Part of being a good GM is providing incentives for good, fun things to happen as part of the whole gaming experience. These incentives and disincentives can take two nonexclusive forms -- direct and cross-over. Direct incentives work so that the actions result in rewards in the same space -- character rewards for character actions and player rewards for player actions. Cross-over incentives mix the two realms, often resulting in mixed priorities that can sometimes cause problems. In this article, we're going to discuss how incentives and disincentives for both players and character's can be used correctly and incorrectly.
Gold and treasure are a very straight forward incentive. They reward characters for character actions. This kind of non-crossover incentive works very well and is rarely changed. Some GMs may be tempted to use treasure as a reward to players, but its a trap. Giving the player influence the ability to influence treasure will only lead to players trying to get rewards out of game play that they haven't earned.
Character death is a cross-over disincentive for character actions that punishes both the character (who dies) and the player who loses her existing character that she has investment. In addition, she now has to make a new character before reengaging in the game. Some games offer an in-game cheat by the actions of their party to resurrect them. This is primarily an action by the party characters to avoid player punishment, which is a mixed incentive that can lead to serious player conflict. Death is often considered a required component of the game to guide character actions wisely. The player punishment aspect, however, often leads some GMs into thinking that character death is an appropriate player punishment for player actions. To avoid the crossover aspect of this disincentive and maintain its effectiveness as a character incentive, generally I make sure my players understand that character death will occur and that a backup character is required. In addition, I often provide multiple options for resurrecting characters, some which do not require in-game party actions. Though it is often emotional when a player loses a character to death, it is a part of the game, and is the ultimate in game disincentive for performing stupid character actions.
Experience points are a possible incentive often used in games. Experience points are awarded for good things that happen in game and accumulate to allow the player to level up their character. Experience points are a crossover incentive, in that they award a player for character actions. This causes a conflict of interest between the player and the character. The player may be pushed by a desire for XP to take the character into dangerous situations that they otherwise might avoid. For this reason, I avoid XP and instead award levels by reaching story points. This motivates the player to move the story along to gain character levels.
Character death is a cross-over disincentive for character actions that punishes both the character (who dies) and the player who loses her existing character that she has investment. In addition, she now has to make a new character before reengaging in the game. Some games offer an in-game cheat by the actions of their party to resurrect them. This is primarily an action by the party characters to avoid player punishment, which is a mixed incentive that can lead to serious player conflict. Death is often considered a required component of the game to guide character actions wisely. The player punishment aspect, however, often leads some GMs into thinking that character death is an appropriate player punishment for player actions. To avoid the crossover aspect of this disincentive and maintain its effectiveness as a character incentive, generally I make sure my players understand that character death will occur and that a backup character is required. In addition, I often provide multiple options for resurrecting characters, some which do not require in-game party actions. Though it is often emotional when a player loses a character to death, it is a part of the game, and is the ultimate in game disincentive for performing stupid character actions.
Experience points are a possible incentive often used in games. Experience points are awarded for good things that happen in game and accumulate to allow the player to level up their character. Experience points are a crossover incentive, in that they award a player for character actions. This causes a conflict of interest between the player and the character. The player may be pushed by a desire for XP to take the character into dangerous situations that they otherwise might avoid. For this reason, I avoid XP and instead award levels by reaching story points. This motivates the player to move the story along to gain character levels.
Hero points, which have a lot of different interpretations, are usually a player spent point to act as an in game cheat code. These can be used to do cool things, get out of bad situations, or even obtain other in game favors (wealth). Hero points can be awarded for character or player actions in game or player actions out of game. I usually give these out to players for good player actions. This can be bringing snacks, helping clean up, writing background, or even excellent roleplay. In addition, these could be awarded by other players. In any case, this incentive not only pushes the players without terribly disrupting the game balance, but also provides a cheat mechanic to dissuade players from cheating through other means. Hero points are also an example of something that could be used as a non-party action to avoid character death.
Story-based incentives can be a reward to both players and characters, though sometimes the best character storylines put characters through the ringer. Story-based incentive also make the game more entertaining and engaging by really pulling the character backgrounds into the spotlight of the story. In general, storyline incentives should be balanced across characters to avoid a sense of favoritism within the group.
Mechanic-based incentives or disincentives are generally used for rewarding in-game actions and eliminating out-of-game distractions. For example, a GM may reward incentive for good in-game roleplaying (D&D 5e). A GM may engage in the action with an Intrusion to spice up a boring segment (Numenera). A GM may skip a player who is absent from the table or who isn't paying attention. All of these are effective, but should only be used to improve the game, not necessarily to punish players. A player that is distracted can disrupt the game. Avoiding this disruption improves the game. As with most aspects of the game, establishing an up-front expectation for these types of elements is important for making them effective and fair.
The GM also has the responsibility, sometimes shared with the rest of the gaming group, to ensure that player and character actions do not impede the overall fun of the game. This overriding principle also means that the group or GM may have to consider the disincentive of removing players from the group. This disincentive often comes with a warning, usually from the GM, after a player engages in disruptive in-game or out-of-game actions. The first line of defense in using this action is establishing clear expectations for in-game and out-of-game behavior. A simple one to two page document to establish expectations is a good start, and should establish clear lines that should not be crossed, and the results to be expected if they are. When a player does not heed an initial warning, it is often time to remove them from the group. This disincentive should be used carefully. Often GMs will mistake different thinking as disruptive game play and try to remove players because they have a different view of the game. This can often be a trap, since new players with new ways of thinking can often bring a lot to the table to make the game interesting. Before removing a player, make sure they are being removed for the right reasons.
It really is amazing the number of incentives and disincentives in the hands of the GM. The best games happen when the GM establishes upfront how these will be used, and then uses them effectively. In the end, the most important goal to incentify is Rule 0: Everyone has fun. Before you host your next game as a GM, take some time to think about how you use these types of things to make for a better game.
Mechanic-based incentives or disincentives are generally used for rewarding in-game actions and eliminating out-of-game distractions. For example, a GM may reward incentive for good in-game roleplaying (D&D 5e). A GM may engage in the action with an Intrusion to spice up a boring segment (Numenera). A GM may skip a player who is absent from the table or who isn't paying attention. All of these are effective, but should only be used to improve the game, not necessarily to punish players. A player that is distracted can disrupt the game. Avoiding this disruption improves the game. As with most aspects of the game, establishing an up-front expectation for these types of elements is important for making them effective and fair.
The GM also has the responsibility, sometimes shared with the rest of the gaming group, to ensure that player and character actions do not impede the overall fun of the game. This overriding principle also means that the group or GM may have to consider the disincentive of removing players from the group. This disincentive often comes with a warning, usually from the GM, after a player engages in disruptive in-game or out-of-game actions. The first line of defense in using this action is establishing clear expectations for in-game and out-of-game behavior. A simple one to two page document to establish expectations is a good start, and should establish clear lines that should not be crossed, and the results to be expected if they are. When a player does not heed an initial warning, it is often time to remove them from the group. This disincentive should be used carefully. Often GMs will mistake different thinking as disruptive game play and try to remove players because they have a different view of the game. This can often be a trap, since new players with new ways of thinking can often bring a lot to the table to make the game interesting. Before removing a player, make sure they are being removed for the right reasons.
It really is amazing the number of incentives and disincentives in the hands of the GM. The best games happen when the GM establishes upfront how these will be used, and then uses them effectively. In the end, the most important goal to incentify is Rule 0: Everyone has fun. Before you host your next game as a GM, take some time to think about how you use these types of things to make for a better game.
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