Just curious as to the raitio of Pathfinder GMs to players on the messageboards:
Do you GM more often than you play a character? Or do you play a character more often than you GM?
Which do you prefer- GMing or playing? Why?
I'll go first unless someone is an evil ninja;
I GM about 95% of the time, both online and at a real table. I hardly ever get to play a character for longer than a couple of sessions. While I really enjoy developing a character and sometimes like to sit on that side of the screen for a change, I enjoy the GM job a lot more. As a GM I get to develop an entire cast of NPCs and lay the framework for a great story between friends. It's a pretty rewarding gig.
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The last year or so I've mostly run PCs.
For a couple years before that it was about 2:1 DM to PC.
For a good 20 years before that it was closer to 8:1 or 9:1 DM to PC.
(The last couple years where I've really been able to run PCs has been SO MUCH FUN!)
Still, I think of myself much more as a DM than Player.
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For the last, what is it, four years now, I've been a GM. The three years before that, I was a player.
I like them both equally. As a GM, coming up with the people and things the party will encounter, figuring out reactions to the party's actions, and being surprised by the party's actions, that is the greatest. As a player, bantering with my party members, working together to overcome whatever we encounter, and having the chance to pull off amazing stunts, that is also the greatest.
I'm stuck with the GM role because none of my players want to take it on. If I don't become the GM, there is no game at all at my table. As much as I enjoy being a game master, sometimes, I desperately want to be a player, but can't...
I play more often than i GM but everyone in my group has GMed before so we all share the GM mantel from time to time to give everyone a chance to play.
I've pretty much always been the GM/DM (>90%). While I do enjoy getting the chance to actually be a player, it's actually pretty hard for me to switch out of the GM mindset when I play.
I GM a lot. After Serpent's Skull ended in, wow, February almost, I've been DMing two games Fri/Sat since then. I've been system hopping trying to find something for my PCs to play on Sat, but for Friday we've been playing Carrion Crown.
Doesn't help that I draw out all of the maps beforehand in beautiful detail. I spend most of my day Fri and Sat planning, prepping and running the game.
For the last, what is it, four years now, I've been a GM. The three years before that, I was a player.
For some reason I'd have guessed you'd be more likely to be a cheeky player than a GM. *Shrugs.*
I'm wearing the GM hat around 85% of the time, but would prefer it to be closer to 50%. The problem is that the only players capable of picking up the hat and running a game tend to bow out and ask me to step in. This happens because the player-turn-temporary-GM does not have the time to plan for all the wacky contingencies that get thrown at me every session.
This isn't to say that there are no other Pathfinder groups in the area. I've met with several groups of nice people running really awful campaigns. I can't stomach heroic high fantasy campaigns for more than two sessions before I, in a brief period of madness, resign myself to running a GMless, solo, villainous campaign for the next two weeks.
I've found that the better alternative is to find oddball players more interested in Saint's Row-Dungeon Keeper-Thief mashups than Middle Earth simulation, present them with a complete sandbox campaign style, and have them utterly surprise me every time.
And, yes, Dungeon Keeper demands bold text everytime.
I'm cheeky no matter which side of the screen I'm on.For the last, what is it, four years now, I've been a GM. The three years before that, I was a player.For some reason I'd have guessed you'd be more likely to be a cheeky player than a GM. *Shrugs.*
Maybe it's your avatar image, but for some reason I imagine that you say everything with one eyebrow cocked.
I am just starting, so am trying to keep the DMing to a few games at a time until things become more automatic. On the player side, I am in about half a dozen games and finding that, for the most part, I can keep up in those games a lot easier than writing an update for just one game that I am DMing. I enjoy the DMing, but especially the maps just take time, even if I am getting better at doing them quickly.
I DM a game every weekend.
I participate in a game every other weekend.
I guess that means I DM twice as much as I am a player.
However, as soon as my RotRL's is over, I play every weekend and every other weekend :P
So that's gonna skew the numbers.
Greg
I've played seven maybe ten games tops since 3.0 released. DMed the rest of those years.
For the last, what is it, four years now, I've been a GM. The three years before that, I was a player.
I like them both equally. As a GM, coming up with the people and things the party will encounter, figuring out reactions to the party's actions, and being surprised by the party's actions, that is the greatest. As a player, bantering with my party members, working together to overcome whatever we encounter, and having the chance to pull off amazing stunts, that is also the greatest.
TOZ has pretty much spoken for me also.
I GMed almost exclusively for nearly 10 years. These last 5 years though I've been a player more often than not, GMing only occasionally.
I will officially begin playing Pathfinder this month, and start as a player ... but before 2012 I will take my first turn as a GM, for Pathfinder.
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In terms of Pathfinder RPG I am 100% a player. I have considered GMing for PFS but I am coming to the conclusion that it is unlikley I will GM because I can't be arsed to read the rule book fully, which I would want to do before GMing.
In terms of RPGs in general I very much prefer to GM and overall I GM most of the time. I started RPGing as a GM and only rarely played in the first few years of gaming.
About 75% Gm, roughly 25% player. Currently running PFS every wednesday and CotCT every Sunday. Have another game night on Saturdays where we were playing ToEE, but the gm showed up about half the time and we eventaully got sick of the meat grinder. Our group finally decided to bury the place and walk away, as we were doing more harm than good. We have a fairly new DM that is starting kingmaker up that night, so hopefully I will get to play a PC for a bit.
I run a Serpent Skull game as a GM once a week and play in a RotRl campaign about once a month, but the RotRl-Sessions are usually two days long marathons while the weekly game is just an evening of about 4-5 hours. So you could say that it's 50-50 for me.
I love being a GM and having to cope with the creativeness of my players but I also love building characters both mechanically and roleplaying-ly. Sometimes however I have to admit to myself that when my GM rules differently than I would have done or changes rules to fit his personal view on Golarion (our RotRl GM prefers a very low-magic world) that it's hard for me to leave someone else "in control".
Nevertheless, I am enjoying both sides of the screen equally and would always strive to play and GM at any give time.
Over the three plus decades that I have been gaming, I would say the proportion has been about two thirds GMing to one third playing.
Currently, my group has three people who can GM, but one of those doesn't really like it and when he starts a campaign it usually doesn't run long. So mostly I alternate with the other guy. I'm currently running Kingmaker, and we're about halfway through, so I'll probably be GMing for another few months.
As to which I prefer, depends on the day. I really like doing both, but find them very different experiences. Usually when I have been doing one for a while, I start really getting the desire to do the other. Right now, after ten months of GMing, I have lots of character ideas boiling in my head and would really like to start playing again.
On a side note, I think that regardless of which they do more, most posters here usually look at things from either the GM's or the player's perspective, and rarely both. I can usually identify which perspective they take within a few posts. Perhaps a good secondary question to ask, if people can evaluate themselves honestly, is whether they feel they post more from a GM's or player's perspective. I freely admit to definitely looking at most issues from the GM's perspective.
I GM a quasi-weekly game, as well as one or two side campaigns. It's been like that for about 3 years now.
I am a player in at least one other campaign, but it's only gone two sessions over three months, so I hope that continues.
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Of course I started as a player but that didn't last too long, and in between High School graduation and marriage (a span of 15 years) I usually was GM once a week and player once a week. But for the last few years I have been primarily a GM to introduce new games and to run PFS at local game days.
Fewmaster
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hmmm been a DM since I started playing back in '92. I've had the chance to play as a player off and on but nothing past a weekly session for a couple of months. Currently I'm running a campaign online using maptools.
99% GM, 1% play. Since I started in '79 I've had a total of three PCs, and not one of them lasted more than four sessions.
I love running games. When I was a kid, I was selected from among my friends to be the DM because I was the only one who bothered to familiarize myself with all the rules, and the DM hat just kind of stuck. I really enjoy the creative preparation, the world building, and the thrill of seeing what happens when player-wrought chaos meets carefully designed setting.
I just recently started playing a Savage Worlds Deadlands character. I'm hoping this campaign goes the distance so I can get the full lifecycle experience from the other side of the screen for a change.
I GM about 95% of the time too. I'd like to play more though.
From 1981 to 2003 I was GMing for the most part, a weekly game. The same group of people for the majority of the time. It pretty much ran the gambit from ADnD (and all the changes in editions), Robotech, Twilight 2000, Marvel Superheros, Star Wars ect. I was DM/GM 90% of the time and got to be a player only rarely. And never more than 3-4 sessions in a row.
I took a break for a few years then got back into gameing about four years ago. Now I get to play more than GM which I am enjoying alot.
I think I initially read posts as a GM but now that I'm playing more, look at posts through a players perspective as well.
-Flea
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I GM far more often than I play, to the point where I rarely really enjoy playing anymore - as a player I always think the GM is doing it wrong because I've got such strong feelings on the "proper" way to GM.
I have the same problem- DM'ed 98%+ of my gaming.
I found I can cope with it in PbP though so I get lots of playing out of that now- that and the quality of DMing is higher than in the RL games I played.
A couple years ago I was only ever a player. Then I moved from ME to MA. I gathered a group of college friends to play, so I was DMing 100%. Now I am at 50% playing, 50% DMing.
But, we only play 2x month, so it's not all that frequent.
Question - I see that the majority of responses are from the 95%GM group. Do you find, on those rare occasions when you do play, that you have to rein yourself in to keep from being a GM-Player?
You know, having to tell yourself not to correct the DM when he makes a rules interpretation you know is not strictly RAW, keep yourself from suggesting things for the monster to do that you know would be better than an inexperienced DM does? I do find that it is something I have to watch out for.
Yes, same here. And having to pretend I don't have a GM's familiarity with the bestiary.
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Question - I see that the majority of responses are from the 95%GM group. Do you find, on those rare occasions when you do play, that you have to rein yourself in to keep from being a GM-Player?
Yes, I tend to bite my tongue when things aren't done RAW, only pointing something out if its really important. For example, in a recent D&D4e session someone was using forced movement to push someone over a balcony - technically that isn't possible as you can only force move someone where they could walk (so off an unrailed precipise is fine, but not over a balcony).
However, it was cool so I didn't say anything. Then rather than a Save the DM makes an Acrobatics check to see if the foe can avoid being pushed over the edge.
Not RAW, but it all made sense.
Question - I see that the majority of responses are from the 95%GM group. Do you find, on those rare occasions when you do play, that you have to rein yourself in to keep from being a GM-Player?Yes, I tend to bite my tongue when things aren't done RAW, only pointing something out if its really important.
I am in the same boat, but I normally ask the GM up front do they want any corrections, and if I start "over correcting" to just let me know. I like to do things by the rules, but I don't want to derail a session either.
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GM 95% of the time, or more. It's what I love. And it really is the best of both worlds. Over the years, especially judging at Cons for the RPGA, you couldn't beat it. I got to do what I loved, I got credit for 'helping' at the con, and generally, I even got in for free, since I always judged enough slots to qualify for that.
Question - I see that the majority of responses are from the 95%GM group. Do you find, on those rare occasions when you do play, that you have to rein yourself in to keep from being a GM-Player?
You know, having to tell yourself not to correct the DM when he makes a rules interpretation you know is not strictly RAW, keep yourself from suggesting things for the monster to do that you know would be better than an inexperienced DM does? I do find that it is something I have to watch out for.
Not really. My DM (gaming group B, see above answer) has quite a different style, more focused on "the great picture of sweeping epics" with long-winded descriptions of places, protracted interactions with NPCs and their often obscure goals and so on.
Sometimes, this becomes a bit burdensome to the game - not only for me, but for other players too - but we all understand that in the long term his style has its own rewards, as the setting is incredibly detailed, full of verisimilitude and originality at the same time, and the PCs feel actually involved in a grand scheme of legendary adventuring.So, even if some evenings I just happen to sit there for 3 hours out of 4, listening to him or other players, without rolling a dice or having the opportunity to act in any manner, it's nonetheless OK, as I have understood that in the long run I have fun partecipating in that kind of games.
I feel old enough not to impose my style/ideas/metagaming knowledge, and try to gather a few useful clues to improve my own games too.
I GM far more often than I play, to the point where I rarely really enjoy playing anymore - as a player I always think the GM is doing it wrong because I've got such strong feelings on the "proper" way to GM.
I fight very hard (and usually successfully) against this, largely because I have to respect anyone willing to take on the job of GMing, and I believe there is a lot of latitude given to GMs to excel in very different ways. Basically, they can be great GMs while still doing things very differently from the way I do it.
That said, the 3 GMs in our group usually try to stay consistent with each other as much as possible, and generally consult about all houserules/rules interpretations.
I currently GM two Pathfinder groups, one Kingmaker and a second dungeon crawling. Both are 4th level. Aside from this I've run one PF campaign set in Ravenloft. I've never had a chance to play.
While I prefer running, I'd like to play now and then too, just to get a chance to recharge my creative batteries while still enjoying the game.
I GM far more often than I play, to the point where I rarely really enjoy playing anymore - as a player I always think the GM is doing it wrong because I've got such strong feelings on the "proper" way to GM.
While I do think one can "do it wrong" I don't believe there is a "proper" way to GM since there are many ways to "do it right".
How to "do it right" often changes based on the group.
player 50 percent Gm 50 percent.
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I GM far more often than I play, to the point where I rarely really enjoy playing anymore - as a player I always think the GM is doing it wrong because I've got such strong feelings on the "proper" way to GM.I fight very hard (and usually successfully) against this, largely because I have to respect anyone willing to take on the job of GMing, and I believe there is a lot of latitude given to GMs to excel in very different ways. Basically, they can be great GMs while still doing things very differently from the way I do it.
Sure. There's a difference between thinking a GM is doing it wrong and actually telling the GM "Hey, you're doing it wrong."
I try my best to bite my tongue, and only say something if the GM is relatively inexperienced and making a mistake so huge that it isn't just a different style of GMing but "objectively" bad GMing -- like I gave a friend of mine a lecture on good GMing when he ran a session and let a rules fight between two players drag on for hours (seriously, it was like a six hour screaming match) until a friendship was destroyed, all because he didn't want to play the "The DM is always right" card (which he had complained about as a player in my games). Now he understands why I play that card, but the two friends involved in the fight still haven't spoken to each other in years (it got really nasty and really personal and some things were said in anger that you can't take back).
But anyways, my point was that I just don't really enjoy playing anymore because while I can bite my tongue, biting my tongue isn't fun. Instead of getting into the game and enjoying myself, I'm spending all my time thinking about the GM's style and choices and how I would be doing everything differently.
I GM far more often than I play, to the point where I rarely really enjoy playing anymore - as a player I always think the GM is doing it wrong because I've got such strong feelings on the "proper" way to GM.I fight very hard (and usually successfully) against this, largely because I have to respect anyone willing to take on the job of GMing, and I believe there is a lot of latitude given to GMs to excel in very different ways. Basically, they can be great GMs while still doing things very differently from the way I do it.Sure. There's a difference between thinking a GM is doing it wrong and actually telling the GM "Hey, you're doing it wrong."
I try my best to bite my tongue, and only say something if the GM is relatively inexperienced and making a mistake so huge that it isn't just a different style of GMing but "objectively" bad GMing -- like I gave a friend of mine a lecture on good GMing when he ran a session and let a rules fight between two players drag on for hours (seriously, it was like a six hour screaming match) until a friendship was destroyed, all because he didn't want to play the "The DM is always right" card (which he had complained about as a player in my games). Now he understands why I play that card, but the two friends involved in the fight still haven't spoken to each other in years (it got really nasty and really personal and some things were said in anger that you can't take back).
But anyways, my point was that I just don't really enjoy playing anymore because while I can bite my tongue, biting my tongue isn't fun. Instead of getting into the game and enjoying myself, I'm spending all my time thinking about the GM's style and choices and how I would be doing everything differently.
I understand. Like I said, I fight against this myself, but usually am able to just relax and go with the flow, putting aside disagreements to be resolved after the game situation.
Sorry about the rules lawyers from hell situation you're talking about. I agree that sometimes the GM just has to be the boss, make a decision and move things along, and GMs unwilling to do so irritate me far more than GMs who makes mistakes in their rulings. Not everyone is comfortable in that role, and if someone isn't, GMing probably isn't for them.