What do you do to encourage your players or GM? What kind of things do you "root for" in gaming?

What kinds of things discourage your group? Make them unhappy with the way things have gone in play?

I give them dinner, and xp.

They become discouraged when they have no dinner, or xp.

But seriously, the awards go as follows,

• Showing up
  
• Munchies - brought along and shared snacks, or some other consumables (printed character sheets, made a web page for the game, etc)
  
• Roleplaying – don't tell us what's on your character sheet, show us!
  
• Bravery – something personally challenging to your character. This could include not fighting, depending on your character...
  
• Constructive – contributed to the story moving forward in an interesting way. This is also a player award, for hosting the game, bringing music or other props, etc.
  
• Journal – a record of what happened, usually as your character saw it.

The xp can be spent on,

• Improving your character
• "It was just a flesh wound" - after a fight, halve damage of a wound
• For a dice roll, turn critical failure into failure, or failure into success, or success into critical success
• Serendipity - something or someone useful to the character is found.
• Any undeveloped NPC, grant them some new aspects. "Didn't I once have a relationship with this guy? Surely he still feels loyal to me..."

So we reward equally to player actions and character actions. This lets them improve their characters' abilities, save them from disaster, give them glorious success, and develop the game world.

Actually I've found they never bother developing the game world, but they seem to like having the option to do so - just having the option there makes them more likely to give the GM feedback, makes them more content.

I encourage Awesome.

Yeah, I know ... "I encourage things I think are worth encouraging" isn't very specific.  I just wanted to use the line

I encourage people who play their character in a way that strikes me as deeply human, especially when that's not the easy, obvious course.  The girl who, instead of gritting her teeth and going along with the newest stupid order from his superior snaps and yells at her boss in a really, really self-destructive but satisfying way?  Awesome!  The guy who has his marine spend a few precious minutes hyperventilating in the closet because those are rotting, dessicated corpses that are shambling toward his position?  Awesome!  Contrariwise, the guy who has his meek accountant rise to the challenge when aliens try to invade his firm?  Awesome!

I dunno.  I can't really give you a pattern.  I know it when I see it

I try to encourage my players to be creative when approaching a problem.  Over the years, I've found that I have the most fun as GM when the group tackles an encounter/obstacle/plot point/whatever in a manner I never anticipated.  It challenges me to think of an appropriate response, to take the part of the "bad guys" and see what they would do.  That wide-open anything goes feel is what I like best about RPGs.

Nothing special, I know, but I'm easy to please.

Quote from: TonyLBI encourage Awesome.

What the fuck? Did you get possessed by SteveD or something? That's how that drongo talks.

"SteveD, my games are a bit dull, how do I liven them up, as the GM?"
"Just be awesome!"
"How do I do that?"
"Get awesome players!"
"And how do I do that?"
"Just be awesome!"
"Yeah, thanks for the help. Bye."
"Seeya! Be awesome!"

I mean, what's the alternative?
"I encourage Crap."
"I encourage Mediocre."
"I encourage Quite Good, But Not Terrific."
"I encourage Occasionally Fantastic, Often Dull."

Come on, get specific. This "Awesome" shit tells us nothing.

Quote from: JimBobOzCome on, get specific. This "Awesome" shit tells us nothing.

Uh ... did you honestly not read past the first line of my post?

If any of my players fails to be awesome, I shoot him, pour encourager les autres.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmiceIf any of my players fails to be awesome, I shoot him, pour encourager les autres.

-clash

Tres bien.

The floggings will continue until moral improves!

Quote from: flyingmiceIf any of my players fails to be awesome, I shoot him, pour encourager les autres.

-clash

Fortunately I've only played a game at the end of a computer with you--so your best shot takes out your own computer hah

Quote from: SilverlionFortunately I've only played a game at the end of a computer with you--so your best shot takes out your own computer hah

Yeah? Well luckily for me you were awesome. I go through computers much too fast anyway.

-clash

Quote from: James J SkachTres bien.

The floggings will continue until moral improves!

A GM after mine own heart! I don't see why you want it though. It's been run pretty ragged.

-clash

To encourage players normally its a good idea for the GM and other players to tell them when they did something awsome. Also and I think this #1, make every character a "hero". Also asking for their input makes them feel like you value them as players.

Quote from: McrowTo encourage players normally its a good idea for the GM and other players to tell them when they did something awsome. Also and I think this #1, make every character a "hero". Also asking for their input makes them feel like you value them as players.

Well, OK, but I find shooting works just as well and is more fun...

-clash