Everyone sees the game table a little differently. Over the years, I have observed a few motivational tendencies in players that I will share that you may want to watch for. These give you clues as to what plot devices the PCs will tend to latch onto, and what things bring them entertainment. Often times a player will exhibit multiple motivational tendencies.
Explorer
Players motivated by exploration tend to crave world content. If someone in your group volunteers to draw maps of each encounter, then you may have an explorer. Explorers are fun and allow you to dangle rewards that aren't limited to a pure monetary 'treasure' value. Keep in mind that explorers are sometimes easily distracted and may pull the party off task. If you take the time to describe a feature in the landscape, be prepared for them to want to investigate. You can use this to your advantage as well, just be careful when adding content to your game.
Completionist
Completionists feel the need to explore, loot and 'beat' everything you have prepared. A completionist will volunteer to return to a lair or dungeon and face almost certain death, just to see what is behind the last door. When playing with a completionist, be cognizant of how much content you have time blocked. A mega dungeon can provide nearly endless entertainment, or prove a burden for the rest of the table. Some completionists may thoroughly search every room for secret. Others will not be happy unless they have uncovered every encounter. Be sure to tailor the amount of content you have so that you satisfy the completionists without hanging up the campaign.
Treasure Hunter
This player's character is motivated primarily by greed. For this player, the acquisition aspect of the game brings a great deal of enjoyment. This can be tricky to balance. By making treasure rare, you increase its value and meaning when the PCs acquire it. However, treasure hunters generally become dissatisfied if some treasure isn't forthcoming. Some players expect treasure after every encounter, while others will be satisfied knowing that some will come as they adventure in search of an artifact, or some alien technology. Treasure frequency is a rarely discussed and a great topic to cover during session '0'.
Murder Hobo
I won't spend too much time on this behavior as there is plenty of information already out there. The short is, that unless the entire table consists of murder hobos, this player will likely cause dissatisfaction with other players. In particular, Murder Hobos may upset the Story Player as they tend to attack significant npcs. If this is the case, understand that instances of roleplay may make the murder hobo uncomfortable. Discussing the level of 'roleplay' and backstory required in session '0' is important in setting the expectation and determining if this is the right gaming table for everyone in the group.
Story Player
In many ways, story driven players are almost opposite of the murder hobo. These players tend to find satisfaction in interaction with NPCs in the game. If you have a player who spends a great deal of time writing 'backstory' for their character, then they may be a story player. You can take advantage of this by incorporating their backstory into your campaign. Be wary though, such players may also have a tendency to become attached to their well fleshed out characters. For session '0', discussion about how much backstory is acceptable, and what the backstory is, is important. If the player decides their character is a cyborg 'sleeper' agent unaware of their history, that may not fit neatly in the game you are planning to run. Additionally, always discuss relative danger and the potential of character death. If not all of your players are story driven, then you will have to play a juggling act between story and action which is not too uncommon.
Slayer
Slayers look forward to the tactical aspect of the game, primarily combat. Some slayers may tend to ignore or tune out during story progression, so be aware of this. If you have entire sessions without some form of combat, this person may grow bored unless they have other behavioral motivations to occupy them.
All Star
All stars typically want to be at the center of all of the action. Contribution is a very important motivator for the all star. This individual may be a min/maxer or a leader but not always. Obviously you want to allow the all star to contribute or they will become frustrated. However, it is very important to present opportunities where all party members can contribute. For this reason, look for encounters and scenarios that give each player opportunities to contribute to the session, or they will likely find themselves simply watching the game as the All Star takes over.
Min/Maxer
Min/Maxers can come from any range of styles of play, but generally this player feels compelled to 'optimize' their character sheet. Min/maxers are often uncomfortable with the idea that their character may not always have the best advantage. This can make roleplay challenging, if you are intent on a story focused campaign. Also be extremely careful about the rulesets you incorporate, the more supplemental rules you add to your campaign, the more material the min/maxer has to research to become a powerhouse that you didn't see coming. Be sure to review character sheets with your players periodically. Also, similarly with the all star, find ways to balance the min/maxer's ability to overshadow other players, while also throwing them periodic opportunities to utilize their optimized attributes.
Leader
Some tables have multiple leaders, and others have none. Frequently, a leader won't become apparent until gameplay begins. Try to spot them in session '0' if you can. This individual will tend toward making executive decisions for the party. Some PCs are leaders simply because of roleplay, but more often than not, the actual player that people are most comfortable leading will stand out. If your party has multiple leaders, this can be a problem and you may have to tell your players that they need to sort this out or delegate who will be in charge of what. If your party lacks leadership, then you as the GM have a bigger challenge. The party may have difficulty focusing on plot hooks and may flounder on which path to take. You may have to nudge them a little for them to accomplish things, and that is ok. They will likely look to you for direction.
While this list is no way meant to suggest that everyone fits neatly into a category, or that these are all of the motivations of players, it should get you thinking about playstyle and motivation. If you haven't figured out by now, everyone at the table has a different approach to gaming.
It is for this reason exactly, that you should evaluate and discuss with everyone what type of game content and rules you intend to run with. Setting limits is a positive thing that sets expectations and will lead to a better game.
Next up, Campaign Setting and World Limits.
No comments:
Post a Comment