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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Piratecat" data-source="post: 280605" data-attributes="member: 2">I think three components make up a Con game: the GM, the players, and the adventure. You need any two of them to be good in order to have lots of fun, and game master trumps. (In other words, a horrible GM can ruin a good table with good players, or make a bad module with quiet players still be lots of fun.)Balsamic Dragon, I think you're laboring under a misimpression that this year is different than any other year.  It's not.* GenCon has always trusted its members to volunteer to judge if they think they're up to the challenge. Some aren't; many more are, and do a good-to-fantastic job. I've been attending cons for more than ten years, and that has always been the case. Allowing "anyone to GM their events" means asking US - you, me, that woman over there who's been GMing for 15 years, and that guy over there who's been GMing for two.  I'm okay with that.You do bring up some excellent points; RPGA has struggled with the concept of GM training for as long as I've been a member, and Ryan Dancy is attacking the problem with Organized Play. I noticed that there is a 20 question test on the RPGA web site that at least weeds out people who don't have rules knowledge. It's not perfect, though, and I'm not sure that there is any way to train GMs when you have limited manpower and volunteers.So, how many will want to GM when all of the rewards seem aimed at the players, not the gamemaster? Probably as many as have all these years or as many as want to help (I agree that more rewards for GMs would be great! But I'm prejudiced in this department.)  How many will bother learning how to be a better GM when GenCon will take anyone who is breathing and has an RPGA membership?  I'm guessing as many as have some small degree of pride in their performance.  And yeah, I know that sounds all pretentious and optimistic, but I really believe it to be the case.  Go figure. - Piratecat* Minor rant: Well, it's a little bit different.  GM signup for GenCon this year was IMO an unmitigated disgrace, unlike past years where highly talented volunteers like Don Weatherbee were in charge of organization.  Recently someone highly competent stepped in to pick up the pieces, but the people originally hired to organize it did a shameful job. I have complained; hopefully, this won't happen again in the future.</blockquote>

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