I Tried Running Paid D&D Games For A Year
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ค. 2024
- About a year ago, I signed up as Dungeonmaster (or DM) on Startplaying, also known as SPG. Here's what I think about the site, using it as a player and as a DM.
Want a seat at one of my games? Click here: startplaying.games/gm/nioret
00:00 - Intro
04:33 - SPG as a Player
15:28 - SPG as a DM/GM
26:04 - Conclusion
I tried being a paid GM. I am as poor as a church mouse, and TPD (total permanent disabled) Now I have played DnD for around 40 years (im soo old), but only heard of paid GMing like 3 years ago. So I thought why not give it a try, once per week, so I could maintain my energy and quality.
I advertised and got just the best (I am so spoiled), really the best group of players. And we have so much fun, I just couldnt bring myself to keep getting paid, when I was getting so much out of the game.
They wanted to keep paying, so I negotiated that we would split the cost of any new book or module. They all bought me really nice Christmas presents too.
So glad it worked out for you! I know alot of Pro DMs that are disabled and this is a wonderful way to provide an opportunity for paid work.
❤ beautiful
My friends insisted I set up a Patreon so they could help cover costs.
I own a game store in Fairfax, VA and we do a lot of what SPG does but we run our games in person and vet each Gamemaster via both a personal interview and a "technical" interview, and our GMs are all referrals so they've been at least somewhat vetted before they get to the interview.
I wish I still lived near Fairfax. Yhat sounds amazing.
I didn't mean for that to be an advertisement so I edited out the store name. My point was that if SPG did something like a technical assessment, they could use it to provide something like a price bracket for what a GM should consider charging for their games based on their performance compared to other GMs on the platform. It'd still be very subjective, but it would help address many of the issues you identify in the video and increase trust/expectation management
I would love to know what all the vetting process entails? What are the interview questions?
@3nertia it varies as we do the interviews as a panel with 3 of our sitting GMs, but generally the questions involve how the candidate handles issues such as player conflict at the table, dealing with lines and veils, what motivated them to become a GM, etc. Basically trying to get a feel for their temperament, personality, and how much passion they have for gaming. Each of our GMs run as many as 5 different groups each week, and we work to make each session a quality experience so that takes a pretty heavy commitment of time and effort by each GM. The nice thing is because we have that structure, each of our GMs can bounce ideas and help each other with prep and so far we've done a good job avoiding burnout
I've been a consistent SPG player for a few months now. My DM is wonderful, uses many modules, a well kept discord server, and is usually very responsive to messages. He runs about 7 games a week (2 a day, morning and afternoon games) and he does this full time pretty comfortably. He charges 25 a session and they're roughly 3 hours long. He doesn't just do DnD, he does many different games let alone campaigns. I understand your critiques, and it takes a lot of work. But my DM is very happy as a full time DM and he's been doing it FT since 21 :) When I scroll through SPG I see a whole lot of people who run 5+ games. So it's disappointing to hear even that doesn't cover enough costs for a full time job for most people.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Thanks for the video!
Paid GMing is something I've considered for a while. I have the curse where I just CAN'T not care about my games too much and put way too much effort into prepping/running them, so I think I definitely need to at least try it and this video was really insightful.
While I have nothing against paid GM'ing, the average price going around $15-$25/session just hurts my wallet as someone who is barely scraping by with only one daily meal due to cost of living. I get that it's the same for the GM, and I wish I could afford it, but I don't have the stability to really commit to always having those funds
100% agree, everyone's situation is different and professional DMing is 100% a luxury, especially in current times
Paid GM myself. I play a free game for friends once or twice a week, the paid gm thing is meant to be a side gig. Paying for DM'ing isn't for everyone, but some people have a disposable income and are happy to pay for a well-run game where the GM puts in a certain level of effort and the game has direction. I'm benefiting from something that they are happy to give, if I liked someone but they can't pay due to life issues (and I like them) I recommend my for-friends game as an alternative so I can keep playing with them.
Totally get that, and if you wanna keep trying to play online, there are some for under $10 and some that are free. Or when i started I couldn’t afford it after a few months in and spoke to the dm about it whom halved the price for me. I hope you get to have a great online experience!
I have ran live gaming for many years (20+) and the most I ever saw was a table cover charge of $2/person. That is fine as a hobby, I ran 1 or 2 sessions a week (anywhere from 3-8 hour sessions. [We used to play a lot longer in the past!]) Payed for books no problem.
I cannot understand who has the money to drop $25-$50+ Per Person Per Session!?!?
@@hrayz it’s true not everyone can, but its also only like $80-$100 a month at those prices (20-25 in this example) which sounds like a lot but most people spend that much every few days eating out. Most people don’t realize how much money they are actually wasting day to day so might as well shift it to something you really enjoy. Also some dms do it as a serious hustle so they put a lotta effort and time into it as well as buying everything required and monthly subscriptions to even run games. you also don’t HAVE to Play every session each month if you work something out with your dm. I’m currently in one that I only play two sessions of each month.
If you feel bad on being a paid GM, don't. A friend of mine told me, when I was having my doubts, that a GM is like a performer. People will pay according to your performance.
Plus, in my case, I was doing it as part-time to get money for minis. More money, more minis/terrain, more fun games. I think for me, if I was doing it as a primary job, I'd get stressed out with something I love to do.
Who ever is on your personal gaming group are lucky people. You have an awesome and fun personalty.
We have now seen how paid GM'ing has grown into the mainstream and and how some have started to think that it would be weird or suspicious if someone didn't pay for it. And I think one of the biggest reasons for its popularity has been that more people find it is easy and simple way to get money from TTRPG tapletops in return for the increase in book prices and for the effort and the time you have spent on them. Some have also say that it also keeps out the problem and unwanted players when you set the price your campaigns and individual sessions correctly. Unfortunately, it has also increased the number of feedback when players complain that they don't have enough money or desire to pay for games because they need it elsewhere in their lives or they're just generally pissed off about paywalls and microtransactions or or their parents refuse to pay for the games on their behalf. Or it can also create horror stories, like the one I just read where players had used in the middle of a paid campaign because the GM charged extra to use the bathroom in their house. But maybe at some point a good balance will be found that is suitable for everyone - at least I hope so myself - but until then, I guess this is still a time of searching and self-examination regarding the limits and wallets before paid GM'ing can finally settle down.
The price of books? The price of books is essentially zero per hour when you consider how many hours of enjoyment you get out of them.
It's always confused me how people think players won't pay to be an absolute jerk. Likthde we already see this happening everywhere in life; Anyone, rich or poor, can behave unexpectedly.
"Set price correctly." Can only wall off people based on wealth class, not personality, that's what talking is for. (Though, the ultra wealthy do tend to be distinct in a bad way.)
So I learned a whole lot altogether here, incredible stuff Nioret!
I signed up on SPG the about the same time you did... mostly out of just curiosity. I pitched a one-shot game to them, and got it approved. Then I started having doubts, and never did anything with it.
And in that time, you make $10k.
Maybe I need to give it a go. Thanks for the video!
@19:00 you mention your rates. So how much is that in your pocket and how much goes to SPG? Do you have any other costs (except prep time and books) like Ads?
I really like the "This had Value" section near the end. I agree. Just not sure I am at that level.
The following questions are not for starting but for planning... Looking forward to your response.
Are you hard on the subscriptions? DNDBeyond? Roll20 or another VTT? Discord? Dscryb? A Maps Patreon? Book budget for the year ($50 book every 3 months = $200/year in Books)? High-speed internet? Hardware Upgrade Budget (computer/desk/lights/mic)? Do you do videos for just yourself (voices and acting in your RPGs), or just Audio when you are DM'ing?
Do you ask/require your players to show their faces (Video) for play? Do you go for Theatre of the Mind or do you try to do Maps and tactical combats?
I know you are looking at me like - Why are you trying to give your players the Rolls-Royce when you are getting paid Honda Civic price? Goest back to the "this has value" section of the video.
Hey, these are great questions. I wanted to cover everything but the video would’ve been alot longer. I’d love to make a part 2 down the line , getting into the weeds of it and answering these sorts of questions so keep em coming and thanks for watching
9:11 I feel like the best way to do this would be to have GMs make a short video about their DMing style (like on Fiverr), that way players can get a feeling of what kind of DM the DM is.
Hey, that was awesome! Exactly the information and inspiration I was looking for!
Thanks so much for sharing this insider info about what it's like to be a paid GM. I have been curious about this, wondering if it's something I could do in retirement. I already have a Discord channel or 2 set up for my friends, and you make it sound like a feasible endeavor. Sounds like a cool way to be reimbursed for the hard work of being a GM! It is a labor of love, but it's a big job!
Thank you for this excellent breakdown and review
Hey, good afternoon. Well done and I stayed for the entire video. I have been running on SPG for almost two years now and I have finished about 7 campaigns. Before charging I never finished any campaigns, like ever. I do wish I could advertise and I probably need to have better copy on my game descriptions. I wonder about that. I wish you well and good luck to your channel. I have subscribed so you now have one more.
Looks like a great service. I've been trying to find some harder to find games and no luck and it seems there are a lot of good option and as far as the price is concerned it seems inline with what my local Meetup group charges for gaming sessions and reasonable given how much time I have wasted on "free" games where no one shows up. I signed on for a Fate game next week
I haven't been able to find live games in my area because my work schedule simply doesn't line up with our local groups. SPG has changed that. Now I can find games at pretty much any time of day and day of the week. While it's not the same as playing in person, I've been having a lot of fun.
Thanks for your experience! I inched my prices up from $5, because I hadn't ran for years before I got into SPG. This is the green flag for my next campaign to be $25.
Cheers! You definitely summed it up in the end. GMing is a craft unlike any before and the GM's that put the time, effort, and work to improve on their craft deserve to be compensated. 🙌🏽🙌🏽
hell yeah love the grind
A fellow SPG GM! Great to see! Good video, I agree about the review/rating system needing a rework. And the player profiles. Have you thought about posting/streaming your games? Thats what I'm doing and I've actually gotten players from it!
I guess not all players would be confortable with streaming. But then again, I´m sure some would love it.
Great video. When running a session or campaign do you sometimes have 2nd thoughts about things that may kill one of the players? I would think, well they are paying I don't want them to die.
Some critique don't keep retakes of lines unless it's like just one. It'll help keep your video feeling like you've run smoothly.
I feel like it's like eating with friends. Whether you meet at each other's house or pay to go to a restaurant or Cafe and pay others for the venue or food is really up to you and your friends.
Loved the vid liked the part about GMing being a growth market keep it up.
As a GM of over 30 years...hey I did this all through covid for cash and or PRIZES...but many of the newbies that are not part of the culture of TTRPG. It's hard when you tell people that you only let 18+ play and younger people come in. It's also hard when people had no idea what is and in not normal. It's to a lot of people watch crittical role and expect it to be like that.
well done video, thanks.
Thanks for the awesome video
Paid DMing is like hiring a personal trainer imo. Sure you could ask your friend to do it and hey they might even be great at it, but if you want consistency and regular sessions paying is the way to go.
Another positive is that bad players kinda filter themselves more. Everyone at the table has a stake in the success of the sesssion because they paid to be there. Compared to my friend sessions theres a LOT less checking out and the players are more present and active.
Great video!
I'm an old school player. I started with AD&D when I was in my early 20's. In my 40's I played the 3.5 version. I'm now 61, and I've never played the 5e version but I'm interested in looking into it. In the old days players would buy their snacks for the game and they'd rotate on buying snacks for the DM. Buying snacks for the DM was always considered the norm, as a way of thanking him for going through all the work of creating the world for the players to have fun with in. The idea of paying DM's for a game is a new thing for me, but if DMs want to start charging players a reasonable price instead of us buying snacks for it, then I don't mind paying. As to whether or not a DM is worth the price they're asking...a player has always had the right to shop around at tables till they find a DM that suits the way they like to play. The web site you talk about sounds interesting. I'll have a look at it. Thanks.
20:30 We are all here to play a fantasy game, escape from reality for awhile and immerse ourselves into other worlds
Modern day politics should be an afterthought all together, if you are left or right (very American way of thinking). Main thing a DM wants is party/player cohesion
The rating issue and the tagging system is a mistake. I'm a story teller as a general rule... normally. BUT with some players I change the way I GM and the game becomes focuses on dungeon delving, or combat and I encourage min/maxing. In other words, I model my games based both the system and the players.
i never liked the idea of pay to play DMing as you cant just kick players if they are extra crappy to everyone at the table and paying would make them feel entitled to god level dming and treatment. i have never charged anyone and i have never payed to play a game. if i was gonna take money i would set up a voluntary donation system and i would scalp players form spg as im sure they would appreciate not being forced to pay but then donate out of good will.
You absolutely can kick out players. Their money is not worth ruining the experiences of others. I’ve had a few bad dms but even then the players made the (albeit temporary) experience more fun. You’re not forced to play with a dm or party you don’t like and that’s another great thing about these kinda sites.
All that being said you’re absolutely entitled to your opinion and playstyle. 👍
I've been running pay-to-play games for 3 years now and I could point out all the misconceptions in your statement but would encourage you to actually give it a try and see for yourself instead. Have a great week !
the bad thing with the rating is i heard GM giving players for item for good ratings
Yeah, the rating system can be gamed easily and I think a total rework is needed
I love being a DM and have many players complement on their experience
Have never thought about charging for games, but being a DM does cost time & money
SPG double charged my table and support didn't refund them for 5 days. I paid them myself out of pocket. I had messaged Devin about it and he wasn't helpful. I dropped the platform after they got their refunds and never looked back. I don't need a middleman messing with my players money.
Wow, sorry to hear that, usually I only hear good things but I totally get where you are coming from and the decision you ended with.
That might assuage my unreasonable guilt about taking people's time and i've no excuse not to renumerate people in my *current* circumstance (at least while that lasts). thanks for the nudge.
DM shortage? well... maybe, I actually looked for a grp to GM for once, and I found one right away, played through a campaign with them and they all loved it. And I did enjoy it, I enjoy being a GM, but getting paid for it? I dont know.... that feels like getting paid for doing other stuff that you usually do willingly with other people for fun, you know what I mean? It doesnt sit well with me ....
Paid GMing doesn't invalidate home gaming. Just think of it like any other service. You don't charge your family or friends when you make them a home cooked meal, you do it out of love or because you like to. But you also have a skill, and sometimes it's something you're willing to leverage into making money, and other people are willing to pay for it. That's why restaurants exist. The existence of restaurants isn't immoral simply because parents who cook for their kids exist. It's there for people who don't have access to someone to provide the service to them for free, or for whatever reason feel like accessing a premium level of service for once.
I run for my friends for free, and I love it. I'm looking into doing paid GMing because I like running for new people, but my experience running for randos for free has been pretty bad and unrewarding, and I quickly drop it. If I could vet people by ensuring they were dedicated enough to pay, and I had the incentive of being paid and satisfying paying clients, I think I would stick with it and feel more fulfilled and productive.
Not everyone who likes to cook needs to go work at a restaurant, you're totally free to continue doing it as a hobby and service to your friends. But not everyone is the same.
I've never paid to play a game before. Is that $25 per session or per hour? I know some sessions can go 3-4 hours or longer. That could get rather spendy. Or do you limit sessions to an hour? I don't think I would like that either as some encounters take longer than that alone.
It's per session, not hour! Different GMs have different session lengths, the usual is 3-4 hours.
The adult games without a solid age verification system are a risk I certainly wouldn’t be looking to take were this my business. More power to the people looking to do that sort of thing between consenting adults, but it’s only a matter of time before you see someone for whom that caveat wouldn’t apply to winding up in a game like that if it hasn’t happened already.
Newish system means there’s going to be some wrinkles to iron out, but it’s not hard to see ahead of time that that’s a potential problem area.
I don't like how they can amend the terms without notice. "We may amend Terms at any time by posting the amended terms on this site. It is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically." They should at least email you before a change of terms takes effect.
edit: they estimate it takes 20 minute to read their terms. They expect users to periodically spend 20 minutes rereading a ToS to see if it changed.
I agree but this is unfortunately par for the course when it comes to corporate TOS
Yeah, if you're going to make your income this way, I'd want a much longer notice period.
So I'm curious how did you handle session 0? Was that a paid session or just part of session 1?
What was missing? Return on investment. It is ALWAYS returh in investment.
Books aside, what would be the investment? Maybe a good mic, but that´s a one-time purchase. It´s mostly his time.
@@edtp79 time is an expensive investment. When you learn to recognize that we may be able to have a convo
Something not mentioned is how does the act of paying the GM change the game. How many players die …shit, definitely meant characters…how many characters die when you are being paid IF they are alive. Coming back into the hobby after 200 or 300 years off and it seems like it’s impossible for characters to die in 5e. So maybe it doesn’t matter, but I’d be interested to know if a character ever died in the entire history of Start Playing 😂 (note: I’ve played 3 high level 5e one shots via Start Playing and it was loads of fun)
Looking at games and reviews, a lot of them have trigger warnings for player death, and I've seen at least one review from a player saying their character died (and they praised the DM for helping them through it gracefully).
I would probably just do it for extra spending cash and just let then pay like $5 each. I would probably only do it for people who desperately want a DM online and never for my personal play groups. I would be honest and let them test it out.
Problem with paid GMing is that I would expect Matthew Mercer level stuff.
You’d be surprised how close some of the top rated GMs can get!
Except most people couldn’t afford Mercer’s per hour rate just based on his probable rate as a veteran professional voice actor, which is far less work and effort than he puts into his games.
@@haysmcgee801 100%, his celebrity status alone would put him in a very expensive rate. I assumed the question was "if mercer was just a regular dude" and I think alot of SPG GMs are very good at worldbuilding and prose
@@nioret_ oh no doubt there are some amazing pro-GMs out there that I feel are offering their services for way undervalue in-general. A per-person per-session pay structure is not what I would call fair, but that’s up to the market to decide. People in general are always going to pay as little as they can get away with. I think as a paid service, Pro-GMing is going to have to go through the same process as the pro-artist service, a lot of people not knowing how to actually value their time and/or the quality of the services they offer. Then getting people to pay it. However I think that a way to start establishing this is by considering what the very top of the craft looks like and putting a comparative and competitive value on it. Hence my comment about what Mercer would make as a voice actor of his caliber. My wife and I are both voice actors and I was also a graphic designer, a freelance writer and a game developer. I think that the skill set necessary for a GM to be of a caliber that they could then be considered a professional is a bit more than an amateur or “free” gm is required to have. I think that if an entry point standard is made then we could, and should see more full time GMs who make more than a living wage. The reason I haven’t become a professional GM is because I don’t know coding and don’t know how to use modern VTTs. When I run games online it’s over discord or zoom. People roll physical dice and I may use something like a shared screen of TaleSpire to handle large combats. I think that expecting a certain quality of GM when you pay for it is fine. But expecting every paid gm to be the very top of their craft with a production quality of a studio behind it when you would likely pay the pro-gm less for a 4 hour session than is would cost take a date to a casual dinner and a movie is a bit, well, silly.
@@nioret_ oh no doubt there are some amazing pro-GMs out there that I feel are offering their services for way undervalue in-general. A per-person per-session pay structure is not what I would call fair, but that’s up to the market to decide. People in general are always going to pay as little as they can get away with. I think as a paid service, Pro-GMing is going to have to go through the same process as the pro-artist service, a lot of people not knowing how to actually value their time and/or the quality of the services they offer. Then getting people to pay it. However I think that a way to start establishing this is by considering what the very top of the craft looks like and putting a comparative and competitive value on it. Hence my comment about what Mercer would make as a voice actor of his caliber. My wife and I are both voice actors and I was also a graphic designer, a freelance writer and a game developer. I think that the skill set necessary for a GM to be of a caliber that they could then be considered a professional is a bit more than an amateur or “free” gm is required to have. I think that if an entry point standard is made then we could, and should see more full time GMs who make more than a living wage. The reason I haven’t become a professional GM is because I don’t know coding and don’t know how to use modern VTTs. When I run games online it’s over discord or zoom. People roll physical dice and I may use something like a shared screen of TaleSpire to handle large combats. I think that expecting a certain quality of GM when you pay for it is fine. But expecting every paid gm to be the very top of their craft with a production quality of a studio behind it when you would likely pay the pro-gm less for a 4 hour session than is would cost take a date to a casual dinner and a movie is a bit, well, silly.
this was a very good video!
also very cute
For those who have done this: my fear is that if GMing were to be a job for me, it would become... well, a job, that I would lose my passion for it. I am prone to burnout (probably due to undiagnosed ADHD).
Has anyone had this issue? If not, how do you stave it off?
I would say just run and schedule one-shots and short adventures at your convenience, rather than posting up a long-running campaign with a committed schedule. SPG doesn't have a requirement to have x amount of games scheduled at all times. Then you can take breaks whenever you want.
10 to 25$ per session
How much does SPG charge me?
10% fee on each side (player/gm), so they get 20% total.
@@nioret_ feels like double dipping, but okay
@@LeMayJoseph I'm just the messenger haha. 20% broker fee is about industry standard though
I know i want to play D&D
And want to experience it organically.
But I didn't grow a privilege so I don't exactly have what I believe I need a PC or technical know how to do it the way I want to.
Scared shirtless when it comes down to trying to find a group and failing to know what I'm doing on the technical side.
An awkwardness.
That fear is easy realize when I hear and see all the stories of other players or DMs.
I just feel like a lot of its luck and privilege to find a good DM in group.
And the two or three groups that I know that I feel like I would have a great experience with I feel like yeah as if I would be lucky enough to get brought into that group I'm sure they have a long list.
Feels really hard to figure out how to get started when you don't really got money.
Your PC is like 11 years old.
And you try to limit how you interact with that thing I don't feel breaking it cuz you won't have the money to replace it.
Wish I had good exposure to it in my earlier years.
So far the best I do is live by carelessly by watching streamers.
And as you say I kind of live in fear of having my first experience ruined.
Because I have so many ideas of things I want to do. Or try.
But I just can't imagine someone having the patience for a newbie like me.
Oh know how to help me learn.
I'm one of those people that really struggled to learn something if it's not hands on and in person.
But if it showed to me in hand in person one or two times then I tend to Long really quickly.
Obviously that means I have my pros and cons but sometimes I wish I could lower those pros.
Because I feel the future diem in favors being able to loan offhand.
SPG and Roll20 are running a new players event this upcoming week. Try looking into it, and remember that it's just a game. Liveplays will give you a lot of expectations sometimes, but keep in mind those people are putting in a lot of effort to make a good show for you. At the table it's much more casual, and you can easily find something low-commitment and low-pressure to start off, and work up to bigger games. Find a way to start playing and build up experience.
I can't say your first experience will for sure be good, but it's very dependent on the people you play with. If you have a bad experience, drop that group and try again. If you have technical problems, look for a play-by-post or a local in-person one-time event. Don't pressure yourself.
The game wouldn't exist if new players didn't learn, there's always someone out there willing to teach. I just spent four hours teaching someone over Zoom, and that was way more than they needed.
Hands.
So as a player who pays for games, it's mostly online and it's for the ability to use the vtt, and get books.
Now my current and longest paid dm. Basically runs ic-chats in text which can be whole second sessions during our off playtime.
Mixed in with occasional doing 1v1 super chats, which can Basically be like a 1v1 section with npcs or important events.
If you're asking how big or crazy this can get.
Summary:
We've had player's die in theese chats, it's that intense.
I think it says something about modern america that people have money to throw around but no friends
Lots of these people have friends in their lives. They just don't have good DMs in their lives.
@@hawkname1234 yeah a lot of people are very intimidated at the prospect of being a DM, and aren't willing to try. And of those that are, sometimes that hurdle means they might tend to be people you don't really want bossing you around. Or they have a fun home game but they want a more serious one in addition. Or they have friends, but none sufficiently nerdy to play TTRPGs at all. I bet there are a lot of DMs who are stuck always running, and turn to LFGs or paid games because they just want to play sometimes.
Finding out if a GM is good is hard because it can just be a personal thing.
For example, I really liked the content of the video and wanted to hear it all, but at the same time couldn't stand the way he talked.
I would be so mad if I had paid for a few hours of gaming with him.
You could leave early and ask for a refund.
Did he say 25$ per player per hour? That’s insane. 4 hour session, 100$ per player, that’s enough to feed a family for more than a day.
I believe it´s 25 per player per session, isn't it? I might be wrong, tough.
It's per session
I'm a broke bastard
$2.5 million across 100,000 is $25. $2.5 million across 1,000 Game Masters is $2,500. If we account for the years since founding, that is $8.33 or $833.33 per year, respectively (being generous and only using three years of revenue). In either metric, that is absolutely terrible. If we considered it not to be an even share, that means it is likely most are making next to nothing, while others are making **maybe** livable wages. You also have to account for consistency and every D&D player knows a bit about that.
Also, just because you dislike the politics of the person who made Hogwarts, doesn't mean it is appropriate to include in this format. As for the in-universe comparison, the idea your students, or some of them at the very least, didn't look down on those who were not magically gifted is just ignorant. I say that only to say you could have avoided the risk of putting off a large potential fanbase if you didn't say anything, and I am not even a fan of the series.
If you look at it that way sure. I'm fairly sure most people on site aren't doing DM:ing as a full time job or straight up quitting their jobs to be a DM. To me that reads that a market exists. I'm sure a better statistic exists than DM:s/total revenue but we'll just have to do with that. From what I understand you're also not required to collect payment for the games you run through the site and those games as well tend to skew the statistics. Since you're able to set a price to your own games you're essentially selling your time for the price you consider reasonable. If you don't get enough players for a game you're not investing any extra time to run it.
I see paid Dm:ing as more of an opportunity to get some extra income from a hobby I'm doing anyway. I'm not a paid Dm at the moment but I might consider trying it once/if I happen to be in a situation where my current games end and I'm itching some extra DnD while having the time to run it. Getting some extra income from doing something I genuinely tend to enjoy and do either way is a win-win for me.
To the second part of your comment I don't really understand. Unless the video has been changed significantly, Nioret made only a second hand comment relating to JK Rowling/Hogwarts and I don't think it's unreasonable to argue that people can find problematic elements in her books even ignoring her political views.
@@KahvinMinisaurus This video quite definitively outlining DMing as a job, and the website is pushing that as a goal of their platform. My point was to outline this was a goal not capable of being reached in any consistent way at this time, from this approach.
As for your second part, the comment was unnecessary and served only to divide unnecessarily. It was more advice to keep his fan base, growing or not, from dividing. The video would not have suffered if the comment had not been made and making it only opened an opportunity for it to suffer.
@@thesistersofbattleI feel like this is more like a video reviewing & marketing a side. Although, DMing as a job is talked about in the video with examples, but if the goal of the video was to encourage people to DM as a full time job, I doubt a lot of people would be convinced by the example of his ~9000$/year earnings.
Obviously each viewer can make their own deductions, but to me the video was more about telling about the website and spreading information about paid DMing to players & DMs.
To the second part I think that it can be in the interest of a content creator to aim their content towards a specific audience instead of just trying to appeal to everyone. Signaling where you stand with your values might have benefits in cultivating the type of community you wish to create and have better long term payoffs than trying to reach as many people as possible.
@@thesistersofbattleYou made a good point. I personally was put off by the comment. He seems like a nice guy and very knowledgeable from the video so I still subscribed, but I wish he hadn't made the comment. The rest of the video was awesome though!
@@CypherDND Exactly this. I agree.
Tooooo much hands
"It's a plot hook. Keeps you watching." No, it's just annoying, and it needlessly pads out the video time.
why do you move your hands so much?
Because some people are “hand talkers”. It’s a naturally formed habit; there’s a neuro-psychological explanation for it that is way too much detail to get into that is tied to nerves and/or anxiety and self soothing. I think that the question that may need to be asked is why you felt the need to ask about something that most people can’t control and might make them feel uncomfortable and self conscious? Do you enjoy pointing out people’s possible insecurities? If so, then this might make you a bully… Do you enjoy being a bully?
Why do you leave pointless comments on TH-cam?
Mr. Ballen
Because he’s watched a video of some male alpha guru that said you should move your hands to be more charismatic.
For some people, gesturing can help with memory recall and confidence in expression
This should be called ... SPG supports Paid DMs and kicks people.
28MIN IS TO LONG
Short form content ruined so many people, it's insane...
@@mariusbrincus8967 There is only so many hours in a day, A video needs to be quick, entertaining, and/or informative (preferable all those things) So to listen to a stranger for a long, not so entertaining or uninformative video (I'm not saying all this about this video) is not what I would consider a good use of my time. It was intended as constructive criticism. You can watch all the videos you want all the way through, Ill be more choosey about my viewing.
This sounds like an ad. The ”paying for a GM” is a scam and further seperates the hobby
Have you ever been a DM?
Sounds like it expands the hobby by creating more games. As a DM, I'm considering running more games if I will be paid for them. But if not, I can't justify dedicating the time.