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Author Topic: What makes for good players?  (Read 1608 times)

Anthrobot
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What makes for good players?
« on: March 05, 2008, 06:33:02 AM »
So if you were to give some advice to some newbie players on how to be a good player, what words of wisdom would you give?
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O'Borg

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2008, 06:36:10 AM »
Quote from: Anthrobot
So if you were to give some advice to some newbie players on how to be a good player, what words of wisdom would you give?
Turn up the the game, or make sure you let everyone know beforehand that you can't make it.
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Kyle Aaron

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2008, 06:39:54 AM »
Bring snacks, and share them.
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walkerp
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What makes for good players?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2008, 06:43:42 AM »
Effort!  Be pro-active!  I am really languishing because my players just sit there waiting for stuff from me like baby robins with their mouths open waiting for their mashed up grubs and worms.  It kills my motivation.  (This is an online game I'm talking about, so it's exaggerated, but the principle is the same.)
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David R

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2008, 07:32:52 AM »
Be genuinely enthusiastic about the game and the people who are playing it, otherwise don't bother showing up.

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tellius

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2008, 07:51:20 AM »
As Kyle said, bring snacks and share them, after that join in and have fun. Don't just sit there brainlessly waiting for things to happen, as walkerp pointed out, it kills the motivation. Not just for the GM, but for the others as well.

Settembrini

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2008, 07:52:04 AM »
Dedication.
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Blackleaf

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2008, 09:49:30 AM »
It's exactly the same as what makes a good or bad GM. :)

A bad player puts their personal enjoyment ahead of the enjoyment of the other people at the table.

A good player is one who helps all the players have fun, and makes them want to come back next time for another game.

Thanatos02

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2008, 10:18:11 AM »
I'm just off of work, and having finished my breakfast (dinner?) I'm pretty wiped,  so I'll just say it like this.

A good player has to be interested and put forth the requisite effort. If they're not gonna', no offense, but it's better if they don't show up. Don't have time for the game? Don't say you'll join the group. Don't want to play horror? Don't. If you like something, don't be afraid to pitch in! Be thoughtful towards the other player and don't choose options that mess with their fun. Don't try to play 'gotcha' with them or the DM.

If you're there, try to have fun. That helps. If you don't think you will, sit it out. There's plenty of stuff on TV.
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walkerp
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What makes for good players?
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2008, 11:02:04 AM »
This is very specific, and probably falls into personal preference, but I don't like players who plan too much.  I guess that's more of a corrolary of Stuart's point above, but I have found generally that there is often one player who is way too careful and wants to plan every little step ahead of time while the rest of the group wants to charge forward.

This happened in a con game I ran and it was bugging me at the time, but I tried to give the player some leeway.  Later, several other players told me his over-planning was the one major negative thing about the game for them.
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jrients

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2008, 11:37:53 AM »
If the GM hands you the ball, then run with it.

If the GM doesn't hand you the ball, grab it and run anyway.
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Caesar Slaad

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2008, 11:42:30 AM »
Take chances
Don't be a whiner
Look for cool ways to interact with other players
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Seanchai
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What makes for good players?
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2008, 02:40:07 PM »
Others have said the same, but:

  • Be proactive
  • Be a fun person to game with
  • Don't wait until your turn to look stuff up
  • Show up on time
  • Contribute to the group experience


There's one more, "Don't be a dick," but it has several correlaries:

  • Don't play chaotic dumb characters, then say, "but I'm only playing my character" when folks rightly take you to task
  • Don't play loners with no "in" that allows you to get together with the rest of the group
  • Don't play gribbly, weird-ass characters who don't fit in the campaign
  • Don't be late to the session
  • Don't show up drunk or stoned
  • Don't eat more than your share of the food and snacks
  • Don't fart at the table


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John Morrow

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What makes for good players?
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2008, 03:19:25 PM »
Quote from: Anthrobot
So if you were to give some advice to some newbie players on how to be a good player, what words of wisdom would you give?


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What makes for good players?
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2008, 04:33:09 PM »
Good players are those who strive to make their character have a life of his own, and to have their participation in the game fit the genre being emulated (and care more about that than about having the most "Uber-l33t" character).

Just last night, Jong had a more unforgettable experience for himself and all the other players in our Qin campaign by the way he chose for his PC to die than he ever could have in trying to wiggle his way into getting him to live, either by metagaming or by rules-niggling.  I've started a thread over at the Actual Play forum, you guys should pester him to tell the story of his PC's already-legendary demise.

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