A practical piece of gaming advice to get hammered on...

Look for The Nod
In any gaming group, sitting at the table, there are moments where you'll be doing something, and someone else will be giving you a look that say "awesome".  They might just be fixed-attention on you with a little half-smile; they might actually be nodding along, whatever it is.  People signal each other in little ways like that.  Watch for those signals.  It doesn't matter if you're playing or GMing; that little signal is a better indicator that you're doing something right than any number of dry discussions of technique.  When you get it, remember when you got it, and what you were doing.  Maybe even ask why you got it, later.  But make it one of your goals at the table to get The Nod from each other person at least once each game.

...And your thoughts?

Make sure to make your own Nods clear to others.  Don't be afraid to tell the other people when they are rocking your socks off.

interesting observation - is this some sort of RPG Masonic society?
learning to understand how your players are reacting to the adventure should require a few more observation skills than noticing a nod.
 
taking notes of important names, places and events
updating their equipment lists after purchasing a ton of items
concocting an original plan to accomplish a goal/rescue that wasnt in your plan, but their wording and approach to the problem is clever and well thought out
 
little things like these

Quote from: Lawbaglearning to understand how your players are reacting to the adventure should require a few more observation skills than noticing a nod.

Well, yeah.

But there are basic signals people give off that say "this rocks, right here, right now".  And for some reason I can't imagine, game advice almost never mentions those signals.

And yes, this is obvious advice to some people.  But what is dead obvious to one person, I tend to find, is often a complete eye-opener to another.

So, let's discuss the obvious.  You might be seeing something, plain as day, that I never saw at all.

I think I do that...but you're right, watching for "The Nod" is absolutely central to running a good game.

It should be common sense to make sure everyone does that, hopefully in response to something someone else did.  I had a player once who only really got his rocks off on his own descriptions...it was kinda weird.

Pupils and nipples: both get bigger when someone is excited.

My version of "the nod".

I used to make players rate each other privately on scraps of paper. (For bonus XP to best players, etc.)

The players would leave me comments to me on these scraps of paper as well.

The ones that made me smile were along the lines of "You bastard!"

Quote from: NicephorusPupils and nipples: both get bigger when someone is excited.

....!

Let's see...   could I put together an all-female group?

Yes.

Could I convince them that playing topless was a new "feedback mechanic"?

Probably not.

Damn.

It has to be a hot summer.