Jacob Lewis
Ye Olde GM
If your players need to take action in order to find a story, motive, etc., I'd say the campaign (regardless of classification) needs a better hook.
I don't know... even the most 'on the rails' game can't survive PCs sitting and doing nothingIf your players need to take action in order to find a story, motive, etc., I'd say the campaign (regardless of classification) needs a better hook.
I've never encountered players sitting around doing nothing during a game. I've had players who just want to be part of the game group and will do whatever others tell them, or just wait for the action to start so they can take their "turn" during the key parts that interest them the most (i.e. combat). I'm fine with that, and I don't mind bringing the adventure to players that want to go hunting for the adventure. But I won't leave players sitting at the table struggling to find the game we're supposed to be playing and having fun.I don't know... even the most 'on the rails' game can't survive PCs sitting and doing nothing
Players not wanting to play is a weird problem.I don't know... even the most 'on the rails' game can't survive PCs sitting and doing nothing
Attack the darknessWhat's the default action in a dungeon?
I've seen it happen on occasion. Usually it's one of two things in my experience. The first is the players don't know what to do, either because they are overwhelmed with choice or the GM has thrown them into a "Okay, you're at the fair" type situation. Or they're just not that interested in the game.I've never encountered players sitting around doing nothing during a game. I've had players who just want to be part of the game group and will do whatever others tell them, or just wait for the action to start so they can take their "turn" during the key parts that interest them the most (i.e. combat).
Nothing further from the truth. The "default", as in the players will default upon if no others are thought upon, is good to have as a failsafe, if they can't come up with any other action.I'm not a fan of the "default action" as it's just another way of the DM telling the players what to do.
sigh I wish that was true for me. It is super rare, between 1995 when I started RPGs and now it has only happened a handful of times (and of the 4 I can remember only once in D&D) but each time it ground the campaign to a halt (2 in old WoD, and 1 in a Mutants and Masterminds campaign if you care) although all 4 of those I was the DM... and I can name 4 MORE (2 D&D, one old deadlands, and 1 old WoD) where I was a player and I was pushing the other players to do things to avoid this... but even saying I only remember half of them and I remember 8 times and so it was really 16... out of all the campaigns I ran/played that is a minority. (Yes if you want examples I can give them... the deadlands one I played in I could give the most detaisl, but the 1 D&D game I ran for 3-5 weeks that died do to it will be provided as best as I can remember if asked)I've never encountered players sitting around doing nothing during a game.
yeah... I have those too over the years. A group of all those players COULD fall into this, but I find normally those players will bite any hook that 'gets them to the fun part' so you can hire them to kill goblins and be off and running.I've had players who just want to be part of the game group and will do whatever others tell them, or just wait for the action to start so they can take their "turn" during the key parts that interest them the most (i.e. combat).
okay but I'm not talking 'leaving them hanging' I'm not even talking of the (much worse) 'i am going to go out of my way to avoid the hooks' I mean they just don't start or do anything...I'm fine with that, and I don't mind bringing the adventure to players that want to go hunting for the adventure. But I won't leave players sitting at the table struggling to find the game we're supposed to be playing and having fun.