What exactly do GMs do?

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Original poster
So I was wondering what the general role of a GM in their roleplay is? What's expected of them, how much control they have over what's happening, etc.
 
This is a very free style roleplay site, so it is all up to the GM to choose how much power they want in their own rp.

For simpler stories it is totally fine to just come with your idea, let people join and then let everyone have the same amount of power, including yourself. In other words everyone helps each other to pull the roleplay forward just like in a one x one. (Very normal in the jump in section)
If you want something more advanced, where you want the story to go in certain directions and have a more complicated plot, then it's good if you take charge for the story and make sure that everyone knows that they can't stray too far away from what you have in mind. Or if they do stray too far away, then you should help everyone get back on track again.

It's up to everyone to decide how they want to GM their own roleplays, and if it doesn't work the first time, then it's just to try again and maybe take more or less control over it depending on what went wrong the last time. Depending on the plot, the amount of participants etc. a GM will have to adapt to the situation. When making the story the GM must decide how much freedom they want the participants to have and how much power they want themselves to have. The GM sets up the rules they want to have for their own roleplay, which includes the responsibility for the GM.


So in short: Iwaku does not have any rules for what a GM should do nor how they should do it (as far as I know... Otherwise I might have broken some rules during my three years here hehe). It's the GMs roleplay and they choose what they think will work best for their story.
 
Everyone GMs differently. Some control the setting, plot, and NPCs with a master grip, others share that power with a co-GM. and still others take votes from the players on what should happen or what they'd like to see. Some prefer to be more player and let everyone come up with stuff and direct things equally... The list goes on.
 
Thanks for the help, both of you! I think I have a better sense of it now.