Problem Players and Problem DMs

[Crothian]

But doesn't this sort of thinking let the game off the hook for practically any flaw? "It doesn't matter if there aren't rules for character creation--A good DM can compensate for that."

That's a horrible analogy. Until we see a game that can force players to be good players, it will ultimately be the players own responsibility.

 

[Mallus]

But doesn't this sort of thinking let the game off the hook for practically any flaw?

I like to think of it as keeping the focus exactly where it should be: on the people playing the game.

Sure, some games are better than others. Some games are good, but not the right fit for the people playing. But no rule system can make a dysfunctional gaming group into a functional one. Whereas a good gaming group, one that communicates, cooperates, and shares responsibility for the success of the game make just about any system work cf. Rifts.

 

[arscott]

I'm not asking a game to transform a disfunctional group into a functional one. But I think there's become a tendency to label groups as disfunctional merely because they're having problems with the game. Where do you draw the line?