Is the Game Master's Role Selfish or Selfless?

What makes a game master selfless? Is it how they present themselves at the table? Or is it the amount of time they spend on their game. I thought about this question as someone who enjoys GMing and wanted to do a thought experiment. So join me as we explore the question: Is GMing inherently selfless and does that matter at all?
#dnd, #dungeonmaster #dnd5e, #5e, #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #dungeonsanddragons5e #ttrpgs #safetytools #ttrpgs #rpg #discord #gming
--------------
If you enjoyed this content, like (or dislike) this content and subscribe to me. As always, keep on rolling y'all! 🎲🎲🎲
Support Me & Follow Me Here:
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/blerdydisposition
Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=87482694
DriveThruRPG [Affiliate Link]: www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.p...
--------------

[@orokusaki1243]

The self seeks to create a sphere of influence that nurtures the self. That's why we try to find "compatible people" with whom to play with. From that ideal situation, the self will go to lengths to maintain and improve that, which may appear self-less, but is still to nurture the self. So "selflessness" may spring from selfishness (if it exists at all, since desperation can cause one to make a lot of sacrifices but still in service to the self's wants and needs - many times never seeing a return on that investment).
"I want/need my players to have a great time at the table I'm in charge of."
"I'll spend 1-3 hours per 1 hour of actual play to prepare the game for my players, so they have a great time."
"I don't wanna look bad or like a careless noob, so I make sure to prep the game for my players."
"I've got a great plot/story that I believe my players will enjoy."
"I put my heart and soul into this campaign prep, and 3 out of 5 players cancelled for session 1!"
It is similar to the arguments about altruism, whether it actually exists in actual practice, or not. We all want rewards from our efforts. We all are fine with collaborating if everyone is pitching in sufficiently. A core human purpose in civilization is to serve one another, for mutual benefits and a net gain for that civilization. Lift people up, and we will all be lifted. We are certainly more accommodating of those who lift us, than those who push us down.
-
As for thankless job, well my groups have been rather thankful - we thank the host, we thank the gm, we even thank each other. It may play back to the selfishness, though, we selfs don't want to be ungrateful because we don't want to get dropped from the game or otherwise fall out of favor of the group. Attendance and participation, positive play and engagement, these too are indicators of appreciation. Lift each other up, even the GM.
For sure members of a play group should not be seeking therapy from the other participants via gameplay. That does highlight the selfishness of individuals. I like socializing and playing the game - therapeutic? perhaps. - but I'm not seeking therapy for social justification from my group, I just want to play the game with decent people that I can respect and who will respect me (which is selfish on my part).
As for that "sensitive" part. Well, almost everything has a spectrum to it, a range of degrees and/or magnitudes. It is something addressed prior to session 0, the "sensitives", the "not-so-sensitives", and everyone in-between are given fair warning of the tone and acceptable content. The whole group should be respecting and curating the common ground that is the play space, and in turn this fosters respect between the participants.
-
A more durable GM'ing method can certainly be in a more reactive role instead of being the main proactive person at the table. Let the party have more creative control over the narrative - the story *is* supposed to be about how *they* are navigating the events and situations that they are encountering within the gameworld, isn't it? Facilitate the game, adjudicate the rules as a referee, place logical obstacles in front of the proactive PCs.
I harp on it often: the Fate game system's expectation of Characters is summed up in this slogan: "the characters are proactive, capable people leading dramatic lives.". The main source of conflict in a story is usually some NPC that needs to be thwarted or aided. Using NPC-AI like OGAS (see youtuber @HowtobeaGreatGM's vid on that - Occupation, Goals, Attitudes, Stakes) which can be expanded with Reality (my input) and Machinations (another commenter's input), can really make running NPCs easier and more meaningful.
-
Great, thought-provoking analysis and study, Blerdy! A lot of tangents, but otherwise tied back into the main premise rather well.

[@antagonistrpg9300]

I've found purely selfless gamemasters tend not to have very persistent games. It takes a lot of energy to build things just for your players, to show up just to entertain your players, and if you get nothing out of it, then that can only go for so long.
On the other hand, if the GM treats their own enjoyment as valuable, they're more likely to look forward to their games and they'll be more motivated to keep up the effort it takes to run them.
For me it's not about which way is right, but rather which way works. GMs that are just selfish enough to enjoy themselves, but not so selfish that they drive off their players are going be the best overall experience for everyone, and last longer than GMs that are purely selfish or purely selfless.

[@justinpicard9292]

bro your audio is so low

[@Blerdy_Disposition]

Oof it is? I was trying something different with the audio this time. Oh well, better luck for next time!