GMs - Do you get bored when you're a player?

[ninjayeti]

Generally no. When it happens it is usually because the GM is not running the type of game I enjoy or is just not very good.
Maybe figure out what it is that you want out of the player experience and try to find games that scratch that itch? Most people like some types of movies/books/shows and not other types. Gaming is no different. That can be hard to recognize as forever GM, because you largely get to run what you want, while as a player you have little control.

 

[darjr]

Sometimes. It try to be a great olayer. I also ham it up a lot.

 

[overgeeked]

Yes. All the time in combat. Especially in heavier games like modern D&D variants. It’s all part of the ADHD. Outside of combat things tend to go quicker and there’s more back-and-forth, so I don’t get bored. Unless it’s an extended RP scene I’m not involved in or shopping.

Tips? Learn to look like you’re paying attention while multitasking. Start taking notes on your phone so it’s not a surprise when you’re on your phone at the table. Play online without a camera so you can do whatever between your turns. Play lighter games with quicker resolution mechanics.

 

[Greg K]

Yes, I, generally, get bored as a player. For myself, it has little to do with combat and more with my getting enjoyment from my players having fun interacting with the setting and scenarios I set forth- especially, when they take things in directions I had not foreseen and we are riffing off one another.

 

[Li Shenron]

Generally not.

 

[Umbran]

As someone accustomed to being a "Forever GM," I find myself growing bored when I'm a player. ...
Does anybody else feel the same way?

I am sure some people do, but I do not feel so in the slightest. I run games because I'm the one in my social circle who can/will run them consistently, not because I find running games more interesting or exciting than playing.

Any tips about transitioning from being a GM to a "good player?"

That really depends on what kind of player you are.

Broadly - I find that as a player, I have time for far, far more depth of presentation of my one character than I have opportunity to present when I am responsible for the entire world. So my advice would be to concentrating on that depth available to you.

 

[The Soloist]

I do, but only with some individuals who are not engaging enough or if they can't handle actual role-playing.

Currently, I'm lucky to play with three other GMs that have the same vibe as me. Sadly, one other player is not engaging and has difficulty with role-playing. That is why he only does one-shots while the rest of use do multi-session adventures. Maybe, he will get better over time.

 

[Retreater]

That really depends on what kind of player you are.

Broadly - I find that as a player, I have time for far, far more depth of presentation of my one character than I have opportunity to present when I am responsible for the entire world. So my advice would be to concentrating on that depth available to you.

I tend to think of myself as a "GM-player" - like someone who tries to see what the GM is doing and support the other players and making that fun scene occur. For example, encouraging others to take the quest, or if there's a fun encounter planned, for us to engage with it.
Other than that, I like creating fun, memorable PCs - not power gamers - just ones with interesting play options, roleplaying quirks, etc.
However, in many games, those play options don't come up. Recently, I created a character that could teleport around the battlefield as a very mobile fighter - it was written into his backstory in a unique way and was trying out a new class from a splat book.
As it turned out, I'm the frontline tank. I can't move. I have to stand there in heavy armor. Because of the way I built my character (which wasn't my intent), I am a worse fighter and worse at doing what I created my character to do.
It's not just this game. Other games with other GMs I've had... 1) A medic in a system where you can't heal. 2) A magic user focused on identifying magic items and creatures, when the GM decides to tell us everything without rolling. 3) A wealthy celebrity in Call of Cthulhu where our group has all the money we need due to a benefactor.
It seems that in every game I've played in recent memory, I'd be better suited just being a generic warrior-type.

 

[Distracted DM]

If I'm not the caller or face or if I'm trying to keep quiet and not draw too much table focus, I'll get bored.

 

[The Soloist]

Other games with other GMs I've had... 1) A medic in a system where you can't heal. 2) A magic user focused on identifying magic items and creatures, when the GM decides to tell us everything without rolling. 3) A wealthy celebrity in Call of Cthulhu where our group has all the money we need due to a benefactor.
It seems that in every game I've played in recent memory, I'd be better suited just being a generic warrior-type.

Obvious question. Do you talk with the GM and other players about your characters before the game (session zero), or do you create them in a vacuum without anyone knowing?