Poltergeist
First Post
I was in a group once upon a time that had two members that began to agitate for "never saying anything out of character", etc, etc and called anything that anyone said out of character a "detraction."
There was discussion about xp penalties, etc. etc, and much of the talk was leveled at yours truly. I argued against the "experience penalty rule" because I knew deep within myself that A) I had always been a straight A student and would begin focusing on never detracting ruining all sense of fun and B) that people tend to perceive only *others* as detracting and don't perceive their own comments, out of character jokes, etc, etc.
After the discussion, I spent the entire next game in character and did not make a single out of character comment. I got a commitment from the other players to do the same, barring the DM and the other guy who was agitating for experience penalties for people who "detracted."
Take a wild guess what we all saw? The DM and the other guy made constant out of character jokes, comments, etc. etc. and in my opinion, to no greater than they had done all along. Essentially, they are my case for point B) above...many times the people who complain of "detraction" or "other people not role playing" are just as "disruptive" or more so than anyone else...they simply find the comments of *others* disruptive while they perceive their own jokes, out of character comments, etc. as not an issue.
Just my two copper pieces!
There was discussion about xp penalties, etc. etc, and much of the talk was leveled at yours truly. I argued against the "experience penalty rule" because I knew deep within myself that A) I had always been a straight A student and would begin focusing on never detracting ruining all sense of fun and B) that people tend to perceive only *others* as detracting and don't perceive their own comments, out of character jokes, etc, etc.
After the discussion, I spent the entire next game in character and did not make a single out of character comment. I got a commitment from the other players to do the same, barring the DM and the other guy who was agitating for experience penalties for people who "detracted."
Take a wild guess what we all saw? The DM and the other guy made constant out of character jokes, comments, etc. etc. and in my opinion, to no greater than they had done all along. Essentially, they are my case for point B) above...many times the people who complain of "detraction" or "other people not role playing" are just as "disruptive" or more so than anyone else...they simply find the comments of *others* disruptive while they perceive their own jokes, out of character comments, etc. as not an issue.
Just my two copper pieces!
