How involved are the players in your game? Do they show up to a session without having any recollection of what happened the last time, or what character they are playing? Do they write half the campaign's setting? Do they buy anything as long as it relates to their character, co-DM for some arcs, or have to borrow dice?
DM/Player participation
- Thread starter Fenes
- Start date
My players are as involved in the game setting, maintenance and creation as I am.
We run a homebrew which came about last year one afternoon when we were all bored at work and decided on a "create a setting" thread on our gaming message board. It was originally generated as a possible setting for a pulp fantasy Spirit of the Century game which never happened.
I decided to use it for 4e when it came out and we have all added to it since.
Post game start my players are also heavily involved and I actively seek their views on what they want to do, what sorts of scenes they want, interesting npc's and locations, game events, plot lines and activities.
We run a homebrew which came about last year one afternoon when we were all bored at work and decided on a "create a setting" thread on our gaming message board. It was originally generated as a possible setting for a pulp fantasy Spirit of the Century game which never happened.
I decided to use it for 4e when it came out and we have all added to it since.
Post game start my players are also heavily involved and I actively seek their views on what they want to do, what sorts of scenes they want, interesting npc's and locations, game events, plot lines and activities.
My weekly campaign's players are not that involved. One buys his own splatbooks, but I am lucky if they read the session summaries I mail out, and do not just look at the pictures and skim the text.
The monthly campaign has all three participants co-dming each session, so there's lots more involvement.
The monthly campaign has all three participants co-dming each session, so there's lots more involvement.
Mustrum_Ridcully
Legend
I have voted for the "read the campaign journal", though admittedly most of the time, we don't have one. But we did have them for some campaigns, and it was written by a player (me 
). And players keep notes and hand-outs around (though sometimes they get lost or the player can't come, so we have become very careful about that )
). And players keep notes and hand-outs around (though sometimes they get lost or the player can't come, so we have become very careful about that )As I suspect it is in most groups, the degree of involvement of the PCs in my group varies considerably:
-All have their own character sheet and dice (And I'd have thought that was a given for any campaign)
-All but one own PHBs, two own significant numbers of splatbooks or other supplemental material.
-One writes a campaign journal, nominally from his character's perspective but sometimes containing OOC comments or little pokes at me or the events of the game.
Mostly, the PCs keep abreast of what happens in-game and remember it from session to session, even discussing the game on other occations, but as the plot is complicated and the game moves somewhat slowly, occationally their interest flags or they need reminders of past events or NPC names.
-All have their own character sheet and dice (And I'd have thought that was a given for any campaign)
-All but one own PHBs, two own significant numbers of splatbooks or other supplemental material.
-One writes a campaign journal, nominally from his character's perspective but sometimes containing OOC comments or little pokes at me or the events of the game.
Mostly, the PCs keep abreast of what happens in-game and remember it from session to session, even discussing the game on other occations, but as the plot is complicated and the game moves somewhat slowly, occationally their interest flags or they need reminders of past events or NPC names.
Ahnehnois
First Post
I have my players post up to date character sheets on our message boards, which one of the players set up for us. Most of them have a ton of rpg books.
I write session reviews and the players at most post a reply. I've thought about co-DMing arrangements with a large group, but never actually done that.
I write session reviews and the players at most post a reply. I've thought about co-DMing arrangements with a large group, but never actually done that.
Gilladian
Adventurer
My players all have their own PH's and dice and character sheets. One keeps an extensive journal or notebook of events - its really just a running "he did this, she said that" but they refer to it frequently for names and treasure reminders and bits of campaign knowledge.
None of them help with campaign design, tho one comes up with fun stories that I often use to fill in campaign detail.
We use very few splatbooks, because none of us want to take the time to read/absorb/playtest all the new info.
None of them help with campaign design, tho one comes up with fun stories that I often use to fill in campaign detail.
We use very few splatbooks, because none of us want to take the time to read/absorb/playtest all the new info.
I don't think that what books they own, or how much setting material they write, is a measure of how involved a player is in the game. Or, perhaps more accurately - failing to have books or not writing setting material does not imply the player is "uninvolved".
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Of course not having books or not writing does not mean a player cannot be involved. But I do think how much time and money a player invests in the game is one measure of how involved the player is. And I also believe that a player being an active writer with regards to the setting material or the campaign chronicle is also a sure sign of involvement in a game.
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