I wonder how many folks read that and say, “yeah…not me.”?
I hope all of them.
that don't play in the games i run.
I've tried preinterviews, questionaires, I've tried talking about playstyles, giving quizzes about playstyles, and none of that worked.
Then I started thinking about what I really wanted from the people who showed up at the game I was running. I edited the list over and over, till I came up with 3-4 non negotiables. (the last one is "know the basic rules of the game")
In the end I have been very happy with the results. I have players who do the things I am looking for in a player, so why wouldn't I be enjoying myself? I consider it a win-win for everyone involved in the process. A player can look at that list, and decide if they can meet those wants/needs I have, and if they don't, we don't every have to have the agonizing discussion about playstyles, personality styles, or being booted from a game.
On the other side (Gm side) it gives me a way to address specific behaviors that are ruining my fun. I can say to a player, "hey I've had to remind you x number of times what is going on in the session, are you sure this is a game/time you can make a priority?"
* I don't have to talk about vague impressions. I can point out something specific that does not work for me, ask if it can be addressed, and can then remove the person if it can't be worked out.
*because I am not playing with anyone who cannot be aware of what is going on in the game. I don't ask that players "pay attention" in the sense of doing nothing else while they wait their turn, but I expect them to know what is going on in the game, be ready to act on their turn, and not require me to summarize what has been going on at the table while it wasn't their turn. If that happens I will not run a game for them anymore.