Distracted Players

[Marauder_POV]

How do people keep their players from getting distracted? The guys i play with quite often fall into conversations about astrophysics or movies or cures for ringworm. Thats all good and well, but last game it took 3.5 hours to complete that rat cavern in KOTS(we did beef the rats with more than one HP(like 15) so they weren't to easy for us though, there are 6 of us)

I'd like to help speed the game along. Any hints?

Also generally how long does a round take on average?

 

[kaomera]

Well, first of all, talk to the other players about it. You can prompt them to focus on the game various ways, but at some point it comes down to wanting to focus and get more done vs. wanting to socialize. I've been in some games where the DM was very harsh about this, skipping players' turns, etc., and that isn't going to be good for every group or every player...

Personally we're getting through 3 to 4 encounters in 4 hours or (usually) less very consistently in the game I'm playing in on Saturdays. OTOH, in the game I'm running on Sundays we technically have 5 hours (the game shop we play at is open noon to 5), but we can't usually get started right away, and it's taking us up to 2 hours to finish a single encounter.

 

[weem]

Another thing to try in-game is to interrupt one of them via an NPC.

[Shameless Plug Time™] In my RP Prompting thread (second link in sig) there is a section called "Realistically Meaningless Actions". These actions (aside from having the benefits I mention in the thread) can also work well to pull a player (any one of two or more who are being distracted by something) back into the game by making them the immediate center of attention IN game.

It's kind of like being called on in class while talking, and they are very easy to come up with immediately, off-the-cuff and with no planning in advance which is great for these situations.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

One thing I've seen several DMs do when things get ridiculous is to say "Roll for initiative" and roll for initiative...

Sometimes, though, you just have to go with the flow because it is a tidal wave. My current main game group has several players, many of whom are married with kids. Every once in a while, someone simply has to vent (often about work or their sex life, often humorously) about this or that, talk proudly about their kids' achievements, and so forth...and others join in. On nights like that, you simply sit back, relax and shoot the breeze. And after a while, you may be able to run an encounter or 2...and if you can't, just say that "its too late to game tonight" and remind everyone about the next session.

 

[ggroy]

Over the years I've found that banning alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational mind altering substances from the gaming table, helps a lot in significantly reducing distractions.

These days I simply won't play tabletop rpg games anymore with people who are drunk or stoned all the time.

 

[DracoSuave]

I'd like to help speed the game along. Any hints?

Yeah, don't pad monster's hps just to make them tougher.

Change the environment instead.

 

[jimmifett]

Take 5-10 minute breaks. Reach a milestone, take a break, unless everyone wants to continue. This allows players to discuss how cool that last section was, make calls, smoke if they need to, hit the bathroom, etc.

During combat, call out the current player's turn and the two upcoming players/team evil. this does wonders to keep others paying attention when one has a player that can take a bit of time during a turn.

get a 30 second sand timer for player turns, discuss using it with group before hand.

game in a nice cool area. ppl get tired when the air is too warm or feels stale and thier attention wanders.

use props.

try using scents. green apple works well for keeping attention high in any setting.

 

[Gruns]

Don't fight it!
I understand exactly what you mean, as my group was exactly the same way... you just need to remind yourself that in the end, it's all about socializing and having a good time with friends. As a DM, I was always wanting the group to get to the next encounter, so I could show off the cool new thing I whipped up this session, but if we don't get to it now, we will later. No big deal! Be thankful you're in a group of people who actually enjoy each other's company enough to get along well enough to find the cure for ringworm.
Later!
Gruns

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

"And one ringworm to rule them all..."

 

[wedgeski]

I have one guy at my table who I love dearly as a friend, but my *god*, does his mind wander sometimes. Any time he opens his mouth and the words "This reminds me of..." come out, you can rest assured you're going to be treated to a (nevertheless interesting) verbal essay on a topic so *obliquely* connected to the subject at hand, you have to puzzle how many degrees of separation it went through before his brain finally arrived there.

Like I said, great guy, great player, but big distracting pain in the butt.

Every table I DM is full of good friends, and as a result I often find it hard to cut across the banter and simply tell everyone to shut up, even though I should. In a recent feedback survey, one of them noted it as a weakness in my DM'ing for the first time ever.

So, although I have no solution for you, I can at least offer you the solace of a shared problem.