This was my "muscle memory" reaction/thought as well - thank you.

Today part 4/6 from RMU Treasure Law podcast review about Alchemy, Professions and Constructs creation is released
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15FiPCYy2rs5bo2aymTi6G4k8wk31-V9Z/view?usp=drive_link 
Note that these reviews are not for rating but rather for learning about the content and then decide if its interesting or not - its done partly with google AI and therefore  no bad word is told about the author or adventure anyway.                                                                         Have fun! Micael

Today I want to start with a quick summary for players into Kulthea´s History and a quick summary of EMER 2 part 1/3- note that sel-kai and Eidolon has his own podcast, so it is omitted here: https://discord.com/channels/737958249936060416/750324220533145680/1335712846427721749
Have fun!
Micael

With the newest update of NotebookLM you can load in audiofiles and ask directly (with voice) to the chatters questions about the content and they will answer before going on- so that allows players or DMs listen to a podcast to get more specific answers- but be careful- the answers are focussed on the complete source you loaded in, not only the summary. So it would be advisable, if you want players to use these as asking to "teachers" directly, to only load in these above prepared audio files and not the complete EMER source.

What you can also do is sharing a (free) part with an document and/or audio file inside NotebookLM with one or more of your players- for example you prepare a summary podcast about the 2 ERA and at the background is a much bigger file which the Players can use to ask more specific questions if they are interested- or you upload a summary discussion about a murder mystery and who might it be- and in the background is a much bigger puzzle- so your players can at home ask the chatters (NPCs named of course) about all they know about the murder situation in detail....

Today I want to start with a quick summary for players into Kulthea´s History- look to the thread above ⁠shadow-world⁠
for different tiers and a discussion about using audio content for players. Last time many people thought, that the audio files were too much informationn. So I start with tier 1 (rank 1-5) of the:
1 ERA (only legends and uncomplete stories):  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jle_wf-2_Vz5gxMx0Qsgl-TPC-4SQDj1/view?usp=drive_link

2 ERA  (only legends and uncomplete stories):
 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HKL-xRkt-OHbeBwFt6m_MukqiNufNjqL/view?usp=drive_link

3 ERA short atmospheric general campaign start for players and beginners in SW:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wr9rCOApZAtDGX-nBkfm-zw_QTQxYcyL/view?usp=drive_link

Have fun!
Micael

very nice! Hope you will do more maps for Shadow World- I am doing Rhakhaan maps, too, but you can found them on the discord servers...

You should have a conversation with the players. If they aren't interested in the game, that should be discussed. Maybe they want to play something else. This sounds like apathy to me and they likely would rather be doing something else with the game time.

Hopefully I don't come across as bitchy here I'm posting this to vent a little.

Quote from: katastrophe on January 31, 2025, 12:47:33 PM

Quote from: kyussopeth on January 25, 2025, 05:53:41 PMI'm not used to this at all. My old group is 3000 miles away on the other end of America. I used to have 4 – 8 players & they would have individual objectives, individual interests, & rivalries. Often the campaign was just them creating their own power bases, organizations, & doing research. When they decided on a course of action they would try different tactics, each person at the table having their own style of tackling & overcoming obstacles. They constantly surprised me & though they met with disaster some times it was usually from an overabundance of enthusiasm or a dearth of caution. They took everything seriously the setting politics, the adventuring, the resource management, the system mastery, the role-playing, & the combat. In a word they were invested in the campaign.

Get on Roll20 and get your old group back together with the one player that is interested in the game.

Considering this

Quote from: Wolfwood on January 27, 2025, 05:23:27 AM

Quote from: Cory Magel on January 26, 2025, 12:03:35 PMMaybe even go so far as to have the NPC propose things the PC's probably shouldn't do just to see if it gets them to start thinking about making 'right' choices.

I'd try this first. At some point they should realise that the NPC doesn't have their best interest in mind and start thinking for themselves (if only to take down the NPC). But, of course, the active player should be away for this to work.

In my teens, our group had one similar player who pretty much just relaxed on a bed until a fight started and then he became active - only to lose interest as soon as the fight was over and roleplaying began... It was easy to handle/ignore when it was only one of the players who was like that, though.

They should realize after having dozens of NPCs either make poor decisions or actively work against them, but they don't. Only the key player figures anything out, only he gets suspicious.

They suck at tactics/combat too though.

Quote from: pastaav on January 26, 2025, 04:12:35 PMAre the passive players enjoying the game? Is that active players satisfied or bothered by the state of the game? The reason I ask is that I have encountered players who love playing henchmen. Gamemaster Law for RMFRP/RMSS had a great breakdown on different player styles that helped me make sense of what to give to different players.

At the end of day, roleplaying is no competition that you must win. Players who ignore their backstory and act like henchmen will be missing out the experience from a more dynamic playstyle, but as long as they playstyle does not ruin the fun for the other players (or you as GM) it is not given that you have something that must be fixed.

The active player is very frustrated with the other players passivity. He gets angry about it. The others seem to have fun pushing all the thinking onto him. I'm trying every trick to hook them in.