When is it time to move on?

[Nifft]

"Compromise" may be part of friendship, but part of DMing is "ruling with an iron fist".

Do you trust your friend? (Note: "trust" is also allegedly part of friendship.)

If so, give it a whirl. If not, well, re-evaluate the friendship thing.

-- Nifft

 

[LuYangShih]

Gaming is a recreational activity. You do it to have fun. If you do not think you will have fun in this campaign, do not play it. Simple.

 

[Dieter]

Hypothetical situation.

A close friend is about to start a new campaign, but you're not too happy about a couple of his design decisions; you feel that they will detract from your enjoyment of the game. You've spoken to him about it, and his reply is, in a nutshell, "I have a specific vision for my campaign. I want you in it, but not so much that I will compromise a little to make you happy." You're shocked because you've never imagined a time that you weren't gaming with this person.

You're good friends. You've gamed together for years, but now he's standing firm on his decision. Do you part amicably and not play together anymore? Do you try the campaign despite your misgivings? Do DMs have a responsibility to make some compromises? Do friends?

After discussion goes nowhere, what do you do?

Part amicably with the understanding that while you don't agree on this particular setting, that you'd be willing to game again at such a time when both parties agree to the setting.

But first, try the game out and possibly seek out other potential games before officially parting. You could end up high and dry with no game in sight. A "meh" kinda game is better than no gaming at all.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Let the man create! Perhaps he is aiming for something he can't tell you about, for plot purposes. I'd be happy as a fish in water if the DMs I game with were to experiment a bit more.

 

[Desdichado]

I'd rather play in a game I wasn't completely satisfied with than not play with my gaming friends. I'm willing to give my friends lots of latitude to run the kind of campaign they want to.

However, we rotate campaigns fairly frequently, so whatever we'd do, it wouldn't last long. I know I've run stuff my game was iffy on (i.e., my "Aliens" game where I gave each of five or six players two PCs each and only one PC survived.) At the end of the day, it was an experiment, it was over with relatively quickly, I think only one player actively hated it, so what the heck?

 

[Bagpuss]

Chances are, I'll have fun anyway. But it depends on the drastic nature of the change
"No Dwarves can be Wizards" is a completely different ballpark from, "We'll be Live-Action Roleplaying Erotic Fantasy."

Your right the first one would really bother me as I have been desperate to play a Dwarven Fighter / Wizards artificer.

 

[S'mon]

Try the campaign, with an open mind - you might like it. If not, you've given it your best shot. Don't brood and sulk and throw tantrums. If you don't like the campaign, don't play in it. Maybe you can still play in another game after it's run for awhile.

 

[Rel]

"No Dwarves can be Wizards" is a completely different ballpark from, "We'll be Live-Action Roleplaying Erotic Fantasy."

Henry, which of those runs counter to your "personal moral or religious beliefs"?

One other question I think pertains to the OP is "what do the other players think?" If everybody is iffy about the campaign premise and would like to see some changes then I think it is incumbent upon the GM to either bend a little to the tastes of the group or pass the reins to somebody else.

If most or all of the other players really like the concept and don't want it changed then I think it is better if you play along with an open mind or else say "I'll have to catch the next campaign."

 

[Wicht]

I gotta concur with Henry here.

If it doesn't violate your moral and ethical standards than give it a shot.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Just sit this game out. If my brother, whom I've gamed with the most, was insistant on having a dwarven wizard in my greyhawk game I'd tell him no, even if he didn't want to play. There are a few essentials that I cannot bend on, and dwarven wizards on Oerth is one of them.