Late to the party, but here are my thoughts: almost anyone can be a good GM (disabilities can make for obvious exceptions), but few people are willing to put in the effort willing to be a good GM.

For me, being a GM means that you need to be willing to know the system you're dealing with, know the players, their characters, and the intentions and desires of each, and then be able to plan accordingly. This takes a lot of time.

You also need to be able to react on the fly, which is mostly also about that same sort of prep.

Finally, you have to be willing to be a group leader, and that requires efforts at organization, arranging logistics, and a willingness to deal with problem players.

Each of these things take time and can be mildly unpleasant to do (depending), so if you don't put in the effort you won't be a good GM.

This is why most GMs suck. It's not because they can't get better. It's because they don't want to.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;1026517I would disagree with this. Obviously some games are going to be so poorly run, or comprised of people you just don't like, so in those cases skip it. But I think if you are sufficiently interested in gaming, you can find enjoyment in even a poor to mediocre game.

I'll have to take your word for it, I wouldn't know.

Its much like FFGs Star Wars RPG and the special dice. Some people just cannot handle alot of symbols, (some can barely handle a few) and same with DMing. Some are just never going to be able to do it for whatever reason. And as said. Some are going to suck any joy out of playing.

I am all for patience and giving someone a chance. But there is a point past which "No gaming is better than Bad gaming."

I certainly think that there are some people who would find GMing to be a chore they'd rather not do. And others who like it much more than playing. I'm in the latter category.

Anyone is capable.

'Nuff said.

Quote from: FeloniousMonk;1028725Anyone is capable.

'Nuff said.

Well, anyone with a normal range IQ and who can read could theoretically be 'capable' of GMing. But not everyone who is capable will like it, or be any good at it.

Quote from: tenbones;1026220The Great GM's are the ones that have helped conduct games that produce an experience that everyone remembers for years and chases that experience for every game from that point forward like a crack-head. They wont' succeed every time (in fact they'll fail more often than not) but the goal will always to bring their games to "that level of play" where everyone is in "the zone". As you chase it, it gets harder and harder to reproduce, this tends to bring those GM's to this point of constantly trying to up their game while balancing not blowing themselves out by losing sight of what the real point is and not taking it to places the game was never meant to go.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;1026249Absolutely there are stellar GMs out there who stand above the average GM (and I honestly would count myself as an average GM). But this sounds like an awful ideal GM to me (and I think this ideal is why so many people are afraid of GMing or find the experience torturous). There is also nothing more annoying than players who ruin perfectly functional games because they are pining for some experience they had with a GM 10 years ago. And equally annoying, at least from my point of view, is the self tortured GM who is pining for a session he once ran 10 years ago, and constantly engaged in some weird self improvement program. My experience is the great GMs are relaxed, self confident, don't worry too much about things not working out, and generally are just good at the social aspect of making the game work well regardless of who they have in front of them.

The RPG sessions and campaigns that I enjoyed the most and remember the most fondly and found most interesting all had major contributions from the players, particularly the players getting involved and taking creative actions that the GM did not plan at all but that the GM provided a situation and a play style which allowed, invited, inspired and provided interesting dynamic reactions to players choosing what to do and how to do it, and then played out whatever evolving situation that was.

The GMs that I'd most like to play with are the ones who enable that, generally by not being too focused or attached to what they've planned or anticipated. They do also tend to create fun and interesting content, sometimes very elaborate and dramatic, but I think that's secondary to the way the GM handles play.

Hmm. The campaigns and sessions I remember most fondly ALSO had major contributions from the players... in the form of stuff their characters did.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1028887Well, anyone with a normal range IQ and who can read could theoretically be 'capable' of GMing. But not everyone who is capable will like it, or be any good at it.

True, but my assertion is that any of that group who's willing to put forth some honest effort can run at least a 'pretty good' game with practice.

I don't have the sense that there are large numbers of people asking to be called gamers who only watch streams, but if we are going to quibble over terms, Gaming or RPG Enthusiasts is probably the way to go for someone who watches games or reads them but isn't playing them. Still, I am not particularly concerns about who gets called a gamer and who doesn't. A lot of them are probably potential players though. I'd imagine a solid chunk of people who came to the hobby by watching streams, would at least have a curiosity about jumping in and giving it a try. I think we should approach streaming like any other cultural moment where the potential to grow the hobby or have a boom is there. Eventually things will probably settle down again like they always do, but this is a good opportunity to share the hobby with people who are suddenly taking notice of it.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1029530True, but my assertion is that any of that group who's willing to put forth some honest effort can run at least a 'pretty good' game with practice.

Serious effort can make a difference.  I know some people who were bad GMs that became at least adequate GMs (or sometimes, good GMs with one system or setting they were really drawn to) by sheer time and effort.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1030145Serious effort can make a difference.  I know some people who were bad GMs that became at least adequate GMs (or sometimes, good GMs with one system or setting they were really drawn to) by sheer time and effort.

Exactly.  Exactly!  See, I'm really sick of the "I can't GM because I'm not a Chosen One!" wailing.  With some effort, any normally functional person can at least provide fun for their buddies and themselves.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1030199Exactly.  Exactly!  See, I'm really sick of the "I can't GM because I'm not a Chosen One!" wailing.  With some effort, any normally functional person can at least provide fun for their buddies and themselves.

I think of learning to GM as being like learning to read & write, learning to do elementary school arithmetic, or learning to play a sport like basketball or tennis in a casual and noncompetitive setting. Can the overwhelming majority of adult humans learn to do those things? Yes. Is it easier because of ability for some people to learn than to do those things than for others? Yes. Does it take some effort and practice (an amount that varies based on ability) to learn to do those sorts of things. Yes.

Learning to GM for your buddies so they can have some fun is like learning those things.

Quote from: Bren;1030215I think of learning to GM as being like learning to read & write, learning to do elementary school arithmetic, or learning to play a sport like basketball or tennis in a casual and noncompetitive setting. Can the overwhelming majority of adult humans learn to do those things? Yes. Is it easier because of ability for some people to learn than to do those things than for others? Yes. Does it take some effort and practice (an amount that varies based on ability) to learn to do those sorts of things. Yes.

Learning to GM for your buddies so they can have some fun is like learning those things.

Pretty much. Is it an incredibly difficult and rare skill? No. Can anyone do it? Also no. The main barriers to DMing aren't cognitive, they're social. A lot of people are simply too passive to organize and coordinate any activity involving multiple people.

People seriously overestimate how hard it is to "entertain" a bunch of players.