Running and playing various Roleplaying games, I've encountered one really annoying recurrent problem: players simply talking about the game, rather than playing it. This seems especially true in sandbox-style games, and especially games where players have lots of options.
Players sort of go off on daydreams... 'I could go on quests until I have enough money to start my own village, and then set myself up as the local ruler, and train my villagers in martial arts, and...' And an hour goes by, of the player considering options. Meanwhile, the character is still a peasant with a rusty sword inherited from his father, or whatever. Because for all those thought-exercises and dreams, nothing has actually happened in-game.
And with those players, sometimes if you press them... make them decide to do something, they go 'Okay, uh. I look for a quest.' A sort of noncommittal, general declaration. That doesn't help me much, because then not only do I have to do my job as the game master (deciding the world's reaction to your actions and such), I have to do the player's job too (deciding what your actions actually are), with the player only contributing vague goals.
That's no fun.
If you're a player in a 'sandbox' situation, I suggest taking matters into your own hands. Don't paint your actions in broad, vague strokes. Give active details, to make it feel like something is happening in the game and to give the GM something to play with. Rather than, 'I go look around town', have your character actually walk out of the team's base, mount his horse, and ride into town. Tie the horse to a post somewhere and go into the local tavern. Buy a round of drinks for everyone if you need to. Just... do stuff.
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2 comments:
Dear Mr. Kerwin
I totally agree with you. In a lot of RPG i played in or I GMed, players don't know what actually do with their PG. Usually they blame it on the GM "not giving enough detail. Am I supposed to tell you everything that my character does?". Instead of using their own creativity to set up an interesting situation (scene) for themselves and their fellow players, they ask the GM to do it all. Lately, when I GM a game, at the end of the night I come out completely worn-out. I have to be "the setting" and the "PG interacting with the setting"....
P.S: I really appreciate your posts on white wolf exalted forum.
Rocco
Thanks for the comment! I wasn't even sure comments were working. I'm a bit new to this blogging thing.
I've been away from Exalted for a bit. My group's been doing Changeling: The Lost, most recently. I initially wanted to post some house rules on this blog, but White Wolf's 'Dark Pack' fansite policy is (admirable and well-intended, but) too scary and restrictive for me to want to mess with it.
Exalted is one of my favorite games, though, so I'll be back! And I do still wander by most days to see if anything interesting has come up.
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