>play d&d with friends >always plenty of adventure

>>54808547
Group management is no small part of GMing. Now, some groups are essentially unmanageable, and sometimes your individual dynamic with the people at your table isn't conducive to a healthy GM/player relationship, so it's quite possible that you're screwed from the get-go. But for cases that don't fall into that hopeless category, there is an art to establishing and maintaining the authority you need to run a campaign. You've gotta be the guy in charge, and people need to respect that position and defer to you. And if people go off-topic and show each other funny gifs--well, ideally that would never happen, because that's disrespectful and detracts from the game, but if it did--you need to be able to ask them not to do that and have them heed you, without anybody getting bent out of shape.

So it sounds like you may need to work on the social / group-management aspect of GMing. If you've got a group of good, respectful players, that might never be an issue, but you're gonna have to steer most groups at least a little. With that said, the fact that you have to suggest actions for your players tends to indicate that even if you potentially need to work on your management skills, there are significant deficiencies on their side of the table. Some people aren't very imaginative and make for poor gamers. Some people just don't care enough to put forth the effort, and they suck as gamers too. Sometimes people can overcome their deficiencies, but a lot of them are lost causes, and it can be especially difficult if you've got a whole group of them.

>>54808547
>show funny gifs to me midgame
My players did that exactly once. I looked them in the eye and asked them if they knew how shitty it was to sit down in front of a group of people and try to entertain them and give them a fun time, only to have those people ignore me and even interrupt me with things they found more entertaining. They stop when they realize that what they're doing is actually very embarrassing and hurtful to be subject to.
In that vein, something you should definitely try is having everyone GM for at least 3 sessions each. It gives them a chance to see exactly how it feels when players are inattentive or inactive in the session. Really helped my group at least. Also get in the habit of using the phrase "Well, what do you think [enter player character's name here] would do?" when they get stuck. It helps players remember that they aren't looking for keyword actions for a board game, but personal actions for a character they have written.

>>54809039
To follow up, I'd say that you need to have a talk with your group--collectively or individually--about the issues you're having. Convince them to stay off their phones and to pay attention the game. I can't tell you how to accomplish that because it's a matter of social finesse, and the best approach is going to vary according to the situation. But if you get that accomplished, then you should consider throwing in the towel with that particular group.

As far as having to repeatedly ask what the PCs do, that's a pretty big issue to, and one that's potentially harder to fix. If it's because your players just don't care enough to put forth the effort, then it's probably time to move on. You can, of course, request that they put forth more effort, and it *might* work, at least for any given one of them, but I wouldn't count on it.

If it's because they don't know what to do, it's possible you could coax them into being better role-gamers. The first thing I would do is to set up things up to be very straightforward, so that their potential courses of actions are more obvious--don't do some nuanced political scenario. Try to tie things to motivations and goals of their individual characters in an obvious way, so they're connected to the course of events in a blatant and visceral way. (The ranger wants to find out who killed his family, and they're on the trail of a guy with that information, etc.) Don't get too sophisticated with things or they lose their bearings. Then, if necessary, when you get to a decision point where the players seem directionless, try to provide them with the options without *looking like* you're providing them the options.

"The place is in disarray, with things thrown this way and that, as if somebody was looking for something--perhaps the same thing you're trying to find? But the effort looks hurried--even frantic--and not everything has been overturned, so it's quite possible they missed something."

>>54808547
Some groups are unsalvageable. You can attempt to talk to them, openly and honestly, no pussyfooting about.
Good luck.

>>54809328
>"The place is in disarray, with things thrown this way and that, as if somebody was looking for something--perhaps the same thing you're trying to find? But the effort looks hurried--even frantic--and not everything has been overturned, so it's quite possible they missed something."

That's practically screaming at them: "search the room; there could be something there!" But it doesn't obviously coddle them like "do you should search the room and see if there's anything there?" would. The latter could contribute to their laziness and give them the expectation that you're going to always give them a menu of options to select from.

Anyway, if you're successful with baking the options into your descriptions in a less-than-blatant way, then over time, you may be able to scale back bit-by-bit, as your players get gradually savvier to how things work.

Another way of approaching things is that when the players get stuck, you start asking them questions about the situation rather than specifically giving them options to take. You maybe prompt them with reminders about the course of events that lead them here, but always stop one step from the end. "So you guys were looking for information on who broke into the warehouse, right? The street urchin said she saw a dock worker running down the street a block away sometime around when the break in occurred, and since all the dock workers belong to a guild..." And the end of that is "...you came here to the guild headquarters to see if you can find somebody matching the urchin's description", but you don't actually say that and instead make your players provide it. You're basically coaxing them into giving you answer the same way a teacher would ("and George Washington did this because...?").

I am on this thread, during a D&D game, because my DM is utter trash and power tripping. I will not be returning to this session, and will probably pack up my things and be leaving soon.

Dont know how related this is anymore, just, thats why Im on my phone during a game.

>>54809297
OP here, that's solid advice, esp the "what would your character do not you" thing.

>>54809039
Alright perhaps I need to tell them to stop. I just feel like if I am needing to say that then there is a problem somewhere else that I am ignoring.

>>54809328
Yeah I do try to do that subtle leading stuff sometimes. It helps a bit, just feels abnormal, or like I'm trying to play their characters for them by suggesting ideas.

>>54809507
Haha damn. Sorry anon, hope you find a better group next time.

>>54808547
>Wtfuck is wrong with me? Is it me or does 95% of the population have ADHD nowadays?
>This shit is why I can't play on roll20, the fucking technology is like a drug.
Sounds like you might have a case of Old Man Syndrome. In my day people were respectful, not like these youngins today with their rock and roll and their newfangled automobiles, completely destroys the moral fabric of...

Anyway, the answer is always talk to them. Not just once, either; you should have been communicating with them this whole time, you haven't, now you've likely got a backlog of weird issues to sort through. Once you start talking to them about it, you should quickly figure out that you're taking it way more seriously than they are, or that they're bored, or that they're suffering from choice paralysis, or that they can't figure out what specific thing you wanted them to do to get out of this situation, or whatever else of the infinite variety of disconnects that can cause weird problems between players and GM.

Once you've found the issues, you can work on fixing them, on one or both ends. Sometimes this means you clarify some stupidly simple misunderstanding and everything proceeds smoothly, sometimes it means you just don't enjoy the same kinds of games they do and it's never going to work out. Most of the time it's somewhere in the middle, naturally, but you gotta get in there to find out.

>>54809968
>Alright perhaps I need to tell them to stop. I just feel like if I am needing to say that then there is a problem somewhere else that I am ignoring.
I've had a problem in the past with assuming that polite and proper etiquette is obvious and that everybody would automatically be on the same page as me. You really can't make that assumption. People are often oblivious to that kind of thing and don't stop to consider how their actions impart the welfare of the game, or how they would feel if their position and yours were reversed. That, in itself, is shitty, but it's a far cry from willfully being an asshole by doing something you've made clear is hurtful or disruptive. At this point, you might be able to assume they are myopic or self-involved, but not that they are outright assholes. So lay things out on the table and at least give them the chance to amend their behavior.

>>54808547
>>54809039

The negative effects of smartphones on interpersonal communications are documented and quantifiable.

iPhones were a mistake

Have a talk with your players. Ask them what they want from your game. Then tell them how their actions get in the way.

As for phones and other electronic devices*, I've got a simple rule: If anyone has their phone our of their pocket, then the game is halted for everybody until they either put it back in their pocket or step out of the room.

*With the exception of whatever device the GM is keeping his notes on.

>>54810023
>Sounds like you might have a case of Old Man Syndrome.
Heh probably true. I act more of a grognard than the real grognards I used to play with.

>>54808547
Try banning phones at your table. Off and in a bowl set in another room, and that's it.

>>54808547
That's what you get for endorsing 'social games' like fucking 5e you shitbin, now fucking trash yourself.