D&D 5E As a Player, why do you play in games you haven't bought into?

[Thomas Shey]

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On the other hand, I've never really gotten the whole pushback against any restrictions. Why is such a big deal if I say no Warlocks in my game, but no one cares that you can't play a Vulcan? What you can play is always much more restricted than what you can conceive.

There are people who absolutely are hostile to restrictions, and the narrower they get the more hostile they are. But I've seen cases where people claimed it wasn't a roleplaying game if the GM went in with any expectations about what a PC would do at all.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Thanks for making my point for me. A player who bristles at playing a character on a slave ship (or at playing a slave-trader of any kind) isn't divorcing real-life feelings and beliefs from their characters' feelings and beliefs.

I think there's a point where expecting a player to completely divorce their feelings from what's going on in the game is asking too much. Slavery, like a few other things, is a hot button with enough people I think that's one of those areas where its too big a demand.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I agree. It's one reason I bow out of consideration as a player when my friends pitch a Vampire game. I'm just not into it. I'm not going to be the fun player at the table and shouldn't drag the fun down. Other friends of mine are the same with Call of Cthulhu when I suggest it - they just aren't into it. And that's cool. We can pick them up on the flip side when that game has played out for a while.
Of course, we're a little more cognizant of social isolation right now because of the 'rona. So we're generally not pitching games not likely to get full agreement on the regularly scheduled game night. Side-games on other days are still wide open. In fact, one of our regulars pitched a Torg game to play on occasional weekends, but I don't particularly like the system, so I stayed out of the player pool for that one.

There are always people who are kind-of lukewarm about most campaign ideas, but still like to play. They just don't get--enthused.

 

[billd91]

There are always people who are kind-of lukewarm about most campaign ideas, but still like to play. They just don't get--enthused.

That's true, but it's on them to recognize that and do the best they can to not drag things down. It's a minimum courtesy for their fellow players that everyone should expect of them.

 

[Thomas Shey]

That's true, but it's on them to recognize that and do the best they can to not drag things down. It's a minimum courtesy for their fellow players that everyone should expect of them.

Sure. I just was noting there's some daylight between "not showing buy-in" and "dragging the game down." Honestly, the latter is more likely to be a case with a person who thought they understood what the game was about and found out otherwise.

 

[Oofta]

Thanks for making my point for me. A player who bristles at playing a character on a slave ship (or at playing a slave-trader of any kind) isn't divorcing real-life feelings and beliefs from their characters' feelings and beliefs.

All I can say is that I would not want to play a slaver, I do not want to play a PC that does things I consider inherently evil. I've quit campaigns because the other players were, for example, perfectly okay with burning down buildings with innocents inside. Could I separate my personal opinions from my PC? Sure. I do it on a pretty regular basis. But I also try to put myself into their mindset and it's not something I enjoy as a player. Which I guess is kind of weird because I have no problem with it when I DM.

On the other hand I would also just be up front about it and explain that it wasn't the right campaign for me. Which happens. Doesn't mean I didn't like the DM of the campaign I quit any less, just that it wasn't the game for me.

 

[Zardnaar]

Thinking of my next game. Probably be from 5 options.

Eberron
Theros (Greek).
Rime of Frost Maiden
Viking (Midgard)
Undead (Midgard)

 

[ph0rk]

Then maybe this all-religious game isn't a good fit at the moment.

And here is where the DM probably isn’t doing their job. Either by being not clear enough (e.g. thinking “religion is important” implies “characters must be believers”) or isn’t listening when their players indicate they don’t like the idea.

Players have to work with their DMs, but DMs aren’t autocrats, either.

 

[MGibster]

As a player, I've participated in campaigns I wasn't too enthusiastic about but everyone else was. I always make the best character I can and do my best to contribute to everyone's fun.

 

[Ace]

If this counts I will give nearly any game 3 sessions and if it doesn't click, I'll excuse myself and go do something else. I think this is enough to determine whether I will like it or not and a short enough time that I won't disrupt the game for other people who might enjoy it.

Also buy in can be tricky. There are a lot of things that can screw this up, game mechanics , world building, seriously weird settings (Tekumel, Jorune) politics, bad player chemistry an dmore . A lot of people want to game enough, me in the past here to try and work around it.

Other people probably just need to be at the table so they suck it up. I'm not like that though and while I relish the social outlet and genuinely enjoy the company of most gamers, I don't have time for bad gaming.