For me, I look for a balance of everything (roleplay, story, and combat.) I love puzzles and riddles in the games where the players themselves get to solve them. If the "my character would know this," arguement comes up, they get to roll skill checks and such to get hints to help solve them.
I also love terrain and miniatures. I have a wide array of terrain that we use in all of our combats and I try to paint (or at least find) minis for all the players at the table.
Characters backgrounds fitting into the overall story is something else I love. Being able to fulfill personal goals/quests and them fitting into the overall storyline. Even completing personal goals that don't fit into the storyline is great. It makes your character more (I don't wanna use this word but can't find a good substitute) "real." Makes them more unique.
what are some qualities that you love about role playing games that you already have or that you look for in a group or that you strive for as a GM to deliver to the group?
I am all about the story. Helping the players make the characters live and breathe on their own, so after a point, it isn't the "player" playing the character, they're more on the sidelines, watching the character live and breathe. Not a feat that I've managed from either side in a TT game, but in words, on forums, I have come close.
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Something that when we're in the pub, with non-gamer friends, years later, one person references a gaming event, we all suddenly get excited and suddenly starting digging up old stories of deeds past, end up laughing our collective arsi off over and end up trying to convey the joke/sheer awesome of the events to the non-gamers - failing horribly - then resume laughing our arsi off further before finally sighing contently.
Blood. Death. Glory.
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.....Something that when we're in the pub, with non-gamer friends, years later, one person references a gaming event, we all suddenly get excited and suddenly starting digging up old stories of deeds past, end up laughing our collective arsi off over and end up trying to convey the joke/sheer awesome of the events to the non-gamers - failing horribly - then resume laughing our arsi off further before finally sighing contently.
Lmao our group has plenty of those times.
I enjoy the story and being immersed in events. I like big, dangerous fights preceded by the occasional puzzle or stealth mission. I dislike constructing my own keep (mapping it out and whatnot). Lately, I've been getting caught up in the mechanics of character creation (picking the right skill or feat to better portray my concept).
I enjoy genius ideas invented by my players. I like the new ideas of casting create water to get the poison off of a doorknob. I also like how my players hid under a bed for a lovers father. The father was then still upstairs so he told the lover to create a diversion for the PC to escape.