Communication: the most important part of the hobby

This is an important topic and I will probably return to it many times.

As with many things in life communication seems to be the key.

In relationships open and honest communication is an important part of keeping the relationship working. Gaming is similar. In fact the entire hobby is based on communication and the presentation of information. Since everything happens in a fictional setting, how you convey that setting and the people and their actions within it, is of vital importance.

In my Players are Idiots post I talked about the flow of information which involves using good communication techniques at the table to make sure everyone is hearing the same things and getting the information needed to make reasonable decisions.

However there are other times communication is vital and that is between sessions when the game is not actually being actively played by the group. This is the time when things rules questions and clarifications, or what game should we be play next, or even talking about what snack people want at the game should be discussed with the group.

This out of character between game communication can be just as vital to the health of the game as the in game communication. How you manage and coordinate this communication can have a profound influence on your game. If the people involved in your game never communicate between sessions it can sometimes be hard to gauge how interested they are in the game or what they want from the game.

As a GM it can be very frustrating when your group refuses to communicate about the game. I also like to receive some feedback about the game so I know if the players are enjoying what I am doing or if there are areas I could improve in. Operating in a vacuum can be very difficult at times.

There are many ways to handle this communication. e-mail, web forums, phone calls, face to face meetings, dinner gatherings, letters,  Facebook, and other social media sites just to name some of the options. Figuring out what works best for your group is an important part of this. My group has some troubles with this and I have yet to figure out the best way to handle communication.


That's all I have time for right now, but I will return to this topic often.