My "table" (we sit in the living room on couches) is over 25 years old. We're very relaxed with lots of sidebars and things other gamers might find distracting. We're not into the totally immersive roleplaying thing; we have to step outside and be goofy sometimes, though there is plenty of in-game goofiness occurring. We have lots of laughs and there's always something entertaining going on.
Define "lively" in this context?
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Question is somewhat unclear, yeah. We are lively in the sense that we talk loud and are either invested in the game or in some other things. For the most part people don't get bored and wonder away even if, inevitably, cellphones are being regularly checked. But this is the 21st century, checking one's cellphone is a given.
Depends on "lively." Here's some guidelines:
- I've never had to put plastic down before a game or steam clean after
- We have over the years broken furniture (2 lamps, a bookshelf and several chairs)
- I speak with my hands
- I act out bits of the fight scenes; it doesn't matter if I'm the GM or a player; it doesn't even matter if its MY character
- No one has ever needed rubber pants for my games
- Criticals are not a big deal anymore
- While illegal substances are absolutely forbidden at my tables drinking is limited only by participants ages; in some instances its encouraged
- Its been many years since my game led to an arrest and never a conviction
Hopefully that gives you an idea. For a more serious take, I'm 41 years old and my games contain players between the ages of 35-50. We all work too much, see our family and friends too little, and generally spend part of the game ranting about stress, work, and how the world went and got itself all changed since we were younger.
I am proud to say though that I got so animated acting out a combat I nearly knocked over a massive TV. This was followed by another player following suit the next week and he slipped off the couch.
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I have no table control and my players are all horrible trolling bastards.
I have to work hard when GMing, because a good story is the only way to prevent side talking, cellphone playing, or Spotify.
Fortunately, they are seriously digging my Fallout game, and aside from a few interplayer pokes, I've had their attention.
But in general, they are horrible bastards.
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I don't have gaming buddies my age any more (I'm 45 this year).
These days I run things for youngsters (my nephew, niece and their friends) and every gaming session is like a skit from Monty Python - there will be plenty of jokes about farting, armpits (or both together), dice ending up in awkward places after yet another wild throw, minis taking death dives off the gaming table and so on. Seems like the age difference disappears once the dice start rolling.
But I am having great fun and I feel they are too so that's what counts.
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Our games involve constant silliness and we seldom see a game where the group doesn't have to take a minute to stop laughing. One of the players used to mime the action he was taking like Mark Hoover but he had to break the habit because he was constantly knocking over drinks! The problem was even worse when he used to mime spell casting. You should NEVER knock over the GM's drink!