Be me

>be me
>be forevergm
>Finally get to play in someone elses game
>Can't help but think of all the things I'd do differently.

I'd say 'I feel you mang'
but it's been years and I still haven't gotten the chance to play in another's game.
>tfw

I know this exact feel user, its suffering. Even when you finally break off forever GM duty, your still mentally GMing trying to make the next plot better. It's double points if the campaign lasts for about 5 sessions then your back to forever GM duty.

Me too. I fear I might have been instuitionalized being behind that dm screen for so long

After joining 4 different Roll20 campaigns and experiencing this every time, I gave up being a player. I have more fun running games anyway.

> Be forever DM
> Finally get to play in someone else's game
> Can't help but think that his NPCs and plot are crap, and his presentation is crap too
> I would do so much better

Blessing and a curse, anons. Blessing and a curse.

This hits so fucking close to home

> Offer help.
> Offer pre-built NPCs to serve as allies and foes related to background (with the note that they can be altered in any way for it to become a curveball).
> Unite the party under a strong leadership.
> Find an In-Game reason to bite every hook.

There's way you can facilitate the DM's job and make it more interesting, but keep in mind chances are they will be rejected.

Best not-me DM I've ever had was mentored by me.

>be my own sovereign entity
>be a GM for a while
>play another game
>rejoice in helping the GM with advice or complimenting his narrative aim

I started to open up to player suggestions after returning to the life of player from a bout of GMing. There's a lot of acceptance and understanding when you try on both sets of shoes. But I find it hard to complain about the GM if I don't at least try to push them from a dumb route first... then, you know, I guess they can reap what they sow.

>be me
>be forevergm
>Finally get to play in someone elses game
>They don't understand the mechanics
>The plot is barebones as hell or they didn't even bother coming up with a thematic concept for the campaign and showed up to session 1 with an aimless (and sometimes setting-less) "sandbox" where nothing happens
>The campaign drops after a session or two.
>"Hey user I really liked that X game you ran a few months back. Can we do something like that again?"

The cycle of life and death continues.

>be me
>decide to run games again
>create encounters and provide multiple solution paths
>get frustrated with players that do other things that I would not find fun
>hide anger when characters act like complete assholes to timid NPCs and distressed bimbos on NPCs that want to kill them
>the whole campaign is shat on and I throw all plans out of the window
>everything bogles down to maniacs roving around, being psycho and sociopaths
>game thankfully ends, with my face red and trying to get them out and away ASAP
>"Thank you for the game, user! It was really fun!"

>send everyone a message next day that the game is canceled for personal reasons
I want to die

>i accidentally describe how the NPCs react to my PC actions

jesus christ i must stop

>actually try to help instead of shitting on the new guy's game
This

>They don't understand the mechanics
OP here. Half of the 'things I'd do differently' was their interpretation of the mechanics. I usually rule in favor of the PCs, they run more as a 'fuck you I'm the GM' kind of GM.

>actually try to help instead of shitting on the new guy's game

This is Veeky Forums its all anonymous. Sometimes a man just needs to vent.

>Half of the 'things I'd do differently' was their interpretation of the mechanics.
Nah, I'm talking about "balanced encounters with specific tactics in mind as if it was a puzzle encounter, not realizing the quantity of damage that a basic attack can easily exceed the 40 Damage Barrier", or "didn't know that DR over -- means it always works".

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one at the table that's actually read the books for the games we play.

>This is Veeky Forums its all anonymous. Sometimes a man just needs to vent.

People can come online and say whatever they want.

I'm talking about in real life, at least showing people a little bit of respect when they put in the kind of hours necessary to GM. Things like, if the guy is doing something you don't approve of, try asking him about it in a civil way or making a note to bring it up later. Those kind of things can help people improve and ultimately lead to a more fun game. Throwing a fit, starting a shouting match, or deciding to trash all the GM's hard work in the most painful way you can imagine is just going to hurt the whole group, waste time, exacerbate the GM shortage (you think someone wants to put in 10+ hours of his free time every week just for someone to intentionally ruin it?), and shit up the hobby as a result.

Yes. Everytime. (all the two times in ten years I mean.)

>be me
>read book
>"Damn GM must really hate Felix"

It sucks being one of the few people at the table who has read the rules. Especially when you get a chance to not GM after a while. At that point you're so used to being a rules adjudicator that it can be hard to turn off. I already find that when someone just shows me a cool homebrew thing they found online my first thought it "well this seems like it might be unbalanced, let's see if I can spot anything." instead of "Cool, someone made a thing for that? What's it's gimmick/trick?".

I like to give homebrew stuff the benefit of the doubt, but honestly so much of the stuff that my players bring me is so fucking busted that I'm finding it harder and harder to be unbiased while I read through it. It's too easy to jump down that slope of "well this is unbalanced shit".

I guess I really should count my blessings me and a friend take turn DMing games so neither of us are forever DM.

To bad he's 1000% better at DMing than me

I know all of those feelings.
Additionally

>something unexpected but slightly fortunate happens
>giggle mentally as you realize he fucked up and is now improvising like a motherfucker to keep the game going
>no one seems to realize
>but you know
>because you were also doing that kind of shit

I do this and I don't even GM.

user, how long has he been GMing? I doubt that he started out that well.
So unless you actually TRY to GM you won't get better

The worst part is that the person who usually shows me that stuff is absolutely the sort of person who would be fine if I said "hey this is kind of unbalanced, how about we make this change so you can keep up/don't trivialise stuff" mid-game once it had been tested.

>be me
>be forevergm
>two players decide to run their own games
>play in both
>one is railroady as fuck
>other is amazing and a lot of fun
>both never get a second session
>mfw