Player Distractions.

[Oryan77]

This is a question to the players.

When you are reading, texting, playing video games on your handheld device, stacking dice, doodling, or doing anything else other than paying attention to the game, does that mean you are bored? Or are you just fidgeting and still paying attention?

As a DM, we would like to know if you are bored. When I see a player doing these things, I immediately think I must be boring them. Especially if they are playing video games or texting.

How often is that true with you and your DM? If you are not doing it out of boredom, would you be upset if the DM asked you to stop? Not so much the fidgeting stuff (stacking dice, doodling), but would you be upset if the DM asked you to stop texting or reading a book?

A question for DMs; do you feel it is rude if a player is doing these things? Would you ask him/her to stop?

 

[Water Bob]

This is a question to the players.

When you are reading, texting, playing video games on your handheld device, stacking dice, doodling, or doing anything else other than paying attention to the game, does that mean you are bored? Or are you just fidgeting and still paying attention?

As a DM, we would like to know if you are bored. When I see a player doing these things, I immediately think I must be boring them. Especially if they are playing video games or texting.

How often is that true with you and your DM? If you are not doing it out of boredom, would you be upset if the DM asked you to stop? Not so much the fidgeting stuff (stacking dice, doodling), but would you be upset if the DM asked you to stop texting or reading a book?

A question for DMs; do you feel it is rude if a player is doing these things? Would you ask him/her to stop?

I learned a long time ago that, when the game is going on, the TV "off". There is no music unless it is "mood" music. And, I want everyone at the table.

I used to not allow players to help each other out while one of their characters was involved in a situation and the other not, but I've grown to appreciate this for a way of keeping all players interested in the game even when their characters are "off camera".

 

[Elf Witch]

Yep it means I am bored. If I am enjoying the game I pay attention even if I am not involved in the scene.

I do stack dice but not because I am bored but to have something to do with my hands instead of reaching for the junk food.

 

[Ringlerun]

This is a question to the players.

When you are reading, texting, playing video games on your handheld device, stacking dice, doodling, or doing anything else other than paying attention to the game, does that mean you are bored? Or are you just fidgeting and still paying attention?

As a DM, we would like to know if you are bored. When I see a player doing these things, I immediately think I must be boring them. Especially if they are playing video games or texting.

How often is that true with you and your DM? If you are not doing it out of boredom, would you be upset if the DM asked you to stop? Not so much the fidgeting stuff (stacking dice, doodling), but would you be upset if the DM asked you to stop texting or reading a book?

A question for DMs; do you feel it is rude if a player is doing these things? Would you ask him/her to stop?

As a player i do get bored (thats when i start scheming) but i would never text, or play a video game. And the only book i would be perusing would be the players handbook or dm guide.(for my scheming)

I do stack dice and doodle even when im listening intently its just something i have always done.

And i give the DM the right to throw polyurethane dice at my head if anything i do becomes disruptive to the group.

 

[ggroy]

I've played in rpg games where some players fell asleep during the game, even during the day or outside in the sunlight.

This is the most definite sign that the players are really bored.

 

[bloodtide]

It's not always about the game. A lot of people suffer from the Plugged In Problem: they simply can't live for more then a couple minutes without checking the world via their phone or such.

The sneaky thing is though....a RPG almost automatically gets boring from time to time. It's just the nature of the game. For example, combat focused players think meeting the king for dinner is boring.

As a Dm with friends it has never been an issue. But when I game with anyone else I'll bring it up before the game starts. I will do the 'movie thing' and ask everyone to turn all electronic things off(and yes, I'm hard core: If you absolutely insist that you must keep your phone 'on' as your borther might spontaneity com bust then I will not let you join the game...and send you over to his house with a bucket of water). For some groups I even have a wicker basket where everyone puts the things and they are placed far away.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

If I am texting, it is probably to another player, and probably something mean about the DM (or an NPC). Although I do occasionally get a text from my wife, which I will return once or twice before ending that conversation.

If I am on the computer, I am looking at my character (which I keep on my computer) or my character or campaign notes. If I am looking at a book, it is probably for some detail about a power or spell that my character has and that I plan on using.

If I am bored or dissatisfied with a game, I will tell you about it.


When I am running a game, I don't really care what you do unless it is disrupting the game.

I have one player who plays DC Heroes or some nonsense while the game is in progress. He can keep up with what is going on in my game just fine and he does not distract the other players, so that is okay by me.

I have another player that pays attention all right, but does not seem to be able to take his action without going into a long discussion about a billion different things, which may be only tangentially related to anything that is going on in the game. That slows things down, and I often tell him to, 'shut the poop up and roll the dice.'

 

[Revil Fox]

The sneaky thing is though....a RPG almost automatically gets boring from time to time. It's just the nature of the game. For example, combat focused players think meeting the king for dinner is boring.

This is actually a really good point. There's always going to be that one guy who only likes combat, or the one guy who hates combat. It's very rare to find an entire group who has the same interest level in the same things.

Some of the players in my group get bored during combat because it can take a long time for it to be their turn. That's one of the things I love most about the Aces & Eights and Hackmaster "Count-Up" system of combat. There's no turns, everything happens by the second, just like real life. Just because you did something on count 17 doesn't mean you can't act again on 18, or 20, or whatever. I've found it to be the best way to keep a group engaged in the combat.

 

[MortalPlague]

A question for DMs; do you feel it is rude if a player is doing these things? Would you ask him/her to stop?

I have a lot of players who are plugged-in. We'll often have DSes at the table, or cell phones, or books from time to time. I've asked people to stop, and they have, but after a few sessions, they'll be back at it.

It bugs me, sure. But it doesn't seem to impact their enjoyment of the game. They mostly seem to be on the ball when their turn comes up, so...

 

[wedgeski]

We game in a room with no inherent distraction, and I've even gone so far as to forbid the ornithologist in the group from seating himself where he has a view of the garden! Phones are frowned on by mutual agreement, but some of these guys are away from wife and kids for five or six hours on a Sunday and I can't seriously expect them not to be available for their families if something comes up.

The distractions that annoy me the most are those that disrespect the other players. For example, if I'm roleplaying a scene with only part of the group (perhaps the gruff dwarf and the cynical rogue have excused themselves from a delicate negotiation), it really infuriates me if the people not involved in the scene start a side conversation. Someone once even said, "Sorry, we were talking and missed all that, can you re-cap?". I threw a d20 at him.