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<blockquote data-quote="Herobizkit" data-source="post: 6752693" data-attributes="member: 36150"><p>There are a number of points in the OP's post that need touching on... I'm going to try and point form it.</p><p></p><p>* Unless you're paying them a fair wage, players will never be on time for any number of reason you can't control.</p><p></p><p>In my home game, we schedule an hour of buffer time for socializing - We chat, catch up on stuff, and get warmed up for the game. Schedule the "show up" time 2 hours ahead of when you want to start; that gives you an acceptable hour of leeway plus an hour of warm-up. ^_^</p><p></p><p>* You know things players don't - don't expect them to make plans based on your knowledge.</p><p></p><p>Players are going to question a lot of things they do or could do, _especially_ new players who haven't learned the system or perhaps even how story or narrative works. If you feel that players are taking too long to decide what to do OUTSIDE of combat, push the scene ahead - either with a fight (fr'ex, a patrol or random encounter; doesn't have to be a fight, but something to get their brains working faster) or drop some obvious information that forces them to act or lose an advantage.</p><p></p><p>* Inexperienced players take longer at the table because the choices and uncertainties of success/failure can be paralyzing.</p><p></p><p>In the case of your dawdling player, rather than skipping her turn entirely, you could have had her 'delay' and move her initiative down the line, until she got to the end - then she would have had to decide or forfeit. You could also have her talk to her fellow players for advice rather than forcing a "be in the moment" RP... it's a game, after all.</p><p></p><p>* Don't be afraid to allow the PC's to fail.</p><p></p><p>Honestly, it's the only way they'll learn... sometimes.</p><p></p><p>* If the players aren't working together, maybe you're not running the game they want to play. DM's always tend to run games they wish THEY were playing.</p><p></p><p>You're at the head of the table, so you direct the action - if the players are all off doing whatever they want, forcing you to make stuff up on the go... that's fine, but it's clear they're not interested in a time-sensitive story-driven game or the plot you've placed before them.</p><p></p><p>It's generally better to run 'situations' and let the PC's handle how they're going to deal with them. If they're indecisive, either they're just worried about the pass/fail of their efforts or their goals may yet be unclear.</p><p></p><p>These are some random insights from where I'm sitting, but bottom line, you need to have a chat with your players and get down to what kind of game they _really_ want to play. Players who say "whatever is fine" may think they MEAN that, but they might not actually be sure what they want to do and will follow whatever you have written for them.</p><p></p><p>But you still have to work at their pace... or force their hand.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Herobizkit, post: 6752693, member: 36150"] There are a number of points in the OP's post that need touching on... I'm going to try and point form it. * Unless you're paying them a fair wage, players will never be on time for any number of reason you can't control. In my home game, we schedule an hour of buffer time for socializing - We chat, catch up on stuff, and get warmed up for the game. Schedule the "show up" time 2 hours ahead of when you want to start; that gives you an acceptable hour of leeway plus an hour of warm-up. ^_^ * You know things players don't - don't expect them to make plans based on your knowledge. Players are going to question a lot of things they do or could do, _especially_ new players who haven't learned the system or perhaps even how story or narrative works. If you feel that players are taking too long to decide what to do OUTSIDE of combat, push the scene ahead - either with a fight (fr'ex, a patrol or random encounter; doesn't have to be a fight, but something to get their brains working faster) or drop some obvious information that forces them to act or lose an advantage. * Inexperienced players take longer at the table because the choices and uncertainties of success/failure can be paralyzing. In the case of your dawdling player, rather than skipping her turn entirely, you could have had her 'delay' and move her initiative down the line, until she got to the end - then she would have had to decide or forfeit. You could also have her talk to her fellow players for advice rather than forcing a "be in the moment" RP... it's a game, after all. * Don't be afraid to allow the PC's to fail. Honestly, it's the only way they'll learn... sometimes. * If the players aren't working together, maybe you're not running the game they want to play. DM's always tend to run games they wish THEY were playing. You're at the head of the table, so you direct the action - if the players are all off doing whatever they want, forcing you to make stuff up on the go... that's fine, but it's clear they're not interested in a time-sensitive story-driven game or the plot you've placed before them. It's generally better to run 'situations' and let the PC's handle how they're going to deal with them. If they're indecisive, either they're just worried about the pass/fail of their efforts or their goals may yet be unclear. These are some random insights from where I'm sitting, but bottom line, you need to have a chat with your players and get down to what kind of game they _really_ want to play. Players who say "whatever is fine" may think they MEAN that, but they might not actually be sure what they want to do and will follow whatever you have written for them. But you still have to work at their pace... or force their hand. [/QUOTE]
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