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Hey all, I will be GMing 4 slots of PFS at Gen Con 2011. I very much enjoy GMing and wanted to experience it at Gen con. But I have a small handicap.
My hearing is terrible in noisy places. I am not able to filter other sounds out while trying to listen to an individual in a place with excessive noise. For this reason I am concerned about hearing my players from across the table. I understand and expect the PFS room to be such a place.
I know there may not be anything that can be done about it, but I wanted to ask anyway. Do any of you have advise on how to help limit this problem?
Thank you.
I don't know how viable it is, but perhaps see if a corner table might work best for you and if you can be slotted to one while you're running the game and perhaps walking around your table to hear your players? I have this same problem sometimes in home games, let alone those huge conference rooms.
Good luck!
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Trying to sit with your back to the majority of the room can also help since your ears are tuned to more readily pick up frontal noise.
I would notify the players at the start that the room is noisy and you'll need them to speak clearly and directly so you can hear. No need to tell them your issue if it bothers you.
Having atended quite a few cons, including GenCon each year, it can get loud, but by focusing on what the players are saying and having them be direct, you should be fine.
Good luck and see ya there!
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Trying to sit with your back to the majority of the room can also help since your ears are tuned to more readily pick up frontal noise.
Personally I find the opposite of this to be better. I prefer my back to a wall with all the noise coming from the same direction. I find it much more difficult to hear when there is also noise coming from behind me.
That said I think your best bet is to try and get a table at the edge of a room and pick the seat at your table that works best for you and ask your players to speak loudly and clearly.
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That said I think your best bet is to try and get a table at the edge of a room and pick the seat at your table that works best for you and ask your players to speak loudly and clearly.
Unfortunately this isn't always an option. When you get there Hyrum will tell you to "Go to Table 23" or somesuch. The table you're told to go to has been tied to the module you're there to run. Sometimes this will land you on a edge, sometimes in the middle, and there is not much you can do about it except to chose your location at that table.
Fortunately if this year's room is anything like last year's room, sound won't be a huge problem. If it's more like the room from last year/two years ago, then that's a different problem.
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Usually GM's and players can be very accommodating.
I'd suggest showing up early, and if you get assigned a table that doesn't work well for you, then find one that does and ask that GM that once you have your tables filled, if you can switch tables.
That may be the easiest way to help Hyrum out, who will undoubtedly be hugely busy.
As long as you wait until the tables are full and ready to go, you won't have to worry about confusing the players.
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First I want to thank you all for the advice. I like the idea of attempting to get near the wall with me facing the wall, that may help.
I'll mention it to Hyrum if I get the chance but I'm sure they have made good table arrangements that may not be changed.
I will ask my players to speak up and face me when speaking. I'm certainly not going to let this issue bother me, one way or another the players and I will have a great time.
Thanks again.
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I played with a GM years ago that had a similar problem.
He used a 'spy' gadget listening device sitting on the table with ear buds...
Sorta like this:
SluethTek Bionic Ear
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I've often faced noisy rooms while GMing.
Unfortunately, one of the worst things you can do in this situation is to talk louder to be heard over a noisy room, because then you're just contributing to the problem, and tables around you will talk louder to be heard over the increased volume coming from your table ... and so it goes on.
I find a few things help:
1) if you have hearing difficulty, try to sit nearest the GM;
2) try not to raise your voice, but lean into the table when you're speaking or trying to listen, so you're closer to each other's speaking/hearing range and don't have to scream to be heard. As GM, I often spend much of the game standing so I can lean over the table.
3) during boxed text or monologues, the GM might consider reading it to one end of the table, and then repeating it from the other end. In a noisy room or six-player table, players will likely ask it to be repeated anyway - this way he can deliver it twice without raising his voice.
4) in extreme cases, the GM should try to limit players talking over each other by enforcing an "only speak on your combat initiative" rule - having a plush animal to pass around the table, only speak if you're holding this, or raise your hand.
and most importantly:
5) once a table has finished, leave the room! don't hang around chatting about the session or your character's newest feat or where to get lunch - leave the room and chat outside so you're not contributing to the noise levels out-of-game, it can be terribly distracting to tables around you.
I know players get excited, especially during climactic battles, and that's part of the enjoyment of the game. However, players are often unaware that their own noise is causing others nearby to talk above them, only multiplying the problem. In this situation, being part of the solution instead of part of the problem can go a long way.
Cheers
Stephen (DarkWhite)
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One way to deal with the noise is to have an excessive amount of handouts for the players. Things like important NPCs, location information, knowledge checks, etc. That way when they can't quite hear how you pronounced NPC X's name, you can just give them the card instead of repeating yourself. The less you have to talk the better.
edit: I've gone as far as having a 4x6 card for the Venture Captain with their picture, name, a couple of facts about them, and on the back of the card I include the entire opening box text (well, at least the dialogue part).
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I think all the tips I would give as a vetran at GMing/TDing at big cons have all been given. Well, all except one and its one we got from a professional speech therapist who is big in the WoTC GM pool. Don't underestimate the importance of hydration, and not with the usual caffinated stuff. Water is best during the day and I usually opted for tea in the mornings. It's how I managed to get through the DDXP '08 "plague" this way and have been drinking primarily water at cons from then on. Keeping the vocal cords moist makes all the difference in the world
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As Sir Wulf said, let the organizer know. Hopefully, he can find a more isolated table or maybe fewer players.
Second, let the players know, one so they enunciate clearly and don't mumble (let them know this doesn't mean yell as that just makes the room noisier for everyone else). Ask them to talk towards you, rather than the table in general (helps to read lips). Second, they then know to keep table chatter down. This way they won't think you are just inattentive and authoritarian. Also, enlist other players sitting beside you to 'translate.'
I also like Squeeks' idea of walking around. I prefer this anyway as I can reach the board, see die rolls, get animated, as well as hear more clearly.
Make sure you have scratch paper and markers for players to write notes if things get real bad.
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As Sir Wulf said, let the organizer know. Hopefully, he can find a more isolated table or maybe fewer players.
*snicker* You do realize we're talking about the convention where 7 player tables are the norm, right?
In honesty, yes the room gets loud-ish, but it's not intolerable. One of my players/fellow GMs has trouble hearing and while it's certainly worse at Gen Con than a lot of places, it's really no worse than a busy game store. I will interject the caveat though that all of this relies entirely on the ceilings being high enough this year. The first two years were borderline intolerable because the low ceilings and small space made sound reverberate a bit too much.
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I can't agree more with Kyle. The best way to save your voice and give your players a great con experience is to do your prep work. There are no quiet areas at a con. If the GM has trouble hearing the players, you can bet the opposite is true. Honestly my mind goes blank when the GM starts reading missions. Frequently he's interrupted by players making remarks or even talking over him. The best thing you can do is to have handouts that summarize things so you don't need to repeat yourself.
Make several handouts of the Venture-Captain's briefing. Your Red Box players will thank you.
-Use 3x5 or 4x6 cards, make one for each NPC
-Use 3-4 bullet points per card
-List their name, what they look like, why the PCs are interested in them, whichever clues they provide the PCs with
You can do this for the monsters too. Figure out ahead of time the appropriate Knowledge skill to identify the monster, and the DC to learn a piece of information about it. 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming has done this already if you don't have to time or inclination to do it yourself, or if you need an idea on how to craft the clues. Print it out on a single sheet of paper from lowest to highest DC. Include a picture of the monster, and a physical description if available. If a PC makes a check, fold the paper to hide the information they don't get, and hand it to them. Preparing in this way also helps you become a better GM. It also 'helps' the players avoid metagaming--they aren't going to overhear the monster's bio so they can't 'incidentally' use the right weapon/spell.
Any time the scenario calls for a knowledge check, you should have a handout ready to go. You can follow the same format as for the monster info.
Also, print maps from The Inner Sea Poster Map pdf so the players can see where they are in the world, and what safe harbors are close by.
On the same token, players can bring aids for the GM as well. Take some time and make a 'table tent' with your PC's name, race, class and level on it. Include an image or sketch of your PC. There are thousands available to choose from.
Having print outs of the initial mission briefing is a very good idea. Not only does it ensure everyone can follow what you're saying, it also spells names out for them and provides a handy player-reference later in the mission, when they're trying to remember who they should be talking to and who they should be killing. It also prevents you from having to repeat yourself and therefore speeds the game up.
As gamers get older hearing could become much more of a problem. Or maybe that's just me? :-)
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One way to deal with the noise is to have an excessive amount of handouts for the players. Things like important NPCs, location information, knowledge checks, etc. That way when they can't quite hear how you pronounced NPC X's name, you can just give them the card instead of repeating yourself. The less you have to talk the better.
edit: I've gone as far as having a 4x6 card for the Venture Captain with their picture, name, a couple of facts about them, and on the back of the card I include the entire opening box text (well, at least the dialogue part).
That was really nice, people picked up on a lot of details they wouldn't otherwise. Also saved a fair number of questions.