It's early, it's been a long week, and I find myself doing some internal musing along with my morning coffee.

What's your take on players that can't follow directions? Not IC directions, as that's generally self-correcting, but OOC directions about things like making skill checks*, posting in the proper threads, etc? Do you fix things /for/ them? Do you ask them to fix it? Do you ignore the, well, being ignored? Is there a point where you just get fed up and toss them?

* - Not someone that made a check incorrectly due to ignorance of a system, but more someone that didn't make it at all, or didn't post up the results where the GM asked them to.

Two polite warnings then kick them. Putting a game together requires quite a bit more time than some careless player who cannot be bothered to accept a few rules designed to streamline play and make the GM's existence easier. I've had a lot of players consider me an a-hole, however, I write all my material, nothing came out of a box or a bag and I don't have time and patience for anyone that cannot take a few minutes and read through the threads, make a relative post and help move the action along.

Dust off and nuke them from orbit, only way to be sure ...  :P

Doesn't come up.  I have a standing rule that players can either roll for themselves or I'll roll for them.  I consider my players my friends and we're not going to fall out over a few dice rolls.  :>

To put it simple, I have a rule system of three strikes. I can overlook an honest mistake, and when I spot it, I give them a poke via PM to fix it, or asking them if they'd like for me to fix it. The vast majority basically goes "oh, whoops!", fixes it and we have no more problems.

But if I'm ignored, that's Strike 1. If stuff like that happens again, and I'm ignored again - Strike 2.

Strike 3 gets you a polite "I no longer think this game fits your playstyle, so best of luck in your other games." and remove them. I only had to do it maybe once or twice, in all the years I've been running games, since the people are usually very accommodating and fix up anything I point out, which mostly happens once in a blue moon.

I take into account that people may have different levels of English competence and reading skills and some may have other comprehension issues. I'll communicate in private messages to correct the problem/repeat the instruction. I'll go a long way for someone who is a participating/contributing player otherwise. Yes, I'll edit their errors rather than bog down the game with waiting.

I've never had to kick someone over this type of issue. It usually resolves itself, either by the player getting on board or quitting. But I would at some point.

This is a sore spot with me as well.  Come on people its common manners to read the PGM thread or Ooc or wherever important game messages are being posted.  The ones that are a ghosting act and just when you are about to boot them they show up and post in the last thread they were in!  Come on!  A game and active players can only wait for so long.  And if said annoyance is leaving a game the just say it and leave happily before you get ejected in what YOU then will say that the GM was an a-hole and booted you.

I leave OOC, PM and Rmail to reach out to players when they are ghosting me and in tese I tell them where the story is at and how they can get back into play!

Lack of Common sense and Player manners can be appalling at times!  Other players/Characters in your game are waiting on you and rely on you keeping up.

Its NOT rocket science to read the OOC Threads, ALL OF THEM!  So you don’t just post willy nilly in a storyline that is way past you.  I’ll listen to an excuse a couple of times but then you repeat the same mistakes and you are GONE!  I really can’t believe the players that you think are so kind and your friends that want you to let them do as they please with no thought of the game or affect on other characters/players.

And I am too soft and let things slid until I have had enough then when I lose it the player that pays no attention makes me out as a villain.  It doesn’t take long to read threads and PMs first and if in doubt ask the GM where you should be.  COMMUNICATION is vital for any game to survive and work well.

There be ghosts out there who left a game and characters hanging then you see them active in Community Chat and running their own games!!!   Go ahead tell me I am wrong!

This goes for any type if game, System or Freeform.

I have it  easier them most. all my games use  my Homebrew system.  there  are  briefs expansions  of   how some of the abilities  and Sphere    add or  detract from Rolls... having said this,  i try to keep rolls to a minimum, but you still need them for random 'spice'.

  I do get frustrated some times  when players  don't  'know where they are", because  combat and Some  other  interactions  is spread over  several threads at once ( it adds to  the flavor, like seeing  things from different camera angles).. I put that on me. It is solved   by my 'results post', moving them , or adding some description of where they are.

 Important  mistakes   i'll PM then.

 one thing one must consider, over the years  i have GMed, i have had  some folks with learning disabilities , That must be taken into acoustic is handled  with a concerned   PM  (..Hey? You have   trouble following? what do you need?)

 I have played  and Coached   Football,  Played  both styles of  adult Softball leagues deal with  100's of kids and adults in my life time, that  helps me pick out those  folks who need a little help.

 Now? after all that,  it comes  down to  a GM's  judgement. if a player just blows that off and continues  to make mistakes that interfere with pother players  enjoying the  game, then you need to let them go. Not trying, is way worse, then not understanding

Don- I say this lovingly but honestly, jokingly but also seriously. Given your posting style, you should advise people with learning disabilities to avoid your games.

:: Chuckles ""   yeah? I mean. It is the way it is.  Maybe its  a new 'filter'. Those who like the game enough can work around  it, even get into it. others  walk away.  Just had a  Fun conversation with a player  an hour ago, she was giggling and said  " I have learned how to  read 'Donese'...

 Its like table top. in a way. except i can't point things out with  my hands  or a  ruler. But? so far it works!

and no offense taken, i understand  my limitations!

Thanks for taking it in the good-natured way it was meant. I am fluent in "Donese" as well (LOL), but I imagine it could be more challenging for someone who process words differently.

yep, i am not a great typist to start with, and  my poor  spell check even ignores  certain words   as i go back and  clean up the ones it found?

 But the most important thing for me , is the players  who  can grasp  and work with/around my  postings, seem to have fun.

This is a sad, but true  example.... A woman Joined my game, was in close to three  years. She took notes!, she went through cancer treatments  twice, with our community   supporting her in PMs  and OOC. sadly. Covid  got her with a related  heart attack. Her partner  let us  know.  This woman would ask   questions, as some actor  would  about what her backround was and how it fit  in ect., she posted in all my games, just hours before she passed. She told her partner, exactly who she wanted her characters   to 'go out".

 She  loved the games. it was her escape,  I talked her partner into  stepping up and taking the  characters over. and she jumped in with both feet. new  folks wouldn't be able to see the difference between the characters of, before and after.

There have  been others like that, and because of that i am happy? and if i can't  take  some good natured  Jabs , after all my years here?  I would be better served   by walking away!
This message was last edited by the user at 16:11, Fri 03 Mar 2023.

That is a sad but lovely story. Thanks for sharing.

R.I.P whatever her name was. :c
This message was last edited by the user at 16:33, Fri 03 Mar 2023.

Thanks for that and I know Donese too.  LOL That’s how I hope to go out too.

But the issue here is not how good players keep up.  It’s mire about those players who are capable of reading directions but don’t take the time to.  They disappear for says, a week, month then suddenly post in an old thread from where they last posted.  I have a player that consistently did that and they played a character that need to be with the group that moved location and story had moved on.  I have a PGM/Player thread that I make time jumps, scenarios, etc in and put the info into the OOC thread telling all to read the PGM thread, do a PM to all if players are MIA.  Then an rmail to the player.  No replies then suddenly the player posts in the wrong place out of the blue not reading anything that tells what is happening current game time!

I find when players make a mistake about something in post that all you have to do is ‘psst’ in a PM and they will adjust their post accordingly.  But the ‘ghosts’ (before you finally bite the bullet and remove them) that just jump in whenever it is convenient or they ‘remembered’ suddenly are just rude!

I have disabled players of all types and they can follow simple directions and enjoy joining in the game …

 I have  had players who  miss  because  of RL.. i have  had a few who left because of  RL and rejoined years  later.

 I have been overly lukcy, that  they'll pop up in OOC and say.." hey guys , where are we at"

 Player  will fill them in  , on the OOC threads,  and  we'll set them up in PMs.. If  i put them in the back round, i will make a post that sends them into the mix again.

however? Those who do not  follow directions, for the sake that they don't  want to do 'the work' in reading , and asking. Its  better  to let them go. They won't have fun, you won't have  fun, and most importantly, you  Core players  won't have  fun.

 It is imperative, that those who have helped keep the game going, are having  fun. and? As a GM  , you'll know when a  player is 'just there".

For most issues just a simple prod fixes things. If it's an issue with missed brackets in the code or forgetting to color in-character text, I just fix it myself; it's not big enough to stress over. Players who don't understand what thread to post in or how to do so -- even after having it explained to them -- tend to weed themselves out pretty quickly. They don't last long before they either ask to be removed or ghost and get removed for that. I've only ever had to toss someone for a complete lack of comprehension (and lack of trying to comprehend) once.

I've also had the 'pleasure' of playing with people who do not have the rulebook, insist they don't need the rulebook, and complain when they don't understand the rules. After a couple of those, I stopped accepting people who don't have the rules; I simply don't have the time or patience to explain it anymore. Not having a certain sourcebook or not understanding the book is different -- I always take the time to help out there -- but the core rules are definitely a necessity.

I've had players from overseas before. I tend to have more tolerance for them than others just due to the fact that English isn't their first language.

This.  If they continually skip things, particularly if said things don't work in the player's favor; then have a talk with them about it.   If that doesn't help resolve the situation, there's always someone else out there willing to participate.
This message was last edited by the user at 23:29, Fri 03 Mar 2023.