What questions should I ask to get good feedback as a DM?

[Thunderfoot]

Another thin is to ask 'essay answer' only questions -
"What did you think of the game today?" any one word or small phrase answers can then be used to ask further questions EX
WDYTOFTGT? - Eh, it was ok. Hmm, only ok, what didn't you like?...
(This is usually enough to push them over the one word answer brink)
or
"What do you think the strengths and weakness of the game today were?"

For more specific questions:
"What did you think of the interaction of the party today?"
"Did you feel that the plot advanced at a decent pace?"
"What do you think could improve the game sessions?" (This always gets an answer)
"How can I improve the game in your eyes?" (Also a guaranteed answer getter)
"If you could alter one aspect of the campaign, what would it be and why?"


These types of questions get to the heart of the matter without pussyfooting around things it also identifies when a player is being selfish ("I didn't get the uber leet sword, Dave did" "regardless of the fact that the player has three already and Dave doesn't have one) or is a potential problem player (but don;t jump the gun here). It helps if you have a notebook handy to take note of important things, including 'rediculous' requests like more magic, less monsters, easier challenges (assuming you're not rolling out Adult Red Dragons against third level characters and giving them 2 coppers for treasure afterwards). Always have them explain WHY they feel the way they do. Without the explaination, all you are ever going to get is surface answers that never dig to the heart of the matter.

Hope this helps. Happy Gaming

 

[Jdvn1]

I found "What was your favorite part" and "What was your least favorite part" to be illuminating.

We call this "thorns and roses."

 

[Merkuri]

Where do you think this campaign is headed? Where would you like it to go?

What do you wish your character could do more often?

What do you wish your character didn't have to do so much?

 

[Crothian]

I found that players don't really give feedback. So, at times I'll say stuff like "No one gets any XP till I get some feedback. How did it go?"

 

[NewJeffCT]

Always best to start with the positives.

"Do I suck?"

That is what I usually ask, or "I hope that didn't suck too badly."

(which invites the response, "Nope, just the right amount of sucking.")

But seriously, that is how I usually do it... and, then follow up with, "what did you like and what didn't you like?"

 

[Umbran]

Here's one P-cat has used (found on our boards here: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=718190&postcount=5, so I suspect he wont' mind if I reproduce it...)

• It's time (way overdue, actually) for our annual 21 question "are you having fun" survey. As always, I do this to fine-tune the game to your preferences.This is your chance to tell me what you like, hate, and want to see. You can comment on magic levels, experience point gain, challenge levels, and the like. In particular, while I always like to hear about good stuff, this is the place to tell me if you want more or less attention paid to your character (such as sub-plots.) I'm asking specific questions because I want honest answers, so please be honest. I'm not worried that the game is horrible or broken; on the contrary, I'm having great fun. I just want to jigger and fine tune things.
  
  1. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being best), how much fun are you having in general? ___
  
  2. When you just thought "the game is fun except for 'this'", what was the "this" that sprung to mind?
  
  3. Using a total of ten points, please give me your ideal proportion of role-playing vs. combat vs. puzzle/problem solving. (For example, I'd say that in general I try to make the campaign role playing 5, combat 3, puzzle/problem solving 2.)
  
  __ role playing
  __ combat
  __ puzzle solving
  
  
  4. Is the general pace of each session too fast, about right, or too slow? If too slow, what do you suggest I do to pick up the pace without pushing or railroading?
  
  5. Are you getting bored with the current plot arc? If so, what in particular is getting tedious?
  
  6. Are you getting enough role-playing encounters? More specifically, are you getting the kind of role-playing encounters you prefer? (I refer to personalities of NPCs, roles of NPCs, etc.) Outside of wearing silly little outfits - well, sillier - what can I do to improve role-playing encounters?
  
  7. Should I award XP more often? Is your rate of level gain (roughly every 10-12 sessions) about right?
  
  8. Do you want more handouts and the like? More maps?
  
  9. Are you getting enough attention paid to your character plot-wise? It would be great if you could suggest some additional plot hooks for your PC.
  
  10. Are you getting enough attention paid to YOU when we game? It's a relatively big group, and I try to spread my attention equally. If I'm not doing so, please make sure you tell me.
  
  11. Is the general pace of combat too slow? If so, what can I do to speed it up?
  
  12. Is the variety of combat encounters okay? What kind of beasties would you like to run in to?
  
  13. Is the danger level of combat encounters okay? Would you like to see more hard, moderate or easy combats?
  
  14. What do you like the least about the campaign? what one thing would you change if you could? What one thing can I change to make myself a better DM?
  
  15. What do you like the most about the campaign?
  
  16. Do you feel your character is on an equitable power level with the rest of the party? Do you feel effective? If not, what in particular needs beefing up?
  
  17. Is there anything you want to change about your character, either personality-wise or role-in-the-group-wise?
  
  18. What do you think about the magic item level for both you and the group as a whole - too low, about right, or too many? Any particular magic items/effects you're drooling to get?
  
  19. Do you like logic puzzles, such as riddles and sneaky traps? How about prophecies that you have to figure out? How about figuring out what your enemies are up to? What other "puzzle/problem" things would you like to see in the game?
  
  20. Do we play often enough? About right? Too often?
  
  21. What question should I have asked that I didn't?

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

"If you could change one thing about the last game to make the next one better, what would it be and why?"

 

[Desdichado]

Do you like me? Circle your answer: Yes No Maybe.


Do you think trading sexual favors for magic items is fair?


What have you brought to the table recently for your DM to enjoy? New gamebooks? Food? Cash prizes? If the answer is "Nothing" consider yourself on probation.


Seriously--I don't know. When I run, I like to have a dialogue about how things go after most sessions, but I don't ask anything specific that I could talk about here; it's more specific to the session we just had and things that I'm unsure of in terms of how they worked.

 

[SavageRobby]

"Did you have fun?"

Best question. And with a follow-up: "If not, why not?"


Other good questions:

"What has been your favorite part?"
"What has been your least favorite part?"
"What has been the most memorable thing that has happened?"
"What could you have totally done without?"

 

[Jedi_Solo]

Another vote for the "What do you like most/least" questions. But also, don't be afraid to ask follow up questions.

Was the session they liked most/least too combat heavy? Not combat heavy enough? Did they like it because the featured critter was different? Did they love/hate the featured critter? Did the combat allow/not allow fun movement? Was the NPC that Bob talked to for half the session fun/boring?

Knowing the session that was loved the most will help but only if you know WHY they loved it so much. You might accidently think they loved it for a different reason and focus on the wrong aspect.