Players Don't Care About Your Setting

[Jd Smith1]

To all here who have this issue... I have been running games since 1995... lots of them, like, almost a game a week every year, sometimes more....

I have never ever, not even once - had even one player not care about my worlds or setting. Like, not even close. Most of the time its quite the opposite. They dig into the world and lore a bunch!


So tell me about your games:
- What game system were you using?

• What do you feel they didn't engage with about your setting?
• How was your setting different than a similar published setting?

(Forgotten Realms or Call of Cthulhu for examples, but whatever really...)
- Did you have a Session 0, if so what was it like? (see my C.A.T.S. thread also for that idea too, in case you did or didn't do that as well...)

I've been gaming since 1979.

 

[payn]

To all here who have this issue... I have been running games since 1995... lots of them, like, almost a game a week every year, sometimes more....

I have never ever, not even once - had even one player not care about my worlds or setting. Like, not even close. Most of the time its quite the opposite. They dig into the world and lore a bunch!


So tell me about your games:
- What game system were you using?

• What do you feel they didn't engage with about your setting?
• How was your setting different than a similar published setting?

(Forgotten Realms or Call of Cthulhu for examples, but whatever really...)
- Did you have a Session 0, if so what was it like? (see my C.A.T.S. thread also for that idea too, in case you did or didn't do that as well...)

 

[RenleyRenfield]

Ok... well... Come on folks. Fess up!

OK, so if my first question's are too odd... how about this one =
- Do you feel like those players who disregarded your setting, Also disregarded many or specific other settings too (published ones, ones not yours...)?

 

[payn]

Ok... well... Come on folks. Fess up!

OK, so if my first question's are too odd... how about this one =
- Do you feel like those players who disregarded your setting, Also disregarded many or specific other settings too (published ones, ones not yours...)?

Yes. I think a lot of players just want to play but don’t care about the particulars. That could be because they are more into their own character, like an old school experience where the journey is greater than the destination, or folks simply want to hang with friends and are just not that into RPGs.

Typically, you have a little of all those columns plus the player that does care. It works out or it implodes. Online and organized play can help connect the right folks. Back in old days though, you got what ya got.

 

[KYRON45]

There is a lot of chemistry involved in finding the right group. Not only does everyone have to like all aspects of the game; but they also have to like one another. Then they have to like how much or how little they all like the game.
I like lore and setting, but the person to my left might not. The person to my right might not like that the person to my left doesn't like lore and setting. I am not a rules guy, the guy on the other side of the table might be annoyed by my lack of mechanical knowledge of the game we've been playing for 10,000 hours.
If you find the right group.....appreciate what you've got.

 

[Tonguez]

Absolutely true, so the trick is to make the setting a gameable feature.

I like defining locations, geography, demographics and factions (ally, rival, enemy) via Aspect cards and getting players to write their own setting aspects too. Then put them on the table and have the players 'collect' them via rp (eg the PCs visit a location) the players get to gather their own deck of setting aspects which they can invoke throughout the adventure.

 

[zakael19]

My experience with a specific setting has been very different, but it’s one where the game links the playbooks deeply into the setting, has high level interesting mysteries, and spends the entire session 0 asking questions about the world and filling in details together .

All 3 groups I’ve put together for that game have had setting elements they’re super interested in finding out more about, and driven play towards. As @BookTenTiger Noted - that level of player involvement in word building makes a huge difference - and I also don’t hold the setting precious. It’s OUR table, and together we’ll figure it out.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Ok... well... Come on folks. Fess up!

OK, so if my first question's are too odd... how about this one =
- Do you feel like those players who disregarded your setting, Also disregarded many or specific other settings too (published ones, ones not yours...

IME, the source of the setting had zero impact. I blame part of it on initial exposure to D&D, whose settings tend to be pure garbage, with no depth or substance (Looking you, Sword Coast).

 

[kigmatzomat]

I think part it is that the only way to experience the setting is the DM talking about it.

You don't have a game site? I started with a yahoo group back in the 90s.
Now I use a Google site.

Even a ddb thread or two does a lot.

 

[MichaelSomething]

You don't have a game site? I started with a yahoo group back in the 90s.
Now I use a Google site.

Even a ddb thread or two does a lot.

But I'm on Enworld? Gotta argue about who's playing D&D wrong!