I have been playing TTRPGs online for over three years now with both regular groups and pick-up groups. The best game sessions involved the players recognizing that an online game comes with different assumptions and etiquette than at a table game. The worst game sessions involved players that weren't aware of this or were aware of it and ignored it. A lot of this etiquette comes down to how you interact in voice chat because that is particular to online games. So definitely observe the common courtesies expected at a regular table as well: Honor your commitments by showing up, on time, and focus on making the game the best it can be for the entirety of the session. (And if you can't do these things, give sufficient notice.) In an effort to improve the community and provide groups a helpful guide they can link for their players to read, here are 10 Ways to Be a Better Online Gamer: 1. If you have no functioning microphone, prefer text, or can't otherwise use voice chat for the game for any reason, let the group know that before you commit to the game. Don't show up and try to sneak this in. Some groups are okay with text only from some or all players. Many groups are not. Find out well before the game. 2. Recognize the limits of your sound quality. If your sound quality is terrible due to equipment or latency and there is no way to improve it without further disruption of the game, recognize this and volunteer to drop out. Some groups are too nice (or too short on players) to tell you to leave and you will hurt the game experience for everyone else just by being there with your terrible sound quality. Do the right thing here: Offer to drop and let the group decide. 3. Control your background noise. Nobody wants to hear your husband, wife, kids, roommate, sister, brother, dog, or TV in the background, especially when it's not your turn in the spotlight. If you can't get to a quiet area, mute yourself when you're not the focus of the moment. Get into the habit of un-muting yourself when it is time to speak so you don't create dead air and have to repeat yourself. (Oh, and we also don't want to hear you eating or drumming on the desk or stuff like that.) 4. Don't interrupt. Interrupting someone else's turn is rude, period. It also screws up the focus and pacing of the game. Outside of specific game rules that tell you to interrupt, the only exception is if you need to share information that may affect the decision of the person who is in the spotlight. Otherwise, wait for your turn. If you have a retcon that isn't going to affect that person's decision-making, wait until they're done and before the next person goes to address it. When you feel the urge to interrupt, ask yourself: "Is what I'm about to say going to meaningfully affect the decision of this person?" If the answer is "No," keep it to yourself! 5. Control your dead air. Have you ever been listening to the radio and a song or advert ends and it seems like the silence goes on forever even though it's only been a few seconds? This is what it sounds like to everyone else when we get to your turn and you're not saying something. Your turn is for acting , not for thinking about what to do - you should have been doing that on other people's turns. Dead air invites people to interrupt your turn as well which interferes with the pacing of the game. Pay attention and be ready to act. Otherwise: 6. When it's your turn and you have no clue what to do, delay/pass to the next person or ask for help immediately. (There may be rules in the game you're playing about delaying or passing.) If you do ask for help or advice, take it . This isn't the time for a brainstorming meeting where the group suggests advice and you shoot ideas down till you find one you like. You asked for help, so take the first reasonable bit of advice gratefully - even if it's not optimal - and keep the game moving. 7. Don't assume that everyone will be reading your text chat when you're in a game that primarily uses voice chat. If you need someone to take note of something important, then say so verbally, even if that's just a quick aside to ask the group to check text. Often there are die rolls spamming the channel and whatever important bit you wrote will scroll by quickly. 8. When you're done in the spotlight, say so. Failing to say so creates dead air and invites interruption. It's easy enough to say "Done." But it's even better if you put it in more narrative terms e.g. "So what does Ragnar do now?" presuming Ragnar is the guy next in the turn order. Ragnar's player can then act right away without any additional prompting. 9. If you have to take a phone call or otherwise shift your attention elsewhere, inform the group and then step away from the game. The game you signed up for deserves your full attention. If you cannot give it for any reason, say so and indicate how long you plan to be away. Do not try to play if you can't give the game you're full attention. If you're the type of person who is constantly being interrupted for some reason, don't sign up for the game (you're too busy) or at least make your situation known to the group and let them decide. 10. Thank the group or GM for the game when you're done. Offer praise in public and constructive criticism in private. If you're going to drop from an ongoing game for any reason, be honest with the GM or group about why. Don't just disappear. I invite your constructive feedback. I will add to this list any suggestions you provide that I may have overlooked and that I think would be a valuable addition to the list. I will be providing this guide to every group I'm in going forward. I hope you'll consider doing the same if you agree with the advice above.
