GMs vs. Players Options

[Crimson Jack]

I think I know the answer to this one, but just to check...

[Slash_Thompson]

I've actually only gotten to play... three times. I've been a regular (weekly or bi-weekly depending on the group) GM for almost... 6? years. 7 maybe. I can't remember exactly anymore.

yeah. I need to play more.

[Aku]

actually i've never GOTTEN to play, yet, aside from the old game on snes/genisis, and a mud online recently...

Been working sorta on a LiTS character, but never enough time in the day...

[Jrayjoker]

Just staring back up as GM, and I have't played in a few years.

[DocMortand]

Used to be a player, then got trapped into GMing (which I now enjoy) so I don't get to play any more. :)

[U_Fester]

Both. It is nice having two GMs.

[Backgammon]

Well, considering most posts here are about rules questions and such, it necessarely caters to GMs more than players. Players just suffer the rule of their GM and shut up about it.

[paul_HArkonen]

player, but that's just because we have three cycling GMs, so I spend about 40% of the time GMing and 60% playing. I enjoy the playing more, but the GMing is fun too.

[iPad]

I mostly play. I co-GM with Canid13.

[BitBasher]

I am exclusively a GM.

[akarenti]

I usually end up GMing. Most of my players prefer the instant gratification of videogaming, and/or don't have (or want to spend) the money to get the books.

I was bitter at first, after 5 or 6 years of GMing Earthdawn, I've learned to cope.

Since I'm the only one in my group who owns any SR books (I just reconnected with my group last Fall), I can introduce materials at whatever pace I want.

For example, my players are blissfully ignorant of the majority of post '61 plot elements (I set the game a few years behind newer materials to run YotC and Brainscan, which I feel are good "this is what Shadowrun is" books).

I would like to play someday though. Maybe I should try a online game. I'm on Dumpshock 10 times a day anyway...

[waftalia]

ive been dming for 20 years now having played only 9 game sessions in that entire time.ive bounced back and forth between loving it and hating it.mostly now i hate being so damm good at it and noone wanting or willing to replace me at it.ive actually becaume bored with running and would love to play since i would be a newbie at it.

[Kanada Ten]

One of my players GMed for me on my birthday, and a year or two before that I played a decker for a session when an old friend stopped by. In the old days, 10 years ago, that group set up a rotating system to prevent GM burn out, though I still GMed most of the time.

[waftalia]

hey kanada ten we had that rotating shift thing too ,for some wierd reason every 3rd week the other dm got sick.........

[TeOdio]

Game Master Forever!
Been running this game since 1st Ed. I love the posts here from all of the other GM's. It's good to see how other's might interpret a rule or throw out a great idea. I've played Virtual Seattle at cons but hated most of the runs (apologies to anyone who may have written those, I know there is only so much you can do in 3 - 4 hours). I have had a rare chance to play in some of my friend's attempts to run games but then they realize, while being the GREATEST GAME EVER, it is not the most user friendly for novice GM's.
If you decide to run the grand game, just keep one thing in mind, no one remembers the stats of the antagonists, they only remember the situation that the antagonist placed them in.
Me: If you shoot him, he may drop the hostage out of the window.
Them: We hate you.
:evil:

:nuyen: :nuyen: :nuyen:

[hahnsoo]

We've had a rotational GM system in our gaming group for years. So I GM about 20 to 40% of the time, depending on whether or not someone else has a run prepared for us.

It's odd, though. I was the primary GM for years, but ever since all of my friends and I have gone our separate ways, we each had to fill in the GM responsibility with a brand new group of gamers, so when we got back together, everyone had some sound GM experience to fall back on to do the "rotational GM" thing.

[Gyro the Greek S...]

I've been GMing for about three years now, though I've cycled through several gaming systems. Started out with Call of C'thulhu, went into Shadowrun, ran a couple different games, went to a crossover World of Darkness (v.1) end-of-the-world chronicle, and I'm about to start into my third Shadowrun game.

First Shadowrun game started in 2060, second one in 2056, and the upcoming one will be set starting in 2058.

In the meanwhile, I've played in a few games, though none Shadowrun...recently, I told one of my players he'd be GMing a Mage game for us, and he was nice enough to oblige. We typically switch out of my game about the time afternoon gets into evening, and then go late from there.

[nezumi]

I spend most of my time GMing. Quick check, I'm in 4 SR/CP games as a player, and I GM 4, however the 4 I GM take up about 80% of my RP time.

Personally, I've found I get a lot less satisfaction out of playing since I started GMing. I think it really changed how I look at the game. Hrm.

[Austere Emancipa...]

The prevalence of GMs is really quite staggering here. Although it's probably to be expected -- the people interested enough in a RPG to chat about it on an online forum are the ones most likely to get stuck (or even want to "work") as a GM.

[Shadowrunner13]

I've been GMing, almost exclusively, for a while now. Not that I mind. I have a lot of fun doing it.

I'm as surprised as Austere at the number of GM's to players on here as well. Almost everyone I've spoken to says there aren't enough SR GM's out there, but it's starting to shape up that there are a few of us left...

Of course, this poll represents a more global community, rather than our own little dot on the map...

SR13

[GrinderTheTroll]

I've always been the "main" GM for most our RPG ventures, but in recent times the players wanted a crack at it, and more power to them!!

[iPad]

[Starfurie]

[Grinder]

As i run a weekly Earthdawn-campaing i don't have to GM Shadowrun. So i can enjoy being the only human char in a team of orks. :D

[SaraMarr]

I have always been a player. I have been looking for local games for two years, since I moved, but without any success. Most of my GMs (5 in my past) have liked me because I at least tried to RP my character even if my character was stupid enough to make mistakes or were actually a lot smarter than I am IRL, and that I also wouldn't manipulate games due to loopholes in the rules.

Most of the GMs that I knew would get burned out from time to time due to the incessent pushing from players on receiving more powerful things, abilities to overkill there npc/GM counterparts. Would there characters do it? No. But, the person wanted it.

I have enjoyed the group of players that tried to work as a group even though there individual goals were different.

Have I had characters killed? many, yes. Because I did something wrong? no. Because I did something stupid? yes. : )

But, I enjoyed the playing of that Female Troll named Pyro that loved to play with fire. Even to the second before she realized running into that burning house to save that fire-proof safe with all her private documents was a mistake. At least she was a finalist for the Darwen Award.

My 1 cent worth.

The One, The Only, Sara Marr :love: