My group of players tends to be pretty casual about our roleplaying. We meet about weekly, and the focus is on having fun together, with the game as the excuse to bring us together. Don't get me wrong, we love our roleplaying, but sometimes we aren't very immersed in the game and universe.

What kind of tricks do you guys use to keep players on track and interested? Specifically, what Star Wars material engages your players? I've got some ideas already, but I'd like to hear more.

1. Using an opening crawl to set the stage for the session. Players immediately gain a sense of what's going on and it "feels like Star Wars."

2. Theme music constantly. I'll always have Star Wars music playing, switching tracks to reflect what's happening in the game. Players step into a cantina, cantina music starts to play. Wandering the wilderness, eerie music. Breaking into someplace they're not supposed to be, ominous music. Fights, music from fight scenes in Star Wars.

3. Pre-printed information handouts and other props. They find a scrap of flimsy with a map, I'll actually hand them a map. A weird ancient coin? I'll make one out of Sculpy.

What else fellow GMs and peoples with high expectation?

What else fellow GMs and peoples with high expectation?

In my experience, having Star Wars themed props around will also help.

It could be one or more helmets in a glass case, it could be Star Wars themed toy weapons, it could be miniatures and figures (maybe from FFG, or maybe from someone else), it could be costumes, or maybe even something like a life-size Darth Maul in the background.

The music can definitely help, but I would caution you about going overboard on it.

There’s a 9-hour loop of Cantina “Jizz” music that’s available on YouTube, and that’s funny for the first few minutes, but it gets old fast. And if you’re not in a Cantina, then it’s not as appropriate.

But more specific situational sound effects could be very cool!

Those are my go-to items, I always start with a crawl and the official into music. I have all the soundtracks and I've chunked them into playlists based on situations. I intend to incorporate more music, but there's already enough there to handle what I need.

I don't do many props or other pre-printed material, although I could. In an effort to reduce paper use I use a projector but this does have its limitations.

All that said, sometimes it's just the way the group is and it's worth talking with them about the problem as you see it. How are they not interested? Constant off-topic discussion? Joking around more than you'd like? Messing with their phones? Those all speak to possible different problems, with different solutions. I'm kinda shooting blind here as to the nature of the problem, but hey, I'll just go ahead and shoot anyway.

If it's chitchat, maybe start the game 30 minutes after everyone shows up so there's time to chitchat. Then make it known that when that music starts and the crawl is rolling, it's game time.

If it's too much joking around, tug on their heartstrings in a mean way. You know, have a little kid get shot or something while they're screwing around. You likely know what pushed their buttons as people, and it's fair game to use that against them to garner an emotional response.

If it's lack of engagement due to digital distractions, time to have that person roll some dice! Get them into the action.

All that said, maybe they just don't like the system or the setting and no amount of awesome you bring to the table will convince them.

Just a suggestion for anyone wanting to use star wars music: They released the full soundtrack for the Old Republic game for free here: http://www.swtor.com/info/news/news-article/20111201

I love this soundtrack for my games because 1.) all the songs have that distinct star wars sound 2.) they aren't the same 5 songs everyone plays from the movies and 3.) They are meant to be played as background music so they aren't overly distracting.

playing these songs while at the same time playing ambient sounds from this website: http://tabletopaudio.com/ makes for a great way to immerse your players.

Those ambient sounds are great. Pretty sure I can incorporate them without too much trouble. My regular group might not be into the game enough to appreciate all of this effort, but I'm hoping I can inspire them to step up the immersiveness. I have options on putting together one or two other groups that would be more likely to participate, but are more difficult to pull together on a regular basis.

And yes, we're beginning the discussion of exactly how much immersiveness we want for the Star Wars game. Everyone is geeked about the setting, no one but me has really seen the system yet.

I like the idea of environmental props. I can bring out some posters and the like and hang them up just for the evening. Keep 'em coming!

I usually have much trouble with distracted PCs, but when I do, a quick reminder works well, other than that, try shifting the story so that it focuses on the layabouts, I have a Trader who takes up most of my attention, and occasionally, my other players get distracted, so that gives me a good tip to shift the story, or start focusing on one of the others

Well I hear traditionally when you want to avoid this have someone burst in and shoot up the place!

Seriously though use the character's obligations even throw in the occasional Stormtrooper patrol, but whilst that music may set the mood its your game that should be the focus and don't limit yourself to just Star Wars there's plenty of other movies to strip ideas from if your players aren't interested... by the way what was the name of that Fort from the Rebels cartoon?

Strand them there and play a clip from the episode if they don't get the hint the one with Hera & Sabine entering the hangar with all that Clone Wars loot... you just need to prod the parts that interest them and then sit back and let them work it out for you!

with any other system i've played I wouldn't recommend this but you may consider splitting the group.

My party is playing an Edge of the Empire campaign that has a lot of contact with imperials and rebels. One mission they were hired by rebels to sabotage a space station that was retrofitting several imperial star destroyers with clocking devices. They were supposed to rig the ships to explode when a command code was sent and to place trackers on each ship. They were also supposed to rig the space station. The Mechanic and Demolitionist stayed on the station working on those objectives while the Bounty Hunter and trader went with the station's owner on a hunting expedition (giving them a chance to use the new sniper rifle they just acquired).

It went really well allowing the people on the station plenty of time to plan and decide what they wanted to do as they made decisions we roll played their actions.

As great as the dice app is, try to encourage using actual dice. App=phone=distraction.

Although I have a player who won't use physical dice as he claims they are 'cursed'. And with the way the party rolls, he may be right!

Get your geek level up! Don't fear to use voices or create awesome scenes when Advantages or Triumphs appears.

Players will began to want to create and perform their own one scenes too. Remeber to add some "Holywood" to your scenes. Star Wars is full of that "non-sense" that we use to love

Allow everyone to pitch in for Advantage and Threat ideas - even players whose characters aren't present. This helps invest them in the scene.

Also, accept that there is going to be some level of distraction for everyone, particularly at a casual game. Focus on bringing back the people who are distracted when they're in the scene in question, or the ones who's distractions are disrupting the actual game play. It doesn't really matter if the gun-bunny's on his phone while the spy sneaks into the base, if he drops it and charges in when he gets the 'oh ****' waring over the comlink.

Something players in my games have done is to doodle on their character sheets.

This doesn't necessarily mean they're distracted, though, it could just mean that they're listening to what's going on and picturing it with their imagination, and doodling is a way to help them concentrate.

Something players in my games have done is to doodle on their character sheets.

This doesn't necessarily mean they're distracted, though, it could just mean that they're listening to what's going on and picturing it with their imagination, and doodling is a way to help them concentrate.

My brother-in-law taught me this lesson. Doodling helps him keep that part of his brain active that needs it, while letting the rest of his brain actually focus on what is going on. If you force him to stop doodling (like they did when he was a kid in school), then all that happens is that his entire brain is focused on his inability to doodle and you don’t get any part of his attention on what is actually going on around him.

You just need to know which type of people need to doodle in order to allow the rest of their mind to focus, and which type of people for whom doodling will completely and totally distract them from what is going on around them.

Me? I’m in the latter camp.

So, I wouldn’t be inclined to doodle because I’m not an artistic kind of guy in that way, but if I was inclined to doodle then that would be a bad thing for you to let me do.

Get your geek level up! Don't fear to use voices or create awesome scenes when Advantages or Triumphs appears.

I'm actually making voice notes for recurring and semi-important NPCs. My voice-acting is... er, horrible; at best. But just keeping everything distinctive should help. As for the Hollywood-isms, they occur naturally with our group, far too much to be honest (at least in my opinion). In the Star Wars universe it should be fine though, as comedic relief runs together with high drama.

Allow everyone to pitch in for Advantage and Threat ideas - even players whose characters aren't present. This helps invest them in the scene.

This is a great idea. We already tend to "peanut gallery" comments about rolls or what characters say/do. Formalizing this by actively seeking suggestions for Advantage/Threat should help to keep people listening.

One of the big joys I get is doing voices and accents for characters. I try to give significant NPCs distinct styles so they'll be memorable.

I think maybe if your game sessions run long -- a break now and than helps. It's hard to concentrate on something even if it's good. Like the LOTR movies...3 hours? I was clawing my eyes out around the 2 hour mark wishing the goddamn movie would end! Was it good? Sure. But 3 hours or something with 4-5 different fade to black endings?

Now apply that to your game...sure fun and exciting but after awhile your brain wanders and chit chat off topic will happen or players turn on phones and chat online etc. sometimes it's hard to plan during action packed sessions places to take a break.

I will have to try this myself because I usually script events to be a continuous adventure so a down time place may be hard to script s 5 minute break :/

Edit: I was thinking some more and maybe at certain dramatic rolls after an hour or so using best judgement perhaps before the roll is made you can say time for a break. Just at the moment of a dramatic event. Than after a break come back BUT to get them back in Remind them with an exciting description of where they left off. THE WHOMPAS rain down on you; claws thrashing and teeth gnashing! They swarm Avalanche towards you as you struggle to get the door open. Holy crap -- that's where we left off?!

ALSO maybe good to break when players just don't know what to do or are stuck on what to do. The players need a little mental break. Commercial break and continue after a word from your sponsors lol!

theclash24 I do that, too. If I notice the players might be getting a little antsy, I keep an eye on the time.

Sure, we might have another 30 minutes that we could play, but if I can give them a good cliffhanger where something exciting happens, I think that's a great way to end a session.

Great topic! I use my Obsidian Portal site for the campaign to world-build. I reveal wiki links for the various ships, NPCs, and locations that are uncovered after each session. I throw up news bulletins for aftermath and upcoming plots in the adventure log section, and I encourage my players to post adventure log journal write-ups from their characters' perspectives.

They've taken to doing slice of life role play too. I had my Jedi post a brief role play log about constructing her light saber, and two players did a role play log about one of them teaching the other some piloting to represent her acquiring that skill on the char sheet.

During the sessions, I add soundtrack that I trigger at specific events. I haven't used *that* much Star Wars music because I find it over the top and not very action-y. The tone of the campaign has suited Tron Legacy, Inception, Pacific Rim, and The Dark Knight, among others. I'm going to use some Lovecraft music for the next session, the reveal of a Sith.

I also compile some maps using SWTOR Ootini Maps or from some starship schematics from Colonial Chrome or, most recently, the absolutely stellar work from Domingo. Ghostofman is also a great resource for expanded universe lore and maps and bradknowles is basically a stat wizard. These are three of five wizards who were sent by the Valar to help in the third age, if I'm understanding things correctly.

I'd say the most important thing is obligation. The players may have rolled their obligation, but they added it to their background and that's what I try to use often. I want the players to feel as connected and engaged with the content as possible. I don't roll obligation, I've prepared sessions where a bounty hunter breaks through a skyscraper window and engages the PC just as they try to complete their epic casino heist, or find themselves drawn to the rumors of a Jedi temple in the jungles of Jiroch only to encounter the corrupted padawan friend from the past, before Order 66. The more I can get my players to feel that they matter in this world the more interested they are.

At this time they chatter constantly about the game. It makes me smile.

playing these songs while at the same time playing ambient sounds from this website: http://tabletopaudio.com/ makes for a great way to immerse your players.

This is gold. Thanks.

I think maybe if your game sessions run long -- a break now and than helps. It's hard to concentrate on something even if it's good. Like the LOTR movies...3 hours? I was clawing my eyes out around the 2 hour mark wishing the goddamn movie would end! Was it good? Sure. But 3 hours or something with 4-5 different fade to black endings?

This is a really good point. We run our sessions generally 7-8 hours long, with a food break more or less in the middle. 3-4 hours is still a very long time to expect focus and attention to stay high. Perhaps I should break up each episode/session into 1-hour (-ish) chunks. Pacing is incredibly important in writing and movies; I don't know why I've never tried to apply it to gaming too.

Great topic! I use my Obsidian Portal site for the campaign to world-build. I reveal wiki links for the various ships, NPCs, and locations that are uncovered after each session. I throw up news bulletins for aftermath and upcoming plots in the adventure log section, and I encourage my players to post adventure log journal write-ups from their characters' perspectives.

I also compile some maps using SWTOR Ootini Maps or from some starship schematics from Colonial Chrome or, most recently, the absolutely stellar work from Domingo. Ghostofman is also a great resource for expanded universe lore and maps and bradknowles is basically a stat wizard. These are three of five wizards who were sent by the Valar to help in the third age, if I'm understanding things correctly.

I'd say the most important thing is obligation. The players may have rolled their obligation, but they added it to their background and that's what I try to use often. I want the players to feel as connected and engaged with the content as possible. I don't roll obligation, I've prepared sessions where a bounty hunter breaks through a skyscraper window and engages the PC just as they try to complete their epic casino heist, or find themselves drawn to the rumors of a Jedi temple in the jungles of Jiroch only to encounter the corrupted padawan friend from the past, before Order 66. The more I can get my players to feel that they matter in this world the more interested they are.

At this time they chatter constantly about the game. It makes me smile.

Cool ideas. I'll try revealing info like maps, pictures of ships, views of the area ("this is what you see") even props, as the group encounters them. Scripting in Obligation seems good too. All together it seems like I may be running this campaign more like a story then a sandbox. The key, of course, is making it feel like a sandbox and not a train ride.

I think maybe if your game sessions run long -- a break now and than helps. It's hard to concentrate on something even if it's good. Like the LOTR movies...3 hours? I was clawing my eyes out around the 2 hour mark wishing the goddamn movie would end! Was it good? Sure. But 3 hours or something with 4-5 different fade to black endings?

This is a really good point. We run our sessions generally 7-8 hours long, with a food break more or less in the middle. 3-4 hours is still a very long time to expect focus and attention to stay high. Perhaps I should break up each episode/session into 1-hour (-ish) chunks. Pacing is incredibly important in writing and movies; I don't know why I've never tried to apply it to gaming too.

I gather my peoples from about 2pm through 8 or 9pm. We run the first portion for about 2 hours, then break for dinner, XP application, discussion, and just hanging out. That lasts about another 2 hours. Then we kick back into it and end somewhere between 8 and 9. It has been pretty great. I suppose that means we play a pair of 2 hour sessions each time, and we do this with the frequency of about once a month, though I'm running two sessions in two weeks this month.

All together it seems like I may be running this campaign more like a story then a sandbox. The key, of course, is making it feel like a sandbox and not a train ride.

In my experience, games where I was a player left to my devices in a sandbox were fun for a minute but ended up being boring and failed to hold my interest. I'd say the same thing about sandbox video games.

Movies, narrative video games, television shows, and novels all follow linear stories. They are all generally considered more immersive and entertaining. I aim to engross my players in the world and story that we are building together.

I think stories feel like they are on rails when the players have little to no personal stake. If the PCs are not invested in the story it will be like a train ride. It is their responsibility to share their ideas, hopes, and aspirations for the game with me. That way we can facilitate it together, via the story. Obligation helps cement their interest. The game doesn't feel on rails, according to my players. I believe this is because it is *their* story we are telling, together.