This is a question that happens to pop up during dinner conversations and when I am just hanging with some new people. In fact, every time my (very wise and annoying) brother comes home with his model wife and degree from Stanford etched onto his chiseled chest, he asks me "What is it you do again?" A good question that I can easily explain to him but it never gets through. I even find other workers in the tech field just a bit confused when explaining the logistics of this career and they turn away.
In my opinion, it does not take a gamer or the current trendy young generation to understand what a Game Master is or does. Simply put, there is a clear and proper way to define a Game Master (GM). But first a history lesson:
Game Masters have been around since the early days of Dungeon and Dragons, go 80s. Go back further to when a person (neutral to both sides) determined the game and the rules while monitoring everything for a sport of death (gladiators?). Those people were the GM ancestors and I use that acronym lightly. What we are today is constantly evolving because of our core values and focus. Naturally, I must mention what GMs do right now. We work on MMORPGs (usually) by supporting them one day at a time. I am not going to name any games.
If you need a source then here: Wiki on Game Masters. All research aside, a GM is typically a Customer Service Representative (CSR) who supports and moderates video games (usually online ones).
This is what a Game Master is all about (Do you hate this picture? So do I) and when done right is crazy fun and stressing. Similar to what some people go through, right? Wrong, calm down. Basically, this PMS is what I call the effective and hectic life of a GM. Better yet, our world revolves around these three key areas to be exact:
Game Moderation
- Enforce the Game Rules (Terms of Service).
- Hold & Create events.
- Resolve player issues and communicate with them (they are the life force).
- Test out bugs, patches, updates.
Marketing
- Manage & create promotions or advertisements.
- Review & research game statistics and industry news.
- Test & Play with ideas for the present and future.
Customer Service
- Respond and resolve customer inquiries (via phone, fax, email, forum, or text).
- Clean and maintain all areas of the game that you can (Forum, Fan sites, Chat rooms, Sub Servers).
- Send out gifts and rewards to players in a timely manner.
You combine all these for the power of the GM, the Game Master. Do I smell another acronym, GMC? Maybe. Anyways, a God we hardly are, but power we do have. Game Masters are the voice of the game and represent the company. The players either hate you or love you, but one thing is for sure; they need you. We must not simply excel in all the areas mentioned above but also involve ourselves in self-development and community management. You must be self aware of your behavior and actions towards the players and how you manage the community with your work. Everything done by a GM may appear miniscule, but adds to the piece of the puzzle.
Most customers think being a Game Master is all fun and Godly (OMG, they get paid?). Most outsiders hardly know we exist (My Dad, /cry). And most close to us doubt our job and probably struggle even more to understand us. Who cares. This is our job and it is very real and always evolving. Really, a GM is so much more to me than a job. Yet it is best to find a comfort zone. Excel in this virtual world well as you appease the players and the company. We are all in the great digital circle of life. But try telling that to your friends.
Sincerely,
-Anonymous Afro
