So, I've decided that I hate roleplaying

[wayne62682]

Let me explain. I prefer my roleplaying in very small doses. I don't enjoy having half a session devoted to talking "in character", nor do I like having to speak in first person for my character. I like combat, I like tactical maneuvers, and I like killing things and taking their stuff

Roleplaying, to me, is something that should be the background and not the major focus. I don't want to "play stupid" with my character, and therefore make poor tactical decisions that hurt the rest of the group. Maybe it's because during the past year I stopped playing D&D and started playing WoW, but it's now my view that someone who hurts their party for "roleplay reasons" is a total jerk and doesn't belong in the group. I don't like being "forced" to speak in first person with my character; IMO it's perfectly acceptable to say "<character name> tells the guard blah blah blah..." and that is roleplaying. I don't have to engage in dialogue and be all like "Hail, my good man! I am seeking blah blah blah canst thou help me?" like improv theater. Sadly most of the people I've gamed with have not agreed and felt I was not roleplaying "properly" because I don't like speaking in first person.

My old group lost two of its members when my friend's sister and her boyfriend stopped playing (both said they weren't really "into" D&D and were just playing because the brother asked them to). So my friend wanted to try Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and kept saying how great it is and hyping it. So I've given it a shot for about a month now. And I hate it. The system is alright and a unique take, but it encourages so much roleplay and "narrative" that it disgusts me. Since my friend is big into the roleplay aspect, to the point where he dislikes 4e for it's base "heavy combat, light roleplay" mentality, he finds this great. I find it boring as hell. I like my roleplay light and my combat heavy, since combat is where I have the most fun. My friend is the kind I described above, where it's not "roleplaying" unless I'm talking in first person, and he loves how WHFRP pushes the roleplay even to the point of this "party tension" nonsnese that hinders you if you can't agree on something. He even said he loves the system because it focuses on "the party narrative" which just makes me want to barf.

So... what can I do? I've noticed that lately, I don't even have a desire to play RPGs because I want to avoid the roleplay except where absolutely necessary (or the occasional witty remark during combat, things like that), and as far as the combat goes I feel I'd rather be playing WoW because there's no "house rules" to muck things up because someone doesn't agree with the RAW.

Is there any hope for me, or are my days of RPGs over and I should just stick with WoW?

 

[ExploderWizard]

There is nothing wrong with realizing what you enjoy doing. The thing to do now is find a like minded bunch of folks and game on.

 

[wayne62682]

Easier said than done, since I don't even have an FLGS close by

 

[Pbartender]

Is there any hope for me, or are my days of RPGs over and I should just stick with WoW?

You are not alone.


I DM for a whole group of gamers who are not too different from you. They just want to hang out with friends, shoot the a bit, eat some pizza, drink some beer, run around a dungeon pretending to be wizards and elves, kill monsters and take their stuff.

It's like the geek version of a weekly poker night.

Now, we do toss in some light role playing, some puzzles and mysteries and political intrigue here and there to mix it up. But that's all salt and pepper to taste... Hack-n-slashing is our bread and butter.

In other words, don't give up on the game yet. Go looking for like-minded gamers who want to play a game in the same style as you do. Be up front about what you are looking for in a game. And don't be too hard on the people to are heavy into role playing. Everybody plays the game for different reasons, and no one's fun is any less valid than anyone else's.


Good Luck.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Is there any hope for me, or are my days of RPGs over and I should just stick with WoW?

I think so, or other crpgs.

Personally I like both aspects of rpging. Talking in character is very important to me and so is combat.

 

[TerraDave]

I learned a long time ago that you have to let players role play the way they want, as long as it doesn't become a (real) problem for someone else.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Easier said than done, since I don't even have an FLGS close by

Do you have a Borders or other bookstore that sells D&D nearby? Perhaps you could advertise there?

The internet is another possibility. See if there are any Yahoo or other gaming groups based in your area that might enjoy your style.

 

[Umbran]

So... what can I do?

Look for a group of people who like playing the way you do. While stretching a little bit can sometimes be fun, there's no call to do that which you really dislike doing. Square peg in a round hole, and all that.

Also, you might want to look into tactical wargaming as an alternative to RPGs. You might find more fun there.

 

[wayne62682]

Now, we do toss in some light role playing, some puzzles and mysteries and political intrigue here and there to mix it up. But that's all salt and pepper to taste... Hack-n-slashing is our bread and butter.

This pretty much sums up my playing style, too. I don't mind the occasional roleplaying or intrigue, but I like it in small doses to taste, and the combat/hack-n-slash is the staple.

Also, I have looked into tactical wargames - I used to play Warhammer many years ago but it got far too expensive, and also lack of a game store meant there was little, if any, opportunities to play unless I wanted to drive 25+ miles in the hopes there would be someone to play against (even the local game stores don't really have scheduled anything, they're just "there" for anyone to wander in, typically it's the CCG folks)

 

[IronWolf]

So... what can I do? I've noticed that lately, I don't even have a desire to play RPGs because I want to avoid the roleplay except where absolutely necessary (or the occasional witty remark during combat, things like that), and as far as the combat goes I feel I'd rather be playing WoW because there's no "house rules" to muck things up because someone doesn't agree with the RAW.

It definitely sounds like if you want to continue RPGs that you need to find a like minded group. You will only find frustration to try to game with people that do not match your game style close enough which will sour any RPG game you are in.

As for the rules, I think there is always some debate as to RAW in some games, so even that may be hard to avoid to a degree. Again, a lot depends on the group you are gaming with.

As for finding a new group, some have already posted suggestions. But there is the gamers seeking gamers forum here, other sites have those as well. There are also the D&D meetups that might let you meet people of like interests. And these days you can get a pretty good gaming experience through a VTT and something like Skype or Ventrilo which open up a whole multitude of possibilities as to who you can game with.

After all of that, if RPG still doesn't interest you then there is alway WoW. Do what you enjoy, if WoW draws your fancy more at the moment than RPGs, there is nothing wrong with that option either.