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Message: <blockquote data-quote="steenan" data-source="post: 6820391" data-attributes="member: 23240">1. Problems you describe may come from natural group dynamics (introverted vs. extroverted players, more or less of system and setting mastery etc.) or from intentional harmful behavior. In the second case, a honest out-of-game conversation is necessary to straighten things. In the first case, it is also very useful.2. The best way to avoid players monopolizing the game is aggressive scene cutting. If somebody takes much more spotlight than others, don't play full scenes that focus on them. Ask for their intent in given scene, resolve it with a simple roll and move on. Or, if the scene is worth playing in full, cut from it to what other players are doing and then go back when they are finished.3. That's something a GM can't do without making the fiction feel very artificial. PCs interact with NPCs, they build emotional relations with them and it's natural to play them out. But it should be kept from getting excessive.- Talk with players before the game starts what the expectations are. Remember that there are two different dimensions here: cooperation vs. conflict between PCs and intra-group interaction vs. external interaction. People often confuse them.- Make sure before the game starts that characters have more interesting ties between themselves than with NPCs. The "interesting" part is crucial - it's not enough that they have things in common, they must have things players want to actively explore.- Create situations that connect back to the group (eg. player A interacts with an NPC and the NPC asks them for something that A's PC can't do, but another player's PC can). - Don't feed the trolls, that is, don't create content for a player that focuses on solo exploration. As long as they find interesting or useful situations while going solo, they have no reason not to do it. When they see there is more fun with the party, they'll change their approach.- Remember that the more immersive the game, the worse this kind of problem can becomes. Players who immerse deeply have less awareness left for policing themselves and less reason to treat PCs differently than other characters they encounter in fiction (the distinction is purely metagame, after all).4. "Blocking" something by the GM usually only creates frustration on both sides of the table. If there's a problem, speak about it openly with the players, get them to understand what the problem is and make them invested in solving it. Your other job is creating game situations that encourage the good behavior instead of the bad one.</blockquote>

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