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Dealing with paranoid players
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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 5647497" data-attributes="member: 22779"><p>Honestly, Kitsune, I don't think those solutions are going to help. If you start having plans fail, the players are simply going to become even more paranoid. If you start punishing behavior, it often means that the behavior becomes even more pronounced and entrenched.</p><p></p><p>You have to show that there is a valid alternative. Simply whacking them with a stick won't do it because they've been trained to expect the stick. That's the whole point behind the analysis paralysis and over paranoia. </p><p></p><p>For example, if you use #5, "Trap them", then you will be guaranteed that every single time from that point forward, they will never go anywhere without massive amounts of checking every single pointless detail. You've shown them exactly what they believed to be true - the world is out to get them. It's feeding their paranoia, not punishing it.</p><p></p><p>In other words, the 2 and 2 they will put together will simply reinforce their behavior, not channel it into other directions.</p><p></p><p>Probably the fastest way to get past this is to just say yes. The players start discussing how to handle something and the DM says, "Ok, that works."</p><p></p><p>Player: What do you mean? We didn't actually do anything.</p><p>DM: Really? Oh, I thought that was your plan. Great plan. It works perfectly.</p><p>Player: ... umm? Really?</p><p>DM: Yeah it was exactly right. Now you are in this situation, ((Begins describing the next situation))</p><p></p><p>Do that a couple of times and you break the habit of needing to endlessly debate every little detail. Show that you, as the DM, are willing to be fair about things, but you're not going to airmchair quarterback their ideas. If it's reasonably plausible, it's good enough.</p><p></p><p>Heck, that works for 99% of genre fiction, it's more than good enough for your gaming table.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 5647497, member: 22779"] Honestly, Kitsune, I don't think those solutions are going to help. If you start having plans fail, the players are simply going to become even more paranoid. If you start punishing behavior, it often means that the behavior becomes even more pronounced and entrenched. You have to show that there is a valid alternative. Simply whacking them with a stick won't do it because they've been trained to expect the stick. That's the whole point behind the analysis paralysis and over paranoia. For example, if you use #5, "Trap them", then you will be guaranteed that every single time from that point forward, they will never go anywhere without massive amounts of checking every single pointless detail. You've shown them exactly what they believed to be true - the world is out to get them. It's feeding their paranoia, not punishing it. In other words, the 2 and 2 they will put together will simply reinforce their behavior, not channel it into other directions. Probably the fastest way to get past this is to just say yes. The players start discussing how to handle something and the DM says, "Ok, that works." Player: What do you mean? We didn't actually do anything. DM: Really? Oh, I thought that was your plan. Great plan. It works perfectly. Player: ... umm? Really? DM: Yeah it was exactly right. Now you are in this situation, ((Begins describing the next situation)) Do that a couple of times and you break the habit of needing to endlessly debate every little detail. Show that you, as the DM, are willing to be fair about things, but you're not going to airmchair quarterback their ideas. If it's reasonably plausible, it's good enough. Heck, that works for 99% of genre fiction, it's more than good enough for your gaming table. [/QUOTE]
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