Have you participated in rotating GMs?

[Quertus]

Or one could start a proper campain that allows such commitment in the first place. Why the detour ?

I know that you regularly champion a couple of one shots for the group to get to know each other. But honestly ? I would sit out such an arrangement and only join after those arre done.

You realize you’ve given an answer to your own question, right? I’m not sure if you’re just playing devil’s advocate to give me the opportunity to expound on these details for the folks at home, or if you have a specific question you want answered, but I’ll do my best.

So, yes, obviously, this has the advantage of providing variety, of all the advantages of both one-shots and extended campaigns. Senility willing, maybe I’ll go into more detail on those advantages, perhaps inside a spoiler tag.

But, to answer your more pressing question with a question, why do people go on dates instead of jumping straight to the commitment of marriage? Why the detour?

Lastly (I’m practicing “brevity is the essence of clarity”, please rate the results ), I feel you may be missing out, sitting out on the party’s formative moments of those one-shots. Would you really be ok with joining an established group with a new PC? I mean, yes, but would you really consider that optimal over being there from the beginning? Then, same question, but for a new system: would you really prefer all the other players to have experience with the system, and knowing how to build the character that they envision and enjoy playing, while you will be running a comparative jalopy, like a poorly built 3e Fighter (“Toughness is where it’s at! Why would anyone take any other feat! And I’m going Dex-based, and high Int to cover low skill points!”) falling behind the Druid’s animal companion, let alone the CoDzilla? Because, if so, that seems an odd goal, but you do you.

Clear enough why I consider one-shots so valuable?