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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6088892" data-attributes="member: 42582">Here is <a href="http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/7" target="_blank">Edwards</a> on turtling players: I have met dozens, perhaps over a hundred, very experienced role-players with this profile: a limited repertoire of games behind him and extremely defensive and turtle-like play tactics. Ask for a character background, and he resists, or if he gives you one, he never makes use of it or responds to cues about it. Ask for actions - he hunkers down and does nothing unless there's a totally unambiguous lead to follow or a foe to fight. His universal responses include "My guy doesn't want to," and, "I say nothing." I have not, in over twenty years of role-playing, ever seen such a person have a good time role-playing. I have seen a lot of groups founder due to the presence of one such participant. Yet they really want to play. They prepare characters or settings, organize groups, and are bitterly disappointed with each fizzled attempt. They spend a lot of money on RPGs with lots of supplements and full-page ads in gaming magazines. These role-players are GNS casualties. They have never perceived the range of role-playing goals and designs, and they frequently commit the fallacies of synecdoche about "correct role-playing." Discussions with them wander the empty byways of realism, genre, completeness, roll-playing vs. role-playing, and balance. They are the victims of incoherent game designs and groups that have not focused their intentions enough. They thought that "show up with a character" was sufficient prep, or thought that this new game with its new setting was going to solve all their problems forever. They are simultaneously devoted to and miserable in their hobby. My goal in developing RPG theory and writing this document is to help people avoid this fate.That's strong stuff, almost certainly over-generalising. But I can sympathise with the basic point - what is the turtling player doing turning up? What is s/he hoping to get out of the RPG experience?A related question - for those who value immersion, and hence a leery of overt discussion of or mechanical regulation of the GM's role, how do you at one and the same time (i) avoid GM force that deprotagonises players while (ii) regulate the GMs application of pressure so as to provoke action without just running right over the top of the PCs?</blockquote>

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