Something that has worked for me in most cases of silent players is to make a quest focus on their character. Send a letter asking for help, NPC's only listen to them, they have the information/item needed to progress, the decision has to be theirs. Or combine that so everybody has to contribute a piece of the puzzle/decision.
Maybe do some emails to start their own storylines which turn out to be crucial in the tabletop play. If they are the only ones with a key piece of information, they will have to speak up, especially when you prompt them - fake intelligence checks if necessary to see if their character remembers the info they received.
Another thing to check is if the date/time is good for them. Tired players tend to be lethargic.
Good luck. That's a tough problem.
I think your effort to draw out the silent players was well-intentioned but may have been the wrong approach. Most new players I have played with find role playing and social interaction to be the most difficult part of the game to get comfortable with. They tend to draw into themselves when a situation comes up that calls for in-depth role play and social interaction.
I have found that allowing the game to focus mostly on combat and problem solving allows me to work on individual players to boost their confidence so they feel more comfortable doing the social stuff. It's almost counter-intuitive, but you need to keep the game in their comfort zone and stretch them bit by bit to bring them out. Throwing them into a situation where they HAD to play in a way they were uncomfortable may have just made them go all turtle on you.
What AD says can be true, too, particularly with a big group. We've also had some success in playing one-on-one (or two) with new players, to get them past the performance anxiety of RP and let them feel more comfortable talking at the table. There can be some stage fright to RP.
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I finally "fixed" the silent players in my group. We started Jade Regent (I'm also a player, but have been GM most of our groups lifespan), and they didn't seem interested at all in making the caravan. So I did it on my own... poorly (intentionally). Around level 6 they finally realize that the caravan could have been done MUCH better, so they re-did it with our GMs permission.
Now that each of them has invested some energy into how it was built, they care about it more. I also ask a new person each time to run the caravan outside of combat each week, and only *they* are allowed to make decisions, after listening to what each other player has to say.
Not directly applicable, but an idea of something you can do. INVEST the players into what you want them in on.
If your players have mentioned that they can't get in a word edgewise with the more experienced player directing things, then try asking the experienced player to avoid solving situations and ask others -- IC -- what do do.
I know you've stated that everyone has had the ability to give input and/or be a part of the game ... but sometimes people can be "intimidated" into silence by an experienced, knowledgeable player who takes the initiative.
Maybe one of your silent types would have had the same idea, but didn't say it because the experienced player already did? Maybe another one is interested in interactions, but doesn't feel anything needs to be added after the experienced player gets their bit in.
Talk to your experienced player and ask him/her to pull the others into the game and stop solving problems, but rather ask the others for solutions. At least for a bit.
You could ask the dominant player to take a break for a session or two. Without him at the table, they can't just agree with everything he says, and they can't feel like he's hogging the spotlight. It would give the others a chance to step up, even force them to, and at the very least it would give you a better idea of what's the underlying problem. Even if you don't perceive it that way, he could be too dominant even if he doesn't mean to. And maybe you're focusing too much on him without meaning to, because it's more rewarding for you. I'd try how things go without him.
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It's worth remembering that some players like sitting silently until it's time to roll dice. I'd check with the quiet players privately and see if they're enjoying themselves first before taking any (potentially unwanted) remedial action.
Something that has worked for me in most cases of silent players is to make a quest focus on their character. Send a letter asking for help, NPC's only listen to them, they have the information/item needed to progress, the decision has to be theirs. Or combine that so everybody has to contribute a piece of the puzzle/decision.
Remember that aside from self-consciousness about "speaking up", there is also an element of responsibility that comes with making decisions. Placing too much responsibility on a new player will hurt their experience.
I'm not disagreeing with Treppa. Just remember, a player may be more willing to decide something if it's less consequential than "life or death".
Something that has worked for me in most cases of silent players is to make a quest focus on their character. Send a letter asking for help, NPC's only listen to them, they have the information/item needed to progress, the decision has to be theirs. Or combine that so everybody has to contribute a piece of the puzzle/decision.Remember that aside from self-consciousness about "speaking up", there is also an element of responsibility that comes with making decisions. Placing too much responsibility on a new player will hurt their experience.
I'm not disagreeing with Treppa. Just remember, a player may be more willing to decide something if it's less consequential than "life or death".
Agreed. Even with experienced players, I won't put life or death decisions solely on their shoulders. If they make one in the heat of battle or questing, fine, but I won't force it.