Bait & Switch

[Bullgrit]

As a PC Player what do you think of campaign or character starts that are different than you were lead to believe/understand/expect?

Bait & switch is a rather strong term, as it implies an intent to trick the “buyer.” But sometimes the switch isn’t really intentional as much as miscommunication, or maybe the DM makes a change he thinks is minor and fun, but the Player might see as major and unfun.

My game group has just started a campaign of Alternity in the Starship Warden (Metamorphosis Alpha) setting. When we made our characters (I’m not the GM), we were all thinking we would be adventuring on a “city ship,” in full, normal operation. But when the campaign started, we woke up from stasis into a sort of post apocalyptic-style environment. One of the PCs (not mine) was mutated from human to a strange, definitely-not-human form.

The new setting didn’t bother me (though we’ve only seen a couple of rooms of the ship so far), though it is a drastic change from what I expected. I’m actually looking forward to exploring this devastated environment. But on my drive home after the game session, I got to thinking about the PC that woke up a mutant. After considering it for a few minutes, I concluded that had it been me and my character, I would have told the GM I didn’t want to play that character.

I gather from conversation during and after the game session that the Player of the mutant PC didn’t know this was going to happen. It was apparently as much of a surprise to him as it was for all of us.

Although I would have finished playing that game session as it happened, I would have afterward told the DM I didn’t like it and want to change (if not that character back to human, then to a different character). I bristle at having my character changed, at the opening of a campaign, from what I was expecting and planning. (This assumes that I correctly and honestly made my character according to the DM’s stated and explained expectations for PCs. I wouldn’t make a raging barbarian for a political escapades campaign, for instance.)

I have no problems with character changes that happen organically through campaign play, so long as it’s not a DM-laid railroad. But maybe I’m a bad Player for not willingly accepting such changes to my character at the start of the game?

Had you been the Player whose character’s “race” was drastically changed, would you have a problem with it? Or would you just roll with it?

Bullgrit

 

[corncob]

Starting the game without full control over your character?

Choo-effing-choo, baby.

 

[jdrakeh]

My game group has just started a campaign of Alternity in the Starship Warden (Metamorphosis Alpha) setting.

Well, if you were familiar with Metamorphosis Alpha, that would have been your first clue — the Warden in Metamorphosis Alpha is not a functioning spaceship. From Wikipedia:

The original edition of the game takes place on the generation spaceship Warden that has been struck by an unknown cataclysmic event that killed many of the colonists and crew. Thus, the role-players must survive their missions in this ship (which they believe to be a world) where they no longer understand the technology around them and they encounter numerous mutated creatures. In essence, Metamorphosis Alpha is a dungeon crawl in space.

Now, if the DM mislead you into thinking that the ship was all systems go, then he was a bit of a . I think he probably should have at least let you know the basic premise of Metamorphosis Alpha prior to play. What you have isn't a new setting, but the default setting of MA.

 

[Caliber]

I played in a game once where at the campaign start, the DM gave each of us a small "backstory" explaining how each of us fit into the starting setup. One PC was effectively made into a slave, much to the player's displeasure. She got over it and rolled with it, but the character was drastically changed from what she originally wanted and expected to be playing.

I'd say changing a character before play is definitely dangerous territory. If you have the player's permission, its fine, or if you knew the player wouldn't care go ahead. But you definitely risk seriously ticking someone off (and they'd have every right to be irked!) Making a character isn't a trivial thing in most systems.

On the other hand, the idea of making a character for a sci-fi/space opera style game that starts (or transitions after an adventure or two) into a post-apoc game after some disaster befalls the ship/planet/whatever they are on does sound interesting, and I think a lot of the dramatic impact would be lost with forewarning.

Where does the line between good story-telling and just being a jerk exist? I think that varies with each DM, player, and group.

 

[Mallus]

I'd just roll with it. I game with people I like and trust, they have my implicit consent to mess around. If things don't turn out to be enjoyable, I'm sure we'd find ways to right the campaign/characters.

Also, like jdrakeh said, your example of Metamorphosis Alpha is more 'bait and hook' than 'bait and switch'. That's the way MA is supposed to work.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

If I was the player of the mutated character, I'd immediately hand the charsheet to the GM, and want a new character. If the GM made me play that character, I'd walk.

When I make character (I never say roll, I hate random Chargen), I build exactly the kind of character I want to play.

As a player of one of the others, I would likely keep playing, but to be honest I would really not be that into the game. If I was all jazzed to play a space opera (for example) and then get handed post apoc, I'd really be irritated.

 

[Bullgrit]

Now, if the DM mislead you into thinking that the ship was all systems go, then he was a bit of a ****. I think he probably should have at least let you know the basic premise of Metamorphosis Alpha prior to play. What you have isn't a new setting, but the default setting of MA.

I don't think the GM is a ****.

But, we were told we were to play Alternity in the setting of a functioning city-ship called the Warden. I had only a very vague knowledge (by game culture osmosis) of there being a Starship Warden in the MA game (a long time ago), but we weren't playing MA -- and no other Player had even heard of SW or MA.

So, we were mislead. But. . .

On the other hand, the idea of making a character for a sci-fi/space opera style game that starts (or transitions after an adventure or two) into a post-apoc game after some disaster befalls the ship/planet/whatever they are on does sound interesting, and I think a lot of the dramatic impact would be lost with forewarning.

I agree.

It is a balancing act, based on trust. But, to me, seriously altering a Player's *character* crosses the line.

Bullgrit

 

[Bullgrit]

Also, like jdrakeh said, your example of Metamorphosis Alpha is more 'bait and hook' than 'bait and switch'. That's the way MA is supposed to work.

Again, we aren't playing MA.

Bullgrit

 

[Varianor Abroad]

I think altering the character without consent isn't good. (Now, a group full of method actors and heavy deep-immersion roleplayers might love it. Those groups aren't common.) I think you'd be right to address your concerns to your GM. Are you going to get more out of this than your old build? Or is this just flavor?

 

[Bullgrit]

Are you going to get more out of this than your old build?

My character is unchanged, other than the setting he's in.

Bullgrit