How likely would you be to utilize a paid GURPS GM, and what would you expect? - Page 4

Magic_Octopus · 12-29-2021, 03:13 AM

I think two things must be separated in this discussion: running a game for your friends, and being a professional game master.

We all have fun with our friends, and expect not to pay for that. A successful game means that you all had fun.

But if you love running games so much that you would like to do it as a job? That is completely different. You won't run for friends, but paying customers. You will be in the entertainment/service industry. A successful game means that your customers are happy and will keep paying you, and your own fun is secondary.

Regarding prep: the only way to make it feasible in terms of income and time, you'd have to run in a world that you know inside and out, and you'd have to be very skilled with improvisation. At least that is what I suspect.

In any case, you have to start small, with one group, and maybe after a year of success, start running for another group in the same world, and build from that.

I suspect that in order to make a living out it, you'd have to get wealthy clients (including companies), and diversify into events (like organize a one-shot for a company retreat etc.)

finn · 12-29-2021, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FF_Ninja

Would you be at all interested in utilizing a professional GM for GURPS?
If you did hire a GM, what kind of skills and expertise would you expect them to bring to the table?
What kind of wage do you think a GM should earn?

Maybe, if the GM has an adventure that seems interesting, and people who played it before me recommend it.
I expect the GM to have an original and fully fleshed out and visually prepared adventure, that the GM has already run before multiple sets of test players. The GM must be confident in making it fun for (almost) anybody. The player should have to make minimal preparation.
I could see the GM being paid 200-250 USD in total for a full day (5 hours+) of gaming. If shared by 4-5 players, this is comparable to what I would pay to join a professionally run Murder Mystery Game in Japan.

This is what I would expect for a professional GM, GURPS or otherwise.

The GM should be prepared to say "you only need to pay me X USD and bring a bit of imagination, and I would entertain your group for Y hours".

baakyocalder · 12-29-2021, 09:11 AM

1. Yes. I am a person who is usually the GM because I have standards for GMing that few others meet and if I want to play, I'm probably going to have to do it at a convention or find someone outside the area to run for me (current gaming is about once per month with friends--most of my Car Wars fun is me running bot rules cars).

While gaming is a social experience, paying someone to run a game is like attending a concert or other entertainment event. Creators deserve a little dough.

2. Skills and expertise a GM should have are knowledge of the rules they are using for the game, time management, organizational skills, communication skills, ability to read the room and adjust the adventure, general decency and imagination. The GM needs to have an adventure that is ready and be able to make that adventure fun for the group.

3. Wage is negotiable, but GMs shouldn't be getting paid less than minimum wage to run. This is more a contractor relationship than wages, so from an accounting perspective (I am an accountant), I'd also consider the cost of the props the GM brings and usage of them. Some of those overhead costs should be paid. Gaming conventions as a player cost at least $50 in my headcanon (been a while since I went as I made it to Gencon 2019 but had a lot of time in between that and conventions in 2006, when I was last regularly at conventions). So, if I'm looking at X hours of gaming, then that's the rate. The number of players at the table determines an amount.

And I'm paying for getting my choice of game in and for a good experience. Since most of the paid GMs I see are for non-GURPS games such as D&D, well, I have yet to use a paid GM.

I much prefer to play in person with friends, but after decades of gaming, I'm far enough along in life to realize that paying some money for good gaming is an option. I'm much more likely to do it for a one-shot or short stint than regularly, so potential GURPS GMs, don't book income from me yet!

joppeknol · 01-02-2022, 02:54 AM

I don't think a paid GM would work for the same reasons as Bill mentioned. I would expect a consistent good performance from the GM, and he cannot deliver that because the group isn't known. If you have bad players, a mismatch in expectations, or an adventure that completely goes of the road, you have a bad gaming day. No GM can change that. No GM can guarantuee that he (or she) will deliver a good experience.

It might be different on a convention. I once played VtM on a convention, and got at least an idea on how the system worked, even though the adventure 'failed'.

12-29-2021, 03:13 AM	#31
Magic_Octopus Join Date: Jul 2009	Re: How likely would you be to utilize a paid GURPS GM, and what would you expect? I think two things must be separated in this discussion: running a game for your friends, and being a professional game master. We all have fun with our friends, and expect not to pay for that. A successful game means that you all had fun. But if you love running games so much that you would like to do it as a job? That is completely different. You won't run for friends, but paying customers. You will be in the entertainment/service industry. A successful game means that your customers are happy and will keep paying you, and your own fun is secondary. Regarding prep: the only way to make it feasible in terms of income and time, you'd have to run in a world that you know inside and out, and you'd have to be very skilled with improvisation. At least that is what I suspect. In any case, you have to start small, with one group, and maybe after a year of success, start running for another group in the same world, and build from that. I suspect that in order to make a living out it, you'd have to get wealthy clients (including companies), and diversify into events (like organize a one-shot for a company retreat etc.)

12-29-2021, 09:11 AM	#33
baakyocalder Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Sacramento metro, California	Re: How likely would you be to utilize a paid GURPS GM, and what would you expect? 1. Yes. I am a person who is usually the GM because I have standards for GMing that few others meet and if I want to play, I'm probably going to have to do it at a convention or find someone outside the area to run for me (current gaming is about once per month with friends--most of my Car Wars fun is me running bot rules cars). While gaming is a social experience, paying someone to run a game is like attending a concert or other entertainment event. Creators deserve a little dough. 2. Skills and expertise a GM should have are knowledge of the rules they are using for the game, time management, organizational skills, communication skills, ability to read the room and adjust the adventure, general decency and imagination. The GM needs to have an adventure that is ready and be able to make that adventure fun for the group. 3. Wage is negotiable, but GMs shouldn't be getting paid less than minimum wage to run. This is more a contractor relationship than wages, so from an accounting perspective (I am an accountant), I'd also consider the cost of the props the GM brings and usage of them. Some of those overhead costs should be paid. Gaming conventions as a player cost at least $50 in my headcanon (been a while since I went as I made it to Gencon 2019 but had a lot of time in between that and conventions in 2006, when I was last regularly at conventions). So, if I'm looking at X hours of gaming, then that's the rate. The number of players at the table determines an amount. And I'm paying for getting my choice of game in and for a good experience. Since most of the paid GMs I see are for non-GURPS games such as D&D, well, I have yet to use a paid GM. I much prefer to play in person with friends, but after decades of gaming, I'm far enough along in life to realize that paying some money for good gaming is an option. I'm much more likely to do it for a one-shot or short stint than regularly, so potential GURPS GMs, don't book income from me yet! __________________ Currently Running: Without Number family games which use a lot of GURPS material for details when the players start asking(online, sporadically) Waiting For: Schedule Sanity to Play Car Wars and my Fnordcon special alt Car Wars cards!

01-02-2022, 02:54 AM	#34
joppeknol Join Date: Dec 2009	Re: How likely would you be to utilize a paid GURPS GM, and what would you expect? I don't think a paid GM would work for the same reasons as Bill mentioned. I would expect a consistent good performance from the GM, and he cannot deliver that because the group isn't known. If you have bad players, a mismatch in expectations, or an adventure that completely goes of the road, you have a bad gaming day. No GM can change that. No GM can guarantuee that he (or she) will deliver a good experience. It might be different on a convention. I once played VtM on a convention, and got at least an idea on how the system worked, even though the adventure 'failed'.