After being DM can PLAYING ever be as good?

[Darth Shoju]

If anything it has made me enjoy being a player more. I find that as the DM I know pretty much everything about what is going on. As a player I really enjoy the sense of discovery and mystery.

Our current DM has admitted DMing has ruined him on playing though (he still plays though).

 

[Steel_Wind]

I'm a DM. I don't play. I have not for 25 years now. It doesn't really do anything for me.

As a player, the game ends and that's pretty much just it till next time.

As a DM - the game ends - and the fun continues.

 

[Psion]

I'm finding that, having DM almost constantly since it came out, that in playing, my sense of detachment from the characters makes it harder for me to zero in on a concept and make decisions. If I can't squeeze every feat or spell choice I want into an NPC, oh well... there will be others. But as a player, I find I am wracked with indecision over character design choices.

 

[shilsen]

Not a problem in the least for me. Separating player and character info was part and parcel of the game for me before I'd ever started DMing, and mystery has always been very low on the list of pleasures that D&D provides me.

Out of the two, however, I definitely get greater pleasure overall out of DMing.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I haven't been able to play regularly since I was first suckered into DMing almost three decades ago.

I ache to play again.

 

[brainstorm]

I, also, am pretty much the regular DM for our group. Although I enjoy DMing more than playing, I do wish I could play every so often. I think that I tend to forget the mindset of the player and it would be beneficial for my dming to be on the other side of the screen on occasion. Alas, the only time I get to do that is for non-D&D games, which really don't interest me much. Oh well.

 

[Masquerade]

I don't get as many chances to play as I might like, as I normally end up in the big ol' DM's chair. When I do get the chance to play, I enjoy the experience wholeheartedly, because I love roleplaying PCs.

 

[Shadowslayer]

I'm pretty much the perma-DM in my group, but occasionally I get to just play.

3 side effects of DMing a lot:

1. I get bored of playing just one character pretty fast. I'll get a few levels in, then wish I'd picked something else. Probably a result of always playing a myriad of characters as the DM.

2. I can be pretty critical of other DMs. (not out loud though)

3. I also try to help the DM as much as possible. I spot a hook, and try to guide the other PCs towards it. Also I tend to jump in and offer to run the initiative board and that type of thing. (Anything that I appreciate players doing when I'm the guy in the big chair.)

But no, being a DM doesn't spoil the experience of playing a PC, but it does change it somewhat.

 

[ThoughtBubble]

In my estimation the biggest potential for problems comes from noticing the difference in control. Since the DM pretty much controls everything you may start to note those times when your fighter really wants to go help his starving aunt but the DM wants to do a lemur hunting dungeon crawl instead.

Good communication solves this though.

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

In my experience, if the DM isn't at the same level or better as me as a DM, I find that I just don't enjoy it. I know that sounds kind of smug, but it's the truth. As a player I want to play in a game that challenges me at the same level or more that I challenge my players.