I would love to jump in to a game (specifically in the nyc area either this weekend or the next, does anybody have any openings for a one-shot?) but in general do you ever get so sick of being the organizer that you'd rather just play?

I'm always getting stuck being the master of ceremonies for the old crust.

I can relate.

In general, I prefer being a player than a DM.

Unfortunately I frequently ended up being stuck with the DM job, since I got back into playing rpg games.  (I came back to rpg games shortly after 3.5E D&D was released.  Previously I took a long 15+ years hiatus away from rpg games, where I completely missed 2E AD&D and 3E D&D).

I love GMing, actually.  

However when I first started it was merely because no one else had the motivation or management skills to get the ball rolling.  Scheduling around 20-something year olds' work schedules is a nightmare, because some people wait tables for long hours, work night shifts, etc.

Its like a parade sometimes.

My friend came over to wait for his new wife to come back from being out and about with my wife and a boardgame wasn't good enough for him. He was completely fine playing Defender on a 4g phone noisily on the couch though! So how do I get this same guy to come to a D&D game?

Because its a parade!

Everyone is coming! I start singing "76 trombones" and its going to be on film, and its the anniversary of Tolkien's nephew, and theres plenty of booze to go around all night! Etc.

The last "dry, non-parade" game that I had was in 2006 and it was a major dud on all fronts.
1) I had this nuisance player (who I now believe was making rounds to get "street cred" with Gary Gygax but was so pompous he didn't even attempt to listen and just kept interrupting.),
2) many were playing their last session before moving away,
3) two people were playing every bit of new content like it was Sherlock Holmes ("Look a pterodactyl with one eye! Lets go back to town ask everyone if they've seen it before.")",
4) I had to wait for people who did not show up (one was equating playing in my game with cheating on her GM husband it seemed. Weird.)

I can relate. Having been GM & host in most campaigns I have participated in, it is relaxing to just play two characters in a very casual dungeon campaign.
Exhibit 1
Exhibit 2
Well, still ended up as mapper/chronicler, but whatever.

I ran my 2nd official "expedition to Castle Delve" this past weekend with my wife and two rank newbies (new to pen-and-paper).  They did pretty good!  They fought off a gray ooze and shadows (2) and they're all 1st level characters, so they got a good XP haul and some good loot from the shadows (a huge amount of gems and platinum).  They're a fighter/thief, a fighter/cleric (I'm allowing dwarven fighter/clerics) and a fighter/magic-user/thief.

I told the new players that with only three characters they needed the diversity.

I wish I could just play some time but as a designer you're always GMing your own system!

If you're up for a PbP my Tough Justice game is still looking for players :S

In my experience, I prefer to not play rpg games with individuals who are extremely "gung ho" hardcore and insistent about being the DM.  Over the years I've noticed that such individuals were frequently major "control freak" types.  Their games typically ended up resembling a crappy sci-fi/fantasy novel.

Didn't Terry Prattchett say that power was always best in the hands of those who never wanted it?

I think that applies to RPGs too!

I think its easy to make fun of bad gaming habits after the fact but when you're there its like you feel sorry for them despite how annoying they are. You know you should just walk out the door but sometimes they've got it so pathetically geared that you feel like your breaking their heart. I've gone to some games that were so "product rules all" that that is all they had. One slip away from the normalcy of the product and you felt like you were in a David Lynch film of weird anti-social mutants. I think its important to know at least a little something about who is participating.

I still recall this one time at a new unknown game when this weird old man came in like the vampire's helper from SALEM'S LOT and walked around the table with a steel-tipped cane while the gm just eyed him until he left. "That was my landlord...anyway..." There was this "GM's favored player" who was completely pathetic though who had this SHASH-SHISH-SHASH kind of lisp and I think he was the reason that I stayed for as long as I did (that and boredom). On the last day of the campaign ("they were moving") , he smoked weed right in front of a little waist-high kid and capped it off with trying to swipe the miniatures I brought with this big production of sweeping everything off the table and yelling for everybody to get out now. I just shot up, stone-faced I'LL JUST TAKE MY MINIATURES FIRST. You should of seen his face as I approached him. He looked like he shit his pants.

Unfortunately it's hard for me to relate, as I'm every bit as picky about my gaming group as I am about my friends.  If I can't have a beer with you and feel comfortable, then I'm not gaming with you.

NCY must be a hard place to find gamers.

I too can relate on wanting to play. Luckily, I handed over the D&D reins to my SO, and now play the non-planning, non-mapping, utterly reactive barbarian, who does as the others say.

Sooo relaxing.

Quote from: Settembrini;460448NYC must be a hard place to find gamers.

Well between the moon and NYC, the best that you can do... the best that you can do is... BBBAAAAARRRFFFFF!!!!!!!!
Sorry, I just had this hideous thought of Liza Minnelli naked...

I vastly prefer GMing

RPGPundit

Quote from: Peregrin;460443Unfortunately it's hard for me to relate, as I'm every bit as picky about my gaming group as I am about my friends.  If I can't have a beer with you and feel comfortable, then I'm not gaming with you.

Yep. I love to GM but taking a break and just playing for a while is nice once in a while. I'm fortunate to be playing in two great groups right now in a Dragon Age game and a 1E Earthdawn campaign.