co-GMing

    Recently, Bob Mahoney asked if anyone had any experience at co-GMing
Traveller or other games.  I've never coGMed a Traveller game, but I have
coGMed Warhammer FRP, and I expect the basic principles would apply to any
gaming system.
    Basically, it worked very well.  You need to be more prepared for a
co-GMed game than when you're doing it alone, because it is very confusing
if one GM starts to "wing it" to any significant extent, as there will not
be time for him to inform the other GM as to what is going on.  So I would
say it's only a good idea if the two GMs can get together before the game
and spend at least one evening going over plans.
    The benefits are that some of the work gets split up, and in a number
of situations the role-playing is better.  When the party splits  up, or
even just when different players are doing different things in the same area,
it helps to have two different GMs to deal with them (not so much time spent
waiting on the GM to get done talking to another player, before you can do
something).  This is especially valuable if you have players who like to
each do their own thing, or one player who is enthusiastic (ie loud) enough
to drown out the others when things get heated.
    The biggest advantage, tho', is that it is easier to role-play several
people at once.  I can remember several instances from my own experience
when I was playing an important NPC who was talking to the party, while the
other GM was playing NPC's of less importance who were distracting the party
but added a lot of color to the game.  The halfling shoe salesman who tried
to sell his wares to party members while they were interviewing someone in
a bar, for instance.  (yes, I said halfing shoe salesman)  Even in more
serious situations (such as when the players are listening in on a situation,
or any other time when more than one NPC is "on-stage" at once), it was very
handy to not have to run everyone in the world.
    For Traveller, where there is probably more background for the GM to
fill in than in any other RP game in existence, the advantage of dividing
up work seems like it would be especially useful.  Hope some of this helped;
I say go ahead, it's a good idea.