Do you prefer to be a player or GM/DM?

[chongjasmine]

Which do you actually prefer and why?

[cailano]

I've always been primarily a game master, starting at ten years old. At first it was because I was the one who was willing to read the rules but later it was because I enjoyed world building and storytelling.

Now I've reached this point in my gaming career where I've realized how much more I have to learn as a GM. So, I'm just trying to get better and run great campaigns.

Plus, it's fun.

I do enjoy playing but I'm not particularly good at it and I get more out of running games.

[Morphling]

I like both sides roughly equally, but I've found that if I don't offer to GM a game, the game isn't going to happen, so I usually end up being a GM.

[prophane]

I'm like you @cailano

Started around 10 as the GM and been doing it since. I like to play sometimes but often get bored just playing 1 character. I like to play lots of characters so I slide back to the other side of the screen. In my home group there are a couple others that like to GM as well and they do so at times, but it seems they'd prefer to play so I'm the main GM.

I am trying to make myself play more though, right now I'm a player in 4 with a 5th ready to start but still GMing 6 others.

[Malkavian Grin]

13 hours ago, Morphling said:

if I don't offer to GM a game, the game isn't going to happen, so I usually end up being a GM.

This is why I run games, mostly.

I gain an equal amount of pleasure from both sides but being a player is a lot easier.

[ChaosCircle]

Right now, for me, it is GMing but that is because I want a specific niche and the availability of games in that niche is limited and I've consistently seen the same basic rules being used in this niche (and they fail to complete as often as I do their plots) because its too much manual work even for multiple GMs.

 

But I've mostly moved on from traditional tabletop (D&D, PF, etc) and am focused on grand strategy + roleplay which doesn't really exist with good designs that aren't basically the same campaign over and over.