After being DM can PLAYING ever be as good?

[Numion]

I think the only problem I have with "going back to just being a player" is that I open my big trap and let the DM know when he's not screwing the PCs enough.

I do that to. But then again my players often correct rules even though it screws another player, because I grant a small XP bonus for that. I'm a bastard DM like that

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Depends on the indifidual - I prefer to be a player (but don't mind DM-ing, and it is often quite fun!)

I know someone who much rather sits behind the screen.

 

[DragonLancer]

I've been DMing for so long that when I get the chance to play I thoughly enjoy it, but its not the same as running the game.

This is where I say that I miss the control factor. Not that I am a control freak DM, just that its a different position behind the screen.

 

[bestone]

I always dm'd in second edition, i loved it, sure i played a bit, but never enjoyed it as much as dming

now third? i dunno, i find dm'ing a headache, too much stuff to have to memorize (i miss my tables) players constantly arguing/bickering, i have to watch for balance a lot more with the multitude of options available

no, in third i just like being a player, and i usually play something basic *class wise* with flavour of course

 

[BroccoliRage]

No way, man!

I'm finally playing in a long running campaign, and I'm freakin' loving it. It's full of rail-roading, cliches, cheesey "I saw that coming" plot twists, not a single dungeon crawl yet, and I'm having a blast. After doing nothing but DMing for years, it's fun to get a chance to sit on the other side of the screen for long period of time.

 

[Technomancer]

I was just wondering what folks views are on this. Most people start off as players then become DM at some stage when they get to know the game. Once you become a DM has it affected your enjoyment as a player in later games?

The reason I ask this is because I started at 1e D&D as a player and absolutely loved it. I became a DM after some time and most of our group took turns at running adventures or campaigns. The knowledge I obtained as a DM about the nuts and bolts of the game meant that I don't think I ever enjoyed playing quite as much afterwards. I knew too much about the monsters/traps etc. It really takes something away from the game when as a player you have to avoid metagaming to exploit a monster's weakness that you current character would not know about.

You might try finding a couple of different game systems that everyone in the group likes, and have different designated GMs for each, so that everyone has a chance to play in a game where they don't know all the nuts and bolts. For example, you could be the D&D DM, someone else could GM Warhammer, and only the designated GM would know the GM side of their particular game, so everyone else would still have that player sense of mystery.

 

[JoeGKushner]

When I play, I have a problem staying focused because I get bored quickly. When I GM, I have a lot to do and run.

However, as a player, I enjoy interacting with other players and with a good GM, seeing where the story is going and being there for the payoff at the end of an adventure or an even bigger payoff at the end of a campaign.

 

[GlassJaw]

I like playing and DM'ing. I tend to be a control freak though so when I'm playing, I have a tendency to assume that the DM isn't doing something "correctly".

 

[Mishihari Lord]

I played for a year when I was nine years old, then started DMing a game every weekend untill I was eighteen. (I'm 37 now) I have to say that I haven't been able to recapture the sense of wonder I had when I started as a player, though that may have more to do with being 9 and new to RPGs than with being a DM later.

Two thing I found that really help. A DM that changes standard monsters, traps, and effects so that you're never quite sure what you've run into when you see it for the first time. (Though consistency after the first time is good for versimmilitude) The other thing is basing my actions on in-genre considerations of what my character would do rather than the rules.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

If I wasn't running the game, I probably wouldn't be part of the game. I do not gain nearly as much enjoyment out of playing as I do out of DMing.