[RPG] Who We Want

Inspired in part by Christian's post, "I Need To Recruit These People", I started thinking about the social aspect of games. I was really struck by certain facts: I'm not actively in an RPG at the moment, and it's a pretty deliberate choice.

I want to have a good time when I play a game- and I want a truly social experience. I've discovered that there are a lot of people I want to TALK to, but not near as many that I want to game with. I deliberately try to play with people that have an idea of what "cinematic" and "thematic" visions are, and aren't afraid to share their creative genius (but do so without hogging the spotlight). I try to play with people that have some manners, respect for others, and a sense of irreverent frivolity as much as an ability to carry a serious scene.

There are some people who have all these abilities in spades, but I don't play with them. A good example: The Dude. He's a brilliant roleplayer, fantastic and dynamic, understands a meaty plothook as well as a goofy spinoff or tangent, and can pull heady sexuality, morbid or terrifying equally well. I'd forgotten until we played in TheJoe's HS6E together how hard it is for me to game with him. I find myself falling into a "follower" position very quickly and easily, because I'm generally his supporter in real life- it's just easy. I don't really LIKE this particular behavior and it's usually not appropriate for the character I am trying to play- and it's hard to admit that as much as I respect and admire him, I can't play with him and have a good time. I'm constantly battling myself- which I don't enjoy; even a little bit.

I was recently offered a chance to play in a different HS6E game, and I passed on it. Between logistics and knowing I'd be playing with TheDude, I knew it would be a struggle. I don't want to struggle with the real life aspects. I want any struggle I deal with to be game oriented.

I know who I'd like to play with, and I'll just wait until those opportunities are available, rather than playing "just because" and maybe not having a good time.  Maybe a little selfish, but I'm tired of struggling.

[RPG] Getting What You Want

A little while ago, Jay over at Life and Times of a Phillipine Gamer shot out his expectations as a player in a game. I posted then that I really admired it- it is far too often that players do not know what they want from a game.

In certain kinds of games, this is ok. I'll say that 4E D&D and Pathfinder offer the option of waiting to see where the adventure takes you. Those games are (as a rule) pretty prescribed into "what do you DO" and not "how do you FEEL".

Other games, it really pays to have some concepts of what you want to do with your character (other than show up to beat on things). Having at least some character development goals can immensely improve your gaming experience. It can enrich the group setting and help everyone have an idea of 'what to do' when moving from place to place in the game.

It is important to talk to the GM and be sure the kinds of expectations you have match or mesh with the kind of game they are running. If you are in a gritty, dark & dirty near future game of some sort, wanting to become a porn star is probably feasible. If you are playing a silly dungeony old school variant, wanting to become a serious magical theoretician is probably not going to work out so well.

In addition to the kind of game, it helps to know that the GM is into the same level of "work" that you want. In one of the games I watch, the GM does a TON of work. If I walked up to him and said "hey, I want to do a bunch of private scenes to help with character development", he would at least consider it. He might say NO because that's adding to his workload, but at least it is in his realm of possibility. If, however, I did the same in Jeff's amazing dungeon game, he would almost definitively say "no". That sort of thing doesn't mesh with his style of running a game, overall.

Overall, I would hope that I'd know before I ever joined a game whether my playstyle and the GM will mesh. I would HOPE that I would investigate and ask questions, and make sure the GM did the same. But it's happened to me more than once when I have gotten in a game where things just didn't work, and I didn't know how to get what I wanted. I've put that knowledge to use, and have learned for the future, but when you're  in the thick of it, it can really suck.

So what do you do when you want something the GM can't or doesn't want to give? How do you handle wanting intense, deeply personal private scenes with a GM that overschedules himself and barely sleeps, much less has time for "bluebooking"?  How do you handle wanting to show up to "beat on stuff" with a GM that really wants character development hooks and rich, thick and immersive play?

[Weekly Whimsy] Lola is My Lady

[Welcome to Weekly Whimsy! Lovely, lethal, long loved- Lola; angel of annihilation. Also, actively analyzing the adoration of armies.]


swing swing swing
chop chop chop

My axe is my buddy- ICP, My Axe
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Earlier this week, the talented J Croxford was featured on FTW's Top ten for this lovely piece:

Seeing it really struck a chord with me. I had forgotten what originally drew me to Khador and their frozen wastelands, their harsh women, and their furry hats. I'd forgotten all about Lola.

Lola originally caught my eye, and then I was drawn to her faithful escort, Butcher. His manic, brutal mien was as alluring as her strong lines and great curves. I knew the moment I saw those two, I was hooked. 

[WOD] A Million Pieces

My Brain After Last Night

Almost entirely OOC WOD related thoughts- in no particular order-


On my WOD resume- "Hot Chick, Summoner of Dudes"

The Werewolves are getting the player they have needed for well over 6 months now. I personally asked this player to consider Werewolf previously and he declined at the time- but he's got the perfect personality for the Auspice he'll be playing as well as for the group of players in the pack at the moment.  I'm excited to see how it actually plays out- but again; I feel that conflict of "I wish I was there" and "Man, I am glad I am NOT".

The imminent entrance of this new Werewolf means this player's current character will be diminished in influence and appearance, and I had some thoughts on possible future interactions with him. Easy come, easy go, I guess.

TK's player, Erick, gave me one of the single best ieas for use in game I've heard in years. I'm very excited about its possible implications, but it does have some serious detractions and issues that I need to work through with the ST before I actually persue it.

I'm convinced that one of my long-time gaming friends would be great in and enjoy this wacky, intense, fun and unusual game. However he's known for being a pretty traditional table-top roleplaying type guy. The question and problem becomes whether a campaign to get him to join is a futile effort or if it's the type of thing I'm known for and good at.

Playing with your teenage kids presents some really unusual challenges. It does not help that my oldest is one of the world's biggest prudes/most straightlaced people ever, and I keep encountering his character while Eile is making amorous advances towards TK, or evidence of sexuality is in play at the time. As I mentioned previously, you have to pay attention to maturity, tone and interest when progressing with the more sensual plots.

It appears as if there will be a new Changeling soon. It also appears that she'll be tied to Avere, which is a confounding and interesting situation for me. Pretty much every character in game interacts with Avere (some to a nearly obsessive amount) and Avere's doing everything she can to NOT interact with Eile. This makes for some truly challenging obstacles towards doing what I'm aiming to do. (See below for more.)


Over on Greg's blog, he asked what kind of emotional responses I wanted out of gaming. Here's a snippet of what I said.

Sometimes what I get is related to the GM and/or the players, and when that's the case, I just have to think differently about whatever is happening to find a new direction. 

Last night I spoke to the ST of the WOD game because I was having concerns about what emotional responses I am getting from the game. We've both agreed that my character and her concept is wonderful, and we both want to find ways to keep her in the game and get her active.

One of the single most important aspects of making Eile work effectively for plot and results (resonance and personal satisfaction) is direct, player-to-player interaction. I haven't been able to accomplish this with more than a couple players- and while the results there are fantastic (just wait for the write-up);  it's not enough to make Eile a fully participating part of the group.

[This lack of direct interaction is due to two or three factors- one; Eile has been pursuing NPC oriented activities; two, Avere has been in many ways the "gate keeper" to other PCs with whom Eile could interact and Eile is actively avoiding Avere just as much as Avere is avoiding Eile; and three-the KIND of character Eile is- she's simply not direct in any way.]

At the moment, I really feel as if I'm playing a particularly active NPC. I did approach this with the ST; that perhaps Eile is better suited as an NPC.

Many of the downtime related activities Eile has been persuing have been highly NPC oriented (activity in the Spring Court, trying to encounter a Werewolf pack [not the one being played by the PCs], getting a job at a strip club, etc) and these activities- while they make perfect sense for her mindset and objectives- do not further her being an active participant in the game.

What I told my ST last night was that I either needed to come up with some new ideas/directions that would allow for character interaction, or consider a new idea entirely- because I'm just not generating the traction I want and expect through Eile and her endeavors.

if I consider something else, the problem becomes WHAT. I'm still convinced Werewolf is out. I'm not super sold on Geist but I am not as against it as I was previously. Mage is right out. Vampire is possible, but I'd have to be VERY careful with what character I generate- I can easily see another Eile type and the same frustrations coming about without caution. A Changeling doesn't really solve my problem; and then there's the issue of how to offer anything NEW to the group- Avere's pretty powerful and has shared a GREAT deal of information on the Lost and her abilities. And trying not to metagame this info into any new concept gets tricky, too.

So time to come up with some new directions and possibilities so I can keep this wonderful girl I love so much, I think.

Game Breakers

One of the guys that hangs out at my FLGS is pretty well known for finding ways to legally "break" any game he is playing.

A recent case in point involved the following: During a planned, published adventure, buying an ox from the supply table, killing/sacrificing it, and then re-animating it so as to have a Zombie Ox for use in combat. (And rendered the fighter of the party useless in the works.)

His alignment and diety situations were such that this was all totally legal and in no way affected his moral standing nor his ability to gain XP for the adventure.

He liked the idea so much that he did it again in another adventure in the same system (because you don't keep equipment from session to session in the organized play league).

He also formerly ran a droid in one of the Star Wars games where he bought skill chips for any possible scenario, and left all the other PCs twiddling their thumbs.

Sometimes this type of behavior is funny- and the group loves it. Other times it is truly annoying and makes playing NO FUN. Most of the time, it's the response of the GM that bothers me.

The mentality of "well, it's legal so I must allow it" really aggravates me. I like games where GMs and players work together to make things fun, and I don't mind an occasional "here's why I think this might be appropriate" kind of good natured arguement. But when it comes to rules, whether something is allowed, or making the game a sham of what it should be, I'm firmly in the "I'm the GM and I say NO" camp.

Some folks are not good at saying no to other people. Others are so intent on "let's have a good time" that refusing something that is legal (but potentially game breaking) is out of their mindset.

I played with a guy recently who was unintentionally coming close to breaking the game we were in. He kept trying to use OOC knowledge in character and kept justifying it off through very shaky reasoning. The GM in question called him on it several times in very subtle (but effective) ways. The player continued in some of this behavior by asking questions that he really should not have been asking to another player in the game. The other player was doing a pretty good job of avoiding the questions, but my character found the whole thing creepy and told off the offending character.

I knew this player would be a little problematic. He's young and just learning the social aspects of gaming, and still hasn't outgrown the "look what I can do" mentality. He really has not had a lot of opportunity to roleplay (most of his experience has been in miniatures) and so many of the lines between personal knowledge and character knowledge have yet to be drawn. Despite all this, he's a good and willing kid, and I don't mind helping him learn - other people helped me learn when I was in his position.

The difference between these examples, I think, is intent. The first guy INTENDS to to find ways to break the system- and in many cases, takes pleasure in it. The second guy doesn't know better.

There's also a difference in response- the first guy has gotten away with quite a bit because of GMs who don't want to say no, or feel they can't. The second guy has a GM who is not afraid to tell him "stop doing that; it's annoying".

I actively look for GMs that will say no, and avoid the known game breakers as often as possible.