How do you get your players to creatively describe their combat actions?

[Pentius]

Hey, I'm not saying my group is perfect; trust me, they drive me up the walls sometimes. It's just that, when it comes to driving me up the walls, it's never in the areas where trust is the solution.

Sometimes a gamer just has to figure out what's important to him and settle on the rest. In my case, I decided that I had to have a group that focuses on trusting each other. The rest I just had to settle for.

(For an idea of one of the things that drives me absolutely bonkers, see my e-mail thread.)

I think that not allowing your players to describe their actions because you're afraid of what they're going to do with that "power" indicates some other issues may be at work -- issues that could be solved, whether your group's a herd of unicorns or not.

Not allowing description is a whole 'nother beast, with issues that likely do need solving. I was just talking about officially instituting a policy of adding bonuses for good descriptions.

 

[Water Bob]

On a related note, I've been thinking about the way most groups seem to run this sort of thing. A player gives a really cool description and if their actions succeeds great! But if it fails, the player feels like the description was not worth it, and their next round they are much less creative. Now, not every player is like that, but it's definitely a phenomenon I saw at my table.

I've seen this phenomenon happen in my group, as well.

When we first started, I would prod and push and try to get them to describe their actions during the fight, and does work, as I describe earlier in the thread.

But because of this "phenomenon"--or maybe it's really due to the player just not being creative at the moment and wanting to passively watch a movie in his head of the events by listening to the story-teller, which is me--I've started describing all the action.

I'll prod and get them involved a few times, but I don't want to keep doing that. It makes the game no fun.

So, I went back to doing what I did in the old days: Just vividly describing the blows of both the NPCs/Monsters and the PCs.

I did that last game, saying something about a character coming at the NPC with a low stroke, up and under the defender's shield, and the player interrpted me, "No, I didn't do it that way. It was a high blow, swinging at his head."

I smiled. Yes.

Then, I corrected my description, saying as the player had indicated.

This seems to work best. I, as GM, describe everything, often asking the players to get more detailed about their descriptions, but sometimes just describing everything myself and occasionally being corrected by a player.

 

[Quickleaf]

This seems to work best. I, as GM, describe everything, often asking the players to get more detailed about their descriptions, but sometimes just describing everything myself and occasionally being corrected by a player.

Ah DM, not only are you a narrator, adventure writer, prop maker, session planner, rules expert, actor, comedian, and book hauler... but you are also the creative director responsible for evoking the imagination of your flat players. I hope they treat you nice on GM's Day (March 4th).

 

[Water Bob]

Ah DM, not only are you a narrator, adventure writer, prop maker, session planner, rules expert, actor, comedian, and book hauler... but you are also the creative director responsible for evoking the imagination of your flat players. I hope they treat you nice on GM's Day (March 4th).

LOL. They don't know anything about any "GM's Day", or any appreciation, for that part. I usually just get bitched at for doing something that they don't like.

Just yesterday, one of my long-term players thought I didn't award him enough XP for the previous game session. I asked him what he thought he deserved. He threw out a number (which was much higher than what I had given him originally). I not only gave it to him, but I upped it a bit, giving him more than what he originally asked for.

I figured a happy player was worth the extra points.

Did he appreciate it? Nope. He just kept on bitching, letting me know that he was disappointed that I didn't think to give him as much as I had just awarded him the first time around.

Go figure.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I don't mean to sound like a Benetol ad...

Does it mean I'm old if I read this as [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pglk5LCvMNo&NR=1"]Benetton[/ame]?

 

[LostSoul]

I play 4e, and would love to get the players to get more creative in describing their actions in combat. They're all grognards, been playing since the 80s, but for some reason getting them to roleplay in combat is like squeezing blood from a stone.

It's either just saying the power name and rolling the dice, or when I have tried to get them to elaborate, they just read off the power card flavor text.

Any suggestions?

I wrote my 4E hack with this in mind.

I don't think bonuses alone will do it. In my experience, players overlooked those bonuses. I think it's because the game is complex. However, that's probably the only easy solution.

The way I did it was to have the mechanics resolve the character's action as described by the player, instead of using the mechanics to resolve the effects of the mechanics.

This blog post might be of interest: anyway: Adequacy, Cause and Effect

 

[TarionzCousin]

On all d20 rolls at my table, there is the optional "Description Bonus." If my players describe how/what they're doing, and it is reasonably entertaining, I give them a +1.

I have been known to award +2 on occasion, and once gave a guy making an elaborate skill check for a (mundane) magic trick an automatic success after a five minute "description" that was awesome.

 

[Raven Crowking]

In the most recent (Cubicle 7) Doctor Who game, they use a mechanic that says, effectively, "If you do the same thing you've already done, the opponent gets a bonus to resist."

For people who are concerned with fights breaking out over description, simply use a static bonus for description, a minimum standard, and apply the bonus.

The bonus is just to get the players to try it. If they try it, and have fun with it, then the bonus is just gravy. If they try it, and hate it, then no bonus in the world is enough to make it worthwhile.

Also, as should be obvious, players take their cue from the GM. If the GM is descriptive, the players are likely to be as well. In fact, there is nothing wrong with the GM describing how a player action looks, if the player does not.


RC

 

[invokethehojo]

when you go to a party and the host asks you a question like: how was your day?

how do you reply?

if you give a short rote answer like: fine how was yours? you have killed the conversation.

if you reply instead with a story or a more in depth reply your host will ask more questions or show more interest.

You just made going to a party sound like playing a game of Sims. Not that your wrong, I can't tell you how many times during college I would have to tell my friends if they want girls to stick around a party then TURN OFF THE DAMN VIDEO GAMES!

 

[Janx]

In the most recent (Cubicle 7) Doctor Who game, they use a mechanic that says, effectively, "If you do the same thing you've already done, the opponent gets a bonus to resist."

For people who are concerned with fights breaking out over description, simply use a static bonus for description, a minimum standard, and apply the bonus.

The bonus is just to get the players to try it. If they try it, and have fun with it, then the bonus is just gravy. If they try it, and hate it, then no bonus in the world is enough to make it worthwhile.

Also, as should be obvious, players take their cue from the GM. If the GM is descriptive, the players are likely to be as well. In fact, there is nothing wrong with the GM describing how a player action looks, if the player does not.


RC

I can agree with both concepts.

In real fighting, if you keep using the same move, your opponent learns to anticipate it and block it. So it makes sense that a bonus could be justified.


And I have found that if I describe things consistently (descriptions vary, but there is a discernable style to them), players pick up on that and may try to self describe.