D&D General What do you want out of your D&D/RPG games?

[User51]

It takes time to get good at first-person role playing, I think. A lot of people have surprised me at how angrily/arrogantly they speak for their characters, and plenty of DMs seem all too happy to sabotage their own adventure by making their NPCs recalcitrant and obstructionist. (Note that I'm not talking about judicious use of these to accomplish specific goals, such as when players choose to resort to threats or intimidation, or when the gate guards stoutly refuse to permit characters to pass.)

I like it when more experienced players role play, taking the current context and long term goals into account. I like it when the DM has a stable of character types to pull out and I don't see the same gruff bartender and dismissive guard in every town. But when I'm around a table with new players or players who are there to have a power fantasy, then I prefer we don't try and role play. It will be challenging enough without it.

 

[DavyGreenwind]

I want to make an awesome story with my friends. RP'ing is important to me. To me, the story comes first and the game comes second. (although I really enjoy the game aspects, too).

 

[TiQuinn]

I've been trying to get new players for my 5.5 meat space game and it's like pulling teeth. I've discussed this in other threads so not to rehash that but as a segway to another topic:

What do you want out of your D&D/RPG games?

Since starting at the tail end of 2E the games Ive played in and ran as a DM (most of them) has been more of a Roleplay is encouraged but not required.

Most people only talk in character when the DM directly talks to them in character. Most to the time the DM explains things and moves on.

"Jared the Wizard tells you about the Demon King. He asks you to venture to the next town of Townburgville and seek out more info." There isn't a long in character chat unless initiated by the players. As in the DM will RP when the player wishes to RP. Rarely do the players RP with each other unless something initiates it. Like "I want to rob the magic shop."

It's never really been an issue until just recently when I had a new player express that they were unhappy that there wasn't far more RP in the sessions. Which as the DM I can accommodate but I cant make other players RP. I wouldn't want to as that reeks of forcing people to move out of a bubble they might not be comfortable in.

By the by I found that young players are more apt to just RP and RP and RP it's the adults who just want to play out a story/adventure with minimal actual RP.

I wonder if this may be influence from online games like Critical Role. I know this has been discussed before but I've never actually experienced it.

So, what are you expecting out of a D&D game as a player? Me, I'm just happy to get to play. I'll happily RP or just roll dice or anything between. It seems odd to me to have a certain make or break expectation. IE if there isn't at least a session of all shopping and roleplay then why even be in the group?

Thoughts?

I like role-playing and that’s going back to late 1e/early 2e days. I admit I get a little frustrated with players who only want to engage with the mechanics and only refers to things their character does from a strictly third person perspective. I can find my own fun and I’ll roleplay as I like. It’s not really worth griping about though. There’s no forcing people to roleplay their characters.

 

[Umbran]

It's never really been an issue until just recently when I had a new player express that they were unhappy that there wasn't far more RP in the sessions. Which as the DM I can accommodate but I cant make other players RP. I wouldn't want to as that reeks of forcing people to move out of a bubble they might not be comfortable in.

By the by I found that young players are more apt to just RP and RP and RP it's the adults who just want to play out a story/adventure with minimal actual RP.

I wonder if this may be influence from online games like Critical Role. I know this has been discussed before but I've never actually experienced it.

So, what are you expecting out of a D&D game as a player? Me, I'm just happy to get to play. I'll happily RP or just roll dice or anything between. It seems odd to me to have a certain make or break expectation. IE if there isn't at least a session of all shopping and roleplay then why even be in the group?

Thoughts?

Well, my first thought is that there's a bit of a jump between "unhappy that there wasn't far more RP in the sessions" to "if there isn't at least a session of all shopping and roleplay...".

More than a bit, really. That's a big honkin' jump. Like, the first in no way, shape, or form implies the second. The first implies no specific "make or break" expectation at all!

The first step in understanding the wants of others is to have an accurate picture of what's being asked, not one overblown for sake of rhetoric.

I'll take myself as an example...

The pandemic led to my playing a lot more than usual. I got invited to a bunch of online games that wouldn't have existed otherwise. And I jumped at the chance, because I'm usually behind the GM's screen.

But for all but one game, I brought a character with way more going on in their heads than anyone gave a hoot about at table. Most of the folks seemed in line with what you describe - their primary goal was "get through the adventure" not really to depict characters with any depth. And, while I still enjoyed the games, that aspect of it was a little frustrating.

But, at no time did I feel that a session of shopping was going to be a good way to express character depth.

 

[el-remmen]

I think the role-playing vs. combat dichotomy is a false one.

I like tactical combat. But for me to love it, it needs to be driven not only by the in-game goals and motives of those involved, but colored by the personalities and desires of the PCs in the process of doing it.

 

[Umbran]

I like tactical combat. But for me love it, it needs to be driven not only by the in-game goals and motives of those involved, but colored by the personalities and desires of the PCs in the process of doing it.

This has been part of why I've loved one of the games I've been playing online. It is Fate Accelerated Edition, in which a lot of one's ability to get stuff done is playing to who your character is, as defined in their stats and aspects. That game has had more dynamic, active, and colorful combat that better expressed who the characters were than any of the three D&D games I played in the same period.

 

[DarkCrisis]

One thing I have noticed is there is more RP in a sandbox style game then running an adventure book.

I guess the linear aspect of a published adventure causes this where as the “do whatever” in a sandbox gets them to be more in the world

 

[Micah Sweet]

I've been trying to get new players for my 5.5 meat space game and it's like pulling teeth. I've discussed this in other threads so not to rehash that but as a segway to another topic:

What do you want out of your D&D/RPG games?

Since starting at the tail end of 2E the games Ive played in and ran as a DM (most of them) has been more of a Roleplay is encouraged but not required.

Most people only talk in character when the DM directly talks to them in character. Most to the time the DM explains things and moves on.

"Jared the Wizard tells you about the Demon King. He asks you to venture to the next town of Townburgville and seek out more info." There isn't a long in character chat unless initiated by the players. As in the DM will RP when the player wishes to RP. Rarely do the players RP with each other unless something initiates it. Like "I want to rob the magic shop."

It's never really been an issue until just recently when I had a new player express that they were unhappy that there wasn't far more RP in the sessions. Which as the DM I can accommodate but I cant make other players RP. I wouldn't want to as that reeks of forcing people to move out of a bubble they might not be comfortable in.

By the by I found that young players are more apt to just RP and RP and RP it's the adults who just want to play out a story/adventure with minimal actual RP.

I wonder if this may be influence from online games like Critical Role. I know this has been discussed before but I've never actually experienced it.

So, what are you expecting out of a D&D game as a player? Me, I'm just happy to get to play. I'll happily RP or just roll dice or anything between. It seems odd to me to have a certain make or break expectation. IE if there isn't at least a session of all shopping and roleplay then why even be in the group?

Thoughts?

I want to interact with a logically-consistent and (hopefully) interesting world through my PC, as if the PC and the setting were real things, and see what happens.

 

[BruceWright]

I just wish for once my players would have a conversation with each other in character. They sometimes converse in character, but only one-on-one with NPCs.

Oh the tantalizing possibility of content that they generate live!

 

[TiQuinn]

One thing I have noticed is there is more RP in a sandbox style game then running an adventure book.

I guess the linear aspect of a published adventure causes this where as the “do whatever” in a sandbox gets them to be more in the world

I think with published campaigns, it's important to know up front what you're playing so that you can try to create backstories and hooks that will play nicely with the campaign. For example, it may be difficult to play a Horizon Walker when you're gonna be stuck in Barovia because the campaign is Curse of Strahd. Not impossible to do, but you're not giving yourself or the DM many easy hooks into the PC.