Ever had a player get so bent out of shape over something small, then refused to play

Ottergame · Jul 27, 2006

Well, after about 6 hours of preasuring, he FINALLY listened to the proposal I had told him right off the bat I had in mind that would explain how a gnoll could survive in the city, and go figure, he's fine with it. He aggreed to play.

But now he's balking at the fact I was planning on the characters being gestalt. We only have 3 players, and my other group of 5 players has had a couple of huge challenges they were almost killed by, so I know 3 are going to be roadkill. He tried to say they are to confusing and he can't understand the rules. -.-

Taraxia · Jul 27, 2006

wingsandsword said:
As for the original poster, the idea of playing baby dragons, freshly hatched, and there is no older dragon around at the moment of hatching is a classic one. The sample adventure in Counsil Of Wyrms begins that way. As for playing Gnolls, as was pointed out, now they are usually CE, and even the core rules say that other alignments are quite possible. They both sound like campaign concepts with promise. I know I'd be a little wondering about a whole campaign as gnolls (but it might be nice as a one-shot or miniseries), but I'd probably at least try it out.

I've been accused of being that type of player before. When the GM has never GM'ed before, never played the system in question, and decides to heavily house-rule the game to make it "make sense" to her (i.e. make it more like games she's played), and not write down any of her house rules until they come up figuring that we would just know them since the all "made sense", and the RAW "don't make sense", and the stock setting is highly altered because she likes things from popular movies, other game settings and popular books and just throws them in left and right.

When I took exception to this, she kept insisting that my concerns were minor and irrational, it's her game, she's being "creative", and I should sit down, shut up, and enjoy her story she's planned out (she intends to write a book of the events of the game, uh oh on that one, for a long list of reasons). Personally, I felt that the game was one huge bait & switch (I was called up and invited in being told it was just a game of suchandsuch system/settting, but after I create my character and get into the game, I find out how much she's changed everything and it's a horrible chimera of a system with suchandsuch at the core, on top of a hodgepodge of a setting based off of suchandsuch).

What you do is you have a "pre-session" where the DM and players talk about the campaign concept and character concepts, all in person, for one whole meeting before the sessions actually start. (Not a fifteen-minute prelim before the first session, an actual Session Zero on its own.) Everyone works on their character sheets, you talk over story ideas, and the DM shows you the world map, puts out a bunch of books she's using, and tells you the basic background of What Your Characters Know About the World.

Not only is this a lot more fun than jumping in headfirst eyes closed, and not only will it help smooth over any potential conflicts that might come up, it gives you time to actually *look at* the DM's ideas and ask her about them thoroughly before the campaign starts, rather than having to make a decision based on a short blurb and only realize you hate it once you've already started playing and made a commitment.

Then, when you decide that the DM isn't experienced and doesn't know what she's doing and is making a hash of the game and the setting, you smile, shake her hand and say, "Looks like fun, but it's not really the kind of thing I prefer. Good luck, though," and part ways. That way no one hates anyone, no dice get thrown, no character sheets or DM screens get sundered into pieces, and you can still play or DM *other* games with this group later on without having to bear the stigma of "That Nitpicky

".

Taraxia · Jul 28, 2006

Ottergame said:
Well, after about 6 hours of preasuring, he FINALLY listened to the proposal I had told him right off the bat I had in mind that would explain how a gnoll could survive in the city, and go figure, he's fine with it. He aggreed to play.

But now he's balking at the fact I was planning on the characters being gestalt. We only have 3 players, and my other group of 5 players has had a couple of huge challenges they were almost killed by, so I know 3 are going to be roadkill. He tried to say they are to confusing and he can't understand the rules. -.-

Now, to be fair, balking at a gestalt campaign is wholly different from balking at one of the other PCs choosing a "Usually Evil" race. The latter has no effect on you mechanically and doesn't put any burden on you, and ought to be more of an opportunity for you to roleplay than anything else.

But gestalt mechanics, however they're balanced (and they can be harder for DMs to balance than standard class mechanics) can be confusing and intimidating for players who aren't used to them, and it *is* harder to keep track of two classes' class features at once than one's, especially if you're using a class with spellcasting.

That's more akin to "I'm not comfortable with this ruleset" than "Your idea is stupid", and the former is always a valid reason to back out of a campaign. A GURPSer isn't obligated to try playing D&D with us if she doesn't want to, or vice versa, after all.

But either way, unless you're extremely short for potential players, there's no reason not to go on playing with the other players even if he doesn't want to be involved.

Storyteller01 · Jul 28, 2006

Ottergame said:
Thanks for the imput everyone.

He's DMed many times, he's just wanting to play for a change, which I can understand.

I tried to point out that there are going to be about as many CE high elves as there would be CG gnolls, but he still didn't bite.

AHA!!! Me thinks someone may have spent too long behind the DM screen. Perhaps he suffers from Game Master Withdrawls?

Try a private discussion to figure out what he's looking for. See if he'll compromise. 'Look, if my world runs this way, you can have your characters home town operate how you want (within reason).' Other than that, I can't help you.

Sejs · Jul 28, 2006

Storyteller01 said:
AHA!!! Me thinks someone may have spent too long behind the DM screen. Perhaps he suffers from Game Master Withdrawls?

Try a private discussion to figure out what he's looking for. See if he'll compromise. 'Look, if my world runs this way, you can have your characters home town operate how you want (within reason).' Other than that, I can't help you.

And if that doesn't work... rolled up newspaper. *nod*

I'm tellin' ya, you can't go wrong.

Ed_Laprade · Jul 28, 2006

My advice, which I don't expect you to take, is to have him GM a game. About halfway through the first session everyone complains about a different minor detail and you all walk out together, with the last person at the door turning to him and asking: "So how do you like it?"

Ottergame · Jul 28, 2006

Ed_Laprade said:
My advice, which I don't expect you to take, is to have him GM a game. About halfway through the first session everyone complains about a different minor detail and you all walk out together, with the last person at the door turning to him and asking: "So how do you like it?"

The rolled up newspaper trick worked.

actually, it was a verbal newspaper, but he got a trashing by the other players. I think he finally realized how silly all his demands were being, he aggreed to play anything we'd push in front of him. I'm being nice and still restricting the game to fit in with most of his earlier demands, but at least he cracked.

Thanks guys!

BlueBlackRed · Jul 28, 2006

Ottergame said:
The rolled up newspaper trick worked. actually, it was a verbal newspaper, but he got a trashing by the other players. I think he finally realized how silly all his demands were being, he aggreed to play anything we'd push in front of him. I'm being nice and still restricting the game to fit in with most of his earlier demands, but at least he cracked.

Thanks guys!

Woohoo! Success that didn't end in bloodshed and tears.
Dangit...

GQuail · Jul 28, 2006

Ottergame said:
The rolled up newspaper trick worked. actually, it was a verbal newspaper, but he got a trashing by the other players. I think he finally realized how silly all his demands were being, he aggreed to play anything we'd push in front of him. I'm being nice and still restricting the game to fit in with most of his earlier demands, but at least he cracked.

Thanks guys!

Glad things seem to have ended well.

As others have said, his request re: gestalt characteers is a bit more reasonable since it's a mechanical change rather than a story element: but no Gm will get to play if they keep complaining that their GM doesn't run games exactly liek they do.

Kae'Yoss · Jul 29, 2006

BlueBlackRed said:
Woohoo! Success that didn't end in bloodshed and tears.
Dangit...

There's always next time. Always next time.

Ever had a player get so bent out of shape over something small, then refused to play

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