I keep reading over various internets communities, how being a GM is hard, how player are ungrateful spoiled kids, and how much GM struggles.
So which games have tools/mechanics to ease the GM job, and which are these.
For this discussion I would focus on the game itself, rather than on method used by groups.
Even though I feel like I know some answers, judging how active the community is at the moment, I try to open that thread and may-be a few others to keep the /c/ alive
I’ve found that the least inspiring behaviors of players, from my perspective as a DM, are when they hack and slash in combat. Whether it’s built into the system, or you brew it on, giving players free skill checks alongside (rather than instead of) their normal combat turns can make things significantly more engaging and rewarding (for both them and the DM).
More generally, players should have multiple things they can do and the optimal one shouldn’t consistently be the same thing.
Tangent: It’s kind of a peeve of mine when like part of the group is doing standard RAW D&D move 30’ and attack, and part of the group is doing like “can i make an acrobatics check to run on the wall, then athletics to jump next to the orc, and a perception check so i know which of his hands is likely to be dominant, and then stab him in that hand???”
I’m usually in the first group, and I’m annoyed that Bob is over there spending thrice as long. Just say you cast firebolt and let’s keep this going, bob. If you want to play a game that has rules for engaging with the scene, I’d love to play Fate. I’d even try Exalted.
The worst thing is Bob doesn’t know he wants to play something other than D&D.