[UA] (OT) Smarty-Pants Players

[Royal Minister of Stuff]

--- Andrew Ducker <Andrew at Ducker.org.uk> wrote:
> Kevin said:

> I go clubbing with every weekend has a smattering
> too.

Is going clubbing an example of being overcultured or
just going right down?

(Please don't shoot me, Cassady.)

> 
> KE> I always thought it'd be neat to write a secret
> message on
> KE> a scrap of paper that way.  Draw half the
> letters on one
> KE> side and the other half on the other.  See how
> long it
> KE> takes for the players to realize what it is.
> 
> I tend to have the problem in games that players are
> actually really
> bad at puzzle solving.  You give them what you think
> is a nice simple
> puzzle and they either ignore it completely (not
> realising it's a
> puzzle) or spend 6 weeks puzzling over it and not
> getting it.

I have a similar problem.  Players either solve my
puzzles in seconds or not at all.  The really
embarassing part is when I realize that I forgot to
give out some clue or worked one in with too many
interpretations.  I found that by relying on a book of
brain-teasers and occasionally buying children's logic
puzzles from "Educational Toystores," I have a good
chance of stumping players for a bit, but a clear idea
on what clues to feed them when it's time to wrap up
the story.

Props, drawings and tactile examples help a great deal
in presenting problems to players.  Kevin's example
would work very well if you actually gave players a
copy of the coded paper.  It might take them forever
and a day to solve it, but you, as the GM Who Knows
the Answer, can speed things up by dropping clues or
pointing out "edges" of the puzzle.  You might
eventually have to say "Roll against your Mind score.
Hey! Look! The letters on one side are BACKWARDS!" and
then follow that up with "They also form the end of
words!"  The clincher will probably be something like
"I wonder what the letters on the other side of the
paper form?"  If your players are as stumped as all
that, they won't notice this little cattleprod and may
even be pleased with themselves for solving such a
peculiar puzzle.  Or they'll ride you out of town on a
rail.



=====
-- Rp Bowman, Royal Minister of Stuff
The Electronic Nation of Yokeltania:
http://www.geocities.com/yokeltania/

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