Games you won't play

[timbannock]

I'll play most anything, EXCEPT Rifts!

I was gonna say that!

Honestly, then I realized that I'd totally play just about anything. The question is whether I'd take it seriously as a player or not.

For Rifts, that'd be a "not."

 

[Umbran]

Because I'd personally feel too self-conscious and embarrassed to LARP. It has nothing to do with that specific tool and everything to do with how comfortable I feel doing certain things in public.

Interesting. You do not know that many (perhaps most) live-action games take place in private venues, in which the only witnesses are themselves players?

One game I played was about a dozen people (all of whom I knew personally), in one conference room with closed doors - we were the US President and his cabinet, dealing with a crisis (akin to the Cuban Missile Crisis). Everyone was in suits, speaking in normal to outright hushed tones. There were no elves, magic, mock violence, or outlandish things in evidence (or in the game - it was an entirely mundane political scenario). If any non-players had looked in, they'd have seen a meeting, nothing more. You could, in fact, play the thing in a large dining room if you wanted to.

So, would you play a LARP in your own home, or that of a friend?

This is not intended to sell LARP, specifically - it is merely a convenient example. My point is more to explore preconceptions, and why people give fairly absolute, "I would not do X," answers.

In a thing so thoroughly flexible as a role-playing game, why do we have inflexible views about what a game might entail?

 

[coyote6]

In a thing so thoroughly flexible as a role-playing game, why do we have inflexible views about what a game might entail?

We're human? And that's kind of one of our schticks, as a species.

 

[Fifth Element]

There aren't any other board games I can think of that I wouldn't play. I'm a huge boardgame whore I have extensive experience with a multitude of board and card games.

Settlers of Cataan for me. I find it absolutely tedious. I find Monopoly more engaging.

 

[Desdichado]

I'd play any system and probably any genre, but keep your sex out of my roleplaying.

Here's a great recent quote from my game, from one PC to another. "For the last time, Shautha, I'M NOT HAVING SEX WITH YOU WHILE I DON'T HAVE MY OWN GENITALS!"

 

[Particle_Man]

If we are going for board games, I would try valiantly to avoid Caracassonne. And Monopoly with some people, as it has this magical ability to bring out the very worst in some people.

There was a popular game out a few years back, can't remember it, had the word Brain in it, was sorta trivial pursuit except you did little puzzles as sub games, had clay, charades, etc., and was imho badly designed. It really doesn't click for me and when I played it I decided I didn't want to play it again.

 

[Festivus]

As a player... any horror game. I get freaked out a bit easily with those things. I don't mind running a scary game, but I mind playing in one.

 

[Corinth]

I do not deal in misery tourism or nihilism; Man is awesome and the sole thing adding value to all Creation- without Man, Creation is meaningless.

 

[Bumbles]

I refuse to play Global Thermonuclear War.

It's the only way to win.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Interesting. You do not know that many (perhaps most) live-action games take place in private venues, in which the only witnesses are themselves players?

So, would you play a LARP in your own home, or that of a friend?

This is not intended to sell LARP, specifically - it is merely a convenient example. My point is more to explore preconceptions, and why people give fairly absolute, "I would not do X," answers.

In a thing so thoroughly flexible as a role-playing game, why do we have inflexible views about what a game might entail?

I'm not the person you asked, but since my view was similar I'll give you my response.

I did not realize LARPs usually took place in private venues. I still would not play a LARP privately. I feel uncomfortable acting directly as my character. If I were to go into an actiong career it could only be as a voice actor.

I am not entirely inflexible. I tried a murder-mystery dinner at a hotel down in Orlando and I felt totally out of place. I did not enjoy myself at all. And it had nothing to do with the quality (or lack thereof). My wife liked it. My discomfort ruined my own experience.

So in my case, it's Me not LARPs.

(A side issue is LARPs with non-modern costumes. I find it difficult to come up with a costume. I become a perfectionist. I want my costume to be perfect or I don't want to wear one at all. This is why I've never dressed for the Ren Faire or Rocky Horror Picture Show even though I thouroughly enjoy both. I also finally comlpeted my first Halloween costume in roughly 20 years.)