Player complaining that the game is not keeping his interest

[Thinyser]

So I have a player that has told me that he's losing interest in the game, and I'm not sure what to do as I don't think the pace is too slow.

For an overview of what is happening we have a group of supersoldiers who were frozen before the coming of the Rifts and dropped from orbit at the end of the dark ages (2283 where the PA calendar starts in 2287). Since their drop from orbit over the course of 4 6 hour sessions they have:

1) Found each other and collected the gear from the other 6 drop pods (of their dead compatriots)
2) Made their way from west Kansas into Colorado where they met up with a caravan who was returning to their village from trading with a larger community.
3) Befriended the villagers by traveling with them and saving them from an ambush by bandits that likely would have killed all the caravan members and lost half a years trade goods for the village.
4) and further cemented their friendship by dispatching several fury beetles that were making life hard for them. Made armor out of the beetle parts and gave some to the armor to them.
5) Organized a caravan of village members and the team of supersoldiers to find NORAD at Cheyenne mountain.
6) Found Norad. Broke in using MDC explosives (one of the team has the super power "energy expulsion: exploding spheres" which I ruled were MDC in Rifts) to blast out a hole under the big blast door.
7) Found a small cache of NEMA weapons (20 rifles 10 pistols) Keeping all but 2 pistols which they donated to the villagers and a similar number of SDC slug throwers (all of which they donated to the villagers in the caravan also). The decided to conceal their tunnel into NORAD and the rejoin the villagers to travel to Denver and told them they could not get inside but that the weapons were found in a guard shack at the road leading up to the mountain entrance.
Met a Neuron-Beast who approached the camp in the dark of night and from several hundred yards away,in a booming voice, proclaimed to come in peace and only wanted to "hear our stories" and travel with us for a while (secretly he wants to cause strife and feed off our emotions and has plans to cause the villagers to believe the soldiers are really screwing them over by keeping all the best guns and armor for themselves and only giving minor scraps to the village)

So I don't think that much more could have been done in a handful of sessions and to be clear the player who is expressing his concern was instrumental in several aspects of the above situations specifically his super speedy character nearly single handedly took out the ambushers, and devised the plan to kill the fury beetles by baiting them over some claymore mines which would detonate shredding their vulnerable underbelly while leaving the rest useable for makeshift armor. He was also the one who found a blueprint in a mechanical room that through careful examination of the electrical system showed a dedicated circuit (for the e-clip charger) that lead to the hidden room with the cache of NEMA weapons.

I'm at a loss for what to do. Any advice would be welcome.

[Aaryq]

Have you asked him what the game is lacking in his opinion?

[Morik]

This is why you don't use super powered characters. Players tend to get bored with them. RIFTS needs to be played with other central themes IMO.

[Nightmask]

This is why you don't use super powered characters. Players tend to get bored with them. RIFTS needs to be played with other central themes IMO.

That's not a problem with super-powered characters, almost every character in Rifts is Super-Powered and if having a super-powered character was so boring no one would want to play, or at least never want to play anything but a completely normal, non-powered, non-magical, non-anything human.

[Killer Cyborg]

This is why you don't use super powered characters. Players tend to get bored with them. RIFTS needs to be played with other central themes IMO.

That's not a problem with super-powered characters, almost every character in Rifts is Super-Powered and if having a super-powered character was so boring no one would want to play, or at least never want to play anything but a completely normal, non-powered, non-magical, non-anything human.

Let's just say that experiences vary.

Which is why it's important to know what this particular player is looking for.
Rifts can provide pretty much anything, all you have to do is to put it together.

[Thinyser]

So to be clear they are super soldiers so have things like uncanny targeting and throwing, nanites in the blood, combat computer, etc.

One character has a laser implanted in her arm and has the ability to create the exploding energy spheres.

One character (the one who's player is not satisfied) has Extraordinary speed and can run at 220 MPH and extraordinary PP.

On character can root himself to the ground using a limited form of gravity manipulation (it affects only him and he can only attach to the floor) which is only really useful because he has twin gimbal mount .50 cal gatling guns that would topple him backwards if he was not rooted.

One character has "cinematic ammo" and does not run out of ammo as long as all he does is shoot. If he stops shooting to take any other action (even aim) then he has to reload (if he had run out of ammo naturally)

The other two characters have no true "super powers" at all but got more selections off the super soldier power list. So really nothing here is more powerful than a juicer or crazy bonus wise. And the only one who has a truly offensive power is the female spy type character and she has the lowest physical stats and bonuses so it is well balanced. I truly don't think that the "super powers" have anything at all to do with it.

[flatline]

What kind of game does the player want?

--flatline

[Killer Cyborg]

What's your best guess?
What games does this player typically find interesting?

[Glistam]

Looking over the summary of your games, it seems like there hasn't been a lot of action in the last few games. The Neuron Beast plot is interesting, but will take a little while to resolve. Without knowing any other specifics (such as what the player would find interesting) here's a couple of suggestions:

1. Have some demon/monster attacks occur which the group can work to fight off and protect this town from. Maybe attacks happen more frequently now that the beast is in town (part of its plot).
2. Have the player uncover the Neuron Beast's plot, but have there be no proof and nobody believes him. Now he has to find proof but the beast is as crafty as it is cruel.
3. With extraordinary speed and extraordinary physical prowess, he's essentially a Juicer in many ways. How would you keep a Juicer engaged in the game? Maybe thinking about it in that way will help?

Like others said, knowing what the player is actively wanting would help a lot.

[Athos]

Is it an internet game? Is the game text only? Do you use skype for voice?

For internet games, I used to hate skype because the best connection used to "step on" the others, but it has gotten much better than the old days. The best thing about skype I have found is that it is harder for people (younger players especially) to zone off or surf or not participate without it being very obvious. A lot of younger players get bored with typing and like to talk and participate more like a traditional table top game. Skype can let them do this. Plus as GM, if they are texting, watching TV, whatever, it becomes very obvious they are not part of the game so you can stop and ask if everything is ok. If they are just the type that likes to "multi-task", then they probably aren't that into the game, and you might just have to cut them and move on.

[Thinyser]

What's your best guess?
What games does this player typically find interesting?

Usually he wants lots of combat which is why he chose the character he did but he was rather vague with his complaint and said that he wanted more "twists" in the plot. I've not been able to question him further about what exactly that means.

[Thinyser]

Is it an internet game? Is the game text only? Do you use skype for voice?

For internet games, I used to hate skype because the best connection used to "step on" the others, but it has gotten much better than the old days. The best thing about skype I have found is that it is harder for people (younger players especially) to zone off or surf or not participate without it being very obvious. A lot of younger players get bored with typing and like to talk and participate more like a traditional table top game. Skype can let them do this. Plus as GM, if they are texting, watching TV, whatever, it becomes very obvious they are not part of the game so you can stop and ask if everything is ok. If they are just the type that likes to "multi-task", then they probably aren't that into the game, and you might just have to cut them and move on.

No its face to face at my home over a table-top.

[Thinyser]

Looking over the summary of your games, it seems like there hasn't been a lot of action in the last few games. The Neuron Beast plot is interesting, but will take a little while to resolve. Without knowing any other specifics (such as what the player would find interesting) here's a couple of suggestions:

I agree there could be a lack of action (there was one other encounter of a random rolled monster on the night they first met the caravan before they made it to the village that I had forgotten about) but in general the player in question always wants to "fast forward" through the combat without rolling for attack and defense and just "kill them" since that is the "inevitable outcome" in his opinion and he gets frustrated with an hour long combat during our sessions.

1. Have some demon/monster attacks occur which the group can work to fight off and protect this town from. Maybe attacks happen more frequently now that the beast is in town (part of its plot).
2. Have the player uncover the Neuron Beast's plot, but have there be no proof and nobody believes him. Now he has to find proof but the beast is as crafty as it is cruel.
3. With extraordinary speed and extraordinary physical prowess, he's essentially a Juicer in many ways. How would you keep a Juicer engaged in the game? Maybe thinking about it in that way will help?

Like others said, knowing what the player is actively wanting would help a lot.

I will probably do something like what you suggest with the neuron beast and the character discovering what he's up to w/o proof. As for the increased attacks I don't know if that would further the beasts goals (cause strife amongst the humans to feed off of) and might in fact cause them to bond together against the "common foe"
I agree he is like a juicer physically but he's not as apt to reckless acts and also lacks the need to replenish a drug supply or save up for the best chance at detox... so very different in some critical (motivational) ways

[Alrik Vas]

kick'm in the junk until they stop being vague. saying there aren't enough plot twists seems like a jerk response. make him be honest.

[Killer Cyborg]

What's your best guess?
What games does this player typically find interesting?

Usually he wants lots of combat which is why he chose the character he did but he was rather vague with his complaint and said that he wanted more "twists" in the plot. I've not been able to question him further about what exactly that means.

Huh.
That's kind of odd.

Think he means "we've been backstabbed by our own triple-agent" kind of twists, or "That enemy compound we bombed was full of orphans" kind of twists, or "It was all a dream" kind of twists?


OR just some good, old-fashioned Chubby-Checkering...?

[Killer Cyborg]

kick'm in the junk until they stop being vague. saying there aren't enough plot twists seems like a jerk response. make him be honest.

Winner.

[DhAkael]

kick'm in the junk until they stop being vague. saying there aren't enough plot twists seems like a jerk response. make him be honest.

Winner.

Wot 'ee sed! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUGH!

[infernocanuck]

Here are four questions you can ask to help you narrow down what to do:

What has been your favorite part of the campaign so far?
What has been your least favorite part of the campaign so far?
Where do you see the campaign going?
Where do you want to see the campaign go?

[Hawk258]

Well, I run a very similar character he is s super speed (mach 1+) HU conversion character. And I myself would like both brain teasers and action. Not every challenge a fight and not everyone a teaser but put in an npc that they might not be prepared for. Don't get too dangerous but something smart enough to stay a step a head and leaves them wondering how do you beat something like it. While I can't give you a good example at the moment I would think a cross between an npc that is equal to all of the player characters combined and one that has some wits and guile that knows how to hit and run and generally make themselves a thorn in the characters side. I would even go so far as making it a wild card and not part of the active plot just a random baddy getting in the way repeatedly

[Glistam]

He thinks he can steamroll through combat and that's boring him? Maybe this guy needs a combat where he loses. A high M.D.C. enemy who loves to Simultaneously Attack should do the trick. Beat him down but let him live because "he's not even woth the effort of killing." Or maybe he needs to fight others like him - say, a roving gang of Juicers?

Also, aren't there vampires in Colorado? Maybe one of them is the guy who beats him up! If it's a secondary or master vampire then he shouldn't realize what he's facing until it's too late.

[Hawk258]

He thinks he can steamroll through combat and that's boring him? Maybe this guy needs a combat where he loses. A high M.D.C. enemy who loves to Simultaneously Attack should do the trick. Beat him down but let him live because "he's not even woth the effort of killing." Or maybe he needs to fight others like him - say, a roving gang of Juicers?

Also, aren't there vampires in Colorado? Maybe one of them is the guy who beats him up! If it's a secondary or master vampire then he shouldn't realize what he's facing until it's too late.

That is funny that was the first adventure for my speedster lol ended up in mexico. Yep vampires and 9 foot tall bats... worked for his first run

[wyrmraker]

I have a similar player, but in different way. If the game is serious, he tries to be funny. If it's funny, he tries to be serious. If it's a comic book superhero game, he ends up playing a mercenary sort (and changes characters almost every game because "The character just doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the party"). In a special forces game, he plays the combat wombat without any other interaction (he claimed to be playing 'the strong, silent type', but that fell apart when he did nothing when his scout character was given the oppurtunity to actually scout).

I have asked him what he wants in the game, and he just keeps saying, "Oh, I'm fine with whatever you want to run." Tricky stuff.

[Hawk258]

I have a similar player, but in different way. If the game is serious, he tries to be funny. If it's funny, he tries to be serious. If it's a comic book superhero game, he ends up playing a mercenary sort (and changes characters almost every game because "The character just doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the party"). In a special forces game, he plays the combat wombat without any other interaction (he claimed to be playing 'the strong, silent type', but that fell apart when he did nothing when his scout character was given the oppurtunity to actually scout).

I have asked him what he wants in the game, and he just keeps saying, "Oh, I'm fine with whatever you want to run." Tricky stuff.

Well first thing you might do is make him tighten up his character traits at least make him put in writing his fluid nature and why.. is he bipolar? (The character) multiple personality ect.

[Thinyser]

Good suggestions all, keep them coming!

I think the reason why he wants to steamroll combat is because he thinks (and I rather agree) that the combat system is slow. I mean a 30 second combat can easily take 30+ minutes, and a "boss" type combat that might take 1-2 minutes of in game time will take 1+hour at the table.

The difference is that I personally don't mind that its slower than other systems as I think that it gives time for more cinematic action. Being that this group has no psionics and no magic it should go much faster than they are used to but he

A roving group of juicers would probably not exist at this point in the pre PA calendar, maybe but not likely IMO. However the vampire idea has good possibilities. But I don't think that these characters would stand a chance as they have no silver weapons and unless they metagame they have no knowledge at all that vampires are harmed by wood or water. They would die. Vamps in my games are masters of hit and run tactics. If the characters start to get the upper hand they will retreat regroup and come back in a few minutes fully healed. The only way to get them is to stake them and decapitate them before one of their vamp brethren drag them off pull the stake out and they both come back into the fight. If they could stake them all within the first melee round they would win (and since they don't have any vampire or monster lore at all they would have no clue even to do this).

I will keep in mind that a good challenge might prove a point about combat in general.

[Hawk258]

Good suggestions all, keep them coming!

I think the reason why he wants to steamroll combat is because he thinks (and I rather agree) that the combat system is slow. I mean a 30 second combat can easily take 30+ minutes, and a "boss" type combat that might take 1-2 minutes of in game time will take 1+hour at the table.

The difference is that I personally don't mind that its slower than other systems as I think that it gives time for more cinematic action. Being that this group has no psionics and no magic it should go much faster than they are used to but he

A roving group of juicers would probably not exist at this point in the pre PA calendar, maybe but not likely IMO. However the vampire idea has good possibilities. But I don't think that these characters would stand a chance as they have no silver weapons and unless they metagame they have no knowledge at all that vampires are harmed by wood or water. They would die. Vamps in my games are masters of hit and run tactics. If the characters start to get the upper hand they will retreat regroup and come back in a few minutes fully healed. The only way to get them is to stake them and decapitate them before one of their vamp brethren drag them off pull the stake out and they both come back into the fight. If they could stake them all within the first melee round they would win (and since they don't have any vampire or monster lore at all they would have no clue even to do this).

I will keep in mind that a good challenge might prove a point about combat in general.

I wouldn't say meta game persay, however they "could" try the life imitates art perspective. Maybe there is truth in movies? But don't tell them that

[Glistam]

Overconfident enemies don't necessarily have to fight to kill their enemies. An opponent who can't hurt you can be amusing enough that you let him live. After all, it's not like he's a threat...