Quote from: Benoist;497436My point is that people should relax and not try to be Monte Cook when they run their first game.

I'm lucky. I barely know who he is, and have never played at his table. So for me I never worry about how I compare to "established" game people. especially since a lot of the people I meet who write games tend to be the kind of people I end up not liking.

QuoteJust play the game. Have fun. The rest comes as a matter of fact as you enjoy yourself and want to keep enjoying yourself in the future.

I agree wholeheartedly. And regardless if you're ten or two hundred years old we're all looking for the same thing right? Fun right?

I also think you can learn to GM.

I found both Robin Laws and Graham Walmsley liberating, Laws because it made it clear that different players want different things from a game, and Graham since he said 'sometimes it's okay to play it by ear, to say YES, to listen and feedback, to improv as a GM like you would as a player.

Play Unsafe: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/play-unsafe/3646830
Robin Laws Gamesmastering: http://www.sjgames.com/robinslaws/

I also find roleplaying tips a good source of little tips and wrinkles.. even though the email that it is wrapped up in is always overstuffed with stuff I have  to weave thru..

Roleplaying Tips: http://www.roleplayingtips.com/

AND finally, good players support a GM, and help you be good, so let them have their head and let them lead a lot more than some linear plots may have otherwise let them.

I second the Robin's Law book for exactly the reason you mention; the stress it puts on the fact that different players want different things and that pragmatic GM should learn how to read his players and mold his game around them. Of course GM who have a large pool of players to pick from don't need to be concerned about that; they can just fit the players to the game. But even the mood among the same set of players can vary for session to session.

I'm less of a fan of Play Unsafe. It's interesting and certainly from a player perspective the willingness to take risks (not just physical risks, but dramatic ones) can bring a session to life but overall the tone of the book it's a little too passionate for my tastes and the suggestion aren't quite as universally applicable.

On the same note there is also a book called "Gamemastering" by Dominic Wäsch. It's a little ridiculous in the school book style it's written in (there are even at the end of chapter exercises!). But if you can get passed that the book presents a very detailed and broad survey of all sorts of different GM techniques. The preview (http://watermark.rpgnow.com/pdf_previews/86465-sample.pdf) gives a better idea of what's in it.

Quote from: Serious Paul;497506And regardless if you're ten or two hundred years old we're all looking for the same thing right? Fun right?

And this is important because fun means different things to different groups. The most important thing a GM has to discover first is what makes running games fun for him or her and then see how this translates to the group.

Regards,
David R

Quote from: David R;497611And this is important because fun means different things to different groups. The most important thing a GM has to discover first is what makes running games fun for him or her and then see how this translates to the group.

Regards,
David R

Yes to this.

It is OUR game when I run it, the players and myself.  
But they are placing a lot of trust in me that it will be worth playing.  So my first priority was always to find out the type of game that I really get into; and then only allow players in who understand and also appreciate that style of game.

It may not be that I am anywhere near the GM in other games I am in the ones I want to play.  But working within the game style I want to play, I GM at my best, and provide the best experience for my players.

Quote from: Brad J. Murray;497435Isn't that sort of assuming that the things that entertained you when you were ten are still entertaining to you now? I'm sure that's not true for me. My ten-year-old self GM would bore the hell out of me today.

And me.

RPGPundit

On the subject of books on Gming, I would suggest my upcoming guide, but given that its being published by Precis and sometime after Lords of Olympus, I don't think you'll want to hold off until 2015...

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;495957Are you of the opinion that anyone can GM? What are the basic skills require? Does the skill set required to the GM consist of things so difficult that it is a "hurdle" in our hobby? Do you think that there is a lack of GMs (or good GMs) out there; or is that rubbish?

RPGPundit

NO, not everyone can be a GM.  I am in the mindset that a GM is special in certain skills that a lot of players just do not have.

Communication skills, imagination, clarity, ability to remember rules, know the rules of the game, on the spot decision making ability, firmness, courage, sense of humor, and most important of all, consistancy, fairness, balance of rules, understanding the fact that it is a game are all necessary prerequisites to be a good GM.  After being a solid DM/GM in personal games, at gaming conventions, and whatnot, I am totally convinced there are people who will never elevate further than to player status.

Being that I was a Marine on active duty for 23 years, I think that a lot of the intangible benefits I picked up or already had made me a sharper DM/GM over the years...

I think that there are some skill sets that can be a hurdle for some in being a GM for certain games.  

And YES, I do feel and agree that there is a lack of good solid DMs/GMs for games in the current community.

Quote from: Ian Noble;497146I think there is a preponderance of pussies out there who are too scared to step into a leadership role.

I don't think GMs are all that special.  Great GMs are... but I've only seen about two of those in my whole 30+ yr gaming career.

+1  totally agree

Quote from: Ancientgamer1970;497676Being that I was a Marine on active duty for 23 years, I think that a lot of the intangible benefits I picked up or already had and made sharper made me a much better DM/GM over the years...

Heh. I agree that my service as a small unit leader in the Marine Corps has helped me out in a lot of things over the years, including running my games.

QuoteAnd YES, I do feel and agree that there is a lack of good solid DMs/GMs for games in the current community.

Your local area community or just over all?

Quote from: Serious Paul;497686Heh. I agree that my service as a small unit leader in the Marine Corps has helped me out in a lot of things over the years, including running my games.



Your local area community or just over all?

The first question:  Yes, I hear you...  Builds up that confidence to a level you never thought you possessed...  Retiring as a SGTMAJ gave me patience I never thought I had...LOL

It is the gaming community as a whole.  I witnessed this at almost every convention I been too and I mean GenCon, DragonCon, Origins and whatnot...  I see it at the local conventions I attend here in Washington State, and I CERTAINLY can tell by the people who post on forums as well...

Semper FI...

I went to one Gen Con in Indie, and it nearly made me quit gaming permanently, and actually I did stop gaming for about a year. But I have yet to hit any of the local Cons. Just not my speed.

I game with a lot of people, but almost all of them are friends. People I hang out with outside of the game too.

I don't really feel that being a GM is some magical thing that only a select few have. I think player communication is important, the ability to tell the players "No." is important, and keeping in mind that it's a group effort, not just one person's story time is another facet.

A lack of ego and arrogance helps, along with a willingness to listen to your players and accept their constructive criticisms.

Quote from: Serious Paul;497720I went to one Gen Con in Indie, and it nearly made me quit gaming permanently, and actually I did stop gaming for about a year. But I have yet to hit any of the local Cons. Just not my speed.

I game with a lot of people, but almost all of them are friends. People I hang out with outside of the game too.

Wow, what happened at that Con?

It's a long story. Basically it boils down to I don't enjoy crowds, and because I work in law enforcement I tend to see the worst in people. Add in some other, non game related wonkiness and I just was turned off by the hobby for a while.