Hot answers tagged roleplaying
14
Meta: Do the grown up thing: Ask them up front that you perceive them losing their enthusiasm for the game and that you would like to know if it's true (or just your perception) and if so, why this is happening? Then, you can resolve things so that everyone is happy.
In game: If the problem is one of distraction, then set aside time to drink coffee and ...
10
TV Tropes calls this situation mean character, nice actor (and vice versa). It's quite common in the drama world but doesn't seem to have an established term beyond acting. You sometimes hear playing against type for this, although that's more about a difference from your previous roles, not your own personality.
The specific case of an opposite-sex ...
7
"Like" can take a number of forms, each of which can be achieved in a different way.
One of the most reliable ways to get the players to like/respect an NPC is trust. Set up multiple scenarios where the NPC takes a big risk in trusting the players and having it payoff, and vice versa. This is the classic, "I got your back" situation, used very frequently ...
7
In teaching, we are taught that there are 6 C's to motivation. These are: choice, challenge, control, collaboration, constructing meaning, and consequences. I would suggest that to motivate players in ways other than those already mentioned (recaps, social times, frequent breaks, etc) I would try to focus on helping the DM/GM provide more of the 6 C's.
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Likely the issue is one of the following:
Why are we here?
As has been addressed in other threads both here and across the internet, we game for different reasons. Some people like to engage their inner-thespian, while others have a very stressful job and only want to picture those annoying people when they "HULK SMASH!!!" Still others are there because ...
6
Props and Cues: To echo what Sardathrion said, gaming props (like the single article of clothing the Penny Arcade Guys wore) can pull players into character much like how costumes help actors assume a role. Music can also be a big way to draw people in. This can be really overdone to the point where the GM spends as much time crafting the perfect playlist ...
5
This sounds like a task for the mechanical turk! (and recursive analysis1)
Functionally, if you break a transcript up into paragraphs, then you can offer a mechanical turk job of "summarize this paragraph using a narrative style." The trick is, getting good results can be difficult. You'll probably spend some money figuring out your best process. (Tips and ...
4
Communication is Key
As I am the DM I usually worry about motivating my group from my side of the DM screen and as a DM it can be very disheartening to see you players lose interest but your question entails quite a different dilemma but in my opinion is a very interesting and important one. As always communication seems to be the key.
I would ask them ...
4
If you have personal plots, try to involve characters on them. Not as a whole, but individually. If a PC has criminal contacts, try to use them in your plans. If one is good at forgery, involve him in the creation of false documents. Seek their help and make them feel special.
This is what I do when I see a PC is getting outside the story.
3
I don't know about specific rpg story teller willing to write for other DMs, but based on what I found on Internet, a (cheap) ghostwriter is about 0.50$ a word or 4$ a page.
Here's some info : http://www.ghostwriter-needed.com/expensive-cheap-ghostwriters.html
I have a friend more than able to do this, but he'd consider himself rather good at it, so not so ...
3
Align her with the party's own interests. Make her be a foil to someone the characters hate. Have her do things that the characters would want to do, but couldn't for purely social reasons. This would work especially well with the whole "half-mad" thing.
You should consider allowing some sort of compromise to be possible; maybe they still have to return ...
3
Make them believable and not ridiculous.
For instance, let's look at a Dark Heresy NPC I created.
Three times stronger than any character in the party (in combat, at least).
Inquisitor's pet, so anything he said was what their handler believed.
Complete disregard for his own safety, and that of party members.
The players were in shock when he died-and I ...
3
Make her a respected asset in the group - have her intelligently contribute to battles.
That, however, is not relevant to how much your players will like her - her likability is much more related to how you role play her character:
Give her memorable traits: have one, or two, major character traits, and several minor ones, that define her. She might be a ...
2
Should she be an asset in combat or should she need their protection?
I would vote for an equal. If she's too powerful she'll look like a DMPC. If she's needy, the players won't like that either. Make her contribute without stealing anyone's spotlight. If your players are particularly gamey, make her a healer or buffer.
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I agree that this is very like Fred in Angel. I second the remarks about building trust, showing vulnerability and exchanging stories. In real life a great deal of a relationship is established by sharing personal information. One way to drive this would be to make the NPC erratically psychic: this would allow her to make predictions that would be of great ...
2
Having her be useful in combat would certainly be nice, but its not essential. People you like do not need to be useful to you, much less useful in any particular way.
But she probably shouldn't be a liability either. She could either be useful in combat, or just really good at staying out of the way.
To be really likable, a character needs to be well ...
1
In combat have her consistantly using aid another (or similar buff) to one or all members of the team (via magic) and give her the ability to bestow blessings on the characters allowing them a reroll an attack or get temp hp (aka slight dodge) as an automatic interupt once a combat encounter so the characters will like her for helping them be more bamf and ...
1
I've encountered the same dilemma. @Sardathrion's point about honest communication is right on the money. Discussing what's working and what's not working will solve most problems. That said, sometimes it's difficult for players to pinpoint what they are missing, or why they are distracted. You may want to suggest to the GM that opening each session with a ...
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