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Topic: DM Picnic Questionnaire: Motivating Players (Read 95 times) |
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Katarina Dragonstar
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One of the topics for an upcoming DM Picnic event is going to be motivation of players. DMs use a lot of different methods to do this, and I would appreciate your input.
1. Do you, or have you ever, had to come up with a way to motivate your players? If you do, explain how.
2. Do you require, or encourage, between-session play by post? Do you reward for it? If so, do you award XP for the posting, and what are your general guidelines? Do you award more if the entire party posts?
3. Do you have a campaign newsletter? Do your players contribute to it, i.e., in-character columns, stories or interviews?
4. Do you use this information in-game to promote characters' background or future events?
Those are some basic questions, but please don't feel limited to them.
Thanks!
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Moss Troll
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I think player motivation should be the main focus of the GM otherwise you could run into an assortment of problems. If players aren't motivated then they're likely to drop from the game at some point in time.
I like to motivate my players by DEEPLY involving their backgrounds into the story arc. The best way to do this, and it is far easier with PnP, is to have the players submit their backgrounds and then create the campaign around those submissions. That's more difficult to accomplish with NWN unless you have a steady player base.
If players have more invested in the plot/story then they're more likely to take an active part in the game sessions instead of just being present. It's a lot easier to convince someone to go rescue the damsel in distress if that damsel happens to be your daughter...
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As for XP for RP between sessions: I'm a big fan of this. My most favourite sessions as a player centered around this particular aspect of the campain. Between game RP has more of an effect on the enjoyment of the players than many GMs realize, and by rewarding the extra RP activity you increase the chances that more people will participate.
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| « Last Edit: on: Nov 14, 2008, 2:45AM » |
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Katarina Dragonstar
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Another thing that we do on my epic campaign is to not only have pbp but if the player wants to accomplish something on the side, perhaps not quite in alignment with party goals, then we also have done play-by-email. We have done dream sequence threads, where only the character and the DM participated. Since there are two DMs, we divide up the extra workload.
Since we have a group of 8-10 at any given time, it is hard to get everybody involved in game EVERY week. These methods make everybody feel special and that they're not just bit players in somebody else's grand scenario.
We also work very hard to include the information gained this way in-game at some point or another.
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Carlo One
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Nice set of questions. Here's my take on them.
1. Do you, or have you ever, had to come up with a way to motivate your players? If you do, explain how.
I do this by providing (as best I can) an immersive, challenging environment that is player-centric, whether it's a campaign or a one-shot. PC actions impact the world (and vice versa) in a realistic way. I think the best way to motivate quality players is to provide a meaningful campaign world along with objective and attentive DMing.
2. Do you require, or encourage, between-session play by post? Do you reward for it? If so, do you award XP for the posting, and what are your general guidelines? Do you award more if the entire party posts?
PbP I think is an excellent way of continuing important conversations out-of-game, which maintains interest between sessions and also helps move things along in-game. I do not reward specifically for posting, as my campaign's XP rewards are supposed to be based on PC accomplishments. If a PC accomplishes something useful in PbP, a small XP award would be factored into the next session.
3. Do you have a campaign newsletter? Do your players contribute to it, i.e., in-character columns, stories or interviews?
http://www.gatewaytoadventure.net - Neverwinter Nights - Westgate Campaign
4. Do you use this information in-game to promote characters' background or future events?
All PCs are required to have a background of some sort submitted prior to entering the campaign. That background can grow and develop based on campaign events and the players' desire to expand their individual histories. I think individual PC stories are brought out naturally in the course of roleplay, but I also deliberately draw on background elements for campaign events.
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| « Last Edit: on: Nov 11, 2008, 1:19PM » |
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karvon
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| 1. Do you, or have you ever, had to come up with a way to motivate your players? If you do, explain how. |
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As my campaign is a free-form one, I do this a lot by dropping various possible adventure hooks thru conversations with NPCs. Those which players pursue may develop into full blown quests, though some are false rumors or dead ends.
| 2. Do you require, or encourage, between-session play by post? Do you reward for it? If so, do you award XP for the posting, and what are your general guidelines? Do you award more if the entire party posts? |
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I encourage pbp, but participation is voluntary. I usually kick things off by posting a previous session recap and then may add some NPC interaction, depending on where the session ended. If players interact with NPC(s) I respond to this as needed till the next session. I generally award anywhere from 5%-10% xp bonus for such player postings depending on length, quality and relevance. I've not given bonuses for full party postings in the past, but think I may start doing this.
| 3. Do you have a campaign newsletter? Do your players contribute to it, i.e., in-character columns, stories or interviews? |
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No, I feel the campaign forums we maintain, both here on NWC as well as on our website, offer opportunities for such.
| 4. Do you use this information in-game to promote characters' background or future events? |
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Yes, I do work in PC background into some potential quest hooks or factors in ongoing ones.
Karvon
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Dark Anya
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on Nov 10, 2008, 7:13 PM, Katarina Dragonstar wrote:
1. Do you, or have you ever, had to come up with a way to motivate your players? If you do, explain how.
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I always feel the need to motivate players. Even in my most active campaigns where the players were a tightly knit group and playing off of each other. I think I try to make things surprising and exciting for them, using plot twists and in-game rewards to motivate them.
2. Do you require, or encourage, between-session play by post? Do you reward for it? If so, do you award XP for the posting, and what are your general guidelines? Do you award more if the entire party posts?
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Yes. One of the most satisfying campaigns I've ever DM-ed was one in which almost all the characters had developed relationships with each other. They really worked like a great party and it was all because they posted a lot and made their characters more three-dimensional.
I now award XP for it, but sadly even at high levels, I find it really can level them quickly. Right now, at levels 7-11 I gave them 400XP plus an additional 200XP if the entire party posts. This is based on Lazybones' system (hey, his players seem to always be posting!)
3. Do you have a campaign newsletter? Do your players contribute to it, i.e., in-character columns, stories or interviews?
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No. Sadly even getting them to post on NWC is sometimes hard and I know that myself when I'm a player, I don't pay much attention to the game during the week. So something as time-consuming as that might turn people off (I know it would turn me off to have to do it, but I'd appreciate it if someone else did it).
4. Do you use this information in-game to promote characters' background or future events?
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I always ask for a character bio when a new player joins my game. This doesn't only allow me to see their level of excitement for the game, but also their talent at roleplaying and at... well, writing and spelling (which to me are important).
Since I ask for that, I do try my best to incorporate them in the game. In more ways than one - by bringing to life characters they've mentioned, by replaying scenarios which have marked them, by making them vulnerable in the ways they've described. This is all meant to develop a depth to the character which will allow the player to enjoy it more but also the others to relate and do the same.
However, I must mention that I sort of meet players half way. I have my plot, my building and my DM-ing but I won't force subplots and character background on them.
When I sense a player reaches out and starts developing their character further, I try to meet them half-way and bring something to the 'table' that allows them to do so.
But if I find that players are content to sit back and go with the flow and just keep it light, I allow them to do so.
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I think it can enhance the campaign when it is added, though. I remember in one campaign, I used two characters as the main antagonists of the party based on the backgrounds of two of my players. They could have been ancillary characters or not even made an appearance, but I'm glad now I took those ideas and ran with them. 