Invited to the Table
Over at Prismatic Wasteland, they asked, what makes a good player? There are a few things that I've observed and experienced over the years that have worked out well for me.
I should note that I don't often play many story/narrative games so my advice may not work well with those games.
- They say what they want AND what they do.
- They know their characters can have secrets, but players cannot.
- As they learn more about what is working for them and isn't, they share it.
- They resist cracking jokes when the tensions rise and the moment is good.
- They work to find a way to say, "Yes" to what is suggested.
- They have a reason to be with their party.
- They know that the best memories sometimes start with a bad roll.
- On occasion, they tell the group and GM they're having fun.
I think some of these are obvious and some not so much. I'll drop a few words on the ones that aren't so obvious.
They know their characters can have secrets, but players cannot
Characters can be complex things in TTRPGs with odd motivations that can lead them to betray or abandon their party.
Players are humans sitting down to play a game in the time they have. When a player keeps a secret, that ultimately causes harm, that sucks for everyone. The justification of role-playing or meta-gaming doesn't justify ruining a game.
So good players talk about their characters' secrets. This lets the table of folks who are invested in having a good time figure out what to do with it together.
They resist cracking jokes when the tensions rise and the moment is good
Admittedly this is one I struggle with. There are so many moments in games where the tension is high and it should stay that way. But in the intensity someone (probably me), cracks a joke. The tension evaporates because I popped it like a balloon.
Good players can read the room and let the tension build and sit and keep their joke to themselves.
They have a reason to be with their party
Related to the secret one, but in my view, games where the party is just a group of individuals who don't have a reason to exist together, don't work.
You don't have to know what the reason is yet, but good players, on some level know they have a reason to be with this party. They could be anywhere else in this made up world, but they're here and choosing to be every time they go out.
They know that the best memories sometimes start with a bad roll
Few phrases make players sit up more than, "Make a save." Failure means something is about to happen, and success means you'll be much better off for whatever happens next.
Failing a save means your character suffers something unpleasant, but as players this can add a lot of drama, interest, tension, and fun.
A bad roll isn't failure, it's adventure.