What are the no-goes for you?

[Bumbles]

So I was thinking, what things cause people not to play in some games?

My personals include:

Drinking alcoholic beverages or smoking at games.
Having romantic relationships between players/GMs
Playing longer than scheduled.

I'm sure there's others, but those are my three. Try not to make anything personal in your responses, there's no need to be derogatory.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

here is my list:

Pet NPCs...I can put up with them a little, but if you keep doing it I am out

Rail road plot...first I understand you made the dungeon, and we will explore it, but if you have you 12th level bad guys picked out at level1...no thanks

Holding back...If the DM coddles the players I hate it...like constantly asking "How hurt are you" then changeing tactics when things go bad for the PCs...

House rule restrictions...I can understand if you don't want me to have the Mark of makeing in your FR game, but not letting in tougness becuse you don't like it urks me

house rules with out thought of consaqances... his one only once so I need to give an example...a +1 weapon that was a level 12 item (in 4e) becuse he kept adding propirties and special things to it...then gave it out at level 3

 

[Jack99]

Drinking alcoholic beverages or smoking at games.

You would die at my games

 

[billd91]

Game breakers for me:

Vampire RPG

The presence of certain gamers I know who rub me the wrong way

Excessive rules regarding non-disruptive personal conduct - usually means I find the gamer or host enforcing the rules too fussy, which generally rubs me the wrong way. For example, I don't see a problem with expecting a smoker to smoke outside. That's pretty reasonable to expect at a non-smoker's house. But if someone expected me to not let my wife play in a game I DM, that's across the line.

 

[Bumbles]

You would die at my games

Actually, this is all too possible. So let's not joke about it, thank you.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Rail road plot...first I understand you made the dungeon, and we will explore it, but if you have you 12th level bad guys picked out at level1...no thanks

At the risk of going off topic, having enough of a story outline planned out to have villains ready 12 levels ahead is not automatically railroading. There's plenty of room between "complete sandbox" and "linear railroad" for a good, plot-intensive campaign that still allows substantial player choice.

Back to topic...

There are certain games I'm not interested in playing, but if a group of good friends really wanted to, I might at least give them a shot.

I won't play in a game where role-playing (things like "speaking in character") is forbidden. I'm not interested in a minis tactical game masquerading as an RPG.

I won't play with people smoking inside. I used to, and I can't tolerate it anymore.

I won't play with people who are drunk or stoned. A beer or two is one thing, but if it starts impeding your ability to take the game seriously--or, alternatively, causes you to take it too seriously--then it's impeding my ability to enjoy the game.

I won't play with people whose only goal in playing is power-trip fantasies, or venting socially repugnant fantasies. If you want to run an evil campaign as a change of pace, that's fine. If you want to do it so you can linger over your description of rape, I'm gone.

There are probably others, but those are the ones that come to mind at the moment.

 

[Cadfan]

Power trip DMs. I don't have a brightline rule for how to tell a DM is on a power trip, but I generally know it when I see it. The easiest clues are when the DM has banned something for reasons of personal preference unrelated to the creation of a quality game. I don't care if the DM really, genuinely, truly hates [whatever] so much that he can't DM a quality game if a player uses it, that's just a clue that he really, genuinely, truly isn't temperamentally suited to be a DM.

Revenge fantasy gaming. Overly sexual or violent plotlines. Particularly plotlines that are both violent and sexual. I've worked with victims of domestic violence and with victim's advocate organizations, and I just can't give myself the distance from the subject matter to treat it as part of healthy entertainment.

Disruptive players that the DM isn't handling well.

I generally try to err on the side of leaving without giving the DM a chance. I think that's a good thing- it means that my exit is minimally disruptive. Far better to leave after day 1 then after day 7, even if it means that I might back out of a game that could have worked out its issues and become worthwhile.

 

[Lanefan]

My personals include:

We have some disagreement here...

Drinking alcoholic beverages

Drunken dungeons can be and have been among the best ever!

or smoking at games.

Our only point of common ground.

Having romantic relationships between players/GMs

Why? Are you saying you wouldn't play in a game where the DM's partner is a player? That makes little sense.

I'd almost look for the opposite, in that having the DM's partner in a game vastly increases the chance for the game being stable and long-lasting. That said, if it appears the DM is favouring his/her SO within the game you pretty much have to bring it up with the DM as a problem.

Playing longer than scheduled.

Huh? For me, the longer the game goes the better, and if it means I don't get much sleep on occasion, so what? Conversely, if it means I have to leave early, again so what? I just trust the other players to look after my character and play it at least vaguely in character...and if it meets some horrible fate, well, chances are the same thing would have happened were I at the helm anyway.

Things I won't play with in a long campaign: (one-offs are always exceptions)
- Outright "I am the GREATEST" powergaming fuelled by player ego
- Small children present, unless kept in a separate room and not requiring attention from the DM or any player
- Full-on stoners, as opposed to those who just like a toke now and then.

Lanefan

 

[Mouseferatu]

Why? Are you saying you wouldn't play in a game where the DM's partner is a player? That makes little sense.

Yeah, this. Every game I've played in since college has included multiple couples, and in the majority of them, the DM was one half of one of said couples.

And how often did that turn out to be a problem? Exactly zero times.

If the DM is at all mature and rational s/he isn't going to favor his/her SO in the game. If the DM is not at all mature and rational, an SO in the group is the least of your problems.

 

[Jack99]

Actually, this is all too possible. So let's not joke about it, thank you.

Lighten up friend, life it too short to not joke, even about smoking. And alcohol in modest amounts is fine, last I checked.