Oh man. Bad GMs. I'm not sure I can generalize because I've seen so many GMs be bad in so many ways.

One GM refused to deviate from his planned session so much that he had his main villain intervene even though his NPC lieutenants were kicking the PCs ass with the words, "Stand aside! I shall handle this!" Why would a boss insist on finishing off PCs who were already losing? Btw the GM did this so that the boss could lose the battle. WTF.

In Battletech, he also had a clan Locust mech 'accidentally' roll (ever see a Locust roll?) 300 yards over flat terrain into a dry river bed where it had an ammo explosion (even though it was armed with LASERS) because he didn't want the players to have clan tech just yet -- even though the reason the Locust was disabled intact was because of a specific tactic the players carried out.

In another game, he had one player wait two weeks to have his scene, then wait another eight hours during the penultimate session, only to resolve it with, "You know what, man, we're running out of time, so whatever you want to happen, happens. All right, with that out of the way, let's move on to the combat then."

I'm not clear on what is making this particular GM bad, but there's no denying that he's really, really bad.

A bad GM is someone who does not want the job.

A bad GM doesn't bring the fun.

Quote from: KrakaJakA bad GM doesn't bring the fun.

What he said.

Bad GM in my above story didn't ever want to be anything BUT the GM, though.

A bad GM is a slow GM. Games should have pace. Players should be reluctant to leave the table or miss a session in case they miss out on too much.

Quote from: JongWKFor the most part, gaming is a buyers' market. If the players don't like what the GM is offering, they will eventually walk away and find something else.

In theory, yes. In practice, the stories I hear, it seems like a lot of players put up with some pretty crap GMing for a long time...

I think Jong's statement is true in certain places, LUCKY places.
Its certainly true in Montevideo. Its not so true in many other communities.

RPGPundit

Quote from: Kyle AaronA bad GM is a slow GM. Games should have pace. Players should be reluctant to leave the table or miss a session in case they miss out on too much.

I have had the slow GM as you describe him... he was also the only GM in town at the time, sadly. I ended up GMing a group myself, but as someone else pointed out, you can't do much if you don't want the job.

I'm glad that Pundit appropriated this important thread from the duffers at rpg.net!

Part of what makes a bad GM is not listening to several of your potential players when they come to you literally begging for you to run game X, Y or Z.

I also think that a bad GM makes his games pedestrian, boring, lifeless and dull. Less fun than watching paint dry.

Yeah, we had the GM who didn't seem to want the job.  But it was so weird because we rotated GM's and he said he wanted to do it and he had a big campaign planned.  It started off really well, but then as we got into it, he would take longer and longer to start the session.  There always was a lot of BS'ing in that group because we were all friends (and still are) and sometimes we would have to make a rule like "We start gaming at 8, no matter what!" But the unspoken rule was that the GM was the one to kick it off.  This GM in question would continue to banter, to goof around and we would wait and wait and wait, until finally someone started to make some subtle hints, which got less and less subtle.  It seemed like he was stalling or resisting.  It got so bad, that we just kind of started up a new campaign, sort of on the side, which some scheduling thing (like we went on vacation or something) allowed the new GM to start up and we all avoided talking about his campaign. It was really weird, like he had some kind of Hamlet-esque existential crisis about running his fucking game.  Really annoying, too.  It's too bad, because the guy was quite creative.  I think it was a profound lack of confidence, one that permeates his entire life.

It was also an earlier period of gaming for me, where the gaming and the hanging out were all entwined in a way that left a lot of stuff about the gaming unspoken.  If it were today, I would have brought it up immediately after the session and had it out directly.  Either we start on time or someone else picks up the GM's screen.

About the GM not wanting the job, that reminds me of another bad GM - the GM who never GMs.

Everyone knows a gamer like this...

"I have this awesome game, System X. It's totally awesome I wish I could run it."
"You can run it. Bob will be off next week, that'll leave four of us without a game."
"Oh, cool, er... um... really it needs a full campaign, not a one-off."
"Jim just finished his campaign over in the next suburb and said he's tired of GMing, you were in their game group last year, yeah? You could GM them. Shall we ask them?"
"Oh, yeah... well... thing is, I'm pretty busy at work at the moment, but next month... yeah, definitely."
"You're never going to run it, are you?"
"Oh yeah I totally will! Look, I did a webpage for it and everything!"
"But Jim said he emailed you about the game you were offering last week, and you never replied. Don't you like Jim?"
"Oh Jim's great! I'd love to play in one of his games."
"But not GM him?"
"Oh, it's not that. I'm... busy. But hey, look at this new splatbook I bought for System X, it's great!"

I hate the Game Tease. You don't want to GM? Fine by me, not everyone likes to. You do want to GM? Then get on with it! Quit teasing us.

That's the worst GM of all, the one who talks big but never GMs. They go on for years about some awesome campaign they want to run, or ran in the past...

Quote from: walkerpIf it were today, I would have brought it up immediately after the session and had it out directly.  Either we start on time or someone else picks up the GM's screen.

After the session? Mate, I'd say it during the session!

"Are we here to game or just fuck around? You going to GM with that book, or is it time for me to mount a bloodless coup and take over? I promise, no TPK. Well, not in the first session anyway. My dice are hot and my cheetos are crunchy! I gotta roll and munch! Let's game!"

A bad DM thinks that the rules-set is better than himself.

Quote from: ZulgyanA bad DM thinks that the rules-set is better than himself.

VERY well put! Welcome to the site, Zulgyan!

RPGPundit

Question for people who have put up with shitty GMs:

Why didn't you GM yourself?

I've never understood the idea that players are captive to a GM they don't enjoy. If you think you know how to do better, then start your own campaign.

On the other hand, if you hate the way your GM runs the game, but you can't be bothered to run a game yourself, then you're just a jack-off. It's like the guy who complains about the hockey referee at his kid's game. You think you can do better, then you should become a ref. Or the guy who hates how the local gaming convention is run. Nothing stopping you from joining the convention committee.

Quote from: RPGPunditVERY well put! Welcome to the site, Zulgyan!

RPGPundit

Thanks for the welcome!

I'm from argentina, uruguayan brother.

Que hago hablando en ingles?

Che, si me paso por Uruguay te aviso y jugamos un poco de rol.

Como consigo una copia física de "Foward to Adventure"?

Back to topic:

A bad DM will do the exact contrary to the following "gaming manifesto":

Quote from: ZulgyanQue hago hablando en ingles?

Che, si me paso por Uruguay te aviso y jugamos un poco de rol.

Como consigo una copia física de "Foward to Adventure"?

I totally made my Decipher Languages check! :haw: