D&D General Do players REALLY care about the game world?

[loverdrive]

Players care about what's important about the world.

Nobody gives two shits about a king ruling a place on the other side of the world, or where Tabaxi live.

They do care about Misfar, that one-armed village elder who gave them a place to hide while they were on the run from Alshiriyr's Five. They do care about the city where their families live.

Long story short, they care about things that are organically became important.

 

[Mort]

* The majority of the players in my experience* are going to respond to what you give them as a DM at the table, regardless of what you've done away from the table. What do I mean? If you tell a good story, you can draw them in and hook them. If you don't tell a good story at the table, regardless of how well you craft the world, they're not going to bite.

^This

My experience as well. It doesn't matter how, detailed, deep, flavored etc. The world is if the DM doesn't /can't convey it to his players.

 

[Tonguez]

My experience as a player is that it varies absolutely freakin' hugely.

It can be anything from "Ooooh this is mysterious and fascinating!" to the point where I'm really wanting to know more, to "Okay fine w/e let's kill stuff".

Two things which make people care more in my experience as a player are:

1) The setting has some kind of central mystery/big premise to it.

2) The setting actually has stuff for PCs themselves to engage with and influence - i.e. it's not "too big" for the PCs to be significant.

A good example of a D&D setting where I, as a player, cared about the setting would be Dark Sun - there's the mystery of how exactly this happened and what exactly is going on, and the game is clearly set up so you're on the way to being one of the movers-and-shakers.

Two things which make people care much less about a setting in my experience as a player are:

Yes very much this, I very much prefer setting that engage my interest by allowing the PCs to both learn stuff through play AND actually influence and create things in it. Its why I allow PCs to add aspects to scenes (as per fate), always have PCs part of an organisation and use a Influence/wealth mechanic as well as asking for PC backgrounds to include NPC allies and patrons - in game bonds and relationships that can meaningfully impact play. Of course some players just use wealth to buy stuff, but some get into the influence minigame.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

Anytime you group a hugely diverse number of people together and speak about them as if they're all the same, you're doing a disservice.

I completely agree with this. Which is why I only mention myself and my players in the OP. I dislike painting with a broad brush and was also why I asked for others' input.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

If your PCs are not showing interest in your world, it may not be the world or players that need to change - it might be your delivery at the table. Maybe you're tired. Maybe you're insecure in your delivery. Maybe you've never spent any time learning how to build tension, deliver lines, or do all the other things that give players the rush at the table. After all, DMing is role playing - acting - and all the things that can ruin a good play can disrupt your game as well.

... plus more really interesting stuff.

I think I didn't express myself well in the OP.

My players are quite invested in the game and, typically, will ask at the end of the session when we can meet next. We are, as a group, very satisfied with the game, game-time and hanging out together

But I've come to believe that it's because the adventure was interesting and exciting. Not that Bob the Creator God hammered for three eons to make the Dwarves or some such.

It's probably my particular group, though. As we are very much Beer and Pretzel type gamers.

 

[timbannock]

Depends on what the game is about per Session Zero. If we're expecting exploration or investigation to be heavy, I care more about the world. If it's "We're playing Tomb of Horrors" or "Die Vecna" or something the world could be whatever generic fantasy grab bag as long as the fights and challenges are harrowing and feel gritty/epic (respectively).

 

[Shiroiken]

While there's quite a mix, I'd say the majority don't care, but IME a lot of players just consider their character to be nothing more than numbers on a piece of paper. I care, as do most DMs or part time DMs, but also most serious players do so as well. I think the reason for this is that an immersive world lets the players choose how to impact it, rather than just being led around by the DM's adventures. Showing this interest about the character's plans allows the DM to then work these things into the adventures (or as inspiration for them).

 

[Mercurius]

Some do, some don't. I think it is that simple. Some players are very casual and just show up to roll dice and kill things. Others get into the full experience of role-play and exploration. A few go deeper. I find that among the latter, the interest to DM often arises.

D&D (and ttrpgs in general) is a strange past-time in that almost in-built is a wide range of interest levels. This can lead to frustration for DMs, who tend to be the most invested types, but it is also just the nature of the game and has to be worked with. I know that for myself it has been like pulling teeth trying to get some players to read handouts and write character backgrounds out of session - to them it is like homework. Others go really deep into their character concept and want to figure out what the world is all about, taking notes on everything.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

Yes. If I don't care, the game is boring.

I agree. But is it the world that makes the game exciting or the adventures that make the game exciting or a combination of the two?

I mean, there is a lot of DM skill involved. A great DM can make a white board exciting. A poor DM can make even the best world and adventure a chore. So there is that, I guess.

 

[Grogg of the North]

I find myself caring about the world as both GM and Player. But as a player, you've got to help me care about the world. I find being in one place helps me care more. I've lived in this town for years and I've been doing my best to make it a better place for everyone. If the town reflects my efforts and NPCs acknowledge them, then I'm going to be much more invested. If, however, I'm hopping from city to city, plane to plane, and every NPC is an unlikable jerk, then I'm not going to care too much and slide into murderhobo-dom.