Do you keep players in your group who don't contribute?

[Emirikol]

We tried out a noob last night. Very quiet. Pleasant person, but the entirety of his conversation was:
Hello
15 for [5 points of damage]
/repeat for a couple combats/
Bye

I'm not kidding. That was the contribution to the game.

Do you guys keep people in the group who don't contribute?

jh

 

[Crothian]

I have before. I try to get them more involved in the game but as long as no one minds that they just sit there and they seem to be having fun it doesn't bother me.

 

[Ilium]

I never really game with people I don't already know, so it's not an issue.

 

[Gentlegamer]

He's a new player. Did you expect him to take charge of the group?

Try asking him what he thinks the group should [in this situation]?

You really want him to blossom? Go old school and make him the party caller. Works like a charm!

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

He's probably just shy and will open up later. The guy our group recruited was kind of like that. It took a couple of sessions for him to get going.

Of course, it's also possible the guy didn't like y'all, but was too polite to leave.

Brad

 

[Michael Silverbane]

We had a guy like this... who basically just sat quietly through most sessions. After his first couple of sessions, I asked him what was wrong, thinking that he must not be enjoying himself, and his response was, "I had a great time..." followed by a big long story about how he had interacted with such and such and so and so (which he didn't do... I should know, as I was the DM and in charge of the NPCs such and such AND so and so)... But, since he seemed to be enjoying himself, and didn't distract from the rest of the players, I figured that there was no harm in allowing him to continue in that fashion.

He was a part of the group for several years, until he moved out of state, and he never caused any trouble, and he seemed to continue to enjoy himself.

So... Yes. I would absolutely allow a player to continue that did not, "contribute" anything... So long as he chips in for snacks and whatnot, and doesn't bring the game to a halt, I see no problem with it.

Later
silver

 

[Hussar]

We had a guy like this... who basically just sat quietly through most sessions. After his first couple of sessions, I asked him what was wrong, thinking that he must not be enjoying himself, and his response was, "I had a great time..." followed by a big long story about how he had interacted with such and such and so and so (which he didn't do... I should know, as I was the DM and in charge of the NPCs such and such AND so and so)... But, since he seemed to be enjoying himself, and didn't distract from the rest of the players, I figured that there was no harm in allowing him to continue in that fashion.

He was a part of the group for several years, until he moved out of state, and he never caused any trouble, and he seemed to continue to enjoy himself.

So... Yes. I would absolutely allow a player to continue that did not, "contribute" anything... So long as he chips in for snacks and whatnot, and doesn't bring the game to a halt, I see no problem with it.

Later
silver

You had that guy too? I played with him in high school. Almost exactly what you describe. He certainly gets around.

 

[Mallus]

We tried out a noob last night. Very quiet. Pleasant person, but the entirety of his conversation was:
Hello
15 for [5 points of damage]
/repeat for a couple combats/
Bye

I'm not kidding. That was the contribution to the game.

What did you do to draw him out?

 

[Doug McCrae]

Some people are happy to remain in the background. Robin Laws calls this type the casual gamer. This guy might not be naturally quiet though, he could just be holding back cause he's new.

 

[pogre]

Some people are happy to remain in the background. Robin Laws calls this type the casual gamer. This guy might not be naturally quiet though, he could just be holding back cause he's new.

This was my thought as well. He is either a casual gamer, and there is nothing wrong with having a couple of those in your group, or he is holding back.