Has anyone found themselves becoming a worse player?

[fanboy2000]

I to much of a contol freak to be a good player. You would think that DMing would make me a better player, but all it's done is feed my ego.

 

[howandwhy99]

The question pretty much says it all. Five, six years ago I was pretty good at role-playing, and could really get into a character, his motivations, desires, all that. I wasn't world-class or anything, but I was really good.
Then I started running games......

I think running games *requires* more time and energy, but playing can certainly take just as much. Both are like life in that you get as much back as you put into them. That said, I've found them to be radically different. Both are fun and each has its particular of difficulties, but I think being good at one does not automatically make you good at the other.

If you feel you are slipping as a player, well... start playing again. That is about all I can say.

Edit: Oh yeah, and it happens to everybody. How good do you think the grognards were after a 10+ year hiatus when 3E arose in 2000?

 

[MavrickWeirdo]

The question pretty much says it all. Five, six years ago I was pretty good at role-playing, and could really get into a character, his motivations, desires, all that. I wasn't world-class or anything, but I was really good.

Then I started running games. I'm running two now, at the same time in the same world. It takes a lot of my time, but it's a whole lot of fun. (That said, trying to run TWO weekly games that are plot-heavy and deep with character background is not something I think I'll do again. If not for one being online-only and the other being in person, I'd try to combine them.)

I've played in four or five games since I started these two, usually shorter ones or campaigns that didn't quite get off the ground. In each one, my character concept might be fine, but then I can't get a handle on him role-playing-wise. Or I'll make a character that then just doesn't seem to fit into the campaign at all, or I'll feel really out of place. I don't feel natural being on the player's side of the table anymore. I don't feel like I put enough into my characters.

Does this happen to other people that run a lot, or end up focusing on running? Or is this just me? And is there anything I can do?

Matt

To me it sounds like you are pouring all your creative energy into DMing, so you don't have much left when you get a chance to just play. I think that if you "took a break" from DMing your "player" skills would come back. I'm not saying that you have to stop DMing, just reasuring you that you haven't "lost" your "gift".

 

[Kalendraf]

Since I was introduced to D&D over 22 years ago, I've DM'ed for 90% of that time. So when I do get to participate as a player, I see myself as still a bit of a learner there. I'm clearly not without fault:

1. When playing, I find it hard not to try to help the DM or become a ruleslawyer.

2. Having seen so many different characters and approaches, any characters I create now often drift into power-gamer min/max madness.

3. With the right character in my grasp (usually a bard or other charismatic type) I tend to have a blast, but I also have a tendency to steal the show if not reigned in properly by the DM.

Thus, I kind of see myself as a DM's worst nightmare, combining some of the worst elements you can find: Ruleslawyer, Power-gamer and Show-stealer. Each can be great assets for a DM, but those tend to be liabilities for a player.

I guess that's why I tend to DM more than play. :\

 

[DarrenGMiller]

As Kalendraf said, when playing I tend to become the DM's worse nightmare. Not in the way he said, but in that I become mischievous. Mind you, I have had some pretty negative experiences that drove me away from wanting to be on the outside of the screen. I had a HORRIBLE DM in 1982-83 who bordered on abusive to his players (to the point of locking them in the gaming room and verbally abusing us and only unlocking the door if we LARP'ed our characters singing silly songs, dancing, giving flowers to NPC's, etc. as punishment for making a mistake during character creation or doing something dumb in character during a session or just on a whim) I sometimes wonder why I stayed with the game.

Ever since then, I am just more comfortable behind the screen. I have played less than a dozen sessions as a player and probably thousands as a DM over the past 23 years.

At any rate, I have seen players who have trouble being a player after they start running their own game. It is just difficult to eliminate the metagame thinking and other aspects of DM'ing.

Just my 2 cents though.

DM

 

[Eosin the Red]

I have a similar but different story - I have ran games for several years and have had very little chance to play in anything. As time goes on, I find myself becoming a poorer and poorer DM. As a DM I am also much more easily distracted now days (wanting to do Star Wars one week and Dark Champions the next.)

 

[Kid Socrates]

Ever since then, I am just more comfortable behind the screen. I have played less than a dozen sessions as a player and probably thousands as a DM over the past 23 years.

At any rate, I have seen players who have trouble being a player after they start running their own game. It is just difficult to eliminate the metagame thinking and other aspects of DM'ing.

Just my 2 cents though.

DM

I think that's the problem I have. I love the mechanics of crafting a session, almost as much as I enjoy creating the story and all of that. The more time I spend creating the entire world and everything that goes into it, the harder just playing is. Plus my dislike for a lot of standard rules, and why I created my entire setting, that also plays into it. I definitely need to get better as a player, and more time as one would do that; there's just not a whole lot of time to do that. Having a full-time job while half your group's in college or law school makes scheduling hard.

What have you found makes you a better gamer/roleplayer as a player?

 

[Ravellion]

I am the DM of our group, or at least have been for the last 4 years or so (before that, one other player occasionaly DMed). I joined a few other groups fro a few sessions and found out the following.

I can really enjoy playing under DMs that seem to know what they are doing, as well as being very loose with the rules. Morrus is an example of this kind of DM, at least how I perceived him.

DMs that show a light lack of self confidence, especially with the rules... its not pretty. I'll be second guessing them constantly, and will often say stuff as "come on!" etc. I simply can't stand a rules-based DM who doesn't know the rules as well as I do.

At Gencon UK, there was a DM who insisted rage ended when a barbarian goes down into negatives (potentially killing the barb). I had to chew on some d12s not to go into volatile argument mode.

Rav

Rav

 

[Kalendraf]

DMs that show a light lack of self confidence, especially with the rules... its not pretty. I'll be second guessing them constantly, and will often say stuff as "come on!" etc. I simply can't stand a rules-based DM who doesn't know the rules as well as I do.

I have this same problem. I need to have a DM that is at least as knowledgeable with the rules as I am or I start behaving the same way. That's when my rules-lawyering nature starts kicking in, and the result is generally not pretty.

I especially have a hard time when other DMs get rules completely wrong and aren't willing to take 30 seconds to doublecheck/learn how something really works, especially when a character's welfare is on the line as a result.

I am also frustrated when a DM rules something based how it used to work in an older version of the game, or based on some houserule they've always used. However, I am usually more forgiving there, since we've probably all done this before. After the session, I may kindly point out that they might want to brush up on how this or that works now in 3.5.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Depends on the GM. If I think the GM sucks, I'm not going to go into elaborate backgrounds and other details about my character as it's just not worth the time to do so.

That's why I try to avoid crappy games. No point in wasting the GM's time or my time.