There is a really interesting discussion happening on bsky about GM burden.
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There is a really interesting discussion happening on bsky about GM burden. I wasn't sure I was understanding it until I read a clarification about "what happens when your group can't play bc the GM is stressed."
I realized this isn't a problem I care about at all haha. It doesn't apply to me anyway -
It seems to be advocating for playing games wherein the ownership / authorship is shared in an egalitarian way, and frankly I'd just rather not play.
As a player I want no say in the world. I want to discover it. As a GM I will jealously guard my authority.Discovery really is the key "pillar of play" for me. Without it the world feels flat and fake.
But that's just the kind of game I like. It's no better than anyone else's. Just interesting to dissect.
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There is a really interesting discussion happening on bsky about GM burden. I wasn't sure I was understanding it until I read a clarification about "what happens when your group can't play bc the GM is stressed."
I realized this isn't a problem I care about at all haha. It doesn't apply to me anywayIt seems to be advocating for playing games wherein the ownership / authorship is shared in an egalitarian way, and frankly I'd just rather not play.
As a player I want no say in the world. I want to discover it. As a GM I will jealously guard my authority. -
I also just... don't really feel GM burnout. I fucking love prep. I run systems that aren't too burdensome, so I'm sure that helps. I don't mind teaching rules, and introducing new players. If I had to share the world building and stuff I'd get frustrated. But I think that's slightly tangential.
The only bit that resonates with me is player engagement. I want them to try to remember stuff, make connections between data points, and most importantly: try to change stuff. I set up these blocks so you can knock them down, and the fun is seeing what happens when they do.
For me, anyway. -
Discovery really is the key "pillar of play" for me. Without it the world feels flat and fake.
But that's just the kind of game I like. It's no better than anyone else's. Just interesting to dissect.
I also just... don't really feel GM burnout. I fucking love prep. I run systems that aren't too burdensome, so I'm sure that helps. I don't mind teaching rules, and introducing new players. If I had to share the world building and stuff I'd get frustrated. But I think that's slightly tangential.
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I also just... don't really feel GM burnout. I fucking love prep. I run systems that aren't too burdensome, so I'm sure that helps. I don't mind teaching rules, and introducing new players. If I had to share the world building and stuff I'd get frustrated. But I think that's slightly tangential.
Now I'm thinking about it, I did feel burning running D&D 5e. But that was because the system didn't suit the type of world I was trying to establish. I don't think shared authority would help.
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I also just... don't really feel GM burnout. I fucking love prep. I run systems that aren't too burdensome, so I'm sure that helps. I don't mind teaching rules, and introducing new players. If I had to share the world building and stuff I'd get frustrated. But I think that's slightly tangential.
@nickdrawthing Yep. Prep is joy, and no burnout so far in over 40 years of GMing.
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There is a really interesting discussion happening on bsky about GM burden. I wasn't sure I was understanding it until I read a clarification about "what happens when your group can't play bc the GM is stressed."
I realized this isn't a problem I care about at all haha. It doesn't apply to me anyway@nickdrawthing Yes... I saw that. Feted academic completely failing to realise that there are not only different cultures of design and different cultures of play, but also different preferences at the level of cultural practice.
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@nickdrawthing Yes... I saw that. Feted academic completely failing to realise that there are not only different cultures of design and different cultures of play, but also different preferences at the level of cultural practice.
@Taskerland That was my read as well. I think it's identifying a problem that only exists in a subsection of the hobby, and has been explored (and arguably solved) in many games already.
The author of that post isn't alone in making that mistake, though. I swear half the arguments I see online about how to play ttrpgs boils down to the same issue you describe. -
@Taskerland That was my read as well. I think it's identifying a problem that only exists in a subsection of the hobby, and has been explored (and arguably solved) in many games already.
The author of that post isn't alone in making that mistake, though. I swear half the arguments I see online about how to play ttrpgs boils down to the same issue you describe.@nickdrawthing I think it was a reasonable articulation of a view of the hobby from one of the silos that comprise it.
Not everyone is in that silo.
Not every GM sees running games as a burden and not every player is ready or willing to assume those kinds of responsibilities.
This is why not everyone is in that silo.
