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Don't Break A New Player's Enthusiasm

Don't Break A New Player's Enthusiasm

I've been doing Play by Post for a very long time and running games for even longer. Now that I'm retiring I will only be coding and enhancing games for others. From time to time I may start Topics about Role-play Gaming to add to our list Should read Threads for Dungeon Masters. Now, on to this Topic:

If a Player takes the time to join a Community like this it means there is a fair amount of seriousness in his / her intention because of the necessary parts of the Registration process. When a new Player wants to join a game and create a character its important to make it a fast straightforward process. You want to do this because you are setting the example of what kind of 'attention' you give to your game. For instance, if a GM takes 2-3 days or even longer just to respond what does that say? Falrun is running a AD&D Role-playing Game that is a good example of how being there daily moves your Role-playing Game along. Even if Players are tardy he still updates and because of that he has almost 800 replies since July which works out to be about 4-5 Posts a day per game. Now do not get me wrong, I am not measuring the number of Posts but I am showing how a game can be active from the start to the mid-run simply because the GM is enthusiastic about it.

Once the Character has been created and the player Posted how long does it take for the game to be updated and the Player joined to the Party? Getting that new Player integrated by role-playing one on one to a point is a very good way to get their 'engines' running in the direction you want to go. I've seen a good example of this by Icon with his Prologue Thread and I also used to do something similar with a "Players in Waiting Thread" where I gave the new Player a little more attention.

For Players, when you see a new Player enter a game is all you see a "Character"? It shouldn't be so, that's a real person, go look for their Introduction Thread and welcome them on board and stay in touch - this is something Game Masters can do too. Feel free to place your thoughts.

Good Reading: How to Include New Players in a Current Game

Enthusiasm Players New Break Dont

Good advice. Any GM / player should do this not only to be helpful but it adds towards a better game. Unlike other game systems where you want to fight against other players to win in Role-playing Games you do the opposite - work together. I think players forget that and see other player's characters like NPCs.

Don't Break A New Player's Enthusiasm Reviews RPG & Card Board

I think for a Play By Post game, there's a shared responsibility by all players to participate. I agree that the Dungeon Master should spend a little more time working with the players, new ones especially, to set up their characters and develop the background.

As far as my game is concerned, the high post rate comes from a combination of factors: no life and a smart phone that allows updates from anywhere at anytime...

Enthusiasm Players New Break Dont

Being able to post a character's actions anywhere is definitely a big enhancement to Play By Post activity but I only use it when really necessary. I rather wait til I'm in front of a larger screen so I can see everything properly. I've seen lots of potential players say they can't get to a computer but with so many smartphones and free wifi I can't really accept that. As for new players they are like a big question mark for me. In my years here I've seen so many boast about their experience and such and even when you guide them they flake off. Maybe they're looking for someone to baby them which is something I don't do. Don't get me wrong I do help, don't mind to help anyone get a hang of the site and such but I won't baby sit.

Enthusiasm Players New Break Dont

I've tried welcoming some people in the past after reading their intros. I tend to reply to the intros that are more well thought out than "I'm here, let's play games" however even in doing so they sometimes do not reply back. If they reach the stage of playing games thats really a big deal. In the early days when 30 posts was needed to play I could see lots of people trying to get it, now I read people griping that they have to even make an intro. The internet is changing so its not so much that players here might be wetting them as much as they are tired of being left out to dry when the person they welcome does not even reply back.

Don't Break A New Player's Enthusiasm

My viewpoint might be the anticlimax of this topic but for me if you're here to role play then role play! No one should have to baby you, give you milk and cookies so you can play. I'm not talking about people who need help, just people who like others to beg them to participate.

Don't Break New Player's Enthusiasm

Hunter, that is true, however it might be that some prospective Players do not want to say or do the wrong thing, therefore they choose to abstain until they feel comfortable with the environment. What helps them 'acclimatize' is having those who are experienced, like yourself, show them that it's not quite so hard as they may believe. You do this by welcoming, offering assistance or explaining things in another way until its understood.

Don't Break New Player's Enthusiasm Board Card & RPG Reviews

As a new member to this community, the site is pretty overwhelming. There's so much behind the scene coding and rules about how things should work that it's completely unlike any Play By Post setup I've seen, and I've been around since the days of dial up and BBSes were a thing.

I don't have a problem with the complexity, but I'm taking my time in investigating and exploring the site, to determine if we're a good fit for one another. I'm not trying to jump immediately into a game, because I'm just not comfortable doing so.

Now, I'm not asking for someone to hold my hand and supply me with cookies, but if I find a game that's interesting and go through the steps to try to be a constructive participant and feel like I'm being blown off, I'll have to wonder if all this is worth it.

I feel that's more what JB is stating in this thread. This site has a learning curve, the way games are run have a learning curve, and in a world chock full of entertaining pastimes, if someone expresses an interest in yours, then you should absolutely be helpful and welcoming. Otherwise, they can just bugger off and find another fun way to spend their time.