Getting feedback from players

[Keeper of Secrets]

Be preparred for stuff you do not want to hear. Don't go into it with merely an idea they will stroke your ego.

I find a great place to get feedback (honest feedback) is at a bar with a few drinks and a friendly atmosphere.

There are also other clues that you can pick up on. Do they seem excited? Do they take notes and really get into character? Do people show up all the time and don't dare miss. I think all these things give clues.

 

[wedgeski]

At the risk of continually perpetuating the same thread, I believe Piratecat had a very good player questionnaire that he posted once upon a time.

 

[Jubilee]

if you ask your players for feedback, don't turn around and tell them that it's them that needs to change and do the "Maybe I should just quit if you don't like me!" move if you don't like what you hear..

 

[Piratecat]

At the risk of continually perpetuating the same thread, I believe Piratecat had a very good player questionnaire that he posted once upon a time.

You may be right. I'll go see if I can find it!

 

[TerraDave]

Its tricky. And, to be 100% honest, it is compounded by the fact that people who game may not always be the best communicators (at least when there not in charecter).

Take the lead: Do you see something you think is problem, try to bring that up, preferably in a billateral situation. That quite guy that never complains may feel the same.

Read in between the lines: Sometimes a comment or dispute on a game detail is just that. But, a player may note how something is bothering them sort of obliquely. Or, at the other extreme, sometimes people seem to get hung up on very particular things, to the point they look crazy. And maybe they are (they really want to be a ninja). Or it reflects something that actually matters, like dificulty in playing the charecter, the charecters relative power/opportunites, game pacing, and so on. But for some reason they aren't saying it like that. They are saying how their ninja should be able to teleport.

Who gets the grease: Overally aggresive, overbearing, passive aggresive, munchkiny, anal, in play, out of play,...it might be subtle, it might be like an actual orc at the table, but watch out here. I don't say "don't play favorites" for any reason of fairness or philosophy, but just based on hard experience. Be sure not to have things revolve around the one guy who actualy vocalizes. (This also applies to the dynamic between the players. Step in as a last resort, but do so if needed. And don't make it worse.)

Don't sweat it too much: and with all that, if they keep coming back, maybe the best way to be a better DM is to run a game you like, and learn from the mistakes you know you are making.

 

[TerraDave]

if you ask your players for feedback, don't turn around and tell them that it's them that needs to change and do the "Maybe I should just quit if you don't like me!" move if you don't like what you hear..

Ya, theres that.

Want to be a better DM, know how to cut players some slack and even give constructive advice, ...while still being firm when needed, like when there player wants to have a teleporting ninja.

 

[Piratecat]

At the risk of continually perpetuating the same thread, I believe Piratecat had a very good player questionnaire that he posted once upon a time.

I'm not finding the full questionnaire, but here's a good summary of what I ask:

Things to include:

- Percentage-wise, how would you rate the current campaign in terms of roleplaying/combat/puzzles? (as in 40%/40%/20%)

- In an ideal game, what would you like those percentages to be?

- How much fun are you having? (1=very little, 10=lots)

- Is there too much combat? Not enough?
- Does combat take too long?
- Is there too much table-talk?
- Is there a particular kind of adventure you'd like to see?
- Do you think all the characters (and players) are treated equally?
- How could the DM improve?
- How could the other players improve?

And so forth. Solicit feedback, and you'll find out what's wrong! I once had a fellow player who used to bitch about our DM after every session, but who never had the guts to tell the DM because he didn't want to offend him. If you ask for opinions, it helps solve that problem.

 

[Dirt]

My old DM (Fathead here on the boards) periodically gave out questionaires for the players to fill out about the campaign and style of play. Some of the questions were a 1-to-10 type, rating the amount/quality of certain parts of the game, and others were short answer/paragraph types. I thought that was a good idea, and it was a really handy way to put your finger on what you liked and didn't like, both for your own benefit and for the DM's.

Yeah, my campaign evaluation was pretty useful. I try to make the game interesting and pace it well, but getting the players input helped me to pinpoint areas that I could improve (and also gave me insight into what particular players were most interested in).

You know...I believe I've responded to a similar post awhile back (maybe a year or more?).

I haven't GMed in awhile (actually, ever since Tewligan migrated out west in his covered wagon, looking to tame the last great American frontier)...so I'm not sure where the document is...

I'll look for it, and try to post back next week sometime.

 

[FalcWP]

I try to chat with at least a few of my players between sessions (and mix it up a bit to get different opinions) to see what's going well and what can be improved. I'm hoping that they're not lying to me when they say the game seems to be going well.

Any clues you can get from them at the table are good, too. For instance, I think my game is going well because there isn't any yawning and folks don't sound tired until we get towards the end of the session (around 10:30 or so).

One thing I've thought of, though I haven't come up with a good way to implement it, is an anonymous comment system - set up a box or something, let players jot down any concerns or comments they have on the game. People are often more willing to mention a problem if they're anonymous, so I think that could work well.

I do like the idea of a periodic questionnaire, and more focused questions are a good idea that I should have thought of. I may have to use something like that in the near future.

 

[SavageRobby]

I usually try to get feedback via email, and I'll occasionally give the player that *I know* is going to give me feedback a heads up, so he can get his comments ready immediately. I've found that when someone starts the comments - and I respond back thoughtfully and not defensively - it loosens up everyone else.

I will also ask a lot of leading questions in my emails, ie, Did you like this new thing X I tried last session? What would you think about rule change Y? I've noticed Z happening a lot lately, is that fun, does it suck, or do you care? Most of my players are better at answering specific questions than they are the more open-ended "What 3 things..." types questions or straight questionnaires (maybe it feels like work to them - I dunno), so that is something to consider as well.


Someone else mentioned this, too - pay attention to what they're doing during game time. You not only get the non-verbal clue, but you can parley that into questions later, too. When my wife starts surfing party invitation sites on her cell phone, thats a bad sign. Whenever everyone has dice in their hand, playing with them (like poker players do with chips), even when we're not in the middle of combat, thats a good sign. When you see noticeable good or bad signs, make a note to yourself, and ask the players later what they liked/disliked about that particular scene. Usually you'll know, but sometimes it will surprise you.