D&D 5E How many players would use a service like this

[Willie the Duck]

Haven't made the case that "gated" and "informed" are different words with different meanings?

I have no idea what you are talking about.

I meant which one is actually accurate in this situation, and whether there is a meaningfully difference in this instance. A two-headed giant beating each other up and saying, 'why can't you admit that you're wrong?' to each other does not an case make. Mannahnin broke the stalemate in the meantime.

 

[Willie the Duck]

Or they've found enough groups where the DM is a jerk or the other players are creeps and they want a curated experience now.

Or maybe someone running a different style of play that is easier to experience than explain? I've certainly heard 'I feel like I'd like to run a sandbox, but I don't know where to begin and I think people will get frustrated and bail if they have to handle the learning curve with me.' more than once or twice.

 

[Lanefan]

Chess and Go only became popular because they were commodified. Either through gambling, selling gaming sets, education, social standing, whatever. It doesn't matter, the point is they were of value to people.

Thing is, something can be of value to people and yet not be commodified. Freeware, for example; or anything created with the specific intent of releasing it into the public domain; or volunteer work. Commodification is a choice; it's just that we tend not to think of it as a choice because it has become so deeply ingrained as the default.

DMing - and playing, for that matter - is something that has largely resisted this push, at least so far.

side note: this almost starts to tie in with the ongoing copyright thread in Geek Talk.

Without that that, they would not have become widely known, and would have been forgotten, along with the thousands of other games that get invented then forgotten.

These days there's also strong pressure from commodification interests to shut down or squash anything that doesn't align with said interests, which doesn't help.

 

[Lanefan]

Or they've found enough groups where the DM is a jerk or the other players are creeps and they want a curated experience now.

That experience could just as easily be curated by a jerk DM and be filled with creepy players, though; the only difference being that now you have to pay to find this out.

 

[Reynard]

Now, for the trifecta. Explain what the difference is to the player in those cases. Answer: none. They're identical.

That's just silly. My players know the difference, because I tell them. I don't know why you are so intent on equating things that aren't alike, especially since it is clear you don't like the things you are equating.

 

[overgeeked]

That's just silly. My players know the difference, because I tell them. I don't know why you are so intent on equating things that aren't alike, especially since it is clear you don't like the things you are equating.

So you don’t handle it like Matt does. Good. Because how Matt handles it, you know the original example I gave, is to not inform the players and just have them roll. So, to the players there’s no difference. They’re left to wonder.

 

[Helldritch]

Chess has been played both for money and pleasure from the start. So did go. Ask Magnus Carlson or Hikaru or the YouTuber Levy and Agamator with millions of subscribers if chess does not pay...

Is it really hard to admit that some DMs are good enough to get paid for it? It is not that hard to believe. I have a friend that does this for a living.

I sure would not charge money for that, even though I was offered to be paid more than once, I always resisted because once you see the game as way to earn money, it is no longer a game for you. And I want my D&D to stay the hobby I love so much.

But I will not throw a stone at someone who gets paid to DM nor will I say that someone doing it for free is getting used by his/her players. The costs of being a DM is higher than players often imagine. I have a high end paying job, but not all my players can say the same. I have three PHB just because of that. Two of them are always in the center of the table to be used by anyone. I know the costs and I can easily imagine that a DM might be tempted to charge a few bucks to pay for the books. Our hobby does not cost that much, but it is still quite expensive if you buy everything that suits your fancy.

So be tolerant of DMs that charge a little something. It might be the only way that they have to play and have access to the books.

 

[Hussar]

Sure. But no “pro DM” is going to become the next Critical Role. At best they’re going to burn themselves out scrambling to run more and more games to make a few extra bucks. This is a gig, at best. Not Critical Role. LOL.

There are considerable distances between, "I'm making a decent living" and "I'm making millions of dollars a year".

Granted, it's unlikely many people are going to be making a living wage out of running games, but, it's certainly not a bad side-hustle.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

If you can make $20 per player per session at 4 hours each with 5 players each game that's $100.00 per session.

I won't lie and say I haven't thought about it. Even 1 game a week paid is a nice income boost.

But beware, you've turned your hobby into a profession with all the good and bad that comes with that change.

 

[Helldritch]

My friend have 6 groups of 6 persons. That is 120$ multiply this by 6 or 720$ free of income taxes... per weeks. He recruits at the university and college. You might be surprised at the Ling waiting list he's got. He never plays on Saturday nights though... (come to think of it, me neither, Saturdays are for my wife).