What are your player behavior rules in F2F games?

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I'm a little surprised that people have to specify no smoking. Like, do people just light up in someone else's house? Or are we talking "smoking?"

Well, among people you already know it's not necessary. If you're looking at gaming with strangers, yes. Sad as it is, too many people have no concept of manners, etiquette, appropriate behavior, etc. and that's BEFORE you factor in geek social fallacies.

 

[Umbran]

You never rough-house with your friends? Play contact sports?

Not inside the house, in my adult life, no.

I honestly haven't had to explicitly set behavior rules. I expect folks to behave like (mostly) mature adults and obey Wheaton's Law.

Nobody has ever tried or asked, but I would not allow smoking in my home. I don't serve alcohol, but if someone wanted a beer at the table, and brought it along, I'd be fine with that. Stronger intoxicants or being drunk, however, are not for game-time.

There's no rules on character gender or sexuality at my table, but the group prefers that romance be kept to "Victorian sensibilities" - or "torrid hand-holding" as one player put it.

 

[MGibster]

Not inside the house, in my adult life, no.

Do you like gladiator movies?

 

[RogueRonin]

No rules except the regular social norms that apply to hanging out with friends. Basically don't be a jerk. But my group has been the same six people for years and we're all friends outside of gaming anyway, so there really isn't much difference between game night and any other get together, except of course for D&D. We do break a lot of the rules I see in this thread though

 

[MGibster]

I really only have two formal rules for people I game with.

• Show up regularly.
• Show up on time.

The rest of the rules are just general rules I expect at any social gathering. The folks who host our weekly games occasionally like to have a glass of wine, beer, or the occasional scotch, bourbon, or whiskey but there is no smoking allowed in the house.

 

[TheSword]

I don’t know, a gin and tonic, whisky and coke or nice glass of red feel like a nice addition to a nights gaming with friends. I’m surprised at the dislike of people having a drink, though getting drunk is of course a very different thing.

 

[billd91]

I don’t know, a gin and tonic, whisky and coke or nice glass of red feel like a nice addition to a nights gaming with friends. I’m surprised at the dislike of people having a drink, though getting drunk is of course a very different thing.

I'm no longer surprised by how widespread it is - over the years, there have been a lot of posters here who have said alcohol is banned at the gaming table.
I can't relate to it (I am from Wisconsin, after all).
But I'm no longer surprised.

 

[cmad1977]

I mean... if I have to police the behavior of my friends...

They’re not reaaaallly my friends.

So... basic rules of decency are required.

 

[MGibster]

I'm no longer surprised by how widespread it is - over the years, there have been a lot of posters here who have said alcohol is banned at the gaming table.
I can't relate to it (I am from Wisconsin, after all).
But I'm no longer surprised.

I had a player show up drunk and/or high to a game once and it totally pissed me off. There were some other issues, he didn't tend to show up and when he did he wasn't on time, but that was the final straw that broke my back.

 

[Umbran]

Do you like gladiator movies?

Hear that whizzing sound? That's the sound of this going right over my head.