When PCs go against the "archetype"

[pawsplay]

The fundamental thing to remember is to reward the type of activities that you would like the game to focus on.

That's a useful idea, but I think the fundamental thing is actually to remember that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. What is interesting is interesting and what is boring or frustrating or whatever is what it is.

 

[LostSoul]

Not enough to stop Superman in a DC Heroes game from refusing to cooperate with a directive of the US government, taking out two fighter planes with his heat vision, and heading to South America to build his Empire of New Krypton. Just for instance.

That's one way to look at it. Another way is to say that the system is about the choices the players make with their awesome powers; are they worthy of the title "Super-Hero"? (I've never played nor read DC Heroes so I can't say how it actually works.)

 

[ExploderWizard]

That's a useful idea, but I think the fundamental thing is actually to remember that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. What is interesting is interesting and what is boring or frustrating or whatever is what it is.

Certainly. Check the last line of the post.

 

[LostSoul]

I'm not sure how to say this, so I will point to a blog post: anyway: The Fruitful Void

 

[Starfox]

In short, what happens when the PCs abandon the tropes of their world and play according to "smart" play.

The rules you use define what is "smart". If there is no taking 20, or multiple allowed search rolls, then two minutes spent at each door is something that cannot happen. If there is nothing interesting to bye for gold, or if gold is not even tracked, then its no longer smart to rob and plunder. If you get honor rewards fr playing straight and rescuing maidens, then that becomes the "smart" thing to do.

Simulationism is only good as long as it simulates the genre you want to play in. If you want to play archeologists slowly opening up the tomb of Tuanchamon inch by inch, the search rules from 3E are for you. If you want Tomb Raider, a more casual, less simulationistic set of rules might be better.

 

[jbear]

Actually "the love of money is the root of all evil."

Sorry, I was referring to Bob Marley!

Besides you don't need to love it. You have to deal with it as it is the driving force behind world society on every level, whether you love it or not.

You can look at any social problem known to man and I'm sure money can be related to the root cause somehow or somewhy.

But that is a discussion to be had on in a completely different forum. While not overtly political, it is overtly nothing to do with RPGs!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You can look at any social problem known to man and I'm sure money can be related to the root cause somehow or somewhy.

Exhibit 1: Extremely Ugly Guys dating/married to Extremely Hot Women

Note to self: get more money.

 

[Wolf1066]

At times in the past, I've wished my players would "play smart" instead of bouncing around like some kind of Hollywood stereotype.

My games are not tooled up so that the "good guys" win against impossible odds like in the movies, they're supposed to think their way through the situations and say "these guys are far bigger and tougher than us" then proceed tactically - ambush 'em, frame them for something, get the dirt on them, whatever it takes to give the player team the edge.

Thankfully, my new group is showing promise in that regard. I'd be very surprised if they elected to tackle a major organisation head on. Perhaps now we should get the realistic and strategic playing that is required when the other side is bigger, richer and better-resourced than you.

Of course, I can see that that style of playing does not fit all genres or campaigns.

As to dithering around "taking 20" on every door or spending too much game-world time doing things, I build deadlines into the game so they'd have to find effective techniques that get timely pay-offs. (so spending 6 months laying fake "evidence" that would convince a rival organisation to take on your target would not "get the job done" in time).