For my follow-up game to my very successful first session, I chose the Indigo Galleon as the module. Far from being successful, it felt flat and a chore to GM. There were a few factors that could have influenced the outcome:
Perhaps the return to a more traditional format – GM + module – generated expectations of a more traditional experience. (Including me dropping back into a less collaborative mindset).
A new player not at the first session, where bonds were forged and a player from the first session not at the second.
A very disruptive player, regularly breaking the 4th wall and cracking funnies.
Some difficulty accepting the octopus folk as ‘valid’ creatures.
My initial mistake of providing the location of Capt Hobart too early, negating the need for exploration
The first session was so good – just like in the brochure – that I want to recapture some of that magic for the next game. I’ve written to the players, apologized for the quality of the session and asked them to be more invested in the next one but what are your suggestions to get a game back on track?
As background: I’m a traditional RPG’er, mainly running Role master games for many decades but made the switch to DW when I got so frustrated with the work required to GM that system.
My suggestion is to make your next session a one-shot of something else. This will help “remind” you of what makes DW special, so when you go back to it, you’ll be able to better focus on what works and doesn’t work for that game.
After your last DW session, did you sit with the players for a few minutes and ask them what they liked and didn’t like about the adventure? I think this is very important, especially when you feel the session didn’t go as well as hoped. And I’m not just talking about asking them if they liked it; really sitting down with them and, in a manner as seriously as which you ran the game with, asking them the things that went well AND the things that went not so well in this session. Don’t let them off the hook with a nod and a “it was good!” If nothing else, doing this lets them know you care, and makes the apology unnecessary (I’m not a fan of apologizing for a bad game; I instead just try and focus on making the next game better).
Bad sessions happen, and you, being an experience RPG gamer, probably know the only way to really get through it is to get through it. Keep playing, relax, and focus on having a good time with good people, and the mojo will come back!