I’ve been enjoying TTRPGs for some time. A means to meet people. Have some fun. Escape the drudgery of life and get creative. Perhaps I’ve lived under a rock, or a boulder, but I’ve come across an entire ecosystem of Professional DMs selling table time. Literal pay to play in a creative world. Where, even with the cash grab of wizards of the coast or the negation of imagination in place of 3D extravagence, we now monetize play, too. Perhaps play isn’t the right word. Something that combines camaraderie, enjoyment, a third space, imagination, and kindred spirits. Whatever that is, its monetization of the experience by a for profit dungeon master feels wrong in some way I can’t quite place.
Why must everything devolve into this? What do we loose when we monetize creativity, community, meeting people to such a degree?
I agree with your sentiment. The DM is another player at the table and by monetize the role feels wrong. DMing is more work than being a player so I can see the impulse. I do feel that this gives a certain expectations that the DM cater more to the players.
That being said I have payed to play DnD before but it’s more like a fee to use the space. When I played at a game store they charged $5 to play at their table for their weekly game. Same for registration fees to play for public games especially for a DnD play organization. Those that regularly connect players with DMs at 3rd party locations.