What Is The Point of This Conversation?

Most Humans love to talk. Sadly, fewer love to listen.

It is could also be said that while people love to speak, they don't always have something to say.

The games I run and play feature a lot of roleplaying in the form of dialogue between the Players and the Gamemaster or, less often, between one Player and one or more others. 

Something I've noticed over the years is that these discourses don't always seem to serve a purpose. Instead, a player - through their PC - tries to convince an NPC of something and the NPC is unconvinced. This is often because of reasons the NPC has hinted at or outright explained but which the PC and player have ignored. In other cases, the PC is hoping to get information from an NPC and that NPC simply doesn't want to reveal anything and so they don't really. I've witnessed discussions taking 20 minutes or more of real time between PCs and NPCs - so one or more Players and their Gamemaster - that ends exactly as it started and moves nothing forward.

In one particular game I'm in, this happens alot. A LOT. A Player/PC parlays with a GM run NPC. The PC fails to change the NPC's mind while simultaneously not understanding the mindset of the NPC [and why the PC's argument isn't working on them]. The GM fails here as well, perhaps because the Player didn't pick up on how the NPC thinks or because the GM has decided NPC 'X' acts 'THIS WAY' and has set their attitude and outlook in proverbial stone.

Sure, sometimes a PC asks an NPC for advice and does get something useful; real, actionable recommendation that the Player(s) need. Unfortunately, those conversations are often more plot driven than character driven. Still, its better than nothing. 

Every time I go into an in-game conversation as both a Player and as a GM, my first thought is, 'What is the point of this conversation?'.Why does my PC or a given NPC want to communicate with this other character. Do they want to? What is the PC trying to achieve? What am I, as GM, trying to accomplish?

I noticed in a recent session that when other Players got into conversations, those discussion just went on and on and on and little ground was gained by either side. On the other hand, when my PC got into a conversation with another PC and a group of friendly NPCs, I purposely allowed for my character to take in what they were suggesting to me. From this discourse, I came up with an approach to my PC's personal family issues subplot that incorporated the dialogue we'd had.

The PCs/Player and NPCs/GM had an in-character conversation. I saw a way to integrate what they were trying to say into what I wanted/needed to do. This also allowed me to shorten the length of the back-and-forth. Instead of having it go on forever, I had my PC repeat what one of the NPCs said, asked another PC a question, and then indicated to the GM I was taking an action. Boom!

• First, ask yourself 'What is the point of this conversation?'
• Enter the in-game character conversations with a goal. Know what your PC wants to say.
• As a GM or Player, decide if you are trying to inform, convince, learn, or entertain. 
• Say what you want to say but listen to the other Player or the Gamemaster. 
• Analyze not just what they are saying but how they are saying it. 
• Try to understand the opposing point of view and the mindset of the other character. 
• Allow yourself to say AND mean, "Maybe I'm wrong", "OK, I see your point", "I don't agree but I get where you're coming from", "You know, I never thought of it that way", "Do you get where I'm coming from", "Is there any chance I'm getting through and maybe you agree with me?", or any number of other phrases that show you're flexible enough to have a true exchange of ideas. 

The bottom line - I love listening to Players talking and interacting in character. I love when GM's do it with NPCs as well. I especially like when it reveals something about their characters and shows that they are 'people' in a living, breathing universe. I love when people say funny things. I like when they explain what drives them. 

I do not like rambling conversations that last 20+ minutes and start and end at the bottom of a  mountain words that get neither side any closer to the top.

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Barking Alien