Cheating - who cares?

[Infiniti2000]

You know, I think that if I were starting a group with random people or joining a group with random people, I would definitely agree with that and go along with it, but I think it's because we're good friends and have been playing together for like 6 years that we are a little more lenient, which of course might mean we're screwing ourselves over a little.

This is the point. Ideally, you want to game with people who are your friends and who you would hang out with outside of the game. Would you hang out with people who cheat "against" you? Would you be friends with someone who basically lies to you everytime you get together? Hell no.

Cheating by a player is completely unacceptable.

 

[gfunk]

The only time it bothers me is when it upsets the other players. I DM to have fun and to ensure that my players have fun. If another player ruins that by cheating or something else, then it's a problem.

The only player I have who regularly cheats is also one of the most fun to have at the table and he does it without anyone, except me, noticing.

Quoted for teh truth. Ultimately, the game is about having fun. It seems that a lot of you would be personally offended by cheating in your games. In this case you are on both the moral and ethical high ground.

However, I don't think we should knock people if this kind of cheating doesn't bother them.

 

[Arnwyn]

I voted "Care".

If there's cheating, then why are we bothering to play this game, again? I'd rather go out and get in more golfing, skiing, etc.

 

[JoeGKushner]

We use a dice bowl.

takes all the cheating out.

 

[Jim Hague]

Care.

It's pretty simple - everyone is there at the table to have fun - so long as that fun is not at others' expense. The second you get some jerk who wants to be better than everyone else, who thinks it's ok to violate the trust the other players and GM have pput in them to play fairly, that person needs to go: either for awhile to contemplate their obvious problem with sticking to the agreed upon social contract and rules of the game, or permanently to find another table where the ethical fiber is flexible to soak up their lack of consideration.

I game for fun. Cheating at the table interferes with that, because it's one or more people saying that they're extra-special perfect snowflakes and that my fun doesn't matter. It's rude at best and a serious ethical failing most of the time. It's the equivalent of yelling "No, you didn't!" back when we were playing cops-n-robbers or its equivalent. It's pathetic, pitiful and worst of all disrespectful.

 

[Lorgrom]

If it helps advance the story line, then I as a player and a DM do not really care if there is minor cheating (or meta-gameing for that matter). Once a player or DM does it to just get all the attention and/or distract from the story line. Then I have a problem with it.

 

[tzor]

I think it depends on the reason for the cheating.

One type is the person who wants to "win" all the time. The purpose of role playing is not to "win" but to "have fun." People who are obsessed with winning (and conversely GMs who are obsessed with players not winning) probably should not be playing role playing games because when push comes to shove the GM can always throw something at the players well above the capability of the player's characters.

The other type is the person who thinks you need the big effects to have "fun."
Consider D&D for example. Sure you can at some levels throw around bolts of lightning, create explosions of fire, bolts of acid, and so forth, but at first level the wizard might get one magic missle and can only use it once in the course of the day. The fighter might hit the well armored opponent, assuming the fighter is lucky. These players might "fudge" a dice because not hitting all the time might not be considered "fun" in their eyes. (I know back some 20+ years ago when I played 1st edition, I was sorely tempted to cheat on character creation ... I could not roll an 18 to save my life ... never mind you needed certain minimums for certain classes like the Paladin.)

I think the latter can be addressed easier than the former. If the player is having enough fun then they won't be tempted to cheat or fudge. Using a fudge system can also allow teh borderline player a change to do the "fun" thing when their dice roll would result in definite unfun. Hero points, for example is a classic "fudge" system.

Remember, the most important thing is to have fun. That's the GM's responsibility. I would argue that fudging or cheating often really isn't as fun, so it's more of a question of does it bother people but does it detract from the fun? Even the potential fun of the cheater.

 

[Frozen DM]

Cheating bothers me a lot. I don't understand the need by some players to cheat in the game, either through fudging dice rolls, or creative accounting.

I figure some players do it so they can "win" at the game, which is an absurdity in itself. Others do it so their character will survive.

What annoys me are players who cheat in order to capture the spotlight for themselves. Sure, it's cool being the guy who scored a critical hit on the main boss, but managing it every single time?

What's worse, is this type of cheater inevitably takes away from the enjoyment of other players. I mean, what's the point of creating a character that specializes in a certain task, only to have the cheater come along and roll an average of 18-20 on every roll, surpassing you in almost every situation.

In our group we have a situation like this, and it drives me nuts. I can see the frustration on my player's faces when they are struggling against an enemy, missing rolls or rolling little damage, and then in comes the cheater with natural 20's every other time, and nearly max damage. Nothing is worse in roleplaying, IMHO, than feeling like a useless appendage to the group. And that's the end result cheaters produce, in my experience.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I'll just post more or less what I did on one of those (now departed) threads:

A roleplaying game is still a game. Cheating in any game is wrong, and shouldn't be tolerated, let alone encouraged. If it occurs, it's a problem that needs to be addressed. It should be addressed directly, but with tact and care in relation to the particular situation. Once it's addressed, the problem is solved.

So yes, I (along with the majority, it seems) care.

 

[Umbran]

If someone feels the need to cheat in order to enjoy spending time with their friends, I really don't care.

I take quote the opposite stance. If a friend feels the need to cheat in order to enjoy spending time with the group, there's something significantly wrong that ought to be addressed.