[NOTE: Someone feel free to create a player version of this thread if you so desire, but here I am most interested in what motivates people to get behind the screen.]
I recently decided to take a break from running two bi-weekly Pathfinder games. After less than 2 months I am already feeling the pull back behind the screen. It's not that I don't like being a player -- I do -- but rather I don't like *not* running a game. So, I got to wondering: why do I GM? What is it that drives me to get behind the screen?
Part of it is a control issue, I'm sure. Not in a control-freak I must be right kind of way or a need to force a narrative on the players. Rather, being the "director" --even if I try and play in an open sandbox kind of way -- obviously gives me some pleasure. I think it is this that makes it hard for me to run modules, especially plot heavy ones and adventure paths. I need the convenience of having someone else do the heavy lifting design work for me, but I don't want, need or appreciate having to deal with their "story" (in fact, it was running an AP -- Jade Regent -- that pushed me to needing a break; I never felt like I was prepared, despite having an entire campaign prepared for me).
Another reason I GM is that I honestly like to entertain people. There are few forms of entertainment that allow you to so intimately engage an audience and work with them toward their own entertainment. Of course, it doesn't work so well if what the player finds entertaining is different than what I do, but you can't expect to please everyone.it took me a long time to realize that not being a good fit as a GM fora person is not the same as being a bad GM. Included in this is my fondness for character acting during the process of running the game. Stupid hats and funny voices FTW.
Finally, the creative process is extremely gratifying for me. Whethe it is a single trap or NPC, or a whole world background, creating makes me vey happy. I often worry that I spend too much creative energy on gaming when I should be spending it on writing or whatever.
Anyway, I'm curious why other perpetual GMs do it. What about it makes it worth all the effort and occasional frustration?
I recently decided to take a break from running two bi-weekly Pathfinder games. After less than 2 months I am already feeling the pull back behind the screen. It's not that I don't like being a player -- I do -- but rather I don't like *not* running a game. So, I got to wondering: why do I GM? What is it that drives me to get behind the screen?
Part of it is a control issue, I'm sure. Not in a control-freak I must be right kind of way or a need to force a narrative on the players. Rather, being the "director" --even if I try and play in an open sandbox kind of way -- obviously gives me some pleasure. I think it is this that makes it hard for me to run modules, especially plot heavy ones and adventure paths. I need the convenience of having someone else do the heavy lifting design work for me, but I don't want, need or appreciate having to deal with their "story" (in fact, it was running an AP -- Jade Regent -- that pushed me to needing a break; I never felt like I was prepared, despite having an entire campaign prepared for me).
Another reason I GM is that I honestly like to entertain people. There are few forms of entertainment that allow you to so intimately engage an audience and work with them toward their own entertainment. Of course, it doesn't work so well if what the player finds entertaining is different than what I do, but you can't expect to please everyone.it took me a long time to realize that not being a good fit as a GM fora person is not the same as being a bad GM. Included in this is my fondness for character acting during the process of running the game. Stupid hats and funny voices FTW.
Finally, the creative process is extremely gratifying for me. Whethe it is a single trap or NPC, or a whole world background, creating makes me vey happy. I often worry that I spend too much creative energy on gaming when I should be spending it on writing or whatever.
Anyway, I'm curious why other perpetual GMs do it. What about it makes it worth all the effort and occasional frustration?
