Hey guys, so I'm sort of new to roleplaying with a group of people and such. Never have I had a GM, or played the role of one. What exactly do they do? What is their purpose? When are they needed? I know these are nooby questions, aha.

Welcome to the forum and the world of Play By Post Roleplaying! My name is Professor Oak and...

Erm.

Basically the long and short of it is, the GM is the individual who comes up with the concept of the game, the story, and all the miscellanea that goes into running a game (accepting applications, running the story, keeping things moving when they slow down, et cetera). It's pretty similar to the concept of a DM in Dungeons and Dragons, where one person is basically narrating the plot and coming up with encounters for the rest of the group, only in PbP roleplays, it's a lot more free from and more often than not, GMs like to have their own personal characters in the story to interact with other player characters. It's basically their job to say, "Okay, this is what this game's about, here's the rules and expectations, and here's a character sheet for you to fill in. Okay? Now we're starting the game, here's the setting of where you guys are and what's happening, and as you guys keep moving along, I'll keep introducing stuff for you to interact with so we can keep the story going."

They're pretty much needed whenever there's a dispute between players that requires mediation. In most cases, a GM's word is law, so a good GM has an unbiased opinion on matters between people and goes with what's best for the game/ most fair. They're also the primary drivers of the story, maker and controller of NPCs, and so on so forth. The GM's basically a key for a game running smoothly, although players do need to do their part and participate.

Take a look at some of the RPs that have been around for a while with a healthy number of posts and pay attention to who the GM is and what they're up to. It should give you an idea of what's expected.

Oh, thank you for clearing that up for me!

It's how I roll.

Happy hunting!

Also, Wolf Among Us is fantastic. I approve!

Just wanted to add that there are numerous styles as well. Some GMs micromanage (for better or worse) while others are more laissez-faire and allow people a ton of freedom so long as progress is made. The point is that their job is to help that story continue and grow. Some have a specific idea of what should happen and others have a mind to adapt with every minute action. Just because you enter a RP and there's a GM does not mean they'll be the sole power or the absolute leader. Some people just get it rolling and leave leadership to the will of their community.

This could sound all lofty like a position to ascend to, but it's not. You're free to open up a roleplay as you please. That freedom allows for a variety of RPs in a single community. So take advantage of it, bring your fresh ideas. I guarantee you your perspective is not one we already have, so don't deny us your creativity. Anyway, if you have questions feel free to ask. We often have GMs interviewed in the RPGNews too and they tend to give some solid advice. Check it out!