Are DMPCs inherently bad?

Are DMPCs inherently bad?
In what situation are they acceptable?

Share horrible/amazing experienced with DMPCs!

>Are DMPCs inherently bad?
Yes. A DMPC is a PC played by the GM and goes in direct contradiction with what a GM is.

>In what situation are they acceptable?
None, never.

>Share horrible/amazing experienced with DMPCs!
>amazing/horrible
>implying the GM gifting himself elite loot is amazing
The closest I've ever come to witness a DMPC was a retard that was talking to me about his "homebrew" that was an abomination that strung up Starcraft 2, Warhammer 40k, D&D, VtM and Alien vs Predator and then started talking about how he is "both the GM and a player" and how he's planning on writing a book about this shitstain.

I pretended I had internet problems and left.

The best role for a DMPC is filling a support role that the players won't do. A specialised driver build in a cyberpunk or modern game for example, or a healbot or local guide. Ultra-specific characters whose limited utility would gimp an actual player as they rarely, if ever, get the spotlight.

Of course not, it's only bad in the same way that a DM's girlfriend character is.

DMPC is a term that doesn't make sense as it should not exist.
Character controlled by player is PC.
Character controlled by Game Master is NPC.

Those are only terms that are needed.

Why not just an NPC in that case?

DMPC means that the character has a stat sheet, is part of the party and can make key decisions in plot. It also means that the DM is also a player in the sense that he is playing a character that's on the same level as other players' characters.

I've played in campaigns with rotating GMs, in which case GMPCs are an obvious problem. We dealt with it by getting them out of the way early in the adventures, so the only issue was the hit to immersion

You should learn semantics before acting like a pedant.

>Are DMPCs inherently bad?
No. I'm playing one right now, and players are in love with her. In fact so much so, one of the PCs actually married her.

Here's how you do it
>DMPC may never be in the spotlight, unless the PCs actively put it there. And even if they do it themselves, you should resist.
>DMPC must be helpful, but always in the way that compliments the players, not overshadows them.
>DMPC must have a memorable and colorful personality, but speak as rarely as possible - unless it's spoken to by the players first.
>Adding to that, don't have scenes of a DMPC and another NPC for longer than 15 seconds.

>In what situation are they acceptable?
If the DMPC is an important part of a quest or story and is only part of the party for that quest. Although at that point its not really a DMPC and it's more of an important NPC