tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post6176903906141067084..comments2024-03-12T22:45:16.936+01:00Comments on The Disoriented Ranger: Don't pay the DM, pay the service (slightly NSFW, no pun intented)Jens D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-78736736354193274132018-05-28T22:29:38.941+02:002018-05-28T22:29:38.941+02:00Professional GMs definitely exist. All you have to...Professional GMs definitely exist. All you have to do to meet the definition of professional is have that pursuit be your main source of income. I don't think certified GMs exist at this point. I've been a Pro DM, mostly for D&D Adventurer's League, and I feel like that was the perfect product for Pro GMing. I was able to do it professionally for almost two years. With the money I earned and my other business pursuits I was able to start a general contracting business as the owner and business manager.<br />Of course I didn't just start as a Pro GM, or as a businessperson, by mistake or overnight. I ran games at my own cost for friends for about three years in high school and occasionally during my time in the military. My first online game was done via Skype and Theater of the Mind-style D&D while I was a college student, and when I heard about "virtual tabletops" I thought I'd give Pro GMing a shot. I had already been doing some Twitch streaming so it seemed like a great offering to add. It was a resounding success, and I'm sure other's mileage will vary.<br />The thing you have to remember is that professional services like this will only be for those with a lot of disposable income. Most people might abhor the idea because, well, the service is not for them, and probably will never be for them. They don't have the talents and skills to run a small business based on storytelling, and they don't have the money to be a player or friends that would give them a spot at a table for free. Also, the constant wailing of those that believe money is evil doesn't have any. It's more important to be virtuous when you have means because you can actually carry out malicious or destructive desires. I'm sorry to say that if they don't have the ability to be malicious, that DOES NOT make them virtuous. It just makes them pathetic. Those who have virtue are those that could do harm but do not. "The meek shall inherit the Earth" is an awful translation of the original text. "Those who have swords, and know how to use them, but keep them sheathed will inherit the Earth" is much closer to the original meaning.<br />If you are 35 and taking up the reigns of the professional storytelling phenomenon cold, I'll see you in 20 years when you finally start to make about the same amount of money you could working part time at McDonald's, because even when you are amazingly successful, that's about the cash flow unless you are spending every waking moment promoting yourself when you aren't performing. I am fine with the criticism that this profession weathers, because frankly everyone weathers criticism from someone. Pro GMs are a hybrid of performer, producer, and salesman, and the world has no idea what to do with us. I will tell you that most of us have the personality that couldn't care less about the complainers because we're too busy looking forward, making money, and adding the experience to our long list of lifelong accomplishments. Personally I'm taking the time to respond here because I'm pretty much finished with Pro GMing myself, but I'd be more that happy to lend some advice to those who would take a crack at it, and would love to debate on the topic more. I also was featured on the Pro GM Podcast at lookingforgm.com and hope to see that site's vision grow and flourish.ThePoxBoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07119511269929716548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-25115186987476786472018-03-22T18:42:40.182+01:002018-03-22T18:42:40.182+01:00I'm not quite sure you read the blog above, Jo...I'm not quite sure you read the blog above, Jon, because I address lots of the points you make here and make my case against them. That said, I would agree with what you said if there wasn't that tiny little problem with it: there is no such thing as a "professional" GM. Teachers have to study and qualify to teach children, there are clear processes of evaluation (which might be criticized or optimized or discussed, but they are there) and the same is true for every other profession you used as examples here. But no such thing exists in our hobby and that should give you pause, because what it actually means to say you are a "professional GM" falls apart as soon as you ask "how did you manage to become that?".<br /><br />You know, I'm a certified trainer, I'm working on my degree as a print media business administrator right now (which is all you described above and then some) and I'm DMing for over 25 years now, writing about it for close to 7 years. It's the very reason why I wrote what I wrote above. In my opinion, your argument does not hold.Jens D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-5416491907784781252018-03-22T18:24:53.875+01:002018-03-22T18:24:53.875+01:00I think you are right, Bannister. I just recently ...I think you are right, Bannister. I just recently had a conversation with a friend that joined a fb group about sharing stuff for free. She complained how demanding people actually got even about stuff that is free. If you want to do something against this trend, one way to go is to point out what might be wrong with paying, for instance, dungeon masters. At least not directly. Although it's definitely not popular to say so. Regarding getting paid for sports ... it's a difficult one, mostly because people think their time is worth something. Always. So when you say, sports should be free, you'd have to answer who pays rent for locations, who pays sports equipment, who builds it, if the infrastructure isn't given? How do you get to tournaments? And so on and so on. If you say it should be free, I'd say it'll only be free if no one earned a cent with it. Is that even possible nowadays? Difficult, very difficult. And yeah, people are struggling, no kidding, but who's at fault for that and how can we change it other than by organizing in communities and doing something just because it is a good thing?Jens D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-68055175072136887012018-03-22T16:50:23.436+01:002018-03-22T16:50:23.436+01:00A pro GM is not a regular GM that you have to pay....A pro GM is not a regular GM that you have to pay. A pro GM brings a lot of extra stuff to the table. A golf pro will play a four person round with their friends for free, but if you want a golf pro to play a round with you and two other friends, and spend the whole afternoon teaching you and helping you identify areas you need to practice, you have to pay them. You get a totally different experience playing golf with a pro friend vs. hiring a pro to play with you. <br /><br />The best analogy is a business manager. A business manager will bring their skills to hanging out with friends, making sure the group's time is used well, reducing tensions, and handling any business transactions. But when they're PAID to manage, they do a lot of work you don't see figuring out how to bring out the best in their team. <br /><br />Pro GMs worth paying do a lot of things you don't see. Pro GMs who work for kids do a lot of teacher skills. Pro GMs who work online learn a lot of technical skills and pay for a lot of art. Pro GMs who do boutique GMing for wealthy people who want a GM to come run a game for them and their friends do everything for their clients - including things players normally do. They handle the rules, make characters, distill game content to an easy-to-access package, and they bring their A game for performance.<br /><br />You don't have to approve of the idea of pro GMing. You just have to recognize that there are people out there who are eager to pay for pro GMing, and they're welcome to do so. Nobody is going to charge YOU.<br /><br />I think a lot of the reaction against pro GMing comes from a fear that every GM is going start to to feel entitled to pay. That's just not going to happen. You don't hire a professional meeting facilitator for every professional meeting, and you don't hire an event planner for every party. <br /><br />Rich people might, because it's easier. <br /><br />People with no time to prep the meeting/party probably need to. <br /><br />People who suck at meeting/event planning/facilitation really should.<br /><br />But most of us can plan a party or run a meeting well enough, and most of our parties and meetings aren't important enough to spend money on a professional. If I don't have time to prep for a meeting and it comes off badly, if it's only once in a while, I'll be OK. I still don't feel the need to hire a facilitator for every little meeting. <br /><br />And I have kids. I hire "event planners" called teachers and daycare providers and summer camp leaders to teach them and take care of them. Pro GMing for kids is the most common style of pro GMing I see. Second is Roll20 pro GMing.Run a Gamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12555528519708213579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-66070198091393111842018-03-22T13:05:41.079+01:002018-03-22T13:05:41.079+01:00I think the whole gig culture that is slowly comin...I think the whole gig culture that is slowly coming into being is also responsible, often (back when I was a lad) you could get a guy to do a sketch for you for free to put up a poster or there would be a kid who'd babysit on the block, or someones mum could do your ironing because you were sick in hospital.<br /><br />Single income households in the golden age are over, people don't believe in god, so they don't go to church so they don't help out as good Samaritans, they think they do but they don't trust their neighbours.<br /><br />Everyone is struggling, two income families this generation, will become three income families as the 15yr olds get night jobs to help pay the mortgage, dad works all day long and does gigs in the evening, and mum has only gigs 12 hours a day 6 days a week to cover costs.<br /><br />What your complaining about is this gig culture coming into the hobbies.. and interestingly, its not just DMing, I've seen it in so many areas of life, its gone past funny and strange to disturbing. <br /><br />In my opinion, Sport should not have a cost, should not be supported by taxes, local teams play and local people watch, all volunteers. That to me is as much as a slap in the face as paid GMing!<br /><br /> BaneStar007https://www.blogger.com/profile/17892053401607691383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-60342020782568753012018-03-02T10:13:10.709+01:002018-03-02T10:13:10.709+01:00Thanks, Ripper! There's an interesting aspect ...Thanks, Ripper! There's an interesting aspect of the whole thing: players tend to chip in eventually, occasionally, somehow by bringing snacks to the game or offering a place to play or driving others ... It happens and it should be acknowledged.<br /><br />Designing games is a different matter and I totally agree: if someone's earning money with your ideas, he should share (but that's a completely different can of worms right there ... rules are not protected by most copyright laws!). In the end I see the beer money I earn for this every now and then (rarely, I don't really monetize this here, no banners, no affiliate links) as a lucky coincidence. Something to take out the girlfriend :) I said this someplace else and I'll say it again, doing what we do for the money would be foolish.Jens D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-9960268903790582692018-03-02T00:00:33.764+01:002018-03-02T00:00:33.764+01:00The very idea does seem like a slap to the face. N...The very idea does seem like a slap to the face. Now I'm not saying that players shouldn't chip in, maybe give thank you gifts once in a while. Some of our supplies can be pricey, or we'll see things that might enhance the way that we play; pick it up or offer to help pay for that vinyl play mat. Designing games is as time consuming and as much work as you let it be, and any experienced DM knows that being over-prepared is worse than having to improvise. <br /><br />There are other things that you can do to make some side cash around here. Write a book or a PDF. Sell art and maps. <br /><br />I got to tell you, if I designed a RPG system and found out some guy was taking all of my work and making money off of it and not giving me any, I'd go after him. This would not improve our hobby in the slightest. Licensed DM's? Can you imagine? God, what a horrible thought. RipperXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506064393275174920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-11968673691564300862018-03-01T11:14:19.696+01:002018-03-01T11:14:19.696+01:00I wouldn't have paid :P Seriously, though, tha...I wouldn't have paid :P Seriously, though, thanks for reading, I always appreciate your thoughts on it (and that song is great!). <br /><br />Casualization is a real problem we have to face at some point. Or someone has. I can understand people desperate enough to say "No one gives me a job and this is something I can do ...". Add a family to feed and people will do anything and defend their choices. Another ugly side of capitalism, I think.<br /><br />And yes, please charge them! It is a question that occurred to me when writing the post: how far can I push this to show how absurd the premise is. Replacement players for hire, in case you can't make the game? There's a market! The paladin looking away for a second, because you push the player a couple of bucks? So many possibilities for entrepreneurs :) Jens D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-1244484851723018902018-02-28T23:22:33.953+01:002018-02-28T23:22:33.953+01:00Damn that was a long one. I'm going to charge ...Damn that was a long one. I'm going to charge you 5 Euros for reading it, and KIDDING!!!!!<br /><br />Actually it was really good. I found the rise of the paid DM interesting but I could never get past the unsavory aspects of it to seriously consider it. If it came down to a paid DM gig or panhandling on an interstate exit, I would take the gig. And maybe that's the problem. Maybe this is all emblematic of the decline of the middle class, being asked to work longer hours for less pay creates a strange situation where we can afford bigger and more expensive books than we could in the past, we just can't afford the time to play them.<br /><br />Money is just evil. While I'm not against paying to play in a convention, if I ever find myself having to pay a DM directly I am going to play that game as a cleric and charge my fellow players for curing spells. Hmmmm, I wonder if I could actually sell them on a character insurance policy....<br /><br />https://youtu.be/vezVrj8aG84JD McDonnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11733422185181944721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-15688950922761142912018-02-28T16:54:23.085+01:002018-02-28T16:54:23.085+01:00Thanks, I will :)
(Honestly, I won't, but tha...Thanks, I will :)<br /><br />(Honestly, I won't, but thanks for the support!)Jens D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18394303166081684904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617677799085549365.post-61238281992123449972018-02-28T15:54:59.055+01:002018-02-28T15:54:59.055+01:00I’m glad you posted it.. you blame me if you get a...I’m glad you posted it.. you blame me if you get any angry rebuttalsMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12793781986788315513noreply@blogger.com