Hot on the heels of yesterday’s guest article about keeping excitement up during extended game breaks, today’s article is all about keeping your players jazzed between sessions. The author, Grayson Davis, is a writer and gamer living in Chicago. He writes Edition Wars, a Tumblr lovingly dedicated to Dungeons & Dragons arguments, as well as Beeps & Boops, a video game blog.
As all GMs know, it can be tough to maintain excitement between sessions. Weeks or months may pass before you continue a game, and sometimes even the most enthusiastic players lose interest. Fortunately, the Internet provides many social media tools GMs can use to stay connected with their groups. You can use these simple and practical steps to keep players engaged and excited for the next session.
Step 0: Tools of the Trade
The first question, of course, is what social networking services you and your players use. Facebook, Twitter, Google+? Email also works in a pinch. I personally use Google+ because I can put all of my players in a circle and mark all of my gaming posts with hashtags, but use whatever you’re most comfortable with. Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be, or spread yourself thin over several websites.
Step 1: Follow Up
After your game, let your players know you had a good time and remind everybody of your favorite moments. Stay positive! If a player says something hilarious, write it down so you remember it later. Try to mention every PC so that nobody feels left out. I like to follow up within a day or less so that the game is fresh in everybody’s minds. Following up helps players remember the events of the session and also encourages them to share their own favorite moments. This can also be a good opportunity to schedule your next game or ask players any important questions.
Step 2: Reminisce
Do you like to take photos during the game? Did the players draw a great map, or record some great notes? Did the players really enjoy a particularly cool boss mini? Do you play online and save chatlogs? Maybe you enjoy writing recaps of games, or keeping track of your campaigns with a website like Obsidian Portal. Compile all of these memories and share them! Facebook or Google+ photo albums work well for this. Save this step for about halfway between sessions.
Step 3: Tease
Tease the next game as it approaches! Are you painting a cool skeleton mini or working on a beautiful handout? Take a quick picture and send it out, giving the players a taste of what they’re going to face. I sometimes share images of NPCs the players might meet, or a sample of a map the players are likely to see. Let everybody know you’re looking forward to the next game. This is also a good way to remind players when the next game is, in case anybody has forgotten.
Whether you play once a week or once a month, these three steps are an effective way to maintain excitement after a session, and build excitement for the next one. Social networks make sharing photos and other memories very easy, and give the entire group a way to connect and chat when they’re away from the gaming table. And remember: This is only as complicated as you want to make it.
Step 1 can be as simple as a quick Facebook post, or you can spend an hour writing a session recap. If you play every week like clockwork, maybe you think it’s better to combine steps 1 and 2. It all depends on what you find most rewarding.
That’s good advice. Whenever our campaigns slip for a few weeks, there’s often a perceptible lack of detailed recollection when you return. Plus, gaming is a habit: if you don’t make the time for it regularly, you’ll stop having the time for it. Keeping up a social media campaign should keep attention and time on the game–so everyone’s ready to leap into action when you’re around the table again.
This has helped me clarify the idea I had in reply to the previous. I was worrying that a standalone site, like a blog or Obsidian Portal might be too easy for the players to forget about. Now I’m thinking I can do it all on Facebook! Assuming all the players already book face, it should be easy enough to keep them involved.
My gaming group uses an open Facebook Group to great effect. We send Events to schedule games, Status Updates to post session recaps, and Docs to keep an XP log and player/GM FAQs. It is a nice and easy tool not only for housekeeping but also for recruiting new players (we send prospects there to check us out before they sit in on a game). Find us at “Team Weird” on FB.
I love it! Often writing up complete session notes can be a chore, hence the GMs who farm it out to players. Hitting just the highlights should make it quick and easy though.
I started my gaming blog (parhoon naval yards), mostly to recap our sessions. We play monthly which is just long enough to forget where you are and what you are doing. I first did this as a player then later as DM, then later still, I invited my players to contribute. It really gets everyone on the same page before the next session.
I guess I’m a bit late to the party here,
But I’m posting anyways, as it struck me as an ideal method to continue the events and activities of NPCs outside of game, by way of giving them a persona and an outlet.
thus I manage three NPC Twitter accounts that the Players follow, I drop hints and subtle direction via the channels and can Privately message certain individuals if I feel they don’t have enough to say “in game” giving them tips and hints to bring them out.
So far it’s going good .. I think
always ready to hear new ideas to make the game more vibrant and to get them to buy in more