bussinrounds said:
Find some ppl that are actually into it. It works alot better if everyone focuses all they're attention on the game, and is genuinely excited about the adventure.
Not just half assing it, and are only there because they're friends are playing too.
This is really important advice.
Anyway, I'll give you two threads of advice.
A) Current Situation--
1) Have you told your players what sort of behavior you expect? Tell them see if that works. If it doesn't work,
2) Tell your players straight up that the game isn't fun for you because it doesn't seem like they are into game. Then tell them you are canceling the game and you'll restart when you get a group of players who are a bit more focuses and serious...if anyone in the current group thinks they might be one of those people they can email you.
Then cancel the game and get new players. Preferably mature and respectful ones.
Once you restart the game, here is some advice.
B) Future Game Advice--
1) Give your game a specific time frame. I usually go with 10-12 sessions. (Imagine the game like a season of a TV show). Get a commitment from your players for those 10-12 sessions. Say that afterwards, the game may continue on for another season if everyone is into it, or you might run a different campaign, or someone else could GM a season of a campaign. Having a fixed end date makes the game seem a bit more precious and helps focus attention.
2) Figure out a good schedule. Once a week might be too frequent for your players. Find out how often they can realistically commit to. I find once every two weeks to be ideal...but I've played in very good once a month games. This also makes each game a bit more special and helps focus.
3) Rolemodel good behavior. Don't be late and don't you go onto too many tangents
4) Build in social time. I usually do this by having the whole gang go to dinner after game is over. So, normally I'd game on a Saturday, noon to 5 or 6. After game, then we all go to dinner (or order pizza) and do all the social talking we want. Allowing for social time allows for more focus during the game.
5) Start of game ritual. There is always a bit of chatter before game starts. I like to call the game to order by doing the same thing everytime. I start by asking one of the players to recap what happened last session, then I ask the players if they want to spend any of their experience points (I run GURPS rather than D&D). That process engages everyone and symbolically starts the game.
6) If I want my players to be invested in the game, for me, it always comes down to character creation (which is why I run games with detailed and diverse character creation like GURPS or Vampire, etc). I try to make sure all the PCs have a sense of history and drama within them (someone has amnesia, someone has an enemy, someone had a fiance) something that connects the PCs to the world. I also want them all to have personal goals (someone wants to become a knight, someone wants to earn enough money to buy a ship). If the players only see their PCs as a bunch of combat statistics, they don't invest as much, and then they'll start to wander. So I try to make sure there are non-combat hooks that make them invest. If they have only played hack'n'slash D&D, this might be hard to get them to do. Try anyway. But if they are resistant, here is a cheat. Introduce a rival group that they can't kill without consequence who try to show them up and look bad. Maybe the King's son fancies himself an adventurer and has a party and they are also out adventuring. You don't want this other group to be better and always ruin their plans. But having this other group spread gossip about the PCs in the town. Or rescue someone first (one time). Just to make them feel like they've got rivals they want to take down. That helps.
7) Always have there be consequences for all actions (both positive and negative). Once you give them non-combat results, that can generate some non-combat interest.
8) Try to have a good gaming environment free of distractions. Don't have the stereo going, or the TV on, or the Xbox. Try to have the players sit around a table facing each other rather than lounging on couches.
Anyhow, looking at your profile, it looks like you are around 17. Make sure you have mature players who are really there to game rather than who are just hanging out.
Last thing: this is a tip from experience as a teacher. If they start going off on tangents, listening to an iPod, whatever. Wait. Don't talk. Just wait. Look at the offending people and just wait. If they want to play, they'll knock it off and you can game. If one of them won't knock it off, and the others want to play, they will put peer pressure on...which works better because some folks always feel the need to resist authority. If none of them knock it off, then you know they don't want to play, and that is the last game you GM for them.
And really a last thing. Perhaps you might want to try running a different system. One that allows for more interesting PCs and perhaps less of an emphasis on combat as war game. GURPS is my fave system, but you can try lots of different systems, including a bunch of free ones. Maybe try something a bit rules lite, like:
FUDGE, PDQ (Prose Descriptive Qualities), or RISUS.
Maybe a change in system will help.
Good luck!
