What do you like best about being a GM?

[Altalazar]

I like world building, ultimately. Though just building up an interesting adventure is also fun. But it is more fun when that adventure is then fit into the greater framework of my homebrew world and its history. My homebrew evolved from a small start into what is essentially the only world I ever run in as DM. I have 15 years of material built up for it and I add to it whenever I play.

 

[haiiro]

Like the most: I'd have to go with being surprised by my players -- the unexpected is always more interesting for me. Right up there with that, though, is the sense of immersion (also my favorite thing about being a player, usually), where I can visualize clearly what's happening in the game world.

Like the least: The prep work.

I've written 2 posts on Treasure Tables, my weblog for GMs, that might be relevant to this thread: "More Fun, Less Work" and "What Does the GM Do?."

 

[Azul]

What is best in GMing:

To crush the PCs, to see their sheets shredded before you, and to hear the lamentation of their players.

 

[Teflon Billy]

I love world building.

The players don't much care about the amounts of effort and detail I put in, but that's for me

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I like the interactivity of it. I write the plot outline, but the players write the story.

I have a couple of adventures that I have designed to be playable in different systems and genres (with tweeks, of course) and each time, the outcome has differed- sometimes significantly. One group thought one of my modular adventures was the best adventure they'd ever been in (Darksun), another group thought it was "Hella-cool" (Champions), and in another group, it was enough of a dissapointment that it ended the campaign (RIFTS). Its gotten mixed reviews at gaming conventions (mostly positive, though).

It wasn't the adventure itself- it was how the players interacted with it. You know- "It's not the destination, its the journey."

What do I hate? Problem players, but I can't decide which I hate most- those who are continual headaches for me/the others/everyone, or those that leave and don't tell me why, or how I could improve things.

 

[Wombat]

I love world building.

The players don't much care about the amounts of effort and detail I put in, but that's for me

Can't help but agree here

my worlds have much more background than my players ever see. NPCs with deep interrelations, changes in religious dogma over time, tough guys who become Heroes who be Folk Legends who become All But Forgotten, all the rest.

I love designing worlds and cultures.

 

[Umbran]

The best thing about being the DM is at the end of the night when the players are just glowing with the fun they have had and they compliment the session you just ran.

*nod*. Here as well. It isn't a "ego boost" thing for me, so much as feeling good about helping someone else have a good time.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Right now, no one except me is running D20 Modern in my group. So instead of playing Modern, I run it instead.

We have one other person who wants to run it, using the Star Wars universe. However, it's not likely to get anywhere - there's no way to balance things like Force Grip. (He won't use D20 Star Wars on the reasonable note that it's quite broken in favor of Jedi.) If he would just make Jedi not available for PCs he could probably start today

 

[derelictjay]

For me its the whole package. Sure I've had to deal with bad players, once even killed the game because of said players.

But the world building, I love it, I have several unplayed campaigns created and waiting to see the day their played. Coming up with the backgrounds for NPCs, but its fun reasoning out why their like they are, even though the player's will never hear it.

But the real kicker is when you get a complement like, "You know, we talked and we have much more fun in your gaming group compared to our other gaming group", this from a couple in my group, but I've had other player's say this. And you realize that gaming is about having fun, and that your bringing something enjoyable to your friends.

 

[shilsen]

Same answer I give when someone asks why I teach English Lit: It's for the money, the fame, and the groupies. But mostly the groupies.