@pea I ask myself that every day.

@matrix the GM is literally the god of the roleplaying game in most cases (excluding some games which limit their power a bit more)

to the point that a colloquial term for GM is "god", as in "don't anger god" is a common phrase that gets thrown around

wh,why is this bad???

@pea @matrix
I dont think the GM is the god of the game. If they are GMing right they will be bound to the rules as much as players. They are not omnipotent. They can make "table rules" which seem like divine powers, but these should sync with and defer to the cannon.
They have a gods-eye-view of the game but they still might not know what the players are thinking so they are not omniscient.
If anything, the dice are the gods.

@Chazcon @matrix this is a narrow view of tabletop RPGs at best

while this is a methodology for GMing in some games, as you become more experienced we a GM I tend to find you move away from this (also, see rules-light/narrative driven games)

@Chazcon @matrix I guess the biggest component here is that you're ignoring that the rules are nothing more than a vessel for the players' enjoyment

while they're a useful tool, as an experienced GM that's all they are, and when the situation dictates, you shouldn't feel bound by them

@pea @matrix
I get that the point is to have fun. But if you arent having fun within the rules, why are you playing that game? To use a diff example, I have a blast playing Halo and I cant change the rules one wit. Having less or varible rules would not have made it better. Its the same with D&D or Rifts or Shadowrun or whatever.

@Chazcon @matrix ???? comparing tabletop RPGs to video games here is one of the least compelling things you could do

video games by nature have inflexible rules, that is a failure, not a boon. it is impossible for them to have flexible rules in a meaningful way, due to being run by a computer. it's the reason people pay ttrpgs instead of another game of fallout or fate, because in ttrpgs, they aren't limited by what's programmed in

@Chazcon @matrix and you're playing the game because it's a vessel to have fun within

if said mechanics limit your players' fun and you're confident playing without them as per the situation, escape them, you should never, ever have to be limited by them

at best, sticking 100% within the rules is a useful tool for new GMs that don't have that confidence, but you're hobbling yourself if you let the rules limit you, rather than enable you

@pea @matrix
I'm only somewhat familiar with narrative games. But I think while telling a story is cool(whether 1 or multiple ppl) its not playing a game. If there are "light rules" it puts less of an emphasis on stratagy and there is also less of an "even playing field".
I do admit that I am a bad actor so games that rely on acting arent my thing.