GMs>has to run 6 different monsters with different stats, levels, and unique abilities>has to keep track of conditions, environmental effects, and ongoing spells>has to keep track of initiative for each player and monster>needs to quickly decide what (if anything) happens when players choose to do something special>still resolves each turn in less than 3 minutesPlayoids>has ONE (1) low level character with maybe 5 abilities max>each ability can fit in 1-3 sentences>only has to track conditions affecting them personally>only has to worry about when their own turn comes up>only needs to listen to the GMs ruling when improvising an action>still somehow takes a whopping 10 minutes to roll 3 dice and deal 7 damage to the monster
>>98130389stop playing with uninvested leeches and this problem disappears
>>98130389>bangThis is why all PCs should start married.
>>98130389The problem is many players won't bother learning the rules to the game because they know the DM will remind them of what they can do.
>>98130885Any good GM will tell them to either read the book or look at their character sheet and skip their turn until they do
>>98130389>each monster can be represented as a threat level and whatever I feel like imagining>effects and conditions are easy to keep track of and there are no ongoing spells>no such thing as initiative>there are no special actions, the rules already cover all conceivable decisionswhy are you playing bad games instead of good ones?
>>98130885Then stop reminding them, and don't invite them to the game if they don't want to learn the rules? How is this a problem?
>>98131227>>98131338I can tell you exactly what happens, they only use basic attacks and wonder why combat takes so long. I'm running a game right now, and made a cheat sheet for each player that tells them what they can do and when each would be effective, and they still do this shit. It's not like it's a resource problem, they can do magic shit almost as much as they want, only having to spend a turn to refill their resources. Each of them has a healing ability they can only use at the very beginning of their turn and I often have to ask them if they want to use it rather than them seeing they have less than max health and starting with "so to start off I use my regeneration"...
>>98131482So get better players. Like I said.
>>98131482Yeah what >>98131491 said, you need a new group that isn't fucking braindead. They sound like they'd be better suited playing a vidya over TTRPGs.
>>98131482Maybe running different, lighter system would help? Your players don't seem interested in complex tactics.
>>98131482Like >>98132486 said, if you must insist on these uninterested players, maybe try a game more their speed. FATE or Risus might be up their alley. Or just give up and find new people.
Ether stop playing with people unwilling or unable to learn how to play the game or switch to a simpler system. I use Risus for games with casuals and it usually works ok after a few encounters. Systems with crunch I prefer to only play with competent people who make a effort.
>>98130705As if that would stop them. Hell, I think it might actually push them to do worse, especially if the wife/husband is forced upon them by the GM to create pathetic moral dilemmas about the consort's absence while the adventurers are having their wacky and mischievous adventures.
>>98133402I had a player make a character who explicitly had a girlfriend and the first thing he did when he saw a semi-attractive female NPC was ask if she had a boyfriend
>>98130389Why do gmtroons always complain so much?Alos, probably because players care about thier characts, dms don't care about their monsters.
>>98135271Still shouldn't take you 10 fucking minutes to choose 1 of your 3 abilities playtard
>>98135271We complain because we're effectively responsible for the enjoyment of several other human beings while running a group activity that requires considerable time commitment to prepare, and also responsible for the behavior of those people towards each other and towards us during this activity, while the human beings that we're doing this for frequently refuse to give the bare minimum of effort, attention, or basic decency.We're basically running a volunteer customer service position at a daycare for our friends, and that comes with all the downsides you would expect. Shockingly, this leads to a lot of venting on mongolian basket weaving forums.
>>98135271If you think they complain so much, go ahead. You be the unpaid babysitter the next game your table has. You deal with all the table's complaints and inability to pay attention with a smile.
>>98134235based
>>98135358too bad, do your job slave
>>98130389My primary issue as a GM is more that players tend to not put any work into playing their characters. I need to remember scores of names, dates, historical events, places, etc. I do the work, every week, and very rarely have to look something up. Meanwhile, players sometimes go "oh lol, right, I have a brother! Now, what was his name?" It really sucks to put so much effort into sessions and players can't even learn by heart the character whose background and abilities never ever change.
>>98136688Why are you putting in so much effort, then? Put in less.
>>98137291A player will never have to put in as much work as a GM, but the faggots can at least be bothered to take bare minimum notes on some of the important things.
>>98137376You don't "have" to do anything. This is your leisure time. If you don't like how much effort you put in, put in less. No one is paying you, and no one is forcing you to do anything. Stop being a spineless doormat, and stop pretending to be some helpless victim. You're not. Nothing you're experiencing is the result of anything but your own decisions.
>>98137386>t. playoid notecel
>>98137409Ok. Keep not having fun during the game you're playing for fun. lol
>>98137411unironically kys playtard
>>98137386Spoken as someone who's never GM'd before. Go ahead, run a game and half-ass the preparation. Or just don't prep at all. See how thankful the players are for it. They'll totally understand that it was your decision to run a game where you didn't give a fuck about whether or not they had fun.
>>98130389>still resolves each turn in less than 3 minutesnot hardly. they also have to accept the responsibility and blame for long turns, they should be helping each player pull their weight. if a player takes longer than 5 minutes, it's on the GM.
>>98139111Good bait.
>group foid spent 10 minutes on her turn just to cast healing word on the PC with 64/73 HP and cast viscous mockery on the enemy nobody has attacked yet
>>98139393That's what you get for playing with a woman
>>98139592Said the retard who never played anything.
>>98139369it's not bait, I've never seen such combative GMs since i've come to this shit hole, I'm going back to /v/ video games
>>98138856I am, right now. Why do you think I care if the players are thankful? They can leave. I can replace them instantly.
>>98138766Ok. Keep not having fun during the game you're playing for fun. lol
>>98130389>>98130408This isn't 'uninvested players', this is anxiety/adhd (usually both) at work.EVERY (save 2 or 3) player that I have seen that is either on psych meds or has unmedicated anxiety issues simply seize up when it comes time to roll dice.
>>98135306>>98135358>>98135394you are just IRL jannies.clean it up.
If you can't tell Me what you wanna do on your turn in <2 minutes I'm skipping your turn and you do nothing.
Nope, you'll sit there and wait until I'm good and ready, in silence, and I'll eat all your food.
>>98140827Who are you talking to?
Who are you talking to?
>>98140094You're always free to run the game yourself :)
>>98131482Run Dungeon World for them. Tell them there are no moves, no actions, just rolling 2d6 and giving you a faint idea of what they're trying to do, you will have their characters do what they are saying. Interpret every answer in the most awkward retortes and useless possible way until they get it.
>>98138856Maybe playing a less prep demanding game?Lady Blackbird, InSpectres, all the "one page RPG" and a lot of PbtAs (if you like them) don't demand a lot of prepping; just reading the rules and following the player's lead. You would be just another player, with different times...
>>98137291>whyI am the anon you replied to. There's three reasons why I don't put in less effort.1) I don't decide how well I do something depending on what others do. If I say I will do something, then I do it to the best of my ability. You could call it pride, if you like.2) Me putting in less effort will not improve the sessions.3) When the GM puts in less effort, the game degrades, which means players have less incentive to keep playing, which in turn mean they put in even less effort. That leads to a downward spiral that ends with no sessions at all.My complaint is that the game is not as good as it could be because players don't put in enough effort. Your suggestion, to further degrade the quality of the game, does not solve my problem.
>>98141511So stop playing with them, retard.
>>98141511>I don't decide how well I do something depending on what others do. If I say I will do something, then I do it to the best of my ability. You could call it pride, if you like.
Not enough pride to not reply to yourself, apparently. lmao
>>98130389It seems unfair that one person has to do homework and go the extra mile for a good game while everyone else just enjoys.
>>98137386Unironically the best advice here If you feel like your players aren't putting in the effort for you to enjoy your time together, just tell them.If they continue doing that, wrap the campaign up and just play videogames with them. The game is genuinely not worth the effort if you- the guy with the most work- is not having fun making scenarios for your players to interact with.Don't be a martyr.
>>98143631Your post is actually good advice. "Just put in less effort bro" is not
>>98143680While I agree that his way of putting it wasn't the best but that's the only way forever GMs would understand Saying "oh you're doing so much work more than the players, it's all the players' fault" makes them feel better about having a miserable 3-5 hours every other week.Sometimes medicine is bitter, you understand?
>>98139111>>98139908Yeah I don't side with GMs either, nice digits btw.
Your average "player" expects to be hand fed with a specially blunted safety spoon.I've taken to killing their characters out of hand, for sport.God, my last Runequest game was annoying.>Insist on playing as Telmori Wolfmem>They have no idea what that is, just sounds cool>Refuse to sacrifice POW for new spells>Neglect to cast buffs before or in combatTrampled and hacked to death by two run of the mill mounted bandits they just stepped out onto the road infront of.Their bodies left to rot in a ditch.
>>98144540>I do this dumb ass thing>My sessions are so ass
All of my players are either active GMs (we rotate around) or have GMed in the past.I don't trust people who play this hobby for longer than 2 years and never pick up the mantle of GM once.
