What makes a good game good for you?

[Anastasia]

If you've ever been into a game and had fun, I'm sure you can pinpoint what makes a game go from something you do to have fun to...something that's really awesome and ensnares your imagination, be it as a PC or a DM. So, what does it for you?

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As a GM:

It's rather unusual for me, but it's something indirect. It's seeing the PCs be into the game and really put a lot into it. When I see this, it never fails to stoke my enthusiasm. Yeah sure, it's probably at least some ego stroking, but having players that are having enough fun to be -into- the game matters. By it wanting to play, shifting schedules to try and get more gaming in, really RPing well and working, ect. Anything that says that lights my creative fires. This also extends to another facet of this; when I see players work in the game to add to it, like making up good backstories, drawing maps of areas, or suggesting new things. That feeling of a game being alive with energy is something that captures me.

I like this, since it usually creates a good feedback loop. The PCs are putting a lot into the game, I'm putting a lot into the game, this usually results in good returns for all.

[Jethr0]

As a player:

A good game is one that lasts, without the focus of the GM being that our characters are uberly efficient in every aspect of combat, for more than a few sessions;
I've been in about 4 different games on Friday nights for the last year and a half. For about six months, we were playing in a new GM's game. There, I was able to play my favorite-ever character. Coincidentally, my character ended up being quite effective in combat, while being built as I wanted him to be. (He started as a red Lizardfolk Barbarian. Ended up as a red Feral Lizardfolk Druid / Barbarian at the end of the game.) His low int score (a 6) really made the game full of action. Furthermore, he used stone age weapondry. IE: -2 on attack and damage rolls. Not sure why they have such a penalty, but they do.
The second one was Oriental Adventures. The GM had us level up 3 times a session. Needless to say, it was about having power. Didn't like that one.
Third was a 3.5 game where I played a Bard for the first time in a long, long time. I ended up disarming an enemy 4 times with that character. The guy, once his dagger was gone, just put his hands on his head and sat down. That was an awesome battle. That was an awesome character. Second favorite ever.
Fourth was a 3.75 edition game. Custom made rules by an obsessed GM who loved 4th edition too much. All of his races were optimized for combat, as were the classes. He loves the Tome of Battle, and hates when people call the classes from it fighter-mages. They are what they are, lame as sin.

As a GM:
I like having my players do things that could potentially bend the rules, or when they act in character and do something that they probably shouldn't as a combat-efficient player, but not when they outright break the game.

[Dracos]

Fighter-mages! =)

Cool.  Good to see ye around Jet. :)

That's kind of gentle standards, but yeah, games that are about the characters and leave room for the characters to do wacky things without having to worry about 'is this combat maxed?' tend to be a lot more fun.