I agree that is the actual reason they exist. I gues my response though is if people think they serve to enhance play they should 1) Argue that point rather than invoking mental illness to give their position more weight and 2) not label them safety tools
Yeah, that seems reasonable to me.
My issue here is the ‘light’ with the tools. Perhaps they can help improve play for some groups. That is probably a style preference. We shouldn’t be saying all groups ought to use them. For lots of people, if the sun if these tools is simply to enhance play, they may clash with style
I think if your style clashes with checking in to make sure the players are actually interested in the subject matter of the game you want to run, then… frankly, it’s not a very good style…
This is true but importantly it won’t ruin the fun for all players. While I think it would be bad GMing to railroad that outcome, or have it triggered to easily, I think it could be an exciting consequence for not succeeding at the adventures (I like horror adventures with ticking time bombs and horrible consequences)
This is a taste and preference issue in play
Right, which is why you ask. Lots of players will be right onboard with that possibility (I know I would be!) while others won’t. Better to find out in advance than in the moment.
Again, I think group to group. Not everyone games for that reason. some game for the excitement and surprise. And not everyone wants to put that kind of game content a vote (especially if a single player can veto the whole venture).
So don’t put it to a vote. You can always just say “this is the game I’m going to be running. If that doesn’t sound like fun for you, you don’t have to play in it.” Also RE: surprise, you don’t have to spoil the specifics. “This game has a major transformation theme and there is a real possibility of PCs being irreversibly transformed against their will” is perfectly sufficient, you don’t have to spoil when, how, or into what.
I have been in plenty of groups where by the end of the evening or end of the adventure it is clear it isn’t a good fit for me. But it is a game, the stakes are very low. If a GM tries something and it doesn’t land for me or is the opposite experience from what I want, I just shrug and move on (if the issue is big enough, I find a new group).
I mean, yeah, it’s not a big deal for most people, but it might be for some. And even if it isn’t a big deal, still better to find out in advance and excuse yourself then, than to have your time wasted playing in a game you only find out later wasn’t going to be enjoyable for you.
I would rather play to find out than have the GM solicit my buy in beforehand.
Weird. I think most people would feel the opposite.
It is one thing to say “just to let you know, this game is very lethal and may have radical things happen to your character”.
I’d say that’s perfectly sufficient.
But another to go over what will actually happen or insert a consent button to things coming up in play (and again we aren’t talking about weird creepy things that would justifiably disturb people but things like polymorph, infection or magical transformation).
I’m sorry, but infection and magical transformation are
absolutely things that can justifiably disturb someone.
We are not guaranteed the precise experience we want. I once played in a game I thought would be very open, but it was a railroaded pathway. Not anyone’s fault, that is what the Gm wanted to run and most if the players enjoyed it.
Sure, it happens sometimes. But I think if we can do very simple things to reduce the risk of that happening, it’s only common courtesy to do so.
I think it’s fine to talk about expectations but again the issue here is the ought and the way it is presented where one player objecting potentially ruins a fun game fir everyone
I don’t think one player objecting ought to ruin the fun for everyone. Not every game is for everyone. It’s good policy to try to set appropriate expectations for your games so potential players can more accurately determine if it’s going to be for them, and choose not to play if it isn’t.