Angry Players [Archive] - Wizards Community

Angry Players [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Jinus
04-19-06, 03:03 PM Hello, I'm new to the forums...

My players do not take the game seriously at all... The only time they do take it seriously is when it is a life and death situation. During these situations they are very good RPers... But they always get mad that i am putting them in these situations EVEN when i explain to them that it is the only way they take it seriously... any suggestions on how to get my players to take the game more seriously without threatening thier lives? ANY impul at all will be appreciated...
Athos
04-19-06, 03:17 PM well sadly this is very hard, death can be the only wake up call for a party if you can't put them trough life threatening situations without mutany then you might not be playing with the right group.

my advice if ya wanna go harsh, kill someone, not on purpose, not by trying, just don't save them and play smart, by the sounds they'll drop like flies, kill one or two, and if they don't take it seriously after that, then thats just how they play. If they get angry and hate you for killing them, point them to the part of the book about charichter death, find a new DnD group, and gook luck to them finding a DM that will put up with that.
burningwizard
04-19-06, 03:37 PM Talk to your players. Find out what they want from your game. It may be that what you think is neat in a game, THEY don't. Talk to them as a group to figure out their general attitude, but also speak with each of them individually. Even new players will have ideas about what they want to do with their characters. Find out what their goals/wishes/expectations are. Maybe one friend wants his fighter to lead his own band of mercenaries. Maybe the druid wishes to journey to the sacred Shrine of Leaves to gain spiritual guidance. Perhaps the wizard wants a mentor. Maybe the rogue really really wants the king's sceptre without paying for it. Or maybe...

You get the idea. Once you find out what everyone's individual wants are, you'll be able to prepare your games styled around them. People tend to pay more attention when the attention's on them.

Also, if they tend to play heavy on the dice-rolling, let them, but encourage the roleplaying. As in, don't just say, "I attack the goblin. 22. I hit. 9 damage." Jazz it up. "I tear my longsword from its sheath and bring it down in an overhead arc onto the goblin's head." Now obviously, playing EVERY combat move out this much will make a 5-round fight last a few hours, but you get the idea. A particularly good move deserves some dramatics. I usually reward well-described moves with bonuses of some kind, like +1 or 2 to hit or damage. Rewarding described actions with mechanical bonuses (occasionally) will get them in the habit of describing their actions more often.

One other thing. Though fight-or-die encounters usually inspire good roleplaying, you don't always have to try to get them killed. Targeting their pocketbooks and backpacks works wonders. Create a situation where large amounts of gold change hands. They'll pay attention. Or, have them (through some earlier incident) run afoul of the local thieves guild. :-)

Just my two coppers. Hope this helps.
Epicweaver
04-19-06, 03:41 PM Hello, I'm new to the forums...

My players do not take the game seriously at all... The only time they do take it seriously is when it is a life and death situation. During these situations they are very good RPers... But they always get mad that i am putting them in these situations EVEN when i explain to them that it is the only way they take it seriously... any suggestions on how to get my players to take the game more seriously without threatening thier lives? ANY impul at all will be appreciated...

Anything you do that elicits emotion from your players is a good thing.

D&D's core theme (for me anyways) seems to be adventures filled with life and death struggles and decisions... No one wants to go face the flower-chuckers of Zaub or the harsh-language users of Orange...

But seriously, the largest reflection of player mentality is usually the attitude and confidence a DM wields. If you joke, go off-topic, take too many breaks, or don't keep things interesting; the players are doomed to not get involved in it. Ask disruptive players to leave. And if the whole group isn't feeling the serious-game thing, just end game early once (and see how they react)... Further, you could also explain that you're not having fun playing game the way that they do and perhaps someone else should DM for a few sessions?

Otherwise, hunker down and avoid creating situations that aren't fun and exciting, speed through boring moments to keep each and every scene interesting and exciting. Learn about your players and cater to what they want to do. And when all else fails, take something important to them away (NPC/item/sanity/freedom/etc) to motivate them to become empassioned to take it back.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jinus 04-19-06, 03:03 PM	Hello, I'm new to the forums... My players do not take the game seriously at all... The only time they do take it seriously is when it is a life and death situation. During these situations they are very good RPers... But they always get mad that i am putting them in these situations EVEN when i explain to them that it is the only way they take it seriously... any suggestions on how to get my players to take the game more seriously without threatening thier lives? ANY impul at all will be appreciated...
Athos 04-19-06, 03:17 PM	well sadly this is very hard, death can be the only wake up call for a party if you can't put them trough life threatening situations without mutany then you might not be playing with the right group. my advice if ya wanna go harsh, kill someone, not on purpose, not by trying, just don't save them and play smart, by the sounds they'll drop like flies, kill one or two, and if they don't take it seriously after that, then thats just how they play. If they get angry and hate you for killing them, point them to the part of the book about charichter death, find a new DnD group, and gook luck to them finding a DM that will put up with that.
burningwizard 04-19-06, 03:37 PM	Talk to your players. Find out what they want from your game. It may be that what you think is neat in a game, THEY don't. Talk to them as a group to figure out their general attitude, but also speak with each of them individually. Even new players will have ideas about what they want to do with their characters. Find out what their goals/wishes/expectations are. Maybe one friend wants his fighter to lead his own band of mercenaries. Maybe the druid wishes to journey to the sacred Shrine of Leaves to gain spiritual guidance. Perhaps the wizard wants a mentor. Maybe the rogue really really wants the king's sceptre without paying for it. Or maybe... You get the idea. Once you find out what everyone's individual wants are, you'll be able to prepare your games styled around them. People tend to pay more attention when the attention's on them. Also, if they tend to play heavy on the dice-rolling, let them, but encourage the roleplaying. As in, don't just say, "I attack the goblin. 22. I hit. 9 damage." Jazz it up. "I tear my longsword from its sheath and bring it down in an overhead arc onto the goblin's head." Now obviously, playing EVERY combat move out this much will make a 5-round fight last a few hours, but you get the idea. A particularly good move deserves some dramatics. I usually reward well-described moves with bonuses of some kind, like +1 or 2 to hit or damage. Rewarding described actions with mechanical bonuses (occasionally) will get them in the habit of describing their actions more often. One other thing. Though fight-or-die encounters usually inspire good roleplaying, you don't always have to try to get them killed. Targeting their pocketbooks and backpacks works wonders. Create a situation where large amounts of gold change hands. They'll pay attention. Or, have them (through some earlier incident) run afoul of the local thieves guild. :-) Just my two coppers. Hope this helps.
Epicweaver 04-19-06, 03:41 PM	Hello, I'm new to the forums... My players do not take the game seriously at all... The only time they do take it seriously is when it is a life and death situation. During these situations they are very good RPers... But they always get mad that i am putting them in these situations EVEN when i explain to them that it is the only way they take it seriously... any suggestions on how to get my players to take the game more seriously without threatening thier lives? ANY impul at all will be appreciated... Anything you do that elicits emotion from your players is a good thing. D&D's core theme (for me anyways) seems to be adventures filled with life and death struggles and decisions... No one wants to go face the flower-chuckers of Zaub or the harsh-language users of Orange... But seriously, the largest reflection of player mentality is usually the attitude and confidence a DM wields. If you joke, go off-topic, take too many breaks, or don't keep things interesting; the players are doomed to not get involved in it. Ask disruptive players to leave. And if the whole group isn't feeling the serious-game thing, just end game early once (and see how they react)... Further, you could also explain that you're not having fun playing game the way that they do and perhaps someone else should DM for a few sessions? Otherwise, hunker down and avoid creating situations that aren't fun and exciting, speed through boring moments to keep each and every scene interesting and exciting. Learn about your players and cater to what they want to do. And when all else fails, take something important to them away (NPC/item/sanity/freedom/etc) to motivate them to become empassioned to take it back.