Sammael
Adventurer
Obviously, the topic title is an exaggeration - it's impossible to keep all players engaged and on the edge of their seats all the time (at least, I think it's impossible). However, it is my firm belief that every DM should strive to keep the players' attention focused as much as possible.
Unfortunately, since players are usually a pretty diverse bunch - even within the same group - keeping one player happy often means that some other player is not happy, because the two are interested in completely different things (storytelling vs powergaming, method acting vs kick in the door, puzzle solving vs exploration, and so on).
While the group remains together, this problem is not so apparent, since the party dynamic usually overrides individual desires, particularly in conflict situations (different players may have different approaches to conflict resolution, but the goal remains the same).
But, when one player decides that his character wants to do something on his own, the party dynamic... ceases to exist. Thus, I'm starting this thread in hope of learning new and innovative techniques that people are using in their games to keep all players engaged and focused during "one on one" parts of the game. I'll start with a few simple techniques:
1. Keep everybody in the same room. Nothing breaks the game like telling the player to come with you to the kitchen for a 15-minute sub-session while the other players die of boredom in the living room. Even worse is kicking the rest of the players out of the room while you and the player in question remain.
If your players are mature enough, you may as well hold the entire conversation, or plot, or whatever in front of them, since you are certain that they can separate meta-game knowledge from in-game knowledge (perhaps with a gentle reminder).
If the players are not so mature, or if the topic is particularly hot, I usually still hold most of the encounter in front of the others, and then separate the player in question for a few brief moments, or write a note containing confidential info.
By keeping everybody together, you will pique the other players' interest in the encounter, even if their characters actually don't have anything to do with it.
2. Ban/restrict cell phones and portable game consoles. Don't let players play with their gadgets, because this is ruinous to the game flow. This seems pretty obvious, but in this day and age, it bears repeating.
3. Try to turn one-on-one encounters into group encounters. Have other player character stumble upon their comrade (if appropriate) - maybe they will have something substantial to add to his solo encounter. This also creates tension, and tension is (almost always) good. Also, if two players want to go see the same NPC, gently nudge them to go at the same time, if at all possible.
4. Never spend too much time on one player. 10 minutes seems to be OK, in the sense that most (non-ADD) players will be able to suppress their session-breaking urges for that long. If you are absolutely certain that everybody is paying close attention to the game, you may extend this time a bit, particularly if you can't reach an appropriate cut-off point, but it's better to switch to another player or group in the middle of a conversation (and break that conversation) than break an entire session.
5. Alternate between different player types. By all that is unholy, never, ever switch from one method actor to another, unless you potentially want to lose the group for good. Switch from method actor to butt-kicker, then to storyteller, then to specialist, then to powergamer... this ensures that the whole experience does not become repetitive. Repetitive = recipe for disaster.
I can't think of any other techniques at the moment (I may have more, but I must be using them on a sub-conscious level). I'd love to hear other people's experiences and suggestions!
Unfortunately, since players are usually a pretty diverse bunch - even within the same group - keeping one player happy often means that some other player is not happy, because the two are interested in completely different things (storytelling vs powergaming, method acting vs kick in the door, puzzle solving vs exploration, and so on).
While the group remains together, this problem is not so apparent, since the party dynamic usually overrides individual desires, particularly in conflict situations (different players may have different approaches to conflict resolution, but the goal remains the same).
But, when one player decides that his character wants to do something on his own, the party dynamic... ceases to exist. Thus, I'm starting this thread in hope of learning new and innovative techniques that people are using in their games to keep all players engaged and focused during "one on one" parts of the game. I'll start with a few simple techniques:
1. Keep everybody in the same room. Nothing breaks the game like telling the player to come with you to the kitchen for a 15-minute sub-session while the other players die of boredom in the living room. Even worse is kicking the rest of the players out of the room while you and the player in question remain.
If your players are mature enough, you may as well hold the entire conversation, or plot, or whatever in front of them, since you are certain that they can separate meta-game knowledge from in-game knowledge (perhaps with a gentle reminder).
If the players are not so mature, or if the topic is particularly hot, I usually still hold most of the encounter in front of the others, and then separate the player in question for a few brief moments, or write a note containing confidential info.
By keeping everybody together, you will pique the other players' interest in the encounter, even if their characters actually don't have anything to do with it.
2. Ban/restrict cell phones and portable game consoles. Don't let players play with their gadgets, because this is ruinous to the game flow. This seems pretty obvious, but in this day and age, it bears repeating.
3. Try to turn one-on-one encounters into group encounters. Have other player character stumble upon their comrade (if appropriate) - maybe they will have something substantial to add to his solo encounter. This also creates tension, and tension is (almost always) good. Also, if two players want to go see the same NPC, gently nudge them to go at the same time, if at all possible.
4. Never spend too much time on one player. 10 minutes seems to be OK, in the sense that most (non-ADD) players will be able to suppress their session-breaking urges for that long. If you are absolutely certain that everybody is paying close attention to the game, you may extend this time a bit, particularly if you can't reach an appropriate cut-off point, but it's better to switch to another player or group in the middle of a conversation (and break that conversation) than break an entire session.
5. Alternate between different player types. By all that is unholy, never, ever switch from one method actor to another, unless you potentially want to lose the group for good. Switch from method actor to butt-kicker, then to storyteller, then to specialist, then to powergamer... this ensures that the whole experience does not become repetitive. Repetitive = recipe for disaster.
I can't think of any other techniques at the moment (I may have more, but I must be using them on a sub-conscious level). I'd love to hear other people's experiences and suggestions!