How Dragonbane Pointed out the Clashing Desires of My Gaming Group

[Micah Sweet]

Hey, I enjoy battles and like a fast-paced game too. I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I'm some major storyteller DM.
But there's things I'd like players to be able to do after 6+ months of play. For example,
1) Name one fellow party member. Maybe have an idea of how their character might behave in a given situation. ("Oh, that's Oswald Brummelbuck the halfling rogue. He's quick-witted but snarky with authority figures.")
2) Name a prominent location, such as the capital city they've been exploring for months.
3) Name an NPC connected to their character. (For example, a cleric able to name the high priest of their order.)
4) Have a general concept of the threat facing the setting. (Is there a necromancer releasing an undead pox on the land? High five if you can name the villain.)
5) If we're playing weekly, it would be awesome if someone could tell me the party's immediate goal. ("When we left, we were planning to investigate the thieves' guild.")

Doesn't seem like too much to ask.

 

[schneeland]

Yeah, I think that's a fair baseline. And I think even the more combat-oriented members of my past groups would have met it (maybe not (3), but at least the other four points).

 

[payn]

Hey, I enjoy battles and like a fast-paced game too. I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I'm some major storyteller DM.
But there's things I'd like players to be able to do after 6+ months of play. For example,
1) Name one fellow party member. Maybe have an idea of how their character might behave in a given situation. ("Oh, that's Oswald Brummelbuck the halfling rogue. He's quick-witted but snarky with authority figures.")
2) Name a prominent location, such as the capital city they've been exploring for months.
3) Name an NPC connected to their character. (For example, a cleric able to name the high priest of their order.)
4) Have a general concept of the threat facing the setting. (Is there a necromancer releasing an undead pox on the land? High five if you can name the villain.)
5) If we're playing weekly, it would be awesome if someone could tell me the party's immediate goal. ("When we left, we were planning to investigate the thieves' guild.")

Yeah ive come across a shocking number of players that only want two things; Mayor info dump, and a neon sign that says "dungeon this way". Though they are also, way, way, too cool for Heroquest.

 

[Retreater]

Though they are also, way, way, too cool for Heroquest.

I'm still not too cool for HeroQuest.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Yeah, I think that's a fair baseline. And I think even the more combat-oriented members of my past groups would have met it (maybe not (3), but at least the other four points).

Yeah, I'm not sure everyone in my 13th Age game could answer that one either, but they could answer most or all the rest.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Yeah ive come across a shocking number of players that only want two things; Mayor info dump, and a neon sign that says "dungeon this way". Though they are also, way, way, too cool for Heroquest.

This is one of the things that contributes to people trying to shoehorn the same character into every game, whether appropriate or not (and I'm not talking about somewhat similar characters; I'm talking about as close to effectively the same characters as they can.).

 

[mamba]

But there's things I'd like players to be able to do after 6+ months of play.

these are really the basics, if they cannot even do that, what exactly are they doing while you play

I could read a book in the room while you have your game going and still know most of the answers

 

[Retreater]

these are really the basics, if they cannot even do that, what exactly are they doing while you play

I could read a book in the room while you have your game going and still know most of the answers

It's about whether you're a passive or active player. Are you there to participate or be entertained?

 

[Thomas Shey]

It's about whether you're a passive or active player. Are you there to participate or be entertained?

Even some pretty passive players I've known would know some of those.

I think it has more to do with tunnel-vision about the parts of the game they care about. If they've got a lot of that, even if they hear these things they'll flow right off them because its just not relevant to the part of the play experience they care about.

 

[mamba]

It's about whether you're a passive or active player. Are you there to participate or be entertained?

I feel it’s about whether you pay the slightest bit of attention. As I wrote, just by being in the same room and doing something else I would pick up more than half of that