[00:00:00] Why do players leave tabletop games? Why do some games just fizzle out? There are some common misconceptions about why players leave games and I think we need to clear it up. So stick around so we can wisen you up. Welcome to Claim to Game. We help tabletop gamers have a great time with friends to experience amazing stories. It can be overwhelming to start and run great games. Let's make it easier for you to play any game you want to have fun with your friends.
[00:00:27] I'm Clint Scheir. I've helped thousands of students in my career find their way to better themselves and better their game. With more than 10 years experience in leadership, coaching, live performance, and public speaking, I know I can help you create immersive low stress games you'll never forget. It's time for you to make your Claim to Game.
[00:01:16] Hello and welcome back to this bonus episode of Claim to Game. These bonus apps are a little shorter, a little bit more bite-sized, quickly cutting through the fluff to get straight to the point. And the point is, I believe there are three common misconceptions as to why players at your gaming table leave the game, never to return. And I'm not talking about a one-shot game, which was really only meant to be played in one session, maybe two to three hours long.
[00:01:43] I'm talking about when you want to play through an adventure with your group, like episodes of your favorite TV show. And whether there are six to eight episodes or you plan to meet every week until the end of time, unlimited episodes, I'm talking about campaign-style adventures. Let's dig in. Misconception number one. Players leave the game because it isn't exciting enough. This simply is not true.
[00:02:10] Sure, maybe certain sessions are lacking in what particular players at your table are looking for when playing a game. You know, some players love fighting. Some like to butt kick and take names. Some players love talking and they want to engage in conversations with the NPCs, the non-player characters in your gaming world.
[00:02:29] Some players love both of these things and they just want to roll dice and let the mechanics of the game determine the outcomes instead of the game master waving their hands and allowing anything that seems cool to transpire in the story. Players who are not engaging in their favorite or desired aspect of a game, they might feel bored from time to time, but this is not why players leave the table.
[00:02:53] More often, GMs that I've talked to and I've experienced this myself, they find that players leave the game due to unclear expectations or unclear communication rather than a lack of excitement. I mean, I'm guilty of this. When I want to please certain players, I try to add more combat into the session because I know those players will like combat, or at least I used to.
[00:03:17] And when I was frantically trying to shift gears for the players who wanted to do more storytelling, you know, I would drop in the past, I would drop dramatic plot twists to try to shock them with cliffhangers and clever mysteries. And instead of just guessing what my players want, I should instead find a way to align with my players to get feedback so that they can feel heard.
[00:03:41] And then through talking with them, I can help realign that misalignment and the expectations that they're wanting to see when they're playing the game. I can try to cater to multiple gaming styles. So really it's unclear expectations, not a lack of excitement that causes players to be in this plight of wanting to leave a GM's game.
[00:04:03] And misconception number two is session zero is just for character creation and basic rule explanation. Wrong. This is wrong. Successful campaigns and GM's will also use a session zero, a game that happens prior to the first session of playing the actual game. They'll use this meeting as a way to connect the backstories of their players' characters.
[00:04:29] The session should contain a time where the players can connect their characters to each other in some way and also to the gaming world. And this can be done whether the world is pre-made, like in the situation of Dungeons and Dragons in the realm of Faerun, or in a world that you've completed and created and made up on your own. And for more on world building, go back and listen to episode 38, next level world building for every tabletop RPG with David Northeast.
[00:05:00] I would even suggest allowing the players to build the world with you. That would be a fantastic way to get them invested in your game for the long haul. So session zero should also be set aside to talk about social contracts, table etiquette, house rules for your gaming group. And you really just want everyone to feel comfortable when they come to the table, virtual or in person, so that they know what they can expect when they are showing up.
[00:05:30] And misconception number three, if players are committed to the game, scheduling shouldn't be an issue. Let me tell you, scheduling again and again comes up as the number one challenge for most gaming groups. Go ask any group of GMs on any online community that's related to tabletop RPGs and ask them, what is your greatest challenge running tabletop games?
[00:05:54] And I guarantee you scheduling the games, scheduling the games and scheduling the players to meet to play the games, scheduling comes up at the top of their list every time. But scheduling isn't hopeless. It just requires some creativity, more expectations and consistent structure to help even the most interested and potentially committed players to overcome time commitments outside of playing your game. So go back.
[00:06:20] If you want to give a good listen to episode 29, The Problem with Scheduling Games, that episode has some really great ways that you can overcome this challenge. But do not be fooled. Real fans of this hobby often want to play. They just need a little bit of help. Okay. So now that you and I have debunked these misconceptions, what can we do about them? What can you do about them? Do you want to create games that last?
[00:06:48] Are you ready to start consistent campaigns that your players can look forward to week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, century after century? Okay, you get the idea. Man, if you live century after century, you might just be an elf or a dwarf. That'd be super cool if an elf and a dwarf were listening to my podcast.
[00:07:08] But all joking aside, if you are ready, I am hosting a free online workshop Tuesday, May 20th at 11 a.m. Central Time, 12 p.m. Eastern. If you're anywhere else in the world, I'm sorry. You're going to need to Google what that is for you. But the workshop is called From Empty Chairs to Full Tables, the player retention system every game master needs on YouTube. And it's going to be live. It will be live. I will be live. We will be live together.
[00:07:38] I'm going to share some strategies I've used in my personal games as well as methods used by thousands of successful GMs. You'll get advice on why you should implement these strategies, how to get started, and what you can do to grow your player commitment. Make sure that you register now at claimtogamepodcast.com slash full tables. That's claimtogamepodcast.com slash full tables. The link's in the show notes. I hope to see you there.
[00:08:06] And join us next time as we find the best ways to have great times with friends and experience amazing stories through tabletop role playing. Keep having fun as we continue to make our claim to game.