[RPG] How to find out the best style of play for the people in the group? (Asking isn’t working.)

dnd-5egaming-stylegroup-dynamics

Lately, I've realized that most of the players in my D&D 5e custom story group that I am the DM of are not as engaged as they could be in the game. When I ask them how each really wants to play the game (LARPing, the usage of maps, NPC interaction, etc.), and what rules we should use (by the book, DM/player discussion), they answer "I don't know". They've been in this for two years, so I know it isn't true. They're just not putting a whole lot of thought into the matter. It's not their fault, either; I'm just not asking the right questions, and I'm not sure which ones should be asked.

So, the problem boils down to this: I don't know what's the best playstyle for them, and they don't either, so I need some more experienced players advice and suggestions. I ask you: What are the big questions I should ask them to help find out their preferred way to play?

Best Answer

You could try using the "Same Page" tool. Go through the questions with your players as a whole and come to a consensus on what type of game you want to play. Keep in mind the tool is not a survey, but is meant to be gone through as a group and finding answers to each question in the tool is important to find the sweet spot for your particular group.

Ultimately, you need to have a candid discussion with your group about what they are looking to get out of the game. Sometimes people just want to come and hang out with their friends for a few hours and don't otherwise care. Some people are really into their characters and want to role-play everything, while others just like to watch their numbers get bigger as their characters increase in power. In my experience, disparate groups with wildly varying expectations (or very few or no expectations) tend to veer towards the dynamic that occurs between the GM and the most "powerful" player. In other words, people with big personality who tend to take control (even when they don't need to) tend to steer the group dynamic.

It can be difficult to deal with this, especially when you as GM may want a more RPG-heavy story while your "leader" player just wants to power game his way through every encounter (of course the same thing happens no matter what the difference is -- this just happens to be an example from my own experience). Other players will tend to follow the player leader in those cases, and you might find yourself running a different game than the one you thought you were running.

Don't forget that you, as GM, are also playing the game, and your enjoyment also matters. If you aren't having fun because your players don't want to play the same way you do, then you may need to mix it up. How you resolve this problem isn't always easy -- it might even involve dropping your group or players from your group. It could also mean simply adjusting your own expectations so that you aren't let down when the gameplay doesn't go the way you want it to. This has been the best way to deal with these types of situations in my own experience.