Roland's Problems

I am a newer GM, I have run a total of four campaigns, three of them zombie adventures and the fourth, Rogue Trader WH40K. I have lots of experience in roleplaying fantasy games, none GMing them oddly enough. I tend to run an "open" world game, I let my players write the fiction, I just place danger in there and let them do what they want. I suppose my issue is that I am a little vague, and that my players are WAY too used to railroad adventures and think they MUST do what I say. I've told them how I run games many times.
So I guess my problem is that I am a little vague with plot points and where they go specifically.

It seems to me that you both have different schools of thought on how the game should be run. I would suggest either trying to discuss the level of railroading they want and trying to agree on a good middle ground for what you like, and what they like. You should also consider building up a loose main plot before the next session, so that if they seem to be lost than you can have an idea about where to direct them.
Best of Luck.

Work on your descriptive skills (though we all succumb to just being vague at times) but it's not easy being SO detailed on the time. Don't feel that you're at fault with that because you can always improve it!

It's good that your players understand you run open worlds with reasonable consequences to all their actions but how about you sit down with them all and ask them what their characters' motivations are. This can lead to plot-hooks and good loot to help their characters along and give them motivation so they can come up with their own plans and future endeavors.

Communication is key when you run a sandbox sort of campaign. If no one has any motivation or aspirations, then they will sit around like lumps. Both in and out of game.

As Basalock stated, it's also a good idea to help them gauge the level of your rails are because if their is an agreed goal then ALL ABOARD.

Nyo wrote:If no one has any motivation or aspirations, then they will sit around like lumps. Both in and out of game.

This is actually fairly important. Bored and/or disinterested players make the game fall apart.

How much character background and development are your players into? Sandboxes being sandboxes, it sounds like your kind of game would have easier time fitting in plot hooks related to a character. Not just simple backgrounds, but trying to get a reaction of of certain characters, or what may seem like a calling.

Thanks for the replies - I should indeed take more care to be more descriptive during games, at least of the environment around them. It had also never occoured to me that communication, especially out of character, would be most important when running an open game, especially regarding a character's goals in life. Though I believe at first I'll get a simple "I dunno", I will ask them to make up some character goals next time I run a campaign.

Roland wrote:Thanks for the replies - I should indeed take more care to be more descriptive during games, at least of the environment around them. It had also never occoured to me that communication, especially out of character, would be most important when running an open game, especially regarding a character's goals in life. Though I believe at first I'll get a simple "I dunno", I will ask them to make up some character goals next time I run a campaign.

To be frank, if you asked them what their goal in real-life is, you probably would get the "I dunno" response too. What I should have asked my players before was, when making a character, something they think would be nifty for their character to do. From something simple like "holding the line" against some unrelenting horde, to some tense negotiations at gunpoint, or so on. As I always say, baby steps. Baby steps.

To expand on Shoggoth's point, it's important that you ask because it also becomes a great resource to you.

For example, if someone wants to become some sort of space warlord and conquer planets there are many steps to take before even beginning the master plan. He'll have to form an army, get resources, get weapons, have allies, this leads to all sorts of steps towards that goal to produce a string of events as they unfold with an array of rails for the game to ride on. He'll have to visit places, make negotiations, crack some skulls, face opposition and throughout these events the team will become stronger and tight knit.

Remember, guiding and putting plot-hooks before the players to lead them to their goals is not railroading. Forcing them to do something that they cannot control by removing their free will to choose and imposing a set of consequences that will happen regardless of their efforts is railroading.

Just to add in my two cents: Another factor you might want to do to open up your characters is to ask them to draw a portrait of their character's. I find that the people who put more work into their character's background and/or pictures are the ones who feel their character is important. Players that feel their characters are important are a key factor in leading a meaningful campaign, since it gives a purpose in them having an active role in the game.

However, another equally important factor in a meaningful campaign is a DM that will actually use the material that their players have brought them. For example, if one of your characters explains about killing his brother and being forced to run away from his hometown in his background story, find a way to include this in the campaign. Have the character's brother appear during the story as a zombie or have him find out that a nearby NPC is actually the son of said brother. I'm pretty sure you can see the potential events that can trigger from this. It is a bit selfish to ask your characters to make a good background of their character and then disregard it.

Thanks for the additional points. I had never thought about getting players to draw their characters. I will ask them to do something like that, or to provide an image, or possibly paint a miniature if we're using minis. It's a good thing we're using an established setting next campaign too, the players will have some readily available lore to access and create their characters from.