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Message: <blockquote data-quote="doghead" data-source="post: 2920531" data-attributes="member: 8243">Its seems to me that a lot of this has to do with expectations. I recently read some of the GNS theory essays. While I'm not well versed in the material, and don't wish to get into a debate as to its effectiveness as a Universal Gaming Theory, it seems to me that it has some value as a mechanism for analysing some of the situations posted here.You mean I need to remember stuff? This guy sounds like a Gamist. The player sees the plot as a mechanism to move them from one challenge to another, where in lies their motivation for playing. They are more interested in seeing how their character stacks up against the adversaries the GM pitches at them. If the GM is looking for a more Narrativist experience and expects that the players will take up the plot, follow its developments and are motivated to see how the story unfolds, he is going to get frustrated."Mr. Impractical Character Concept" This guy sounds like a Simulationist. He want to explore the experience of being a character he has seen in the latest Anime or whatever. When the game fails to give him the opportunity to do so (which may be because his character really is out of sync) then he gets bored and frustrated.Others like But it's what my character would do could be analysed the same way, and the behaviour of those like Mr. Not here-Right there seems to indicate some form of disatisfaction with the game resulting from a disjunction between the player's interests and the game being played. Of course, they might just be rude or annoying people generally. I'm not trying to excuse anyone's behaviour.The reason that GNS has been interesting to me is that is has given me an insight into why players are may not be enjoying a game as much I would hope they would. And with that, I am better equipped to deal with it. I am more relaxed about players tending to sit back during crtain sections of the game so long as they are enjoying the rest of it. Persistant opting out combined with non-game activity suggests that the game is just not for them as things stand. Sometimes common ground can be found, sometimes it can't. thotd</blockquote>

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