Party just doesn't work

[Oni]

Are they having fun? Are you having fun?

I think those are two important questions, and I highly suggest talking to your play group get an idea of how everyone feels about the state of the game if you haven't already.


Over planning and nitpicking details can really burn through valuable game time. Remember as DM you are the MC, if things are starting to bog down take it upon yourself to keep things moving. Tell the players you need to know what they are doing in the next X amount of time or events are going to move on in the game world of their own accord. If they spend too much time jawing in front of McEvil's hideout have the guards discover them, set things in motion, just do something.


Regarding the the disorganization in combat, consider what sort of game you are running before you decide if this is behavior that you want to try to alter. Again I recommend talking to the players, if they are agreeable to it, tell them that you want to increase the difficulty of things a little, that you'll be pulling less punches. Let their disorganization sting them a few times, and I think you'll start to see a more cohesive party.

 

[Pseudopsyche]

If the PCs forfeit initiative, let the monsters strike first. If the PCs don't use teamwork, give them smaller challenges. If everyone's having fun, what's the problem?

If your players are feeling frustrated, I would recommend talking to them out-of-game. Suggest they elect a leader. It doesn't have to be a permanent decision; they can hold reelections every level. If not, reward anybody who shows initiative.

Also, use social modeling. Have the enemies, especially intelligent ones like a thieves' guild, work together. Their leader should bark out commands and direct her underlings to focus fire on the biggest threat. Show the PCs that their enemies communicate, and perhaps they'll follow suit.

 

[Disturbance]

I am the fighter. My job is to stand in front of the big guy, take hits and stack miniatures. It seems I'm good at it, because I have a record of like, 17 miniatures on 1 miniature without touching the table.

I always get the feeling that others take like a zillion years to make battel descisions. Mine are quite simple, I roll 2 dice and im done. rest takes 324897 minutes to figure how magic missile works which they ahve casted like, 38259 times before (how hard can it be).

I think we should discuss some simple tactics (like 3 or something) which we all agree on. So if the battle starts we only need to know what tactic we use.

And evil hideouts....i dont really care. I eat ogre's for breakfast nomnom! GET IN MA BELLLYYYYY

 

[ForceUser]

I am the fighter. My job is to stand in front of the big guy, take hits and stack miniatures. It seems I'm good at it, because I have a record of like, 17 miniatures on 1 miniature without touching the table.

I have no idea what this means, but it sounds like you have some frustrated players. Might be time for the group to discuss what's going on and what can be done to make the game more fun for everyone.

 

[Dasherion]

Et voila, un simple example of what I'm working with (though I must say, that record of 17 miniatures was constructed under my supervision). And magic spells are quite hard to remember you know.
I'm all for the tactics, so I'd say we start whipping up some stuff for next time? It's just that you don't seem to bring (no offense) such brilliant ideas to the table when we're at it. You know I'm feeling very insecure about anything I come up with.

 

[Pbartender]

I have no idea what this means, but it sounds like you have some frustrated players. Might be time for the group to discuss what's going on and what can be done to make the game more fun for everyone.

It means he's getting bored during the other players' turns, while he waits for them to decide what to do.

I used to have a similar problem with my players... especially out of combat.

In any given situation, the players would spend hours sitting around trying to figure out what to do. They'd come up with a dozen half-plans, but never decided on any single course of action. Often, this happened because they weren't picking up on vital clues, and from the players' point of view, there was no clear goal to work toward at the time.

My solution was to make a few courses of action painfully obvious, while still keeping an open mind toward any other oddball plans. Also, I stopped making the clues themselves quite so difficult to spot. Finally, I'd make certain to remind the players of the relevant clues ("Hey guys, don't forget that..."), when they start getting confused about where to go next.

 

[Dasherion]

I like the previous answer, although that doesnt really go up for the battles.

Also this (Im with that):

Suggest they elect a leader. It doesn't have to be a permanent decision;

Although as said a lot of the guys (maybe including me?) are stubborn and will do their 'thing' regardless of the situation. In short, most people want to shine in their own way and we're missing the 'team is more than the sum of its parts' stuff.

But maybe it'll grow, cause it's still our first adventure, and I'm still inexperienced about what'll work in what situation.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I always get the feeling that others take like a zillion years to make battel descisions. Mine are quite simple, I roll 2 dice and im done. rest takes 324897 minutes to figure how magic missile works which they ahve casted like, 38259 times before (how hard can it be).

Something like spell cards could help to alleviate this problem. Also, a minute-glass or some other timing device can sometimes be helpful to speed player decisions during combat.

For group indecision, you could try granting some small additional benefit for daring (and fast) plans. For instance, if one player comes up with a plan that you think is cool, offer everybody a +1 to hit throughout the encounter if they agree and follow through with that plan right away.

Also, communication is key. If you think that player and/or group indecision is hindering everybody's fun, talk to the group about it.

 

[ForceUser]

One thing that we do that works well for us is if someone's taking a really long time to act, he just delays until he knows what to do. The DM sometimes prompts players to delay, and sometimes they say "I delay" themselves when their turns come up. Either way, just pull them out of the initiative order and toss them back in when they've decided what to do. Gameplay keeps going on, and nothing slows down. Also, don't be afraid to just be the DM and say "Your character is frozen with indecision. You're on a delay until you figure out what to do." If everyone's friends it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Mark]

Try having an NPC in-game select one of them as a defacto leader, perhaps due to being the same race (so that person is the one the NPC feels comfortable dealing with) or because of similar styles (a druidic leader hires the group and will hold the druid responsible for the group's actions). Rotate this through a handful of sessions so each one of the players (though in-game) is thrust into the position of having to lead. Find out which ones react the best and either discuss it later or simply begin to key adventures primarily toward one or two of them as being stuck as leader. I've seen this method help a group become more cohesive. You've got nothing to lose.