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Power Gaming vs Role Playing
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<blockquote data-quote="PrometheanVigil" data-source="post: 6998163" data-attributes="member: 6703801"><p><strong><span style="color: red">Moderator edit.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color: red"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color: red">Insults, attacks, using masked profanity as a weapon, and more. Completely unacceptable. It's also really long. I'm putting it in an sblock.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color: red"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color: red">-Darkness,</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color: red">EN World moderator</span></strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p></p><p>Power-gaming is fine, as in optimizing your character to fit a certain "build" or niche. Role-playing is something that is, obviously, a soft skill instead of a hard skill like good stat combos. Generally, your average player is not likely to be good with this (if they were, they probably wouldn't be playing RPGs being 100% real) As a result, role-playing should always be considered a great-to-have but not absolutely critical. At the end of the day, the most important aspect of "RPG" is the *game* part and even if the given game a particular table heavily emphasizes cooperation, you are all ultimately trying to *win* it and *prevail* against obstacles and challenges the GM throws at you.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />. Of course you can tell a player how to play their character -- especially as GM.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Some of the players at my club have come up with a phrase that describes the right way to play RPGs: "Don't split the Skills!"</p><p></p><p>You need to have that mindset going in. Across all games I've GM'd and played in (I'm swinging it a heavy 80/20 bias here in terms of "games", where actual sessions *played* would marginal compared to GM'd). It doesn't matter if it's World of Darkness, Pathfinder, Edge of the Empire, HERO, Shadowrun or any other system, this is a golden rule throughout and it's something that is based in real-world If you're a day trader, you're going to be REALLY <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />ING GOOD at spotting trends in the maket to capitalize on instead of just so-so because you, like, have a thing for botany as well.</p><p></p><p>This is not saying you CAN'T do different things game-wise, this is simply saying if you're going to swing a sword, <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />ing know how to swing a godamm sword, <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />! There will be no compromise on that AT ALL.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Spotlight is fleeting. If I as GM am having to *force* spotlight on players, there's a problem there. Now, most times if I have a player like that, I look at them like the military might look at a raw recruit: you gotta break em' down so you can build em' back up! Get them playing with the team, get them to think how to help out, get them planning what actions to take and, most of all, get their confidence up. This works most of the time -- in those cases where it doesn't, I've done what I can and that player is just not going to make the cut. Thankfully, this is not a regularly occurrence in the slightest and those players that have been successfully upgraded have gone on to upgrade other players and their own games.</p><p></p><p>To keep it simple: spotlight is earned, not given.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, you have to break your average experienced player out of that mindset. A lot of them have had <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> GMs or have gamed alongside <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> players. </p><p></p><p>Also, the fragile "artiste" type or undercover snooty crybaby is just generally someone to boot from your games anyway. SUCK IT DOWN!</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>One of the best things about running a club is -- most of the time -- my players act as a "filter" just by themselves. They are so bloody friendly and so about bringing people in and getting them right into the game but if they smell <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />, they're going to call that person on it (this is usually somebody who ISN'T new to RPGs). Now that could be polite remarks or full-blown "WHAT THE <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />!" (god, I love those moments) but it means <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> players are usually dumped pretty quickly. Most awesomely, 90% of people walking through our doors are great people, decent blokes and ladynerds but there are just some who come in and would have been better off in a circlejerk. I have zero tolerance for <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> and the continued success of the clubs means that's obviously the tight approach.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Philosophical how?</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>No <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />.</p><p></p><p>Best thing to do is make sure BOTH are reconciled BEFORE starting the game, though.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I've received "concerns" from over a dozen different players throughout my time GM'ing and I always find myself simply telling those players to figure it out. Again, if you want to play your "amazing" concept then that's fine but don't then come moan and whine about other players overshadowing your PC mechanically -- honestly, they'd most likely overshadow you anyway (and that's actually been the case more than once!).</p><p></p><p>At the end of the day, the most I could ask for in terms of background for a character and why they do what they do is "I need dat bread: I got rent to pay". That's it -- that's all! If that's the reason you're running home invasions on orc strongholds, murdering them, grabbing their <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> and then pawning it off while LOLolloing away into the sunset and back to town, <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />ing A. That's, like, one of the best, most simple, most authentic reasons ever. Nobody gives a <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> if you want to play persuasionator with a really fa-un-cy background and then you play like <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> and <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> up the game for everyone else when it counted (tense negotiations over major trade disputes between kingdoms, perhaps?).</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This is a good starting point and it's great to see you've tipped your hat to mechanical efficacy since that's the point of all this "role-playing" at the end of the day. You are most likely probably quite well liked among your group/s and a go-to guy of sorts, I'm guessing?[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="PrometheanVigil, post: 6998163, member: 6703801"] [b][color=red]Moderator edit. Insults, attacks, using masked profanity as a weapon, and more. Completely unacceptable. It's also really long. I'm putting it in an sblock. -Darkness, EN World moderator[/color][/b][color=red][/color] [sblock] Power-gaming is fine, as in optimizing your character to fit a certain "build" or niche. Role-playing is something that is, obviously, a soft skill instead of a hard skill like good stat combos. Generally, your average player is not likely to be good with this (if they were, they probably wouldn't be playing RPGs being 100% real) As a result, role-playing should always be considered a great-to-have but not absolutely critical. At the end of the day, the most important aspect of "RPG" is the *game* part and even if the given game a particular table heavily emphasizes cooperation, you are all ultimately trying to *win* it and *prevail* against obstacles and challenges the GM throws at you. :):):):):):):):). Of course you can tell a player how to play their character -- especially as GM. Some of the players at my club have come up with a phrase that describes the right way to play RPGs: "Don't split the Skills!" You need to have that mindset going in. Across all games I've GM'd and played in (I'm swinging it a heavy 80/20 bias here in terms of "games", where actual sessions *played* would marginal compared to GM'd). It doesn't matter if it's World of Darkness, Pathfinder, Edge of the Empire, HERO, Shadowrun or any other system, this is a golden rule throughout and it's something that is based in real-world If you're a day trader, you're going to be REALLY :):):):)ING GOOD at spotting trends in the maket to capitalize on instead of just so-so because you, like, have a thing for botany as well. This is not saying you CAN'T do different things game-wise, this is simply saying if you're going to swing a sword, :):):):)ing know how to swing a godamm sword, :):):):):):):)! There will be no compromise on that AT ALL. Spotlight is fleeting. If I as GM am having to *force* spotlight on players, there's a problem there. Now, most times if I have a player like that, I look at them like the military might look at a raw recruit: you gotta break em' down so you can build em' back up! Get them playing with the team, get them to think how to help out, get them planning what actions to take and, most of all, get their confidence up. This works most of the time -- in those cases where it doesn't, I've done what I can and that player is just not going to make the cut. Thankfully, this is not a regularly occurrence in the slightest and those players that have been successfully upgraded have gone on to upgrade other players and their own games. To keep it simple: spotlight is earned, not given. Unfortunately, you have to break your average experienced player out of that mindset. A lot of them have had :):):):):):) GMs or have gamed alongside :):):):):):) players. Also, the fragile "artiste" type or undercover snooty crybaby is just generally someone to boot from your games anyway. SUCK IT DOWN! One of the best things about running a club is -- most of the time -- my players act as a "filter" just by themselves. They are so bloody friendly and so about bringing people in and getting them right into the game but if they smell :):):):):):):):), they're going to call that person on it (this is usually somebody who ISN'T new to RPGs). Now that could be polite remarks or full-blown "WHAT THE :):):):)!" (god, I love those moments) but it means :):):):) players are usually dumped pretty quickly. Most awesomely, 90% of people walking through our doors are great people, decent blokes and ladynerds but there are just some who come in and would have been better off in a circlejerk. I have zero tolerance for :):):):):):):):) and the continued success of the clubs means that's obviously the tight approach. Philosophical how? No :):):):). Best thing to do is make sure BOTH are reconciled BEFORE starting the game, though. I've received "concerns" from over a dozen different players throughout my time GM'ing and I always find myself simply telling those players to figure it out. Again, if you want to play your "amazing" concept then that's fine but don't then come moan and whine about other players overshadowing your PC mechanically -- honestly, they'd most likely overshadow you anyway (and that's actually been the case more than once!). At the end of the day, the most I could ask for in terms of background for a character and why they do what they do is "I need dat bread: I got rent to pay". That's it -- that's all! If that's the reason you're running home invasions on orc strongholds, murdering them, grabbing their :):):):) and then pawning it off while LOLolloing away into the sunset and back to town, :):):):)ing A. That's, like, one of the best, most simple, most authentic reasons ever. Nobody gives a :):):):) if you want to play persuasionator with a really fa-un-cy background and then you play like :):):):) and :):):):) up the game for everyone else when it counted (tense negotiations over major trade disputes between kingdoms, perhaps?). This is a good starting point and it's great to see you've tipped your hat to mechanical efficacy since that's the point of all this "role-playing" at the end of the day. You are most likely probably quite well liked among your group/s and a go-to guy of sorts, I'm guessing?[/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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