Have You Used The X Card Or Seen It Used In Person?

[Reynard]

A couple posts in the con GMing thread got me thinking about the X Card. I have never seen it used in actual play, or used it myself. I run a decent amount of con games and have run games at stores and other public situations, and it has never come up.

Have you used it? Have you had it used in a game you were running or playing? If so, what were the circumstances (be kind to the people involved, please, and don't out anyone for their preferences, please). I am honestly curious what it looks like "in the wild" rather than simply as a theoretical thing in a book.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

I've had it present on the table at con games that I've played in available for use, but I've not seen it actually used live. The one game where I thought there was a better than average chance of it coming up had a really conscientious GM who worked with us to identify no-go zones up front, so it didn't come up.

 

[Kichwas]

If you or a player at your table ever actually uses it, then chances are someone at the table needs to get booted out. In my experience before the days of this concept existing, that someone (when the card would have been used if we'd thought of the idea to have it) would have usually been the GM. Had too many GMs that insisted on some very violent NSFW plotlines when female PCs or players were present.

I've experienced some players that turned out to be absolute racists in RL. But they had managed to contain it at the table such that I only figured out I needed to get away from them during 'break time' chatter when the fact that I sometimes pass as white to some people caused them to 'slip up start going off'. I'd sit there watching friends who'd known me longer and actually looked at me rather than just saw me from an angle at a table start laughing or agreeing with them and have to re-access who my friends would be in about 2 minutes.

But I can't directly recall ever seeing a player do something that would have needed it 'in game', going back to 1980. I've just had bad luck with past GMs.

I do keep it active despite this when I run games. Because this is the kind of tool that you never need until you do, and when you finally do you really need it.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Nope, never used it nor seen it used. I do think it's possible that its mere presence is a deterrent. Having it be there on the table is enough to remind all the people sitting around the table to behave a little bit better and that people are indeed paying attention. So in that regard it's doing its job.

 

[jdrakeh]

I've seen it used in public games (e.g. convention games). I specifically address its use as a "back up" to lines and veils in the game I'm currently authoring (Black Aegis, formerly The Conspiracy).

 

[RenleyRenfield]

Yes. Here are a few examples =

X-Card =
.

"You are limiting my fun". Player A wanted to make some bad choice that would get them into trouble or even dead. By and large, this choice would not affect other player characters, or it would but only in a tangential way. Player B cast a spell on Player A's character to prevent them from making the bad choice, thinking they saved a life. Player A X-carded and said "I feel like I can't play my character by my own choices."

While we all know about the kinds of players who ruin the scene for everyone, or do actions that ruin the plots of others = this was not one of those times. So the use of the x-card seemed appropriate. We abided by the rules of the x-card, we did not debate, dither, or ask for justification of the X. We just altered play, let Player A fall to their death and moved on.

We had a retrospective after game and came to the unanimous conclusion this was a proper use of x-card.

...............................

"You need a timeout" = Player A was highly emotional, and making demands that were no longer in character. They tried to couch their actions as their character being panicked over the situation at had (which as dire at most, and charged at least.) At some point Player A continued to halt play and demand alternatives or simply walking away from the scene.

While we knew the scene was pushing buttons, and we knew there were stakes on the line for loss or suffering. It was well elaborated on in the CATS agreements everyone made, that this was a goal, tone, and subject matter of the game. The player who had the X card imposed on them did not argue, they took a hour timeout and came back to passively witness the rest of the session.

We had a retrospective after game and all players agreed this was appropriate use of the X card, and Player A thanked us for not judging them, and just giving them time to chill.

Side note: many games later, Player A X-carded themselves and put themselves in timeout when they felt they were too emotional to play. This was an excellent use, as it required nobody to call anyone out, and it didn't impede play. They only needed about 15 min cool down time before they were able to come back and fully engage. They said it was great because the card helped ensure they felt they would not be judged or miss out, but also gave them the time they needed to handle emotions.

................

OVERALL

Just like C.A.T.S.; we have found the X-card to get used 2 or 3 times a year, out of many many games - no not used often at all... but when its used it is a MAJOR help and respectful way to handle issues where players are being earnest but not on the same page.

We tend to see more value in C.A.T.S.; as that ALWAYS curtails players being on different pages. It was talked about, written down, and posted. So it tends to be a great silent way to remember what this particular game is all about.

.....

Side Side note
We tend to see these problems mostly in D&D, and a few other combat heavy, non-social rules, non-player agency, pass/fail games.
The more hopeless a player's dice rolls are, and the more GM fiat dictates fun - the more the X-Card and CATS is needed.
IMHO....Most everyone (not all) who join a player-agency or GM-no-roll game, tend to not need these tools as they are pretty well aware of the stakes and content of the game well before characters and sessions start...

 

[Reynard]

I've seen it used in public games (e.g. convention games).

What were the circumstances of its use (if you can say)?

 

[The Firebird]

Never seen it deployed. I've seen it required in games for some AL groups. At one group, they added a 'bathroom break' sign to the other side of the card, with the idea that it would help it be used more often and make people more comfortable deploying it at the table. Still never used.

 

[Reynard]

Yes. Here are a few examples =

X-Card =
.

"You are limiting my fun". Player A wanted to make some bad choice that would get them into trouble or even dead. By and large, this choice would not affect other player characters, or it would but only in a tangential way. Player B cast a spell on Player A's character to prevent them from making the bad choice, thinking they saved a life. Player A X-carded and said "I feel like I can't play my character by my own choices."

While we all know about the kinds of players who ruin the scene for everyone, or do actions that ruin the plots of others = this was not one of those times. So the use of the x-card seemed appropriate. We abided by the rules of the x-card, we did not debate, dither, or ask for justification of the X. We just altered play, let Player A fall to their death and moved on.

We had a retrospective after game and came to the unanimous conclusion this was a proper use of x-card.

...............................

"You need a timeout" = Player A was highly emotional, and making demands that were no longer in character. They tried to couch their actions as their character being panicked over the situation at had (which as dire at most, and charged at least.) At some point Player A continued to halt play and demand alternatives or simply walking away from the scene.

While we knew the scene was pushing buttons, and we knew there were stakes on the line for loss or suffering. It was well elaborated on in the CATS agreements everyone made, that this was a goal, tone, and subject matter of the game. The player who had the X card imposed on them did not argue, they took a hour timeout and came back to passively witness the rest of the session.

We had a retrospective after game and all players agreed this was appropriate use of the X card, and Player A thanked us for not judging them, and just giving them time to chill.

Side note: many games later, Player A X-carded themselves and put themselves in timeout when they felt they were too emotional to play. This was an excellent use, as it required nobody to call anyone out, and it didn't impede play. They only needed about 15 min cool down time before they were able to come back and fully engage. They said it was great because the card helped ensure they felt they would not be judged or miss out, but also gave them the time they needed to handle emotions.

................

OVERALL

Just like C.A.T.S.; we have found the X-card to get used 2 or 3 times a year, out of many many games - no not used often at all... but when its used it is a MAJOR help and respectful way to handle issues where players are being earnest but not on the same page.

We tend to see more value in C.A.T.S.; as that ALWAYS curtails players being on different pages. It was talked about, written down, and posted. So it tends to be a great silent way to remember what this particular game is all about.

.....

Side Side note
We tend to see these problems mostly in D&D, and a few other combat heavy, non-social rules, non-player agency, pass/fail games.
The more hopeless a player's dice rolls are, and the more GM fiat dictates fun - the more the X-Card and CATS is needed.
IMHO....Most everyone (not all) who join a player-agency or GM-no-roll game, tend to not need these tools as they are pretty well aware of the stakes and content of the game well before characters and sessions start...

Interesting. I had not been thinking of the X Card in that way when I wrote the OP. I am not sure I have ever had a player unable to control their real life emotions to that extent in a game before.

 

[RenleyRenfield]

Interesting. I had not been thinking of the X Card in that way when I wrote the OP. I am not sure I have ever had a player unable to control their real life emotions to that extent in a game before.

Yeah, its part person, and part medications. So that's a whole other thing. (and not limited to a single person either...)

I will be honest, for decades I had not really "seen" it before... until I did. Just like with bad systems that players willfully gloss over, I finally noticed that there are bad play habits and bad behaviour that most players just gloss over.

There are a 1001 ways to justify it, but as time has gone on I have come to the feeling that they do need a little highlight, and sometimes need awareness.

Ever since we started using CATS and the X-Card = our games go longer, our groups stay closer, and our plots have gotten more rich and diverse. It has allowed us to lean into content (from goofy to heartbreaking) and see far better player engagement.