Okay, so *why* is EN World GM-centric?

[Dice4Hire]

Conversely, I'd guess the player/DM ratio on things like CharOps boards ::shudder:: is about the reverse of what it is here.

Could that be why their builds assume a flat featureless plain that the character fights in?

One with no variables at all?

I might be onto something.

 

[The Human Target]

By the nature of the role, GMs are those more inclined to be invested in the game: with money, time, and thought.

Yup, thats what I've always assumed.

 

[pawsplay]

I think the OGL there is an unnecessary logical step. GMs were tinkering for decades before the OGL, and they'd still have been tinkering if the OGL weren't there, and they'd still want a place to discuss that tinkering.

I meant EN World specifically, perhaps moreso than other gaming sites.

 

[jasonbostwick]

Conversely, I'd guess the player/DM ratio on things like CharOps boards ::shudder:: is about the reverse of what it is here.

Lanefan

Or they could be stocked with the sort of people who read a ton of RPG material but never play. CharOp is almost a 'game' in and of itself.

I remember a few months back we had some polls/threads about the subject, and a substantial number of posters bought and read games with no intention of playing them.

 

[Boregar]

I'd suggest that, as others have said, its a combination of GM's being more involved in considering the game outside of the time spent actually playing and the fact that there's simply more to 'get out' of a place like this for GM's than for players. I find that I'll turn to here for advice simply because I don't know many other GM's in real life, whereas my players already have four other people they can ask for 'player's advice' right there in the group.

 

[Umbran]

I meant EN World specifically, perhaps moreso than other gaming sites.

As I said, GMs were tinkering for decades before the OGL, and would be doing so without the OGL. The OGL has no direct impact on tinkering unless you're planning on publishing it. Thus, the OGL->tinkering logical step isn't strong.

Now, if you'd like to point out that the OGL leads to third-party products, and DMs are typically the target market for those products, and so a site devoted in part to discussing those new products would be more attractive to DMs, I'd say you had a point.

In my observation, most of the discussion of the OGL is about gaming business, rather than about how we go about gaming. I would not be surprised if there's some tendency for GMs to be more interested in discussion of gaming business, though I wouldn't hazard a guess to the cause there at the moment.

 

[Wicht]

In my observation, most of the discussion of the OGL is about gaming business, rather than about how we go about gaming. I would not be surprised if there's some tendency for GMs to be more interested in discussion of gaming business, though I wouldn't hazard a guess to the cause there at the moment.

I would hazard it is because most DMs with any real history with the game, feel that they are part of the business. Anyone who has designed their own world, written their own houserules or given stats to their own monster feels, justifiably, that they are game designers. The only difference between your average grognard DM and the guys who work for companies is one gets paid and the other has yet to get paid for what they do.

 

[Mallus]

As a general rule GM's like to think too much about: insert relevant genre here.

Except in the case of CharOp, in which case it's the players who like to think too much, and often without a lick of common sense.

Full disclosure: I run more than I play and I'm not particularly good at CharOp.

 

[Umbran]

The only difference between your average grognard DM and the guys who work for companies is one gets paid and the other has yet to get paid for what they do.

I'll buy that some long-time GM's think that. They'd be wrong, as it relates to business (sales, balance sheets, profits, and so on), but I can see some thinking it regardless.

 

[Reynard]

I'll buy that some long-time GM's think that. They'd be wrong, as it relates to business (sales, balance sheets, profits, and so on), but I can see some thinking it regardless.

Having been a professional freelance writer and designer, I would tell you that you are wrong. They are much the same mindset. Now, running the business? That's a whole other animal and not linked one whit to being a creative type.