Whose Enjoyment Matters Most?

The Thayan Menace · Jun 4, 2006

¿Qué?

Well?

-Samir

Crothian · Jun 4, 2006

The Thayan Menace said:
I am curious. Is it truly possible for everyone at the table to have equal amounts of fun?

I'm not sure how you judge equal fun, but I'd have to say each week our group comes close.

Balgus · Jun 4, 2006

Ina perfect world, I would agree with the bulk of you. And I know I am being nonPC and very selfish in saying, "ME!"

It all comes down to "am i having fun?" and I would agree that everyone should have fun, but its up to everyone to make sure that he or she is having fun. I mean, I will try to make it fun for everyone, but at the end of the day, I will do what makes me happy. What makes my char happy.

But of course, there are sacrifices to be made for the sake of teh game. but at the end of the day, If i am not having fun, even if everyone else is, I am not going to keep playing.

Granted, that if I were playing with friends, then the act of hanging out is the most important part- and the game is secondary. but if i were gaming a session and that is the goal, then I will RP my char and play him the way I see him.

\While I am not there to antagonize the group, I am also not there to jeopardize the integrity og my Char to help further another group member.

2c

Piratecat · Jun 4, 2006

Oh, sure, I think so. And as a DM, I know that I have more fun when I see my players having a blast, and vice versa - so we definitely feed on each other's enjoyment.

The trick is not having fun at someone else's expense. I may be DM, but I'm rooting for the players.

Zhaleskra · Jun 4, 2006

If the GM isn't having fun, then nobody is having fun. The GM is a player too.

Corinth · Jun 5, 2006

The GM is the lynchpin that holds it all together. No GM, no game, no fun for anyone. Players, by comparison, are expendable.

Odhanan · Jun 5, 2006

Voted Everyone equally.

If I absolutely had to choose though, I'd say the players, since like Crothian, if the players have fun, I have fun too.

I am curious. Is it truly possible for everyone at the table to have equal amounts of fun?

Depends. Not possible all the time, but at some moments it certainly is possible for everyone to have a blast.
Still, that's a bit like Justice. That's not because it doesn't happen all the time in court that one should just give it up as a goal in every court case. Here you go: same thing with a DM trying to make people happy around the table. That's a goal to always keep in mind and favor in all situations, but each situation will be different, with a different context and different means to reach the enjoyment of the game by everyone. Still, it won't be reached all the time: a DM should be aware of that too and move on when necessary, because of that very same goal (the enjoyment of the game).

Li Shenron · Jun 5, 2006

Let's not fall into the trap of thinking that the DM should provide fun to the player, at the expense of her own fun. The DM is not a professional entertainer who gets paid for that (at least in very most cases

), if it was like that then maybe it could be argued that the player's fun should be at cost of the DM's fun, but normally not...

I say this because when I'm the DM I run the game in a certain way that I like myself. I sometimes use some setting-specific HR, such as making monsters different to how they are in books (regarding their role in the world, society, alignment, etc.). I make a deal with the players about the rules, and about the general setting ideas, before we start a new campaign, but I do not like players to whine with me if I change how elves or orcs are (note that I usually do this only if I'm tired of using them in the same old way, but I do not have a "pet way" to treat elves/orcs).

Sometimes people pretend that the DM runs the game and the setting exactly as they want, on the assumption that DM provides the fun and the players have it. At least don't complain about the lack of DMs in your area afterwards...