GM's Tip of the Week

Ever asked yourself how well you know your players?

Can you predict – accurately – what they will like and dislike? People who play around a table have an advantage here over play-by-post games, simply because … well, it’s harder with play by post, both because the pace is slower and you don’t have that immediate interaction with body language and vocal tones and all those little things we humans usually use to read each other.

Assuming that you are communicating, in and out of game, you should have some idea though, and it should go past ‘this player enjoys this type of character’.

If you are playing live, via some kind of virtual tabletop system, be it Roll20 or D20Pro or some other variant I haven’t heard of, you will at least have vocal cues, and if you are coordinating voice with Hangouts or Discord, you probably have webcams for the rest. So you will be able to tell if someone isn’t engaged. Notice that. Make an effort to get them engaged, and take notes on what works. If you have to build little character sheets for your players to keep track of what motivates them, do it.

Got a player who finds a particular aspect of the game frustrating? Narrow that down, and see what you can do to make it easier and more fun for them.

Down the line, that will make your life easier, and keep the game fun for everyone.

While you’re at it, make one for yourself. Be honest! Identifying your own triggers helps you figure out how to manage them.