D&D 5E Do You Conduct AAR's After Each Session?

[hastur_nz]

Most players are not especially good at giving useful feedback, especially in a public forum. Totally depends on their personality types, of course, but usually when I've asked for feedback it hasn't given me much if anything to actually act upon.

As a DM, I see it as part of my job to look for and act on feedback in all forms, most of which isn't actively spoken or when it is it wasn't specifically asked for, e.g. you can usually tell what people enjoyed and when they are tuning out. So the best and most consistent feedback I get is listening to, and observing, my players during, after, and before sessions.

Personally I'm working on the Beginning and Ending of my sessions, and I think admin stuff like feedback, shopping, leveling, general chit-chat... all that stuff should be front-loaded so that when you do a summary you can all get stuck in playing the game, then the end of the session should be something memorable that has everyone leaving thinking "can't wait for the next session". So giving feedback at the end of the session, IMO, would be far too anti-climactic; also, it gives people no chance for reflection, you'll just get whatever is top of mind at that moment.

Like the old saying about how no-one remembers the middle part of a speech, just the start and the end.

 

[Ninja-radish]

After every session? Oh lord no, that sounds horrible. My players have no trouble expressing their distaste for something anyway. No need to go looking for more criticism, I get enough of it already ��

 

[Ninja-radish]

After every session? Oh lord no, that sounds horrible. My players have no trouble expressing their distaste for something anyway. No need to go looking for more criticism, I get enough of it already

 

[Rhenny]

I like to end the session with a little conversational talk about what happened in game. I don't pry or ask specific questions. Sometimes I ask what the players think or I get them to explain a little about what they liked. If possible, I get them to tell me a little more about what their characters are thinking so I can better plan for the next session.

One really important thing I look for is how they interpret clues or information from the game session. It is amazing how at times players will interpret information completely differently from what the DM intends. Sometimes their responses give me better ideas than what I originally planned too.

I maintain a skype group with my players so it is easy to ask them questions out of game or answer their questions out of game. We don't go crazy with it, but it helps sometimes. I'd rather field complaints in this way too so that everyone doesn't hear any gripes or "sour grapes".

 

[Shiroiken]

"Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on the QT? 'Cause if it leaks to the VC he could end up MIA, and then we'd all be put on KP."

I know someone in the military who was ordered to never do this again

 

[robus]

No - I try to end on a dramatic note, so shifting gears to a Q&A would really interfere with that vibe

I do plan to have a discussion at the end of the campaign where players can air their concerns (or sing my praises )

 

[Henry]

I wouldn't do this for every session, but I do try to do this every three or four sessions to make sure the campaign is heading in the right direction, and that the players are happy with the level of involvement of their characters in things they like to see. Given that this equates to about every two months in our games, it doesn't feel annoying to the players.

 

[Lanefan]

Never.

The session usually ends only because most of us are dog-tired; and if people were going to stick around longer we'd play longer.

And if something's going wrong I'll hear about it soon enough, no fear of that.

Lanefan

 

[woodja]

I know someone in the military who was ordered to never do this again

It's a quote from Good Morning Vietnam.

And I assume you are referring to Skippy?

 

[schnee]

Yeah, too often and it becomes a chore.

Every once in a while should be enough.