"New" Players (I blame millennials) ...

[shootingwomprats]

I need to vent.

Over the last few weeks I have been dealing with new players. Now I understand that SWd6 is not a new system but I do know its an easy system. Character creation is a whopping 11 pages, if you stick to the yellow sections its even fewer pages.

So back to my gripe.

These "new" players are stating they "don't get it" when referring to character creation. I reply, "please read the character generation section its very short, stick to the yellow sections, any questions let me know." They get back to me later, still not "getting it".

I do not understand this.

Ask them to calculate their THAC0 to hit with a bow through other people, in the dark, with a crosswind while doing a handstand and they could calculate that. But, ".. 7D no more than 2D into a single skill, pick the skills you want", escapes them?

UGGGGGGHH!
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Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
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[Jedi Skyler]

Wow.

I'm sorry you're dealing with such issues; as the guy who seems to usually be the n00b, because I've only played in a few systems (and SW D6 is by FAR my favorite), I can certainly understand a new player's frustration when trying to learn new rules, in any aspect of the game. One certainly wants to make the best character possible, and doing so properly is quite often impossible without a bit of hand holding by the GM.

That said, SW D6 is just about the easiest system I've ever learned. I still need a bit of a nudge here and there with specifics, but so long as I know what the GM is allowing/requiring during character creation, I can whip out a number of characters in relatively short order.

As for these particular newbies, I hope your venting has helped you calm down and to be ready to help them with some more hand holding. Hopefully, they sharpen up a bit, and the upcoming session proves that you've landed some good players.

Otherwise, you might need to find some new players; you certainly don't need that kind of stress for a bloody game. Just sayin'.

[The Brain]

So from your post it sounds like they're more than passingly familiar with 1st and 2nd ed D&D. Maybe they problem is that they're used to putting together PCs with far more defined party roles that a class and level system provides. I've seen that before with people first trying out classless/non-level game systems, the bigger range of possibilities sometimes overwhelms them.

[dhawk]

Could be three main reasons why the character creation problem exists in the first place, as follows:

1: Players are used to complicated rule systems, yet with simplified and defined roles, as The Brain has suggested. Wizards are wizards, paladins are paladins, rogues/thieves are rogues/thieves... unless their traditional DM's accept the notion of multi-classing (which is headache unto itself). So when you have bags full of many-sided side that deal with damage, success rolls, saving throws, to-hit rolls, etc., then play a game with one type of dice... head-scratching may commence. Then throw out the D&D-style class-specific rules of limitations.

2: Players are used to simplified rule systems, but each role has a myriad of options to diversify each role. Prestige classes, such as battle mages, ninjas (rogues + assassins), Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr (sorry, Forgotten Realms reference), plus pages upon pages of feats that lets them do something special. Now if you look at skills... it's basically 10 total, unless you count Expert: Random Specialty. So if you have a Jedi with the specialization skill Lightsaber: Double-Bladed 5D, they may ask why that wouldn't just be a feat, or a special ability. Or better yet... they began with Star Wars RPG SAGA and previously played a starfighter pilot. They look at the Brash Pilot template and see the Starfighter Piloting skill and wonder why there is no specialization tree... or a something alluding to an Ace Pilot tree.

Or 3: They are used to instant gratification, wondering what the hell is taking so long to get into the action. For these folks, they should be on their home consoles playing Star Wars: Battlefront, since that is probably the fastest way to shoot Rebels and/or Stormtroopers. This doesn't just apply to Star Wars pen & paper style of roleplaying either; it's really any game that takes considerable time to set-up and participate in. Imagine inviting them to a game of Arkham Horror, or Warhammer 40K. You'll go nuts, and they'll go nuts.

[Naaman]

Offer a bonus 5 CPs for whomever gets it right without help. Wink, wink!

[JironGhrad]

[shootingwomprats]

[Whill]

[Falconer]

My favorite is definitely new players with zero experience in RPGs. Players who have played RPGs different from what I’m running always come with baggage. Different expectations, different mindset.

That said, I have never handed a new player a manual and expected him or her to whip up a character right then and there without assistance. IMO that somehow goes against the social atmosphere of a face to face game. I also believe in saddling the players with as little “rules mastery” as possible. So, character creation tends to look like this:

NEW CAMPAIGN WITH ALL NEW PLAYERS
I limit the character options to very few options, like, I’ll have 4 specific templates available, and allow a good half a session in personally guiding everyone through fleshing out the sheet.

NEW PLAYER IN A RELATIVELY NEW CAMPAIGN
I will personally spend 15 minutes with the person walking him or her through character creation.

NEW PLAYER IN AN ESTABLISHED CAMPAIGN
I will have one of the experienced players spend 15 minutes with the person walking him or her through character creation while I focus on my prep.

ONE-SHOT
100% pregenerated characters.

[bobenhotep]

You will have to walk them through it, and you will have to tell them what dice to roll. I call this game the "gateway game" because when I was in the Army in the 90s I was able to find players for a star wars game fairly easily because we all knew what Star Wars was (except for the kid that was raised JW and I don't mean Jawa Wastelander, but that is another story), and simple game mechanics.
Even then, you are going to have to break it down "Barney Style" and walk them through character creation. You might even have to go pre-gen. Once you play a bit you will pick up a disciple or two, and they will learn. I know because sometimes I had to do it that way. You might have to feel out who is the most receptive, and teach them, then have them help make characters with/ for the others.

It can be done.
_________________
D&D 5e DM and WEG Star Wars GM for two kids who will hopefully carry on with RPGs for years to come

The Chijawa said so, that's why.

[atgxtg]

It sounds to me like the old D&D problem. basically, players coming from other RPGs, especially D20/D&D have come to expect certain things from an RPG, based on past experience, and when they don't see those things they get confused.

I've done a LOT of running with D&Ders and they often look at things in a usual way that comes with lots of D&D experience. The usually have preconceived notions of how things work based on past experience with D&D, and have to "unlearn what they have learned."

The problem is that when things do go according to their preconceived notions and expectations, they tend to blame it on the game system and/or GM rather than their playing style, as the latter worked so well in D&D.