How do you get players to interact with each other?


Advice


How do you get players to interact with each other and not just the GM?

Sometimes I feel like I'm playing multiple simultaneous one on one games, instead of a group game.


I get what you're saying. And it's totally up to the players. You can't make them.
However, there is a chance that they're not aware of this themselves. Talk to them before your next session and ask them if they want more time and space to do so. You could also ask them to discuss and make their decisions in-character, instead of thinking tactically and talking between each other as players (if they're doing this).

I'm actually trying, as a player, to get the talking starting in my group. Between sessions I think about my character. I'm trying to find subjects that he may want to talk about with or ask his companions.


Maybe awarding XP due to good role playing moments. Granted those can happen with them interacting with the DM, but smart players will capitalize on that and come up with interesting scenes among themselves.


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This is easier with players who already know each other and who interact with each other outside of the game. If that's not an option, I think it's just a matter of "making everybody comfortable with everybody else at the table." A lot of people feel pretty exposed and vulnerable when they roleplay so "acknowledging the existence of other people" while doing it is hard for some people.

I don't think you want to push people too hard to leave where they're comfortable, but encouraging players to feel more comfortable with each other goes a long way.

Try posing situations where the best option is fairly ambiguous and the players have reason to discuss what to do and if they start talking about it out of character, you could just politely interject "why don't you folks talk about it in character" just to get the ball rolling.


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I've kind grown to dislike giving out XP for playing a certain way. People will RP if and when they want. Can't really force them or social engineer them otherwise. And maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have players genuinely be interested in roleplaying rather than doing it for the xps.


Oh, they roleplay plenty. They just roleplay with NPCs and not with other PCs.

In our last session, they even left two PCs lying unconscious in the street for four in-game hours while the rest of them roleplayed with the NPCs.

Even when I specifically told them that if they didn't want to help their fellow PCs, the NPC they were talking to could help if they asked. They ignored it.

Argghh!


That's really peculiar. Have you spoken with the player that were left to die?


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

every time they separate they're hit by pick pockets.

EVERY

TIME

*has horrible flash backs*


bookrat wrote:

Oh, they roleplay plenty. They just roleplay with NPCs and not with other PCs.

In our last session, they even left two PCs lying unconscious in the street for four in-game hours while the rest of them roleplayed with the NPCs.

Even when I specifically told them that if they didn't want to help their fellow PCs, the NPC they were talking to could help if they asked. They ignored it.

Argghh!

I'd have RP'd the NPC asking them why they weren't concerned about their friends.


ccs wrote:

I'd have RP'd the NPC asking them why they weren't concerned about their friends.

I actually did that. Earlier in the game we had a chase scene where the party got split up. Two members stayed with an unconscious bad guy they were chasing while the rest continued the chase for the second bad guy.

When they caught the second (about two blocks down from the first), no one did anything to go retrieve their fellow PCs. I had an NPC with the party ask *twice* why no one was getting their allies left behind. Eventually the NPC himself went to go get them so the party could reunite.


Why didn't the players of the left-behind PCs do or say anything? In my group, we'd have reminded the other players to come get us so we could participate, too. Failing that, we'd have had our PCs carry the bad guy after the rest of the party until we caught up with them.

Is this in an online game or a real-life game?


Joana wrote:
Why didn't the players of the left-behind PCs do or say anything? In my group, we'd have reminded the other players to come get us so we could participate, too. Failing that, we'd have had our PCs carry the bad guy after the rest of the party until we caught up with them.

I don't know why they didn't do anything. They just stayed silent during that scene.

Quote:


Is this in an online game or a real-life game?

This is an online game.


bookrat wrote:
Joana wrote:


Is this in an online game or a real-life game?

This is an online game.

I think the social contract is a little bit weaker in an online game than at a table. If you don't see the other players sitting there getting bored, you don't feel the same obligation to get them involved, especially if it's a pick-up game where the players don't know each other.

Perhaps the party/players just haven't jelled. I know I've been in PbP games where I haven't felt like I've gotten along with the other players or don't particularly care for their characters or playstyle. In those situations, it's easier to RP with the GM.

I might suggest having the NPCs group 1 is with give them some information and have other NPCs come along to help group 2 and give them another piece of information. That may encourage them to share what they've learned when they get back together, which might get some intraparty conversation going.


Hmm.. I've been having the opposite problem, where my players are so busy interacting with each other it can be hard to get a word in (also online games).

I might cut back on the amount of help NPCs can give the party, and work on some encounters which really take a lot of intra-team coordination.


You could put them somewhere with no NPCs to interact with, and see if they make an attempt. For instance, travelling to another location, where they need to make camp once or twice.


The best advice I can give is to help the players create thoroughly fleshed out characters.

It's when a character is little more than notes on a paper that roleplaying is most difficult, because there's nothing to work off of except 'alignment, abilities and maybe a patron deity.'

Everybody needs an Identity, that includes where they came from, where they're going and their general personality/outlook on life.

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