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May 16, 2004
Getting in the mood
I think one of the hardest things for gamers as we get older and accrue responsibilities (work, families, kids even) is getting in the proper mindset. Gone are the days when we could game 2 or 3 nights a week for 6 hours at a stretch. Gone are those weekends of solid gaming. Personally, I don't miss them as my gaming is a whole lot better on many levels. But that is another post.
But, the downside is getting in the right mood. When gaming starts at 7 p.m. on a work night (because work nights are the only nights you can get folks together) and you can expect 4 hours of time together. And you need to do dinner. It all adds up. So I find it takes a lot of energy to not only get the players in the right mood, but the gm as well. Especially when I’m the gm.
So what mental tricks have you folks developed to help things get in the mood? Me, I’ve adopted the practice of having everyone go around the room and say something in character. By the time it gets to me the GM I find it really helps out in setting the mood.
Comments
1) Food - grab it and eat while we gear up to play, or have it waiting when they get there.
2) It can be helpful to keep a summary weblog or other shared document so the events are fresh.
3) Encourage folks to stay in character, and to do time-saving things like rolling all dice at once and looking up spells and such while awaiting your turn.
4) You're right - it sucks to try to squeeze gaming into limited time.
Posted by: Jae Walker at May 16, 2004 6:29:19 PM
I always used to start games by saying "When last we left our intrepid band ..." and summing up the previous session. Incredibly corny, but for D&D style games, quite effective.
I think you could trivially adjust the technique by genre. I had a Champions GM who talked about the cover of "this issue" the same way.
Posted by: Ginger Stampley at May 16, 2004 8:18:56 PM
Suggestion: Make the dinner part of the adventure. When it comes time for the meal, present it as if it were something going on during the game. Such as, a hurried meal while waiting for the goblins to get into position for battle. Say the gobbos are taunting the party as the group eats, building up their courage for the coming scrum.
Posted by: Alan Kellogg at May 17, 2004 7:32:35 AM
I like your idea, Jere.
My wife does something a bit similar (but more structured): each player takes a turn in a chair, answering three questions in-character from the players (who can be in- or out-of-character). The questions should be treated sincerely, but the character is not obliged to speak truthfully.
The questions are sometimes about the character, or his/her past, but sometimes also bear on events from the previous game ("So, how *did* you feel as the Creature bore down on you on the catwalk?")
The other thing I keep in mind, as folks (not just the GM) decompress from the workday and, perhaps, have problems getting focused, is that, for me, gaming is not an end in itself, but a means. If we get our evening's entertainment (or a larger chunk of it than planned) just sitting around and chatting away the day's tensions, that's not necessarily a *bad* thing.
Posted by: *** Dave at May 17, 2004 2:37:28 PM
Your wife has a really sweet idea, Dave. That's why I'm stealing it for my campaign, effective immediately. :)
Posted by: Neel Krishnaswami at May 17, 2004 3:13:28 PM
First, I make sure everyone arrives early and has time to chat out of character. I've found that my players *need* to talk about their day, their favorite TV shows, the latest Dave Chappelle jokes, etc, and if they try and jump right into the game, they end up interjecting jokes and chatter into the game. By dedicating an hour or so to OoC conversation beforehand, they get most of it out of their systems by the time the sesssion actually starts.
That, and the usual mechanisms of turning the lights down low and putting some instrumental music on. Starting every session with a brief cutscene also helps them focus, since it breaks them all out of whatever they were discussing out of character.
- Eric
Posted by: Eric Minton at May 17, 2004 3:37:55 PM
Honestly, our group has never had much of a problem with it. We make dinner a separate social event beforehand, about 45-60 minutes of catching up on RL stuff and chatting. Then the table's cleared off and the books come out, and it's gaming time. Having that sharp distinction between social time and game time is a big win, as is getting the chit-chat out of the way up front -- it cuts down the chatter during the game.
Starting the session with a dramatic recap is always a good way to get people back in character. Some good ideas on this thread, but you don't have to be nearly as elaborate as all that to get things moving.
Posted by: Rat Intestine at May 17, 2004 3:43:38 PM
accents. seriously. a distinct tone of voice is the best, fastest, most efficient way to get 'in-character' in a game where the most real element is the voice. we sit around talking for hours and roll dice. an accent puts you in character, and therefore into the setting immediatley.
for GMs, you need a distinct 'story teller' voice to start things off. the 'last time' recap is the best way to get into that. write it out beforehand. making it a tad cheesey is all the better. a friend told me that he started each game with the 'title sequence,' like in a sit-com.
Posted by: orion at May 25, 2004 7:06:14 PM
