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View Full Version : Planning... the bane of our Existance!



Asmodai
2013-06-09, 10:20 AM
So... I've been having a bit of a problem with my players. We play long, sparawling games with a lot of PC interaction, liberal sprinklings of combat and a general focus on consequences and building up your characters and portofolio.

The problem we've been having lately is with planning. It seems that when it comes down to planning the next step, the moment there are more options or that they are going in blind, they start dragging themselves down.

No plan is good enough for one player, the other just shuts off and doesn't cotnribute except in short bursts, another advocates the most direct route... It ends turning out a whole session into a "planning" session where they don't achieve much more beyond the fact that they disagree a lot and tear down a lot of plans.

Once they do get moving, they really handle it well and get out on top quite more often then things horribly backfire. I see that this "planning" they are doing isn't really fun for them and that they'd rather be playing then wasting game time on overthinking and arguing left and right.

Does anyone have advice how to handle this?

Xeratos
2013-06-09, 10:31 AM
Do you notice the same player consistently coming up with the plans that work? If so, maybe encourage your group to elect that person as leader, and to give his or her plan a shot rather than waste an hour arguing.

Alternatively, depending on where they are in game, you could interrupt their planning with a monster attack. I've found quite often players have this mindset that the game is on pause when they start discussing things, that nothing is going to happen until they decide that they're ready to start up again, and that nobody is ever going to eavesdrop on them.

endoperez
2013-06-09, 12:05 PM
I've experienced this problem as well, but I don't know how to solve it. Last time I GM'd I ended up nudging them towards the direction I though would provide solution most of them could agree on, i.e. the solution I thought was most logical, i.e. railroading.

Another alternative would be to fudge on the fly so that whatever plan the PCs take works (or doesn't work), but creates for an interesting story. This only works with certain groups, other groups would think changing e.g. guard patrols so that the players' plan works or doesn't work is cheating and takes away from the fun.

TheDarkSaint
2013-06-10, 09:53 AM
You're DM is probably letting them have too much OOC time to plan. There is no feeling of urgancy, so everyone feels like they have all th time in the world to plan something, so there must be a enough time for a "BEST" plan.

This is silly. Talk to the DM and the group about it. Maybe give the PC's 5 minutes of OOC planning time and every other planning must take place IC with the DM counting down the minutes and hours as you waste time.

That should light a fire under them.

Earthwalker
2013-06-10, 10:16 AM
YAY I get to deliver the standard answer as no one has got here first.
I would talk to them about it and see what they say. Perhaps they like the planning element and enjoy the time taken, if so leave them with it.

If not then come to some agreement, on how long they plan for and explain that they will not need the perfect plan for every situation and to trust you as a GM.

In one game I ran for (playing shadowrun) sessions would go by where the goal was to find flaws in whatever plan was put forward. The players were so much better at that, then me as the GM.

One player would come up with a plan and the other players would shout it down becuase of the risks.
Next player comes up with a plan and the other shout it down... and so on till end of session.

They did like it tho and only occasionally would I poke them to acctually do something.

Tyrrell
2013-06-10, 10:30 AM
Do the players fear failure too greatly? It could be that they are afraid of getting screwed over by not being perfect.

AttilaTheGeek
2013-06-11, 05:07 PM
Do the players fear failure too greatly? It could be that they are afraid of getting screwed over by not being perfect.

This has happened to me in more difficult campaigns.

Lord Torath
2013-06-11, 10:11 PM
What, that your plan was not completely perfect, so the DM thrashed you for it?

Jay R
2013-06-11, 11:51 PM
In older versions of the game, the solution to this was wandering monsters.

Never let the DM get bored.

Asmodai
2013-06-12, 06:09 AM
I'm not sure if it's failure, overanalysys or just plain going through the motions... but I'd so love to correct it as I feel everyone woul have more fun that way.