Hello Community like I said in the headline I have a problem with an unmotivated player. Here is some context( I have to excuse myself for my bad english, I know it's bad.):
I recently(2-3 Months) started GMing(Sry I don't know if this is the right word) a game with 3 friends of mine. In the first month I played with my group everything was ok, but recently, since now nearly one month ,it feels like one of my players is suddenly starting to loose interrest in pathfinder. He never was someone, who thought roleplaying was fun, but he started playing pathfinder and found it "strangely fun". He is suddenly loosing interrest, like I said earlier, and I don't know why. I asked my player to write charakter storys and goals( something they would like me to include in the campaign). Since I felt like he was loosing interrest I started focussing on his goals, so that he may find his fun in playing the game, since really love playing pathfinder i would find it sad if he would stop playing.
Recently he always is on his phone or laptop doing something else than pathfinder and only sitting there staring at his screen not even paying attention to what i am saying.
Can somebody please tell me a good way to motivate a player?
I am begging you to help me.
Ask him what the problem is.
Ask him what the problem is.
I tried he said he doesn't know or that he isnt't not motivated, but his actions speak louder than words
So far it sounds like you're doing what you can to motivate him. Ipslore is right, you do need to talk to him in private and ask him what is wrong. Is he only playing because you and your other two friends are playing, or is he really enjoying the game? Besides using the goals he wrote down, ask him what kind of stories he likes. Sometimes what I like as a GM isn't the same as what the players want. For example, I like small towns and villages and dungeon crawls, and I also like a lot of story in my game. One of my players likes city based adventures, and not too much story. So sometimes I try to come up with games that he likes so that some games he enjoys and some games I enjoy. But remember that you can't always make everyone happy and if he's really not interested, you might have to ask him to stop playing with you. You should also talk to all three of your players and ask them all how they are enjoying the games and what they want to see in the future. Maybe your other two players can help motivate the third player. Good communication between the GM and the players is important. Good luck!
So far it sounds like you're doing what you can to motivate him. Ipslore is right, you do need to talk to him in private and ask him what is wrong. Is he only playing because you and your other two friends are playing, or is he really enjoying the game? Besides using the goals he wrote down, ask him what kind of stories he likes. Sometimes what I like as a GM isn't the same as what the players want. For example, I like small towns and villages and dungeon crawls, and I also like a lot of story in my game. One of my players likes city based adventures, and not too much story. So sometimes I try to come up with games that he likes so that some games he enjoys and some games I enjoy. But remember that you can't always make everyone happy and if he's really not interested, you might have to ask him to stop playing with you. You should also talk to all three of your players and ask them all how they are enjoying the games and what they want to see in the future. Maybe your other two players can help motivate the third player. Good communication between the GM and the players is important. Good luck!
Thank you for your answer i mean i wouldn't care if the game would be less fun for me if i could motivate him to play, because i simply like rpgs and it is only that i would feel like the last pece of s&+~ if he stops playing because of me or the way i try to tell the story.
I understand. I hate to loose players but you have to learn to let them go if RPG's are not what they like. I tried to get a friend to play years ago and all they did was make the rest of the players miserable. Eventually we told the player to stop coming and it made the other sessions better. I've played with up to 6 people years ago and over the years the group has changed. I miss those days, but now I have two dedicated players and if I ended up with only one, as long as that player and I enjoy the game I'll keep playing just one on one. But it sounds like your other players are having fun, so don't assume it's all your fault, your player may just not be into it. But hopefully if you all talk together you can find out what everyone likes and hopefully go from there.
I am really thankfull for all of your advices. I guess I will have to talk to him alone and see if i can change something that won't decrease the gaming fun for the other player. It will be sad to say goodby to him if he doesn't want to play anylonger, but who am I to try to force him to play with us? I can only do my best to make a campaign worthy of never beeing forgotten by me and the group, a campaign were we will remember the good times we had together playing TTRPGs.
But like a wise man once said:" Ways will meet and seperate, no way is never not connected. May our ways cross once again."
I can only hope that he will be playing with us in the future again.
Thank you for your great advices and great effort you spend helping me, you gave me many things to think about...
Once again I have to say thank you, if it weren't your advices and motivation i guess i would have fallen into despair if he simply came to me one day saying: Sorry it is no fun to play anymore.
I would have questioned myself if not all of it would be my fault.
I wish you gentleman a good night and many more gaming without having to say goodby to one of your players. Thank you