Are new gamers always shy?

[Sage]

I remember I was, I used to sit and and let the others do most of the talking. This was though only to a certain extent, because I learnt roleplaying at about the same time as those I gamed with, but when I was playing with a more experienced group, I was kind of over-run, since the others where always doing something, and I had trouble assimilating it all and making a responce.

Now that I've been gaming for many years I see the same tendency at the new players in the youth-club where I game most of the time (and I feel kinda guilty, since I think that I'm probably saying too much and not giving the new players a chance). Is this always (or almost always) the case.

Does anyone have any idea to what can be done to this?

One thing we do where I game is that we play a game called "psycho-murderer", yep. It's basically that everyone beyond the person controlling the game pretends to sleep (and make sure that they can't see anything), then the "GM" goes around and shoves gently to one or more of the players (this game is best with large groups). Everyone then wakes up, and the "GM" anounces that he has been murdered. The players then have to agree upon (or a large majority has to agree) who's the murderer, and, well, kill him (because he's a murderer ). Then the city sleeps again, the murderer(s) wake up (if they're still alive) and point at someone who then dies. That person is then dead and no longer in the game. If nobody dies then they know that they've got the murderer.
The game goes on until the murderer(s) are dead, or they are the only ones left alive.
The game forces the players to speak up, because all arguments are viable, and players who don't say anything are often accused of being the murderer since they obviously don't wan't to draw antention to themselves, and of course they'll have to defend themselves (often by accusing someone else with a better reason) if they want to live.
I know it's barbaric, but it's great fun.

Hmm. This post got a little longer than I intended

Sage

 

[freebfrost]

Not necessarily.

I've found that the personalities of my new players makes the biggest difference in this area. Some people are more naturally outgoing and/or love to be the center of attention, and they are the ones that end up quickly rise to the challenge of rpging.

Others I've met are the more stereotypical quiet, shy, studious types that would rather sit back and watch what is going on in the game instead of just jumping in and participating.

And of course, there are those who take a middle ground and participate just enough to let me know they are alive.

Anyways, I watch my new players closely to see which "type" they are. Each presents a different challenge. The outgoing ones usually need to be reined in as they typically spend too much time talking and do not bother to learn the rules of the game. The shy ones usually need to be prodded into taking part in a discussion or two, and the middle-of-the-road one's usually need a bit of both.

One thing I always try to do is assign a mentor to my new players. Someone who can work with them during the game on the mechanics of the game and who can even provide a bit of in-game conversation to the new player and his character. This relieves the burden on me having to slow down any given scene to explain rules or the situation to the new player, but gives them someone that can bring them up to speed at the same time.

I also use the net extensively -- from my own campaign website to emails -- to keep everyone in the loop and give the newbies a wealth of information that they can assimilate at their own pace to learn about my campaign.

 

[diaglo]

many rpgers fall in the I category on the Meyers-Briggs scale.

 

[Steverooo]

Are new gamers always shy? No. I wasn't.

What do you do with a shy gamer? That depends upon who you are...

I (as a player) gamed with a shy gamer, once. I kept after him. I'd ask him what he was doing, in-game. I'd ask him what he thought... I'd say "Any ideas?", and then look at him... When the party was divying up the magic items, I'd make sure he didn't get "overlooked". Unfortunately, he never caught on, and soon left the game.

If you're the GM, demand Initiative rolls, and then handles PC actions in order. When you get to them, review the situation, state the other PCs' actions, and the results so far, and then ask them what their PC is doing. If you have a treasure in the room, and haven't defined where it's hidden, you might as well let the newbie find it... That usually gets a smile, and the fact that THEY have their hands on it pretty much assures they get first choice!

I never had any of these problems, when I started. I had been rarin't'go for quite a while, and dived right in. Eventually, we found a +1 Ring of Protection, which I got to wear until the party divied up the wealth... Cash we split evenly, but magic we "auctioned off", and whoever bid the most got it...

So to this point, we had found several items, most of which someone else was using. The +1 Ring came up for bid, and one of the higher-level PCs with lots of magic items started bidding against me. Soon, everyone else had dropped out. It irked me that he wanted to take "my" lowly ring, when I had nothing else but the sword, so I ran the price up. The other PCs started laughing when we exceeded the GP sale value of the Ring... I ran the price as high as I thought he'd keep bidding, and then let him have it...

When "my" +3 sword came up for bid, the GM asked him if he was going to bid on it. He just shook his head.

"You don't have enough money, do you?" asked the GM, grinning.

The other player grinned back, sheepishly. "No!"

I wasn't shy, but I didn't say a word. I just forked over the cash and collected my +3 sword.

 

[Desdichado]

Absolutely not. I've met plenty of new gamers that I wished would just shut the &#@*! up and play.

 

[Elf Witch]

When I started gaming I was the only newbie I had not even read the rulebook. But I had a great DM and great players.

I was very shy and didn't say much until I found my feet now five years later I bet they wished I would shut up sometimes.

If you are worried about someone being to shy take a look at what is going on at the table are there more outgoing types who just run over the more quiet types and or there the types who get pissy if you make a mistake in tatics and let you know about it rather harshly? Types like these can really inhibit a new player.

If they are being run over than do as someone else suggested go in initiative order and ask what their PC is doing. If there are aggressive players at the table suggest they cool it.

I think a lot of shyness comes from being worried about making a mistake or looking like an idiot. As the newbie gets more comfortable with the game they usually get more involved.

 

[Darklone]

I vented already on another board... but:
We got a single female in the group. She has an old friend (who would love to be HER friend) who's a DM ... 2nd edition.

I started to play with this circle of friends 2 years ago, 5 of them total newbies, 3 played two evenings before.
Later one player left and a friend of mine (veteran D&D) joined.

Well. Met that friend on the birthday party of the girl... chit chat chatter... then he said, listening to our group and how much fun we have made him wish he'd be playing again... I wouldn't have had any problem with him playing with us now and then... then he said:
"Well, but certainly I would be DMing my favourite campaign and we would play 2nd edition in my world."

Right at that moment I could have killed him. What does he think? I have some newbies here who are still learning the game... in 3.5 edition. There he goes and wants to play DM in a group where he does not know everyone, how the groups plays and so on and wants to start a campaign with a game system the players don't know?

Boy, I would wish new gamers would be shy.

 

[freebfrost]

If you are worried about someone being to shy take a look at what is going on at the table are there more outgoing types who just run over the more quiet types and or there the types who get pissy if you make a mistake in tatics and let you know about it rather harshly? Types like these can really inhibit a new player.

That's a great point!

I've seen that quite a few times in my games too -- someone who is so into their character and their role and acts like a newbie is deliberately trying to slow things down or is just not playing up to their "standard."

As Elf Witch said, it's important to curb these types immediately. Otherwise they are likely to really turn the newbie off from gaming completely. I've found that taking them aside and explaining the situation to them usually resolves this issue -- I will sometimes "assign" the uber-roleplayer as the newbie's mentor, so that they will be able to turn their knowledge to good use by helping the newbie understand the game instead of just losing patience with them.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Just to add a different perspective to the discussion, I find that it's not just newbies who can be shy at the table. Plenty of long-time roleplayers can be shy when sitting down to a new table for the first time. I know this, because I'm one of them.

After 20+ years of gaming, when I sit down to play at a new table, I tend to watch and listen to see what the group dynamics are before I really open up. Sometimes, if people are having fun and things are comfortable, it'll take me 30 minutes or so to get into the groove and find my place. Other times, if the group is really serious or there are a bunch of loud, overbearing gamers, it may take me a few sessions to feel comfortable with the style of play going on. I'm not really a take-charge type gamer, so I'll take whatever time I need to find my niche in a group before I feel comfortable enough to open up.

I know the reasons why I'm this way at a new table. I'm generally a quiet guy, and fairly shy around new people anyway. I'm the one who sits in the middle of a room full of people and doesn't really make any waves, unless I'm feeling very strongly about something. I don't go out of my way to draw attention to myself. It just carries over to the table as well.

 

[Macbeth]

I just had to respond, since your screen name is my real name. yeah, my name is sage, odd huh? As for new players, i would recomend that you start by giving them some obvious roleplaying oportunities. If they have a hatred of goblinoids give them some goblinoids to hate. If their parents were kiled by giants, give them some giants to get revenge on.