What makes good BTS players?

[mrloucifer]

As promised from anther topic, I wanted to talk a bit about my “vetting” and “training” my BTS players.

First off, my group’s age range is pretty wide; the youngest is 23 while the oldest is 37. As the GM I’m on the older end at 34 years young. So for the most part my players have all gotten the “youthful” playing out of their system. Even though my youngest player is the rookie player, she turned out to be a natural role player and melded well with the group.

However, not all teen players I’ve met are problem players and not all mature players are necessarily mature players. As a GM I don’t ask for a lot out of my gang, if anything the most I ask them for is to be respectful to me and the other players while playing. By all means have fun, but fun should not equal being disruptive to the group and an ass to me.

In my 18+ years of Gm’ing the one thing I know I can tell you without fear of contradiction are that not everyone can be good players. I know that a lot of peeps like to say “anyone can play an RPG” and I do agree that anyone can play them… but I’ve met a lot of people who just shouldn’t play them.

The next refinement to this train of thought is that there are good players out there, but not all of them are good BTS players. One of my best buds is a really good player; in fact I’ve never met a better Juicer player in my 10 or so years of exclusively playing Rifts and haven’t found a better player since. He’s “gets” the Juicer mentality; mentally he is a man of action and loves being an aggressive player and went the distance with his Juicers characters.

Then back in 2005 when BTS-2 came out I switched up my game as BTS world is where my heart truly lies. And what happened to my bud? He was no longer a good fit in my game. As a man of action he naturally gravitated to a Night Hunter or the Firewalker, but the issue wasn’t the PCC for him, it’s the setting.

In a fantastical world like Rifts, his energy was well suited and encouraged. But in the character driven, mysterious, mundane, subtle game that BTS is, he wasn’t cut out for it. In the end my bud left my game to pursue Rifts with another party. I hated seeing him go, but I understood his dilemma and accepted his decision.

So from there I began to get into more of a “vetting” process with my prospective players. I would sit them down and explain the BTS world as well as I know how with each interested party. And if they are still game, I put them on a “6 month trial” with their understanding that they may not fit the group or the game and could be asked to retire from my group. All my players were good with this and fortunately I never had to let a player go since starting this. I think explaining the game has been my best ally in vetting as there are a few who find that in the end they are looking for something more exciting and free flowing as opposed to intensive playing.

I run a game that’s strong on character interaction; in fact I’ve had games where not a single combat roll was made for the entire game. This is not a game for everyone and I understand that. But my players have found this to be a great setting and the ones who play in multiple games tell me they seem to enjoy my style best. It requires more work on my end, including more acting, role playing, improv, game planning, drama and so on, but I’ve found this to be a rewarding experience. I could write novels based off the experiences in my game. Ok, moving on.

I’ve had this particular discussion with other GM’s who sadly have an issue that they have a hard time finding players (or the reverse having a hard time finding a good gm but that’s for another topic) and will end up taking anyone they can find to play.

So while I agree that without players you don’t have a game, I will go out on my limb here and tell that taking in players is a lot like starting a relationship. If your player is abusive, disrespectful to you, disruptive to you and your other players… your better of being alone than with these players.

I’ve had games in my early years where disruptive players were causing problems for the good players, but I was so concerned about hoarding players that I put up with them. But like in a relationship I had to end up defending them constantly to others and in time I started to lose my healthy players while the disruptive one stayed. In the end I closed out that game as it was ruined beyond repair. I had to start a new one with new players. The disruptive one wasn’t invite back.

I’m lucky nowadays in that I’ve got 4 incredibly good players. I think 4 GREAT players is enough for my group and I have to turn away potential regularly (at every con I attend I get asked by at least one person to join the gang). While it’s an ego booster to me that they enjoy my game so much that they want to go full time, I have to be respectful to my regular gang; they deserve the attention a smaller crowd provides them. If you’re able to handle a group of more than 6 than more power to you, just make sure that they are 6 good players. One bad apple will ruin the whole cart (I’ve seen it happen and its sucks)

I think where I’m going with this is that you have to put some effort and love into your players with a game like BTS. In my opinion the subtle, milder atmosphere of BTS is where its strength lies and makes is a superior game to most. While I love Rifts, HU, TMNT and their more outlandish style of play, the tone of BTS allows for more player interaction, more drama and other features that bring the group together as a whole and has more fun together because of it.

BTS doesn’t fit the lone wolf players, the man of action players, the shoot before questioning players, the munchkin players, etc. This is something you HAVE to explain to potential players and sometimes remind the current players about. You also have to not be afraid to remove the cancers from your game when needed, if not they will kill your game in the end. Lastly, invest some time in your players, talk to them and ask them what they are liking and what they don’t. No GM is perfect (I’m far from perfect myself), but talking with the players to learn what makes it fun for them inevitably makes it for you as well.

Your thoughts?

[Natasha]

Lastly, invest some time in your players, talk to them and ask them what they are liking and what they don’t. No GM is perfect (I’m far from perfect myself), but talking with the players to learn what makes it fun for them inevitably makes it for you as well.

That about sums it all up, I think.

Everybody should be up front at the start about their goals and expectations.

After all, we're all in the game together; we're a single group of players who are playing a game to get some entertainment, just one happens to have a very specialised role from the others.

[Lord Z]

Mr. Lucy, I enjoyed reading this post. It's very well thought-out and supported. It's also revealing.

Your main point about matching the correct players with the correct game is an interesting point, and it rings true. I wrote a series of articles for RPG Tips Weekly about helping bad gamemasters to get better. The first conclusion I reached in those articles was that most bad gamemasters are actually good gamemasters who are running the wrong game. I can see where a bad player-to-game match could be disruptive as well.

I probably don't have as much experience at the table as you, and I certainly don't have as much experience in the GM's chair. I have, however, seen groups fall apart due to personality conflicts. Interestingly, it has always been the conflicts between players that cause the rift. I have never seen a player quit because of a personality conflict with the GM or vice versa.

My two groups back in Saint Lious are probably good examples. On Tuesday nights, I gamed with a group of mostly teenaged players in the back of a gaming & comic shop. These kids were loud, often hyper, foul mouthed, and highly energized, but they were also excellent roleplayers. On the weekends, I went to Scott Air Force Base and met in the home of some friends for a different game. The weekenders were older (many of them parents) and much more mature professionals who respected each other and ran a polite table, but they were also hack-n-slashers with little to no interest in roleplaying. I loved both of these groups, but any attempt to carry a gamer from one group to another almost never went well. In retrospect, I think that both groups looked down on the other. My point in this paragraph is that matching players with players is at least as important if not moreso than matching players to the correct game.

By the way, I can run a game with six or more players well. In fact, I've run games for twenty players at a time. Those tend to be better and more enjoyed by the players than my own games with small groups. As a GM, it's a matter of knowing where my strengths lie.

[mrloucifer]

I had a recent reminder of how some players are not meant for certain games. Read my above "speech" concerning players who arent meant for BTS styled gaming. He'd make a great Superhero player of military... but he was too combative and aggressive and didnt click with my group. So sadly, I had to let him go.

We may still stay friends however. and who knows? If I ever run a rifts game again, he'll be the first one I'll call.

[Lord Z]

So, there were hard feelings then?

[mrloucifer]

So, there were hard feelings then?

Not really. I tell all my potentials that they are under a "6 month trial run" ahead of time so that they know that they may not make the cut. And in his case, I think he was already starting to figure out on his own that he wasnt the best fit in our group.

I also helped by poitning him out to a group thats much more "combative & aggressive" in nature which would fit his needs much better.

[dhorn]

This question may be better suited for another thread, but given Natasha's assertion that

"we're all in the game together; we're a single group of players who are playing a game to get some entertainment, just one happens to have a very specialised role from the others."

I must ask the corollary: In your experience, what makes a good BTS GM?

[mrloucifer]

This question may be better suited for another thread, but given Natasha's assertion that

"we're all in the game together; we're a single group of players who are playing a game to get some entertainment, just one happens to have a very specialised role from the others."

I must ask the corollary: In your experience, what makes a good BTS GM?

I thought there was something like this on the site already, but I didnt find it. Since you are correct that it deserves its own topic... I think we should! I'll try to start it today as I got a few things I would like to say on the subject.