what they'll do? Steer your prep and your improv in those directions. Just...try not to be too blatant about it. (By "blatant" I mean, don't concoct silly moral conundrums. Keep it grounded in the game-world and your players' interests.)

Quote2) 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!

Use Flags, maybe? I.e., use elements of one or more characters either on the sheet, the background writeup, or from "bluebooking", in the construction of scenarios.

Quote from: WerekoalaAs GM, at least you're constantly involved in the action.

I have ADHD, so that's definitely one of the reasons I like it.

Seanchai

Quote from: Zachary The FirstI love GMing, but I have the problem of wanting to play in the worlds I create.

See, I just don't get this: when I GM, I am playing in the world I create.

I'm setting up situations and mysteries, I'm acting out a dozen characters, I'm making stuff up as I go along, I'm playing, dammit. It's just that it's a different species of play than the others are experiencing.

Even though I'll use the terms "GM" and "player" in apposition, I really think of them as two types of players: GM and non-GM.

Back on topic: yes, I like GMing. It's possible that I enjoy it more than non-GMing, but it's also possible that I just suffer from delusions of elitism and haven't had a GM in sixteen years that didn't make me covertly wince. :hehe:

GMing for me isn't the big administrative/preparation hassle that a lot of people seem to describe it as being. Prep for my GURPS game is fairly lightweight situation description, which usually takes a couple of nights of staring at the ceiling at bedtime and a half hour of writing during the day of the game. Locations and maps are generated on a whiteboard on the fly, and most conceivable combat opponents are ordinary humans with more or less average skills so I rely on templates I pregenerated months ago.

What gets me about GMing is the sense of stage fright; of nervous anticipation and the fear that everything will flop like a dead fish and the other players will think it was a wasted evening. And the actual experience of GMing is a lot like being on stage: after a few hours I'm usually mentally exhausted and often soaked in sweat.

I like setting up the table with players but I don't like running for extended periods.  I get tapped and burnt out after a while.  To make something fun and exciting (for me), it requires a different perspective.  Take the wheel, I'm falling asleep.  This is why I make campaign structure around round robin GMing with a non-static party.  That and I dislike party mechanics.

Quote from: GabrielWhenever 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?

Back to my earliest Traveller games, which we played without a GM because nobody wanted to be one, I've always enjoyed being a player more and think of myself primarily as a player.  That said, I can have fun GMing but also find it a bit of a chore.  I enjoy co-GMing more than GMing solo.

I don't like coming up with NPC names (I'm trying more and more to download this to players) and I like concentrating on playing one or two characters rather than the "playing" of lots and lots of them. Other than that I'm generally fine with GMing. I just generally like playing more.

Quote2) 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!

LOL. Oh man, it's funny because it's true. Well of some players sometimes at least. I had a player actually say to me Sunday night "what's in it for me to advance your plot?" Look buddy, your character = your plot. Either you have the nads to sign your PC to join the New Knight Templar or you don't and wimp out with Order of St. Sylvestrine. Or you don't sign up for either [but they know you know because you already contacted them] and you don't get the Karma cost reduction for initiating with a group. Whatever.

Ironically whether he signs up for the Templars or St. Sylvestrines he ends up working for the same damn people doing the same things. Just is with Order of St. Sylvestrine he's got a little pausible deniability since he's in the dark on what the actual is agenda of the Templar moles in the St. Sylvestrine heirarchy. Which of course has it's obvious downside too. And he knows this. :rolleyes:

That reminds me I really should try getting down to finishing rewriting that Proactive Player List from the GM POV.

In answer to the OP's question, I'd better, seing as how I'm a lousy player.

I don't know about lumpen-players. All my players are itching to do, not sit there, and they're almost all between 16 and 22. I suppose lumpen-players wouldn't be interested in my (as GM) game, because I just don't see them, and that's in thirty years of GMing.

-clash

I LOVE GM-ing ....on a  really good night its equal to the high of a typical night of good sex.
 I feel just as exhausted and VERY "alive".

- E.W.C.

The most important reason why I like GMing is because of my players. If I did not have players who were interested and enthusiastic, I doubt I would enjoy GMing. There's a lot of other reasons why I like GMing - world creation, playing a diverse range of characters, taking what the players throw at me and turning it into something we all enjoy - but the main reason is the fun I derive from having players really engage with whatever we're attempting to create at the moment.

Regards,
David R

Quote from: KoltarI LOVE GM-ing ....on a  really good night its equal to the high of a typical night of good sex.

Ok, at least one of us is not doing something right.....

Quote from: blakkieOk, at least one of us is not doing something right.....

Hey to some folks GMing is a full contact sport

Now me, I don't go around comparing things to sex becaue if you're doing it right, there is no comparison

Regards,
David R

The Analogy still works.

 On a good night a lot of creativoty happens, there is a good give and take with my players.
 You also have to remember....unlike some of you - most of my players are women, and I'm also friends with all of them.  Just a different mood with women as players when the game is over.

 I told this idea to the oldest one , who is a counselor/therapist in her day job and she thinks its the mental stimulation and creative energy part of it all that gives that feeling to the GM.

Oh God!! The above looks possibly "FORGE-ist" , but believe me  I don't think like those guys. I just have had some really good game sessions.

- E.W.C.

Sure, but I like playing too.

Recently I've had an ideas drought, so I've been mostly playing for a while.  It's been a few months, but ideas are starting to bubble, so I may GM for a bit again shortly.

But playing is plenty fun, I like ideally to do both, though generally not at the same time.