Who prefers to DM?
- Thread starter Cutty Sark
- Start date
Guilt Puppy
First Post
I prefer DMing at the moment, mainly because my current group is fairly new to, and less invested in the game -- they've run some fun stuff when they've taken the reins, but they tend a little too much toward the random encounter... (Also, there's the problem of knowing the rules, or more importantly having enough of a feel for the game and its mechanic that you can eschew the rules when necessary.)
Playing for someone who DMed with the same level of investment that I do could be fun -- although I have a very strong distaste for games that the DM leads (which is to say, traps you in a particular plotline, doesn't let you explore other things). This can often be a source of frustration for my players, because I tend not to give them anything more than the hook -- the rest they have to dig up themselves. But IMO, the really fun thing about RPGs in general is the degree of freedom they give the players -- and coming up with situations that require clever, inventive solutions is fun for me, especially as I watch it play out (from the internal chuckle of watching them struggle with it, to the "oh, I never thought of them doing that.")
Basically, when I DM, I come up with a scenario where I can't see any course by which the player's could "win" (while keeping CRs and everything else balanced enough that I can tell they have a chance)... From that point on (as in, once the game starts), I try to keep the players running the game -- and just try to intuit the results of their actions the best I can, while interfering (making monsters enemies behave out of character, throwing in arbitrary NPCs to further the plot, et cetera). Since I don't see myself as actually "controlling" the world (just coming up with it, and trying to see what its natural course would be) it becomes more like watching a movie.
Which is why I prefer it to playing, I guess... Short of a really good DM, it's harder to really visualize it cinematically as a player. I'm not sure how well I get that sense across as a DM, but whatever comes across, my players still enjoy the game. So I prefer DMing, for now.
Playing for someone who DMed with the same level of investment that I do could be fun -- although I have a very strong distaste for games that the DM leads (which is to say, traps you in a particular plotline, doesn't let you explore other things). This can often be a source of frustration for my players, because I tend not to give them anything more than the hook -- the rest they have to dig up themselves. But IMO, the really fun thing about RPGs in general is the degree of freedom they give the players -- and coming up with situations that require clever, inventive solutions is fun for me, especially as I watch it play out (from the internal chuckle of watching them struggle with it, to the "oh, I never thought of them doing that.")
Basically, when I DM, I come up with a scenario where I can't see any course by which the player's could "win" (while keeping CRs and everything else balanced enough that I can tell they have a chance)... From that point on (as in, once the game starts), I try to keep the players running the game -- and just try to intuit the results of their actions the best I can, while interfering (making monsters enemies behave out of character, throwing in arbitrary NPCs to further the plot, et cetera). Since I don't see myself as actually "controlling" the world (just coming up with it, and trying to see what its natural course would be) it becomes more like watching a movie.
Which is why I prefer it to playing, I guess... Short of a really good DM, it's harder to really visualize it cinematically as a player. I'm not sure how well I get that sense across as a DM, but whatever comes across, my players still enjoy the game. So I prefer DMing, for now.
Hastur
First Post
Do any of you find that your GM'ing/playing breaks down by genre? In my case, I will only play D&D (I DM'd enough in the past), but I enjoy GM'ing (and sometimes playing) Dark*Matter, Delta Green, Spycraft, Superhero games, etc. I'm really not sure how I would go about crafting a fantasy campaign at this point since I haven't even bothered to read certain sections of the D&D rulebooks (e.g., Cleric spells).
Luckily, my current group has a good division of labor: we have two-three ongoing games at a time that we switch between. I always run a modern game and let D&D be someone else's baby.
Luckily, my current group has a good division of labor: we have two-three ongoing games at a time that we switch between. I always run a modern game and let D&D be someone else's baby.
Shard O'Glase
First Post
I have enjoyed dming. In NY I was the replacemnt DM when the main DM burnt out semi-frequently, and I was the 1st and primary 3e DM since I'd kept up on it a lot before its release and was therefore the most prepared. I enjoyed it about equally to playing, my only disapointment being that the group had trouble playing good guys in a non-theres the bad guy kill it campaign, intrigue and invesitgation went poorly, and required many a on the fly changes for the wierd plans they came up with.(wierd to me not to them of course) Mildly frustrating but interesting.
Here in the Bay Area, I run a game for flakes and I'm about to give up. I hate putting effort into the game and then having 2+ people no show without a call in advance.(and when they do show they aint stars) Yeah, yeah they got lives etc, but its just rude, and shows a compleate lack of appreciation for the work I've put into the game over the week. Here I want to play, no more Dming for a while, oh and play in a new group, because these guys are just pissing me off. Trust me I love to game but I'd rather not game at all than run a game for jerks again.(And yes I've talked to them about it 1st before coming to my quit option.)
Here in the Bay Area, I run a game for flakes and I'm about to give up. I hate putting effort into the game and then having 2+ people no show without a call in advance.(and when they do show they aint stars) Yeah, yeah they got lives etc, but its just rude, and shows a compleate lack of appreciation for the work I've put into the game over the week. Here I want to play, no more Dming for a while, oh and play in a new group, because these guys are just pissing me off. Trust me I love to game but I'd rather not game at all than run a game for jerks again.(And yes I've talked to them about it 1st before coming to my quit option.)
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