Game Master Feedback During Downtime
It matters a great deal with regard to live-action and tabletop RPGs. Players want to declare actions and gather information when the game isn’t going on, a period often referred to as “downtime.” It is during downtime that planning and important character development take place, and often features important events that are necessary segues into the next game. The most important aspect of downtime actions, however, is that they are player-driven. Thus, game master feedback during downtime is essential to the flow of the game and the enjoyment of the players.
I have been a regular participant in at least two large-scale LARPs, and problems with receiving downtime feedbacks from the game masters occurred in both. Perhaps it was because these games were held monthly and prompt feedback was not seen as necessary, or perhaps the game masters themselves had other responsibilities that took priority. Whatever the case, the end experience was one of player neglect. Nothing could be done that wasn’t accomplished at the games themselves, despite the fact that fantasy time ticked by in the interim between games. This, of course, led to frustration, and eventually to my decision to leave both games.
Thus, I have a word of advice for any game masters out there. Responding to your players between games is just as important as responding to them in person. Whether they need to interact with an NPC, ask for clarification, declare actions, inform you of their plans, etc., feedback is necessary to avoid alienating your players. It is your responsibility to do so, just as much as it is their right to petition you for it.
Granted, the real world will always take precedence. The fantasy does stop between games; if it didn’t, everyone who roleplayed would be in a constant and very maladaptive state of delusion. Work, family, and other real-life concerns come first. However, I have yet to meet a game master who has absolutely no time to respond to his or her players. It rarely takes more than a few minutes to give them the feedback that they need. In the worst case, a simple “I don’t have the time to talk about this at the moment. I’ll respond to you later,” can often mean the difference between player satisfaction and player resentment.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that, by donning the mantle of game master, you assume the responsibilities of running the game, and one of those is to provide feedback during downtime. Don’t ignore your players between games. Otherwise, you may find more than a few of them walking away from the game entirely.