Pay for this, pay for that? ...

[The Lost Muse]

As a DM, I would never even think to charge anyone to participate in my games. I certainly wouldn't pay anyone to DM for me either; the only possible situation this would take place under is someone in my gaming circle winning the lottery.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I agree with Monte - being used to free games is almost the only reason not to pay for a DM.

Well, that and the fact that I (and, I suspect, many other EN Worlders) prefer to DM

As far as players using their position as 'paying customers' to unduly influence a DM, I just don't see it. The pay-to-play model where a DM is concerned is similar to the model of private tutors. Sure, you're paying the tutor and could theoretically stop if he chose to make you learn something you disliked, but that defeats the entire purpose of hiring him in the first place.

With that said, I don't pay for online games, but that's because I dislike them, not because I would refuse to pay a fee for ongoing content. I'd gladly pay $29.99/month for twenty new Final Fantasy Tactics battlefields and/or units - especially if they were multiplayer - or for new Heroes of Might and Magic 3 maps.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well, sure, if paying were traditional--or the only way to do it--I'd change my answer.

But under current circumstances, nuh-uh.

 

[Romnipotent]

I agree. I recently looked at all the MMORPG (????) sites, and was stunned at the prices... I won't pay for any subscription based online services. The way I see it, the companies (should) make enough by selling the product to cover the cost of people using it. If not, add advertisements. As far as a DM goes, I'd hate to see a legion of professional gamemasters arise...

RPGA DM's who DM at cons, weekly (sometimes regularly), and the like receive some payment. They dont receive a huge amount but you do get a bit of stuff.
Now if you set up a "group" and have all the games ordered through some key people you focus the RPGA points, ensuring that rather than everyone getting a campaign card and one mini, one persono is getting many cards+minis+stuff to share. Sort of payment

 

[Nifft]

I say "no way", but I have bought books for various GMs of various games, to enhance the enjoyment for all.

Now that I'm earning enough to be pretty darn comfortable, I suspect I wouldn't grudge my group a whole new set of books for a game I was really interested in.

That's more like bribeing the GM, though...

-- N

 

[IronWolf]

I wouldn't pay for a DM and I don't pay for online games. In fact one of my biggest reasons I don't play WoW is the monthly fee.

 

[Storyteller01]

Don't pay for MMO's, and wouldn't pay for a professional GM.

I WOULD pay for a stable playing area. Imagine a warehouse with comfy sound proof cubicles. You pay a cleaning deposit (to be returned if it stays clean) and a small hourly fee. BYOS even!

The exceptional ones could be equipped with lit mapping tables, props, etc.


My ramblings...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The paid "Professional DM" question revisited...

As was mentioned in another thread, many people already pay out the wazoo for online games like Everquest, which serves the same purpose as a DM (a massively effecient DM) for less creative player interaction. But many also have said they think the idea of paying for a real flesh'n'blood DM's services insane.

Explain yourselves, oh creatures of inconsistency.

I'm not paying to keep the DM alive and functional, especially as most DMs aren't actually a staff of dozens of people creating new modules, doing errata for the rules or being charged a fee for communicating the game to me. (Bandwidth ain't free, and anyone who tells you otherwise has their Web site unavailable a good portion of the month.)

I also can't get my DM to set me up with a one-on-one game at 3 a.m. when I can't sleep due to surgery-related pain or give me a quickie 20 minute game before heading out to work in the morning.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I agree. I recently looked at all the MMORPG (????) sites, and was stunned at the prices... I won't pay for any subscription based online services. The way I see it, the companies (should) make enough by selling the product to cover the cost of people using it. If not, add advertisements.

You should probably play a demo of City of Heroes or EverQuest 2 (the former is by invite-only from people already playing, the latter has a free year account to play in the newbie area you can download from FilePlanet) and figure out where they could insert ads that would sell well enough to support the game. (They would be thrilled if you could -- I'd expect they'd give you a sweet finder's fee and probably a nice statue of you in the game.)

And remember: 24/7 bandwidth with LOTS of redundancy in the system for hundreds of thousands of connections a month. We're talking a hell of a lot of money they'd need to raise from ads here.

I think most people who play MMORPGs didn't initially get why there's a monthly fee but figured it out once they actually played. Free demos give you the best of both worlds.

 

[Mixmaster]

No thanks, I AM the DM. But if anyone paid me......