D&D General Could Improv (and maybe Theatre) save your Roleplaying???

[Vaalingrade]

In order to think of someone as "down," one must think of them as being lesser in some way, lower or beneath someone else. You appear to think of those people as lesser, so it's not cool for people who "aren't lesser" to attack them. I find it offensive that someone would think of people with the challenges you mentioned as being "down."

Okay. Let's stop the bad rhetoric train right here.

'Punching down' is about people in a privileged position attacking those in a non-privilege position for being in that non-privileged position. In this case, people who are unable or uncomfortable with acting out things in character who would rather make use of in-game mechanics instead.

It has NOTHING to do with viewing the victim of such behavior as lesser, so this wasn't the magical reverse Uno 'well actually you're the bad guy' card you think it was.

 

[iserith]

Okay. Let's stop the bad rhetoric train right here.

'Punching down' is about people in a privileged position attacking those in a non-privilege position for being in that non-privileged position. In this case, people who are unable or uncomfortable with acting out things in character who would rather make use of in-game mechanics instead.

It has NOTHING to do with viewing the victim of such behavior as lesser, so this wasn't the magical reverse Uno 'well actually you're the bad guy' card you think it was.

So you're saying I shouldn't take something you posted out of context and blow it out of proportion?

 

[Vaalingrade]

So you're saying I shouldn't take something you posted out of context and blow it out of proportion?

Cute. But I'm not taking anything out of context. The videogame article just unleashed ALL the BS people usually just pack into microagressions.

 

[iserith]

Imagine finding that kind of offense in something someone you don't even know said about how to play a game for ages 12 and up. And in the context of someone trying to offer some helpful advice, too. I love this website.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Because it's intentionally inflammatory and belittling to all the people with anxieties or self-consciousness about their skills that I've seen those 'buttons' help enjoy the game when previously they didn't want to join us because of fear of the kind of judgement and ridicule on display recently.

Basically, I'm weird in that I don't like folks punching down.

Well, if it makes you feel better, I've also implied "skilled" play as asking the DM a series of misleading questions with the intent to manipulate them into making the ruling that the player desired. I could dig up those receipts if I wasn't on my phone...

 

[Ovinomancer]

Well, if it makes you feel better, I've also implied "skilled" play as asking the DM a series of misleading questions with the intent to manipulate them into making the ruling that the player desired. I could dig up those receipts if I wasn't on my phone...

Why did you imply this? Is it something you think is true -- skilled play is code for dishonestly manipulating the GM?

 

[MichaelSomething]

Why did you imply this? Is it something you think is true -- skilled play is code for dishonestly manipulating the GM?

I implied for satire mainly. But reading this thread can high light the more toxic elements of "skilled" play...

 

[Ovinomancer]

I implied for satire mainly. But reading this thread can high light the more toxic elements of "skilled" play...

Ever heard of the Rule of Goats?

 

[Shiroiken]

I agree but who does the judging?

The DM was the judge who awarded points. Some of it was straightforward (damage dealt, damage taken, loot, etc), but all arbitrary awards were solely the DM's call. In theory they were supposed to be impartial, but I've heard quite a few stories of the early Gen Con games having significant bias towards people in Gygax's home game. However, most of the RP stuff was specifically listed, rather than left open. To use your example, it wouldn't just say "he's young," but something along the lines of "due to his youth, he often makes rash decisions," which are much easier to note.

 

[HomegrownHydra]

Sounds like you're selling a class. Which, now that I think of it, do you have any resource that talks about improv exercises? I regularly make stuff up on the fly because the players almost never do what I expect them to (which is awesome). But actual improv exercises? No clue what they would be.

The book Impro by Keith Johnstone is an absolutely superb intro to improv and extremely useful for GM's and roleplayers.