HOW PLAYER-FACING THINKING CAN RUIN THE GM'S FUN

 

It can be difficult to have discussions about the things modern gaming has brought into the hobby that may not be all their cracked up to be. I have long been the sort of grognard that isn't the groggy-est or...um..nardy'est (maybe the wrong way to put that), but even I sometimes run into issues with the new fangled gaming thinking. While I am okay saying some of these new ideas are good and, often, not as new as a lot people thing they are, sometimes there are new concepts that can either be misunderstood or even misused. One such concept is the player-facing or players first sort of game.

As I understand it, these sorts of game place an emphasis on collaboration both in terms of a game's plot, story, themes, even worldbuilding with the goal being greater player buy-in and an increased sense of belonging and participation. this can be great and, to a certain extent, I do enjoy and encourage GMs and players to embrace this. However, this is often overplayed or pushed too far. While the intent may be to give players some say in shaping the game and making sure the game is something they want to play, it is possible for the game's balance between players and GM to fail.

Over the years, I have seen a tendency for players to take this to the extreme - considering themselves in charge of the game and religating the GM to a simple adjudicator of rules and not an active participant in the game. This is a terrible place to put a GM an ultimately will result in the failure of a campaign as much, maybe even more so than a group of poorly invested players. A GM's character really is the game world and creating an running that world is where the joy comes from, for most GMs. 

How this manifests can vary greatly but often takes the form of players expecting that they can just go off and do anything they want in the game as if their agency trumps any consideration for the plot or adventures at hand. If this is the sort of open, ultimate sandbox campaign you have all agreed to play, that's fine, but if everyone has come to the table to play in a world either created by or presented by the GM along with the adventures and plots they wish to run there, then players really do we it to the GM to play along. Chosing not to do so, with the players insisting on doing their own thing regardless of any plans by the GM is inconsiderate and rude.

The GM is often the player putting the most amount of actual work into the game. Players need only show up and play along. Players who want to express their characters selves should find ways to do so that work within the construct of the game world and not disrupt it. Most GMs are going to be very collaborative and considerate of player's desires and generally find it quite easy to find a way to fit it in or figure out a way to let a player player a character they want, in some manner or another.

At the end of the day, players are in charge of their characters but just as they expect the GM to be responsible for presenting a game that is fun for them, so should they also respect the work, time, and the world the GM is putting before t hem.