How Do You Curb Table Talk?

[Rel]

Trying to squash the socializing is probably not going to work or it will just irritate people. I say embrace it in some fashion.

Organize a trip to the movies or a cookout where you intend to do nothing BUT socialize. Try and do it on a night other than your game night. If that isn't possible, then allocate a game night every once in a while to just hanging out or whatever.

 

[Ashe]

First thing is tell them up front that you feel it's a problem.

Second thing, when they start doing it, ask what they're character is doing. Roll some dice. You don't have to do anything at the time but once they know that they're character is in potential danger, they might light up.

Part of the actual problem is that your group is too large. Cut it down to two groups of four that meet every other week.

If they see movies and don't get to see each other outside of gaming, hit them with the 'Duh' hammer and tell them to see the movies together as this can be a pretty fun group activity.

Gaming isn't a sacred art or anything but in essence, everyone has agreed to meet and respect each other's time and the game. Outside converstaions are a natural but then you need to remind everyone that they're here to game.

If it bothers you to the point where its interferring with the game, you've got some difficult choices to make but the important thing to remember is that it is indeed just a game.

I agree, especially the part about rolling dice, when I was a player our dm would just start rolling percentile dice and if a certain number came up then something would happen so once the dice started rolling we piped up and paid attention.

Now some may argue that this method is too extreme, but it is better than just saying, "Your character has a heart attack and dies, you should not have eaten so much mutton." I agree that this is a game but as we all know if you decide to play in a group it takes some dedication on everyone's part to make the game work and be fun. Obviously the DM is holding up his end of the bargain, putting in the time to create a campaign that he obviously cares about, and if the players are not paying attention it just shows that right now they aren't putting in the effort.

Just some food for thought from the peanut gallery.

 

[Bagpuss]

on the spot fines - like a swear box - these go towards buying minitures or game books

 

[Mercule]

Man, I just don't understand people who don't mind game night being a chit-chat night. Then again, I usually don't like to sit around and chat at any time. I need to be _doing_ something. Playing cards is my "neutral" or chat mode.

That said, what the current DM has done, and what I'll likely continue when we rotate, is to hand out 5 glass beads to each player at the begining of each session. If you tangent, it's no big deal, but you chuck a bead into the bin. Game play stops dead and the tangent is resolved. At the end of the session, each bead you have left in your hand is worth 10 XP/character level.

Even though the XP from the beads is "bonus" it is still very tangible and people don't want to lose it. With only one transition session, we went from barely able to make it down a passageway to being almost pure game-on almost immediately.

 

[Harlequin_1998]

This actually happened to me a few years back in our 2nd edition AD&D game. We had a group of 5 including the DM (me) and the guys were all old pals. For the first year of the campaign it was really great with an acceptable level of socializing and table talk intermingled with "serious" gaming. After about the year mark everyone started socializing a lot more and lost focus on the game. My solution? One saturday night the guys all came over and I didnt break out the D&D books. We just sat there and chatted for 3 hours about whatever came to mind. That seemed to get most of the socializing out of the way and everyone was reenvigorated for future games. Maybe you would have success with the same technique.

I like this idea, but we have one gamer who drives really far (about an hour or more) who probably would not come if he thought we weren't going to play D&D. And he chit chats as much as the rest of us. Is there another way to solve the problem?

 

[D'karr]

I like this idea, but we have one gamer who drives really far (about an hour or more) who probably would not come if he thought we weren't going to play D&D. And he chit chats as much as the rest of us. Is there another way to solve the problem?

Shoot one player every hour until they stop chit-chatting... LOL

 

[Maraxle]

Man, I just don't understand people who don't mind game night being a chit-chat night. Then again, I usually don't like to sit around and chat at any time. I need to be _doing_ something. Playing cards is my "neutral" or chat mode.

I like talking to my friends, drinking beer, and eating pizza. Personally, I don't understand the people who get uptight about people talking, joking, and having fun at game night. I mean, really. It's a game. It's supposed to be fun.

Also, if your players talk more than play, and it's supposed to be a "serious" game, maybe you should re-evaluate your campaign or DMing style. Maybe you're not engaging enough as a DM, or they're bored with the current campaign.

 

[WizarDru]

First question to ask yourself: Is this the only reason for your growing case of DM burnout? If so, that changes the importance of the issue. It is because you see it as a negative motivator? In other words, you feel like you work hard on the game, and the fact that your players aren't paying rapt attention feels like a slight, or you worry that it reflects on your DM skills?

I think a compromise might be in order. For my group, we like to balance the two. The joy of D&D and gaming is that they are social activities, usually with your friends. It would be a dour endeavour if the game were without some diversion or socializing, and I doubt you want that. However, there is a line that can be drawn, fuzzy and blurred though it may be.

My group gathers on either Friday or Saturday from 7:30-8:00 to about 1:00AM, so I understand where you're coming from. Sometimes we are very late to start...I know, I can be part of the problem, myself. Talk of the latest movie, Weird AL album, Everquest, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, or anything else goes. But when the game is in full swing, the rules change.

Try to see if you can convince folks to get it out of their systems in the beginning and end of the sessions, for a start. Slightly unsubtle reminders during the game can help. For example, in our group, if we're getting too far afield, I or a player may point out "...but that's not really important right now, what spell are you casting?"

Keep rulings short and simple, and deputize players in such instances, unless the rule is a gamestopper. For example, when a player wants to use rusting grasp on a golem, and you're not sure how to rule, or he wants to grapple a roper...let them find rule cites for you, or relevant text passages. This occupies them, and frees you up to keep the game moving. With 8 players, you have 2 more than I do, and have a lot to do.

Try to minimize instances where parts of the party have to split up. In a game with as many players as you have, if only four players are busy, the others will invariably fall to discussion if they are unoccupied by the game. If this is unavoidable, either find ways to utilize them towards the game (such as rolling for monsters or researching rules, finding minis, etc.) or at the minimum, ask them if they can keep it down so that it doesn't disrupt you, so that you can get them back in the action quicker.

Ultimately, you need to do what's the most fun for you and your group. There are lots of approaches to take, and ways to do it.

 

[Bagpuss]

Shoot one player every hour until they stop chit-chatting... LOL

Now you are just being silly.

 

[Mark Chance]

*shrug* I don't care. For us, gaming is a social activity, an excuse to order food, drink beer, and enjoy each other's company at the end of the week. If no-one actually feels like gaming that night, so what? We're having fun, and that's what matters.

Hear, hear! Amen! Testify!

If I want to curb table talk, it is usually best for me to shut up and get to GMing.

As anyone in my group can verify, I am the master of the obscure sub-reference and unprovoked rant.