What type of game do you hate?

[Desdichado]

I hate "deep immersion storytelling"! Although I enjoy role-playing and getting into character, I've played in one too many games where there is no action. I enjoy good role-playing and good stories, but I've played in games where an entire session (3-4 hours) is spent talking. In one game that I played in, the party was sent to take out a maurading orc band. Playing a battle hungry ranger (who hated orcs) I was gearing up for an epic fight. To my dismay, the entire 4 and a half hour session was spent trying to decide the best plan of attack against the orcs (and if possible how to take care of the problem without resorting to combat) Given the party's level and other factors, the players knew that they could take out the orcs without much trouble. But, "their characters didn't know", so we spent the entire session in character trying to figure out how to take care of the orc tribe.

I also hate extremely weak/gritty games. I enjoy playing larger than life characters, not some average joe trying to make a living in a cruel world. I played in one such game, and it had an extremely high mortality rate. (And characters who survived combat were often permantly incapacitated since the DM was playing with specific injuries and didn't have magical healing in his world) I played for two sessions, and had my character killed by one hit in the second session. (Sorry, the guard stabs you in the neck, killing you. Roll up a new character.) Needless to say, I didn't bother to come back.

Yeah, I like story-heavy games, but I can't for the life of me figure out why so many folks think that means no action. I happen to like movies with lots of action too, but not if the story's no good.

But on your other point, I don't like superhero games, unless I'm playing superhero genre. A game that puts the fear of God (or the DM

) into you is fun. See the other thread on adding horror to your D&D games.

 

[Avatar_V]

I hate "deep immersion storytelling"! Although I enjoy role-playing and getting into character, I've played in one too many games where there is no action. I enjoy good role-playing and good stories, but I've played in games where an entire session (3-4 hours) is spent talking. In one game that I played in, the party was sent to take out a maurading orc band. Playing a battle hungry ranger (who hated orcs) I was gearing up for an epic fight. To my dismay, the entire 4 and a half hour session was spent trying to decide the best plan of attack against the orcs (and if possible how to take care of the problem without resorting to combat) Given the party's level and other factors, the players knew that they could take out the orcs without much trouble. But, "their characters didn't know", so we spent the entire session in character trying to figure out how to take care of the orc tribe.

Hehehe.. well, I'll admit that adventure doesn't sound especially exciting, but I was just thinking exactly the opposite. I'm sick of railroaded hack & slash adventures. Recently my DM started a new campaign and it looks like my character may get to use his high int score for something other then bonus languages! I'm very excited about this change because in the past an adventure consisted of having to fight some demon for no particular reason and getting xp. It was boring.

 

[Deedlit]

Any railroaded game, where only sorcerers, clerics, and paladins have charisma above 8(No one will ever play a bard) that consists of go into a dungeon, kill all monsters, collect loot, leave, buy new equipment, heal, repeat indefinitely

 

[BluWolf]

Games that are showcase sessions for a DMs old PCs.

Uber NPCs that sideline players.

DMs that can't tell the difference between plot twist and completely unrelated or unitroduced solution to current maniacal plot.

Any game where you feel "guilty" for the treasure your character has.

 

[Limper]

Any time 8-12 hours of my life pass and not only was I bored but got less than 1000 xps.

I can tolerate a lot but I must be rewarded.

Nother peeve is the DM who only punishes... meaning only uses negative reinforcement.

DM's who run a game and want role playing but give less XPs for the Role play solution than they do for just killing the foe.

Summed up lets say inconsistent games, and boring games.... and any game that reeks of Tolkien.

 

[alsih2o]

gotta go with the inconsistency thing, i can live with either kind of game, i just wanna general theme...and choices

 

[sfgiants]

Any game where the dm tells you how to rp your character. "Your character wouldn't do that." Actually, I am my character. He does what I want. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. (ok, so I had a bad experience recently)

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

what is a style of game that you really dislike?

I really dislike the "6 characters--5 of them are rich upper krust dandies and the sixth is a lower class worker" type adventure.

I just played one in Call of Cthulhu at GenCon. It was fun to play, but everyone role-played well and four of the five snobs ignored or slandered my poor little bartender. So, then the GM and players had to create artificial reasons to get my character involved. For example: it's morning, and the GM asks each character 'what do you do?' The other five all go off and investigate various sites; my says, "I go to work." Pause. DM: "You might tell your boss that you're too stressed out to work after the previous night's terror, and he'll probably give you the day off." It's a minor nit pick, but it happened recently at another role-playing convention, so it "stuck out" as an annoying set-up since I've hit it twice in six weeks.

 

[Desdichado]

Re: Re: What type of game do you hate?

I really dislike the "6 characters--5 of them are rich upper krust dandies and the sixth is a lower class worker" type adventure.

I just played one in Call of Cthulhu at GenCon. It was fun to play, but everyone role-played well and four of the five snobs ignored or slandered my poor little bartender. So, then the GM and players had to create artificial reasons to get my character involved. For example: it's morning, and the GM asks each character 'what do you do?' The other five all go off and investigate various sites; my says, "I go to work." Pause. DM: "You might tell your boss that you're too stressed out to work after the previous night's terror, and he'll probably give you the day off." It's a minor nit pick, but it happened recently at another role-playing convention, so it "stuck out" as an annoying set-up since I've hit it twice in six weeks.

That's why, when I DM, I like to have everyone sit down together for the first session and craft characters together. They don't have to show each other character sheets, or spill all the beans on background or even say anything that wouldn't be immediately obvious to the other characters such as class (in fact, I prefer that they don't). But they need to have a reason to work together. If they don't, it's hard to fault the DM except that he didn't exercise enough control over the chargen process. And in a con type situation, I'm not sure that he has the chance to anyway.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Re: Re: Re: What type of game do you hate?

That's why, when I DM, I like to have everyone sit down together for the first session and craft characters together. They don't have to show each other character sheets, or spill all the beans on background or even say anything that wouldn't be immediately obvious to the other characters such as class (in fact, I prefer that they don't). But they need to have a reason to work together. If they don't, it's hard to fault the DM except that he didn't exercise enough control over the chargen process. And in a con type situation, I'm not sure that he has the chance to anyway.

Good way to start a group off right. Both of my "bad groups mixes" were in convention games--a one-shot (tonight) and an RPGA "Living" Campaign--which is a crap-shoot for character mix unless you put together a group.

Don't get me wrong--I still had fun (it's only a four-hour slot in both cases). But if the group doesn't have a reason to work together, it does feel awkward when you have to contrive reasons for them to work together.