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[GM's] How much should you play?
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<blockquote data-quote="Mortaneus" data-source="post: 107626" data-attributes="member: 485"><p>I've been gaming for WAY too many years now, and it almost always seems that I wind up as the GM. Sometimes it's because I have a cool idea I want to try. Other times, I'm the only one around here willing to run anything. Every so often, I'm the only GM people are willing to play under.</p><p></p><p>This, I don't have a problem with. I enjoy GMing. I love the chance to tell a good story, and help my friends have fun. I'm often regarded as one of the best GMs in my area.</p><p></p><p></p><p>BUT....</p><p>If I don't play, I burn out.</p><p></p><p>I've found that if I go too long without sitting on the other side of the screen, the games I run start to become stale. I get in a rut, and everything starts looking the same. It gets frustrating. The only cure I've found is playing under someone else for a while. </p><p></p><p>Anyone have any ideas why this is? Does being a player once in a while really help a GM that much?</p><p></p><p>Have any of the other full-time GMs out there run into this problem?</p><p></p><p></p><p>BTW, something else I've noticed. After I have been GMing for a long period (I mean months, not just a long session), I find that my ability to just sit back, relax, and PLAY the game suffers. Usually I wind up driving other GMs crazy for a while, nitpicking rules, arguing rules calls, and demanding minute details about everything. Afterwards I look back, and realize I've been a jerk, but I can't help it. It usually takes me a couple weeks of solid play to calm down and learn to be a player again. I guess I get too used to seeing one side of the screen, and forget what things look like from the other.</p><p></p><p>Anybody have this happen to them?</p><p></p><p>And finally, I've noticed that it's often really hard to stop myself from metagame thinking. It's like I'm constantly asking myself, "If I were the GM, what would I do right now?" and forcing myself to remain silent when I figure out what's likely to happen based upon typical GM thought patterns.</p><p></p><p>Any GM's out there suffer from this 'third-person oracle complex' when playing?</p><p></p><p></p><p>This is starting to drive me nuts. I love to play. I love to GM. Are the two really that compatible? Is it possible to live on both sides of the GM screen and not lose your mind?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mortaneus, post: 107626, member: 485"] I've been gaming for WAY too many years now, and it almost always seems that I wind up as the GM. Sometimes it's because I have a cool idea I want to try. Other times, I'm the only one around here willing to run anything. Every so often, I'm the only GM people are willing to play under. This, I don't have a problem with. I enjoy GMing. I love the chance to tell a good story, and help my friends have fun. I'm often regarded as one of the best GMs in my area. BUT.... If I don't play, I burn out. I've found that if I go too long without sitting on the other side of the screen, the games I run start to become stale. I get in a rut, and everything starts looking the same. It gets frustrating. The only cure I've found is playing under someone else for a while. Anyone have any ideas why this is? Does being a player once in a while really help a GM that much? Have any of the other full-time GMs out there run into this problem? BTW, something else I've noticed. After I have been GMing for a long period (I mean months, not just a long session), I find that my ability to just sit back, relax, and PLAY the game suffers. Usually I wind up driving other GMs crazy for a while, nitpicking rules, arguing rules calls, and demanding minute details about everything. Afterwards I look back, and realize I've been a jerk, but I can't help it. It usually takes me a couple weeks of solid play to calm down and learn to be a player again. I guess I get too used to seeing one side of the screen, and forget what things look like from the other. Anybody have this happen to them? And finally, I've noticed that it's often really hard to stop myself from metagame thinking. It's like I'm constantly asking myself, "If I were the GM, what would I do right now?" and forcing myself to remain silent when I figure out what's likely to happen based upon typical GM thought patterns. Any GM's out there suffer from this 'third-person oracle complex' when playing? This is starting to drive me nuts. I love to play. I love to GM. Are the two really that compatible? Is it possible to live on both sides of the GM screen and not lose your mind? [/QUOTE]
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