Has anyone found themselves becoming a worse player?

[Kid Socrates]

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

 

[Crothian]

it does take me some time to get back in the saddle but I feel I'm back up to my own if low role playing standards.

 

[Insight]

I have fairly high standards for my own ability to roleplay, and I can tell you definitively that I have found myself slipping, especially when I DMed most of the time. Now that I am 75% player and 25% DM (soon to go to 100% player and 0% DM for a while), I am starting to be more creative as a roleplayer and get back to my own standards.

It doesn't help much that my own group isn't that high on the roleplaying side of things. They are far more interested in the Xs and Os of strategic combat and such. It's a 'bottom-line' approach that really detracts from roleplaying. I'm not really complaining about it so much as pointing out that certain groups can change your roleplaying style and can sometimes limit what you want to do with your character.

 

[billd91]

I wonder if you're feeling a little dissatisfaction about lacking control of the situation your character is in. When you're DM, it's easier to determine how your NPCs (or even your players' PCs) fit in because you're in control of the whole background of the milieu. It's a bit harder to do it when you're not the screen monkey and are trying to fit in with something that's ultimately not as well defined in your own head. When you said that are making PCs that don't seem to fit in, that crossed my mind.
I think you just need to stake out a space for a character concept, keep it simple so the DM has plenty to work with to fit it in, and don't sweat it too much. Let the DM worry about fitting it in better and just concentrate on simple motivations for what make this PC tick. You'll feel more comfortable again in no time.

 

[Shallown]

I have had that happen where I half roleplay instead of throwing myself fully into it, especially if I am also running a Game. I think , for me, it boils down to work. Really playing a character takes a little work, sometimes a lot of work. It is worth it and it is enjoyable work but sometimes I just want to kick back, relax and kill crap. I think when I am running a game I put a great deal of effort into it so when I play I just want to play not work too hard. Now when I am not running I roleplay more but how much depends on the group I am with. Some groups motivate me to get deeper into who my character is , some are just hacking and slashing MoFo's. My current group is somewhere in the middle enjoying role playing and hacking and I am happy with that.

Later

 

[Digital M@]

I think it is because D&D is much more tactical than it ever has been in the past. Every aspect of the game is tactical from creating your character, from bluffing all the way to combat. Strict rules have been created to give a bland but consistant system to run a role playing game. I think it is difficult not to look at the games as a rule set and as an interactive game. When RPing was a yong hobby, it was about the story and interaction of players and DM, even when it was dungeon crawling. Now there are rules to depict every aspect of the story and IMO, it has turned the game more into a tabletop war game than a role playing game.

As evidence, in the past the DM could be the only one to own the rules and anyone could play after just a few minutes of explaination, now it is very difficult to get new players involved without them having a strong knowledge of the basic rules. The game is not about the intentions of the player, but about the mechanics used to determine the intentions. It is great for rules lawyers who want everything spelled out, but it is not as good for the imagination.

I myself break the rules every single time I run a game and never think twice about it, but the game still has a very tactical feel to it.

 

[diaglo]

life is too short to play crappy rpgs.

i ams, what i ams.

i am popeye.. er..

i play the same as i always have. i found what i like and i stick to it.

 

[Henry]

Funny thing is, thanks to this site, I believe myself a better roleplayer and even a better DM than I was years ago, mainly for knowing the people here, and getting advice from people like Piratecat, (contact), etc. The more other gamers I expose myself to, I try to take what I like of their styles and approaches for my own. I still suck at extemporaneous dialogue, but I find myself both able to be a craftier DM and being able to play characters with more gusto than years ago.

 

[Estlor]

I won't say that I'm any worse than I was years ago, but I find myself turning into more of a min/maxer than I used to be. In high school I used to play things because I thought they were cool, regardless of whether it was a suboptimal character build. These days I obsess over skills, feats, weapons, and races as I attempt to craft someone that pushes the rules to its absolute limit without breaking.

You should have seen me the last time I made a character. It was a FR Paladin right after Complete Warrior came out. He was a combat beast, let me tell you, plus a few ranks of Sense Motive and Diplomacy to hold his own in parlay.

 

[Zappo]

I think I'm getting better and better. I really hate getting worse at stuff that I care about; it simply goes against my personal philosophy. I'm always trying to figure what I'm doing wrong and how to get better, and it seems to work for roleplaying too.