Chicken and Egg Decision

Its the same old question: what came first, the chicken or the egg?

Maybe you think asking this question is lame but let me pose it to you in a different way.

Who makes the game, the game master or the players?

Its the same question with the same answer.

• Does the game master make the game, keep it going and make it all it is?  
• Or, do the players have that distinction?  
• Could one exist without the other?  

The age old quest of which came first applies to the GM and players in the same way.  A game does not exist without the players and players cannot play in a game without a game master.

I pose this question with a specific point in mind.  Frequently I read GM tips about how to figure out when a campaign should end, how to construct a campaign and other, related questions.  Look, boil it down to its simplest.  How could a GM unilaterally make that decision for the players? 

Consider this question: are the players defining the game or the game master?

Have you set the stage and stepped back to allow the players to perform on it?  Or are you directing a concert, with the players at the instruments?  This question, this chicken and egg question, defines how we game master.  A group that needs constant guidance, a firm GM hand if you will, to even be active in a session is one where you are acting as the conductor.  Another group that builds its own plots, ideas and gets into situations all by themselves is acting upon a stage.  Each approach requires its own specific touch, including all those shades of gray in-between.  Most groups, I would venture, fall somewhere along the scale between from two session to session.

So, let's answer some common questions with this idea in mind.

1. When should I end a campaign or how long to run a campaign?  Well, simply put, if you have set a stage for your players to act upon, the campaign ends when they end it.  Their characters die, settle down, have children, retire, etc. and that either ends the campaign or continues it.  If you are employing a strong hand and conducting them, leading them, then it ends when you choose it to end, hopefully with a strong climatic finish.
2. How do I keep my campaign going?  Similar question to the above with the same answer.
3. I want to give my campaign to have a rich, detailed storyline and plot.  How do I do it?  Would you believe I will give the same advice as the first question?  Additionally, I'd tell you that doing all the work yourself makes the task more arduous.  If you empower the players and let me help with and take over the weaving of the story, with hints and nudges from you, you'll find the rich story you are looking for.
4. How do I make a campaign anyway?  Or, how is it different from a bunch of sessions/episodes?  Good questions here.  A campaign needs a central enduring theme that binds everything together.  Usually a location is used though an idea, person or other element can play the part as well.  The simplest element to use is the players, though you want to disguise the fact that they are the focus, i.e., use the give it to them but take it away trick.

More questions abound and I'll answer those in the light of this question is anyone is curious enough to ask.