The most recent Matt Colville video is a reminder of an important fact of gaming that I talk about a lot. Namely, that the DM/GM is also a player of the game. That your fun, as the DM, is important to the game. In fact, your fun is key. Because if you're not having fun, that is going to come through in the game and will make it harder for everyone else to have fun.
Which brings me to my question this Friday. What do you enjoy about the DM/GM role in a table top RPG? I know plenty of people who don't mind GMing but prefer to play. I also know people who prefer to GM. I think I fall into that latter category, but I also enjoy playing.
The hard thing though is I am not 100% sure what it is about GMing that is fun for me. I mean, I enjoy telling stories with friends. I enjoy giving a place and fantasy for friends to escape to. I enjoy the hobby in and of itself. There is a combination of story telling, puzzle solving, and tactics that is hard to capture anywhere.
If I had to say what I enjoy most is helping characters build to epic moments, and getting there chances at those epic moments.
This also is where sometimes my frustration or lowering of fun comes from. To build to those moments demands investment from my players. And if the players aren't acting or moving towards things sometimes my games feel flat - at least to me. It is the difference between stopping a villain's plot because that is what is going on in the game, and stopping a villain's plot because that is what your character needs to do.
Obviously there are other aspects of GMing that I enjoy. I like making creative encounters. I enjoy making villains and allies. But ultimately I'm there to provide a good time via a shared fantasy...and if it feels like that's not there is where I get unhappy or doubtful of the game.
What about you?
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