How to cut back on distractions? help

[Dausuul]

My group is composed of a bunch of friends who are right around 40 years old. And we've known each other for upwards of 20 years. When we get together to game each week we've got other stuff to discuss. Bitching about work, talking about our kids and wives and the latest funny thing we saw on the internet.

What we do is designate the first 30 minutes of the game session to just chatting and farting around. Gaming WILL NOT commence before 30 minutes into the session. That's the rule.

I notice that everything you describe is about social interaction--talking, joking, telling stories. The OP's complaint is about cell phones, laptops, and video games.

I am, to put it mildly, a lot more accepting of the former than the latter. The way I see it, gaming is a chance to get together and hang out with friends; social interaction is as important as the game itself, if not more so. So if some nights we spend more time shooting the bull than actually gaming, it's no big loss. However, "playing with electronic gadgets" is not part of the mission statement*, and you can damn well do it on your own time.

I'm fortunate not to have to deal with that crap at my table--we do, as with Rel's group, sometimes spend a lot of time chatting and joking, but nobody's sending texts in the middle of combat. Once in a while somebody might want to show the group a Youtube video before the game starts, and once in a long while one of the players will take a brief call about something business- or family-related (two of the players are co-owners of a local Radio Shack, and two more have kids at home) but that's about it.

In the situation the OP describes, I'd push for a "no cell phone/text message conversations except emergencies, no computers, no video games" rule. Just be sure you know how you plan to enforce it and that you're ready to follow through, because I give it better than even odds somebody's going to test your resolve within five sessions. In-game sanctions--e.g., character death--are one option; I don't normally advocate in-game retaliation for out-of-game obnoxiousness, but in this case it might work as long as you establish the policy up front. Requiring everyone to hand over the gadgetry is another. An outright player-ban is the big gun, but may be necessary given what you've described.

Whatever you do, hold the line and don't let anything slide "just this once," or soon you'll be right back where you started. Here's how it will go if you aren't careful:

DM: "Bob, it's Thorgrim's turn."
Bob (texting busily): "One sec."
DM: "You know the rules. Rocks fall on Thorgrim's head and he dies."
Bob (hastily puts phone away): "No, it's okay, I'm done. I'm attacking, uh, that guy." (starts rolling dice)
DM: "..."

(The proper answer here is, "Too late. You're dead. Make a new character." Or whatever other penalty you've agreed on. But the DM has to be prepared to be a hard-ass.)

[size=-2]*No, we do not have a literal mission statement.[/size]

 

[nedjer]

I'm with the zombies approach mentioned above; though it does raise the question (perhaps unfairly) of whether the game is sufficiently compelling, (novel, spontaneous, 'fear of God', shock and awe, tantalising, mysterious), enough to make the errant player/ s shake his/ her head at being dumb enough to tune out.

 

[nedjer]

Of course, if all else fails this should do the trick. (Though I'd have to consider it as some distance beyond a last resort).

How to make an EMP device

 

[steeldragons]

The way I see it, gaming is a chance to get together and hang out with friends; social interaction is as important as the game itself, if not more so. So if some nights we spend more time shooting the bull than actually gaming, it's no big loss. However, "playing with electronic gadgets" is not part of the mission statement*, and you can damn well do it on your own time.

...In the situation the OP describes, I'd push for a "no cell phone/text message conversations except emergencies, no computers, no video games" rule. Just be sure you know how you plan to enforce it and that you're ready to follow through, because I give it better than even odds somebody's going to test your resolve within five sessions.

Absotively...on all points.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I'm a fan of the "social contract". Since there really are dbags out there who don't understand that it's bad to interrupt the here-and-now, face-to-face event for an incoming text message or a quick ogle of a youtube vid, just spell it out explicitly in writing.

It's kind of silly, imho, that this sort of thing is necessary, but that appears to be the world we live in.

Also...

Of course, if all else fails this should do the trick. (Though I'd have to consider it as some distance beyond a last resort).

How to make an EMP device

Less drastic solution: build and game in a Faraday cage.

 

[Sunseeker]

Laptops is always a big distracter, but, everyone in my current group(where I play not run) has one, and we all pay good attention. But we can also all see the initive list, so I think we have a better sense of when we should go than some of my other games with "hidden" initives. I'd never actually done that before and it's suprising how much easier it is to keep track of when you need to go without having to memorize init or track it yourself.

Isolation has always been my prime trick, playing away from a TV, away from other people, that tends to keep distractions down. I don't much care for the "library" or "theater" rule, ie: phones and laptops off, because I've never had an issue with anyone taking calls or being so into the computer as to miss the game.

So I dunno, I'm generally pretty laid back when I GM, the only time distractions really broke me out of the game was when this one player kept making off-color jokes. Which is a whole other issue in-and-of itsself.

 

[Oryan77]

Maybe everyone is there to text, talk on the phone, & surf the web. Maybe D&D is getting in the way of their social networking? Ban D&D and then there will be no problems!

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Maybe everyone is there to text, talk on the phone, & surf the web. Maybe D&D is getting in the way of their social networking? Ban D&D and then there will be no problems!

"Hey guys, can you stop rolling the dice so loud? I'm trying to read ENWorld here, and a dude can't hear himself think!"

 

[Umbran]

I'm with the zombies approach mentioned above; though it does raise the question (perhaps unfairly) of whether the game is sufficiently compelling, (novel, spontaneous, 'fear of God', shock and awe, tantalising, mysterious), enough to make the errant player/ s shake his/ her head at being dumb enough to tune out.

You're talking about a world in which people text message while driving. Apparently, even the credible threat of vehicular manslaughter is not sufficient to keep people off the damned things.

 

[Evil DieM]

I recommended gagging their mouths and checking their devices at the door. They are not necessary for rolling dice and creating replacement characters during a session, though they will still protest. But I find that not to be a distraction since it amuses me.

I also like blindfolding them, too, but that's just a personal preference. It saves me from having to hide my rolls behind the screen. Its liberating to be able to fudge in the open like that. *shudder*

Sorry. What was the question?