Where's the fun in DMing?

Where's the fun in DMing?

You have to spend hours preparing materials for players. You're constantly under pressure to think on the fly to keep up with whatever the players want to do. You have to babysit the group, keeping each player's wishes in mind making sure you're not upsetting someone, making sure all the players are getting along, etc. Integrating their backstories and constantly making sure the player feels invested in the game or else they'll feel the 3 hours they spent playing were wasted when you spent twice that amount of time trying to make sure the players all have stuff to do. Always trying to improve because a mediocre GM is infinitely worse than being a mediocre player.

It's just a bunch of hard work with very little pay off (The players had fun). On top of this idea that GMs are supposed to be this uncaring impartial storyteller that merely exists so the players can have fun. Maybe I'm just burnt out, but I don't see the fun it anymore.

Some people are meant to GM and some aren't. For those who are, the things you listed are fun.

I'm feeling like this, too. Players just don't put on the effort that i do.

It's not bad when it's a game/setting/scenario you like the idea of as a GM

When it's something your players have asked you to run but you couldn't give half a damn about it, then yeah, it's shit and unenjoyable.

>Where's the fun in DMing?

The sense of absolute godlike POWER as you manipulate the pitiable wretches beneath you like the pawns they are, forcing them to dance to the strings that YOU PULL!

YOU ARE THE DUNGEON MASTER! THE GODS OF THE REALMS THEMSELVES BEND THEIR KNEES TO YOU, AND ALL OTHERS ARE LIKE UNTO ANTS!

B O W T O M E ! ! !
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I enjoy seeing how my players react to my prompts. They tell me who their characters are and what they want, I put problems in their way and see how they deal with them. I'm not telling them a story, I'm getting them to tell me a story.

Well, these things you listed can be pretty fun. Coming up with stuff for the players is rather interesting, to me at least.

But as said, some people are meant to GM, others aren't. It is a lot of work, and it is understandable that not everyone will see the fun in it. If you feel you're burnt out, try having somebody else GM for a while. Might restore your will to GM, might not, but it's worth a try, eh?

>On top of this idea that GMs are supposed to be this uncaring impartial storyteller that merely exists so the players can have fun.

Stop taking your cues from Veeky Forums, and stop taking your players' cocks up your ass. You are the GM, you make the rules, and the one thing that is actually your job here is to set things up so you have fun.

Players who won't work with you on that are garbage. Get rid of them.

It used to be fun but now it just feels like a chore.

Yeah, it really takes me out of it. This combined with me not running something that I really want to right now.

Creating a satisfying experience for my players, knowing I helped tell a great story and having all those awesome moments is entirely rewarding enough, in my eyes. In some ways I prefer GMing to playing. Although you invest a lot more in it, you get a lot more out of it.

This presupposes a good group though. GMing for a bad group is the worst. I've become a total elitist scumbag at this point, thoroughly vetting players and not inviting anyone I've not seen play elsewhere so I can assess them.

In DMing? There is none. Only cancer. I guess sadists might enjoy inflicting DnD on the world.

GMing can be fun, but mostly I do it because nobody is interested in running the games I want to play, and running is at least in proximity to fun.

Stop putting in more effort than your players then. If they're not particularly invested they won't care that the setting is a fully improvised shell that exists solely as a backdrop for adventure. Most people don't.

But at that point I don't care about the game anymore. Sure it's easier but now I'm going to get bored of it and not want to play.

The fun is being able to subject your players to whatever stupid ideas you come up with, forcing them to take them seriously even though you all know how absurd it is. What are they gonna do, go to somewhere else in the world? Too bad, they ran away from the Deathknight who wanted to kill all mortals by indoctrinating them into an ideology of lifelong celibacy, and ended up dealing with a Rakshasa who put the fate of the world on a game of basketball.

Basically, what I'm saying is, if you're not having fun prepping an adventure for your party - scrap it and write something you do have fun making. So what if it doesn't incorporate the player's backstories, not everything in the game revolves around your PCs. If they get upset at something you did, hash it out after you've done it, rather than tiptoeing around anything you think might piss someone off.

And fuck being an impartial storyteller - you should be enjoying every NPC you throw at the party, every plot point, every fight in an erupting volcano, just as much, if not more, as your players. Because if you don't care - why should they?

Anyways, tl;dr - if you aren't having fun prepping, prep something you find fun.

This is great advice. I really forgot to make sure I was having fun as well. Thanks for helping me out.

We're just a bunch of fucking sadists and all the cons you gave are our pros.

Sounds like you need a break nigga

Yeah, I probably do. Although the campaign is nearly over so I gotta power through it for a session or two.

Yeah. Once it's done, either don't dm for a good few months at least, or better, get someone else to run a game and play in that.

Great way to recharge.
And then hopefully you'll be able to get back into a place where you love it again.

What would be your dream game to run?

>preparing

I havent thought about a dream game to run. Id have to put a lot of thought into it.

Because if you don't do it then there won't be a game at all.

I don't want to DM anymore, but I still get the scenarios running through my head. How do I make them stop, Veeky Forums?

I live, user, for the moment the players realize that they've made a terrible mistake despite there being copious evidence that the course of action they were taking was foolish,

And then I laugh. I laugh heartily.

Where's the fun in mapping for video games?

You have to spend hours preparing layouts for players. You're constantly under pressure to balance story direction with what players want to do. You have to babysit the player, keeping each player's playstyle in mind making sure you're not frustrating someone, making sure all the levels have clear objectives, etc. Integrating the story with gameplay and constantly making sure the player feels invested in the game or else they'll feel the 3 hours they spent playing were wasted when you spent ten times that amount of time trying to make sure the player has a fun experience. Always trying to improve because a mediocre mapper is infinitely worse than being a mediocre player.

It's just a bunch of hard work with very little pay off (The players had fun). On top of this idea that mappers are supposed to be this uncaring impartial game master that merely exists so the players can have fun. Maybe I'm just burnt out, but I don't see the fun it anymore.

write novels

I had the same issue op, and i find that this solution works pretty well:

1- sort your playerbase: try on understand what kind of game your players want. Are they invested about the story, worldbilding, how to make interesting fitting character, etc..? Or are they all about some mindless fun? Don't they give a shit about the setting, characterization, etc..?

2- work differently according to this playerbase: they are invested? Then share with them the preparation time! They will love this! Or they don't give a fuck? Then you do not too! Just improvise shit up or play fiasco with them or some other narrativist ttrpg

I like telling the story, coming up with things on the fly can be fun and makes your better at storytelling. If I am playing in someone else's game I always find myself disappointed in not only the other plays but the gm as well, I spend most of the time coming up with things that I think would make it a better story when the reality is just something the guy hodge podged together ripping it from three or four other movies or animes they have seen.

I also have a rather developed world I like running games in leading to getting more content for my story which I hope to make into a web comic.

Because GMing means never having to wait for your turn.

>Where's the fun in DMing?
Buddy, I get to play dozens of characters and all those rubes are limited to one. Where's the fun in playing?

>Where's the fun in DMing?
Easy, you get to spend hours preparing fun materials for players. You're constantly challenged to think on the fly to keep up with whatever the players want to do.
You get to keep each player's wishes in mind as you make sure all the players are having fun as you're integrating their backstories and constantly making sure the player feels invested in the game.
And always trying to improve.

Alternatively:
>keep up with whatever the players want to do
>babysit the group
>making sure you're not upsetting someone
>making sure all the players are getting along
>constantly making sure the player feels invested in the game or else they'll feel the 3 hours they spent playing were wasted
>spending twice that amount of time trying to make sure the players all have stuff to do
>Always trying to improve because a mediocre GM is infinitely worse than being a mediocre player.
>be this uncaring impartial storyteller that merely exists so the players can have fun.
Maybe don't do all that?

Never wear yourself out for people that don't reciprocate the effort you place in games. For my long standing group I spent about a month or two preparing my last campaign, adding up to it each week during it, and the end was a masterpiece thanks to how my friends played.

I just got invited at university to GM for a group of people and I'm just gonna do something real simple to see if it interest them.