Arrives on purpose
I want my players so excited by the game that they have a hard time not turning up. While I can't say I provide this kind experience every time, I can say that players definitely won't have it if they don't turn up.To make matters worse, frequent missing players mean frequent missing contributions. I do my best to summarise previous sessions but some details are invariably missed out, so players who miss sessions often act out of character, breaking the narrative while the group readjusts to the unexpected behaviour.
That said, absences do happen; this is my ideal player after all.
Method actor
My kind of player is the kind of player that is very interested in their character. I love GMing stories with characters that are rich, unpredictable and consistent.
'Unpredictable' and 'consistent' may sound like polar opposites. But all drama involves opposing forces. Does the hero save the girl or the children? What are the consequences if they do save the girl/children? What will others think of them for saving the girl/children? These competing ideals make the tension in my games. I really love to present situations where the players are surprised by their characters. That's the kind of investment you just can't magic up.
'Unpredictable' and 'consistent' may sound like polar opposites. But all drama involves opposing forces. Does the hero save the girl or the children? What are the consequences if they do save the girl/children? What will others think of them for saving the girl/children? These competing ideals make the tension in my games. I really love to present situations where the players are surprised by their characters. That's the kind of investment you just can't magic up.
Meta investment or investment in the system
Players that are invested in the game system, whatever the system is, are great.
Investment is very different to mastery or knowledge. One can be invested in a system you have only heard about 5 minutes ago but mastery of a system only happens over time. Taking time to learn about how the system works to represent your ideas is essential. As GM, I have limited brain space for verbal descriptions but system mechanics are an agreed-upon standard for character data that will keep between games.
Investment is very different to mastery or knowledge. One can be invested in a system you have only heard about 5 minutes ago but mastery of a system only happens over time. Taking time to learn about how the system works to represent your ideas is essential. As GM, I have limited brain space for verbal descriptions but system mechanics are an agreed-upon standard for character data that will keep between games.
Conclusion
My ideal player may not exist in the wild, but I've been lucky to have players that are pretty close. Not everyone plays this way, but as the old mantra goes:
If you're having fun, you're doing it right!
I think it would be great to play in your games and with players like this!
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