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BarbarianNina
2010-02-07, 12:22 PM
This is a question for all the DMs and players out there-- who do you like to game with? What qualities can a player bring to the table that make the game more fun for everyone?

I usually find that I'm successful as a DM, where my job is to make things interesting and difficult-- but when I try to be a flexible, team player PC, I run into a fair bit of trouble.

Also, I know that one bad player can ruin a good game, while a good player can salvage a mediocre one, but most of the advice I see focuses on either DMing or on character creation.

So-- what makes a good player?

Swordgleam
2010-02-07, 12:30 PM
I think it's part positive qualities, part negative qualities. That is, at baseline, a good player does none of the following:
* Intentionally disrupts the campaign
* Shows up late / is unreliable
* Slows combat down more often than not
* Cheats (whatever that means in your game, be it fudging roles, meta-gaming or what have you)

I'd argue that any one of those makes any player not a good player. But their absence isn't enough.

Off the top of my head, some things that, by themselves or in combination, make a good player:
* Is interested in the game outside sessions - compiles session notes, talks with the DM about potential character arcs, etc
* Makes an interesting character and shows interest in personal story arcs, but doesn't insist on them or detract from other characters' arcs
* Makes decisions that are bad for the character, because the character would make that decision (but not in a disruptive way - eg, "uses his father's +1 sword to fight his father's killer even though he's since found a +3 flaming sword," not "stabs the high priest who was about to rez the party cleric because his character has a burning hatred of all religion")
* Makes the game go smoothly by helping other players - shares dice, answers rules questions, helps with builds, etc

bosssmiley
2010-02-07, 12:33 PM
And, cue noisms' classic post on not being a d**k (http://tinyurl.com/d2wew4). That's really all there is to it. :smallwink:

Repeat three times: "It's just a game"

mostlyharmful
2010-02-07, 01:03 PM
the ability to have fun while not undermining the fun of others... you know, the same thing that makes a good person.

Satyr
2010-02-07, 01:24 PM
Usually, you can summarize it like this: A good player does not only participate in a game, he or she contributes to it. A good player tries to support his fellow players and his gamemaster in making the campaign as good as possible, and tries to make the game interesting for everyone, not just yourself. A good player also respects the authority of the gamemaster during the game sessions, and offers his feedback and opinion afterwards. You can also usually identify good players by the amount of time and effort they invest in the game - the more they care, the more enjoyable they usually are at the game table.

Swordgleam has listed most of the concrete examples, but I would add the ability to work in a team and leaves the spotlight to other players from time to time, the willingness to act (I honestly think you can be a good roleplayer if you don't enjoy to act. Being good at it is a very subjective question, and therefore has not that much significance here, but enjoying it to play a different character and not just treat it as a pawn is one of the traits I enjoy most in other players, and myself).

While I don't think that it is mandatory to be a good person to be a good player, it certainly helps to find and keep groups. It is always nicer to keep people around who you would consider to be friend material.

And as a last note, a good player is able to keep the events in the game and outside of it divided. If you are pissed because something has happened to your character, or you are annoyed by one of your fellow players because their characters did something you didn't like, you probably need more distance. Your character is a role you play, it is not you. Becoming furious about a character's misfortune is equal to an actor who plays Cesar and develops a grudge against the actor who plays Brutus.

Emmerask
2010-02-07, 01:31 PM
I think it's part positive qualities, part negative qualities. That is, at baseline, a good player does none of the following:
* Intentionally disrupts the campaign
* Shows up late / is unreliable
* Slows combat down more often than not
* Cheats (whatever that means in your game, be it fudging roles, meta-gaming or what have you)

I'd argue that any one of those makes any player not a good player. But their absence isn't enough.

Off the top of my head, some things that, by themselves or in combination, make a good player:
* Is interested in the game outside sessions - compiles session notes, talks with the DM about potential character arcs, etc
* Makes an interesting character and shows interest in personal story arcs, but doesn't insist on them or detract from other characters' arcs
* Makes decisions that are bad for the character, because the character would make that decision (but not in a disruptive way - eg, "uses his father's +1 sword to fight his father's killer even though he's since found a +3 flaming sword," not "stabs the high priest who was about to rez the party cleric because his character has a burning hatred of all religion")
* Makes the game go smoothly by helping other players - shares dice, answers rules questions, helps with builds, etc

This is a very good list especially the outside sessions interest part which shows that the player does not only want to consume and have a cheap evening with friends but is actively participating in making the campaign better :smallsmile:

UglyPanda
2010-02-07, 01:48 PM
I'd personally want a player that has some of the following qualities in addition to Swordgleam's:
-Makes an effort to learn and understand the rules.
-Isn't a drama-whore and doesn't try to steal the spotlight from other players.
-Isn't a jerk outside the game.
-Doesn't insist on doing stupid things despite the pleading of the other players.
-Understands the other player's limits when it comes to dealing with sexuality and gore.

Swordgleam
2010-02-07, 02:01 PM
-Understands the other player's limits when it comes to dealing with sexuality and gore.

That's a really good one I didn't think of. I would broaden it to "understands and keeps to the tone of the game." Some games might be dark and full of blood and sex, while others might be PG-rated, and it could be the same group of players each time.

Likewise, a silly character concept has as little place in a serious game as an overly-serious character concept has in a silly game.

nepphi
2010-02-07, 02:51 PM
This one is subjective, but I've found that a player who is willing to learn is the best kind of player overall.

Perhaps you don't know a system very well when you join a group - that's ok, we all had to learn sometime. The question is, do you make an effort to learn?

Small rant behind the spoiler, to avoid derailing (it's an illustration of my thought).


Case in point, we had a player in our d20 group. Every game we played was some variant of d20/3e. She adamantly refused to learn the system, but still wanted in the game. Now, I can understand someone saying "make a bardic knowledge roll" and them not knowing it the first time or two. But she was still holding up the game ten sessions later, because she refused to learn. As a result, she was frustrated when we got upset, we were frustrated when the game slowed down every time it came round to her, and so forth.


The best advice I can offer is to be willing to put the effort in to pick up the rules you agree to play with. You don't have to know every rule, but be willing to learn what you can, when you can.

drengnikrafe
2010-02-07, 07:16 PM
The following are prerequisites for players to stay in the game group. I have a big list of people who fell short and haven't been invited back since.

-Accept most rulings of the DM. It's reasonable to speak up, and say something is wrong, but don't do it all the time, and if I stand by my decision, let it go.
-Roleplay. It doesn't have to be a lot, but the character needs a personality, and he/she needs to stick to it.
-Function well within the group. My players are kind of chaotic, which really helps me (the DM) with not railroading them, since when I try, they go do other things. It makes my job harder, but it also makes more fun for everyone.
-Don't rules-lawyer. There are plenty of houserules, and I can make more.

I don't know that these work well in all groups, but they work well in my group.

Oh, and most importantly. Never kick anyone out after only one session, unless they are totally nonfunctional within the group. Sometimes, people make progress. It's that progress that's important.

comicshorse
2010-02-07, 07:57 PM
Sharing their munchies :smallsmile: