Over at Ravens n’ Pennies,
C.R. Rice wrote an interesting bit
about what he looks for in players, and that got me to thinking about what I
like to see in players. So blame him for this!
Where his list is a bit more general, mine tends to address
issues I’ve personally seen. Some of these are symptomatic of things I did (and
hopefully have learned not to do); others are inherent to the players. Either
way, players who adhere to these and voice concerns as soon as they find
themselves drifting from them are some of the most valuable commodities in
gaming.
Dependable.
Dependability in players is crucial. Nothing derails a game faster than not
having everyone present. Peter Dell’Orto begins and ends his Felltower [https://dungeonfantastic.blogspot.com/p/my-df-campaign.html]
sessions in Town to blunt the impact of this. David Ripton tries to do this, too. Others run missing PCs as NPCs or put them “in the
barrel” where they just don’t do anything and tag along; both of these can be
jarring.
Punctual. Players can show
up every session, but if they are always late, they delay the fun for everyone
at the table. While this isn’t always the end of the world, being late to a
game definitely cuts into game time, and if your game has requirements like
Felltower, you are cutting into the party’s ability to achieve gaming goals. It’s
not cool, so please be nice to everyone in your group and be on time!
Attentive. Know what’s
going on. Really, this is related to begin punctual. If you’re more interested
in your phone, the TV, a video game, etc., you really aren’t playing, and at
best, you are causing delays. Everything I said above applies.
Prepared. Be prepared
for the session. Again, this has to do with causing undue delays including having
your PC sheet ready, tending to any inventory and load-out needs between
sessions, knowing your turn in combat, knowing what you want to do on your
turn, etc. applies. Basically, don’t be that guy on whom everyone has to wait.
Please. Nothing kills the immersion faster than having to wait.
Creative. Don’t just play
in the game; add to it! I love players who get into the setting and expand it
in interesting ways. This means being heedful of any established cannon and working
with the GM to grow the setting. It might not always be important for more
beer-and-pretzels games, but generally, I prefer some substantive background
for games (as evidenced by my work on Starfall).
Collaborative. There
are lots of “right” ways to play a roleplaying game. This means not getting
hung up on Rules As Written, your particular take on what you think should
happen, etc. Instead, work with everyone at the table to create a gaming
experience that everyone can enjoy. If you dispute something, voice your
opinion, but accept the GM’s or group’s ruling.
Proactive. If you see
something – rules, characters, NPCs, adventures, style, anything – that looks
like it might cause issues down the road, say something right away. This isn’t
about being a lousy, no-good, loathsome, execrable rules lawyer; it’s about
spotting issues that might arise and addressing them with the GM and the group
at earliest convenient time. That time is probably not amidst play, but it also
isn’t after things have come to a head.
Note that the first four are all interrelated. They can all be
summarized as “Get the game moving and keep it moving.” The GM can only do so
much to control the pacing. If the players introduce delays, this can really
hamper parts where things are meant to move quickly and make difficult to distinguish
between those and the slower parts. The latter characteristics definitely speak
to players’ ability to elevate the game from what, hopefully, is good to something
that might be called great. This means building on what the GM does, on what other
players do, and trying to troubleshoot possible issues ahead of time.
There are more qualities I look for, but these are the ones that
come immediately to mind. I’d love to hear what other players and GMs seek in
gamers, so please share your opinions!
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