Advice on Being a Good Player
There are many articles out there that tell GMs how to be good at what they do. Robin’s Laws of Good Game Mastering and the D&D 4th Edition Dungeon Masters Guide are two good examples. They give great advice on how GMs should engage players, maintain a controlled atmosphere, and, most of all, make sure that everyone has a good time at the table. Unfortunately, I have seen very few articles on how to be a good player. With that in mind, I’m writing this to give my advice to those wanting to help their group have fun while gaming.
Be On Time
This is one of the most important tips to me. If your group has made plans to meet at 1pm to game, then be there at 1pm or a few minutes earlier. If you’re going to be more than 10 minutes late, you need to contact your group and let them know. Remember that, just like any other social situation, you should be courteous. Letting your group know you’ll be more than 10 minutes late accomplishes two things. One, the group can relax and know they have a little more time to talk about the campaign or other things and, two, the group won’t worry about you. The latter is especially important if you’re a person who is normally on time.
Be Prepared
Before you leave your house, make sure to run through the following checklist.
Do I have:
__ My character sheet?
__ Any books I’ll need?
__ Any dice I’ll need?
__ Paper for taking notes?
__ Writing implements?
__ Food or drinks I want to bring?
Once you check all of these, you can be sure that you’ll have everything you need once you arrive at the gamesite.
Be Polite
No matter where you’re gaming, whether at the GM’s home, another player’s home, or a space within a private business, it is your obligation to be polite to the host and to your fellow gamers. The host is allowing you to use their home, or business, for a few hours to enjoy yourself and have a good time. If there are rules to be followed such as keeping the noise below a certain level, not being rude to customers within the business, or something as small as using a coaster, then you must follow them. If you don’t, then you may find yourself asked to leave. This is embarassing for you, the host, and everyone around you. Don’t let this happen.
Pay Attention to the Game
There have been many instances in which I have seen my fellow gamers read a book, check their e-mail, or surf the internet while the game was being played. Usually they do this while their character is not interacting with anyone else, whether in or out of combat. This can cause problems because the player has no idea what is happening and, once their character can start interacting, they ask “so what’s going on?” causing eyerolls and sighs from everyone else at the table. You must follow what is happening at the table. Your character is an integral part of the game and you need to be able to offer suggestions, dialogue with NPCs, know if other characters have been wounded in combat, know how many enemies are left in combat, and things of that nature. If you don’t, you’re going to slow down the game as things need to be explained to you. This will bring anything exciting that is happening to a screeching halt, which is something you don’t want.
Have Fun
The point of being at the game is because you want to have fun. If you’re not having fun, then you will feel as if you’re wasting your time. If this is the case, you have to communicate your feelings to your fellow gamers. Tell them exactly why you are not having fun. Do not get mad or condescending while telling them because that will cause them to become defensive and unwilling to listen to you. Instead, tell them in a calm voice and offer suggestions on how you think you could have more fun. Hopefully, they will take your suggestions and incorporate them into the game so that you will have just as much fun as everyone else. Unfortunately, this may not always work. If it doesn’t, and you truly believe you will not have fun continuing the game, then you should pack up your belongings, politely thank everyone for the game, and leave. It is best to simply stop playing rather than continuing and becoming upset because you are not enjoying yourself. Fortunately, if you are willing to convey your feelings, calmly, to the GM and the other players, I have found that they are usually willing to listen and try to help you have fun.
Conclusion
Gaming is fun. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t do it. It’s that simple. But, unfortunately, there are instances where playing with someone causes the game to not be fun. It becomes a chore and a test of one’s patience. Hopefully, if you follow the tips above, you can be a good player and can help your fellow gamer as well.
Now it’s your turn. What did I miss? Is there any advice you can offer on being a good player? Let me hear them.
reveal July 8th, 2008 at 10:20 AM
@Gabriel – Good point. I didn’t include it in this article because I wanted to try to stay away from actually playing your character and simply give an overall idea of how to contribute to everyone’s enjoyment. I may write a follow-up article in the future with tips on being a good player as it relates to running your character.