GM as an emergent career
There are definitely multiple viewpoints worth considering. I don't think "for the love of the game" is a bad way to do things; if you're set otherwise, and you're satisfied with your performance, and 4-6 people are likewise enjoying themselves in your adventures a couple of times a month, I'd say that's fantastic. At that point, I don't think it's competition at all, not in any greater sense. I tended to join groups by virtue of "hey, look, I found a D&D group in the midst of people doing this other thing I'm involved in," there was never much by way of comparing the merits of one group to those of another.
It's just another factor in whether or not to sit with a given GM.
(Hypothetical) I play with Jeff; he doesn't charge. Except, he could, and I would absolutely understand. He chooses not to. I appreciate that. I also play with Anna, who charges $10/person per session. She is also an excellent GM. Jeff could easily get away with charging that; the fact that he doesn't, doesn't impugn Anna. That's his choice. He doesn't wave it around, or suggest that he's a better GM for not charging. Like Anna, he's just interested in running games.
Then, there's Charlie. Charlie provides snacks and drinks, and doesn't charge a cent, but I don't like his games. Everything devolves into an arena. Three of his regular players are rules lawyers, and he panders to them, so they end up running the game. Their characters are overpowered. There was a storyline involved, at first, but that was 3 years ago, and they've yet to bother pursuing it.
This message was last edited by the user at 17:45, Mon 27 Nov 2017.