We've discussed bad players to death, but what's your idea of a good player? Why is it subjectively better than anyone else's idea of a good player?
Player Archetypes You LIKE
Chase Bennett
Matthew Perry
I've actually played with people like this and had fun every time.
1.The explorer
They like just talking to NPCs and discovering the setting. Not necessarily by reading about stuff, but by experiencing it through a player character.
2.Good-guy overlord
He likes being strong and dominating the setting, but also prefers being moderately-nice to others instead of killing everything. He would like to be the both feared and loved by NPCs, but still have strong opposition that can keep presenting him with a challenge. Maybe even a persistent foil that he could sometimes defeat and sometimes get defeated by.
3.Min-maxing Slut girl
Her characters are all a combination of min-maxed and slutty. She doesn't steal the spotlight for her antics, but every time she is allowed, she brings the scene she is in one step closer to ERP, until she reaches the threshold of what is acceptable for the current group and just kinda hovers there while also fighting orc ninjas or whatever it was the party was currently doing.
Justin Peterson
>cowardly Cleric
I like the idea of a Cleric who's pants shittingly terrified but nonetheless goes on the quests anyways out of obedience to his god/goddess.
Joshua Morgan
>The Glorious Bastard
He's got a plan. Its not the best, the brightest, and might even involve ignoring the laws of physics, but by god is it a plan so clever you just want him to succeed anyway.
>The Plot Tractor
When everyone else gets dragged down arguing semantics or the finer points of how to say "hello" to the gatekeeper this guy just walks up and says "hello." He keeps things trundling along, but waits a respectful amount before doing so. He knows its more fun to sometimes do the wrong thing than argue over what the right thing is.
>Down On His Luck
You've never seen him roll higher than average. His stats are okay, but simply can't make up for the aberration that is his luck. He's done everything from changing dice to sacrificing livestock and nothing works to help his lifetime bad luck. But by god, he still shows up every week and has fun. He treats every crit fail as a challenge to his creativity, how to unfuck himself this time.
Ian Lopez
christ-chan is one of the most autistic things I've ever witnessed
Nolan Ortiz
1-The dashing rogue/musketeer/adventurer
If the player is a (charismatic) loudmouth with tons of banter its really fun to see him interact with the npc's and the other pc, he might take the spotlight often but other players don't mind a lot and I do my best to give each players as much as attention as possible
2-The newbie
I played with ton of persons who were just introduced to the hobby, most of them were really nice and eager to learn, by chance I never fell upon someone who consider ttrpg as a video game or shit like that, new players are wholesome and making someone want to play even more ttrpg after a good session is the best feel as a GM
Asher Lewis
I don't know what to even call the archetype. The Prioritizer? He's the player who keeps the party on the right track and can tell when shit's getting stupid and pushes everyone back on track. When the players are following a trail that isn't there, he'll go "Hey, remember [important info everyone else forgot]? We should pursue that lead" and everyone gets back on track. He remembers the important and useful items that everyone else forgets they have, whether it's that one potion from eight sessions ago or a minor knick-knack from an entire year ago that would be useful right now.
Either way, that archetype is my favourite. They're a joy to GM for.
Christian Rodriguez
The one in for the fun.
That guy that embraces the risk of doing dangerous things and accepts that failure can result in character death.
The planner.
That guy that comes prepared for every kind of shit, brings interesting ideas to the table, outplays his enemies with his wit and saves the in for the fun's ass.
Alexander Evans
I've been the Down on his Luck and let me tell you user, there is NOTHING fun whatsoever about trying and failing to unfuck yourself game after game. I can only smile at so many critical fails, being unable to parlay a +7 in my skill into a winning result
Liam Morales
>Players who get invested in the setting and have pet races/kingdoms/organizations/etc that they have many characters hailing from and will even write lore and help flush out said place.
>Players with clear goals. They make their character want something specific and will create plenty of potential hooks as they slowly work their way toward it.
>Players who are odballs/quirky but in a compelling way.
>Players who try to roleplay with other party members unprompted
if you do anything like these, you are doing your GM so many favors
Tyler Fisher
>The Goblin Slayer
He's a normal person, but in the game he goes full autismo monster hunter "carries a backpack full of traps at all times" kind of adventurer
I just run solo or 2 player campaigns with him and throw tuckerbolds at him for two hours. Watching him is fascinating
Aaron King
>The Righteous
THE Lawful Good. A man with a clear-cut vision of the world who is willing to stick to his guns and put his foot down when the party is tasked with doing something he believes is not right, but not so much that he hinders the other players, working as a moral compass rather than a judge
>the Dungeoneer
He's in for the loot, and he knows it. He doesn't care about philosophical conundrums or higher motivations, he just want to explore the dungeon, get the treasure, and get out
Leo Rivera
>I like the idea of a Cleric who's pants shittingly terrified but nonetheless goes on the quests anyways out of obedience to his god/goddess.
I want to do something like that but have them make the Hero's Journey along the way, so that they are full Deus Vult by the end of it.
Bentley Baker
>The Invisible
He rarely speaks, but he has a solid mastery of the system and rules.
Shy and mostly here for the combat, but often has a better idea of what's going on in the plot than the rest of the party. Would be a Plot Tractor/Prioritizer if only he had the force of personality.
Zachary Long
Might do this my next campaign
Jose Brown
>The Just Random Enough
He wants to goof off. You'll never play a completely serious campaign with him. But he's down for a serious scene or two, and he keeps the rest of the game fun and lighthearted, if only because he's hilariously the opposite of minmaxed.
>The Leader(ish)
He didn't get the job by choice, and he's not exactly ready to do it, but everyone looks to him to interact with NPCs or say yes to the plan. He might lead the group face first into a trap, or make the wrong choice, but he's the leader dammit!
>Yo ho ho
He's in it for profit. It might be imaginary gold or credits but he wants all of it regardless. He could be a bit simple about it, like petty theft, or he could be the next Machiavelli leading his merchant empire. In any case his sole motivation is imaginary money
Ethan Butler
One of my favorite characters I've ever played. Though half of it was that the DM really liked the character and pandered to me relentlessly.
Bentley Bennett
I love one of my players for this
Plays a good as gumdrops cleric who is out of his skull terrified of his God Tempus and the bloodshed and slaughter he embodies
trys to convince eveyone its better worship him and keeping him amused with mock battles and reenactments is better than actual War descending on them
does everything in his power to prevent greater conflict by giving offerings and prayers to Tempus to focus his attention on the Cleric as they attempt greater and greater feats to fight evil
is constantly scared of everything even as messengers of Tempus tell him how awesome he is and driving him one up himself
Xavier Myers
Is this a common thing?
I am currently playing a Wizard/Cleric (going to cannibalize levels and turn her into a Cleric/Wizard at some point) who is super scared with everything, and starts most of our combats by hiding behind our bard. It's a meme already in our table.
And she is pandered to high heavens. Not only by our GM, but other players too. They just keep on giving me stuff to play off of, and sometimes buy her stuff without her volition.
She's also been promoted to party leader due to becoming a baroness. Without her own volition, of course.
Camden Young
>The comic relief
This player is the one that does stupid stuff that might get him punched and he may fall on his face but he always bounces back and provides entertainment for the rest of the party.
>The straight man
This player is completely non-plussed by the comic relief's antics and will do everything in his power to rectify whatever small damage the comic relief has done to keep things trudging along at a good pace.
>The paranoid
This player plays characters who are paranoid and with the party because of their obsession with safety. They will check every bowl, every floorboard and every bed to make sure there aren't any assassins lurking around and they will set traps wherever they're sleeping in order to foil any ambushes.
>The leader
Doesn't have to be the straight man, but usually falls into this category aswell: it's the character who usually has the last word in whatever the party does and his decision can veto potential far-fetched ideas from the paranoid and the comic relief and also That guy, should there be one in the group.
Parker Gonzalez
>The comic relief
>always bounces back
>provides entertainment for the rest of the party
Two really important points for someone playing comic relief characters, to often they bitch when they get slapped down for dumb behaviour or just arent funny.