In lieu of all the recent threads coming up concerning drugs, gender roles, homosexuality, etc. (you know, the threads trying for a high comment count by using a polarizing subject), I decided to make a thread involving none of the above so I can get some input on an entirely different matter.
I'm planning on writing up a list of "do's" and "don'ts" for tabletop or forum role-playing. As I've found from experience, the "don'ts" section always tend to overshadow the "do's" section since it's so very easy to do things wrong. Based on previous endeavors, I already have some of the big no-nos in mind, such as:
1.) Don't meta-game. Nothing grates a GM quite like having someone using out-of-character knowledge to their advantage. And meta-gaming comes in more flavors than just using your degree in Advanced Calculus to have your troll fighter realize something he should by all accounts be too dumb to figure out. For example:
I game with my friends every week. We've played many different campaigns in several different universes (D&D, Shadowrun, Vampire: The Masquerade, All Flesh Must Be Eaten, etc.). Yet, without fail, I can always count on one thing happening every time:As soon as the game starts, my friend "Leon" will immediately attempt to be super-friendly towards me and befriend me right off the bat when it makes absolutely no sense for him to be doing so in-game. His reasoning? The other players tend to not get along with his playing style as well, so he immediately clings to the player/character who tolerates it most, i.e., me. No one has called him out on it yet, but I have brought it to his attention.
2.) Keep your character's personality CONSTANT. This should explain itself, honestly. Another example of this from my gaming group:
My friend "Wiz" has made more than his fair share of characters over the years we've been gaming. He's been at it for much longer than I have, as well. He's made people of all shapes, sizes, races, and types, but one thing always, ALWAYS remains the same: Regardless of what he says the person's personality is like, he will either forget out that later on or just eschew it to begin with and slip straight into his typical Jerkass persona. Always cynical, always trying to take lead of the group, and ALWAYS automatically hostile towards Leon's character. Needless to say, it gets old really fast.
3.) Don't assume that the campaign is all about you. Don't you just love it when you come up to a situation that could easily be solved with a little teamwork, but you can't make that suggestion due to being drowned out by:
"My character does THIS."
"No, MY character does THIS."
"That won't work, it's better if MY character does THIS."
"But then MY character can't do THIS!"
etc.?
...Yeah, me neither. Don't forget that you're a PARTY of people, not just yourself and a group of meat-shields. Take the time to stop and let other people speak or act. You'd be surprised how much further you can go in a campaign when you don't waste time arguing.
I'll be posting more as the ideas come along.
Anyway, my question to my fellow Escapists is this: what're some other gaming taboos that you've dealt with, and can you give examples/experiences of why it's bad?
I'm planning on writing up a list of "do's" and "don'ts" for tabletop or forum role-playing. As I've found from experience, the "don'ts" section always tend to overshadow the "do's" section since it's so very easy to do things wrong. Based on previous endeavors, I already have some of the big no-nos in mind, such as:
1.) Don't meta-game. Nothing grates a GM quite like having someone using out-of-character knowledge to their advantage. And meta-gaming comes in more flavors than just using your degree in Advanced Calculus to have your troll fighter realize something he should by all accounts be too dumb to figure out. For example:
I game with my friends every week. We've played many different campaigns in several different universes (D&D, Shadowrun, Vampire: The Masquerade, All Flesh Must Be Eaten, etc.). Yet, without fail, I can always count on one thing happening every time:As soon as the game starts, my friend "Leon" will immediately attempt to be super-friendly towards me and befriend me right off the bat when it makes absolutely no sense for him to be doing so in-game. His reasoning? The other players tend to not get along with his playing style as well, so he immediately clings to the player/character who tolerates it most, i.e., me. No one has called him out on it yet, but I have brought it to his attention.
2.) Keep your character's personality CONSTANT. This should explain itself, honestly. Another example of this from my gaming group:
My friend "Wiz" has made more than his fair share of characters over the years we've been gaming. He's been at it for much longer than I have, as well. He's made people of all shapes, sizes, races, and types, but one thing always, ALWAYS remains the same: Regardless of what he says the person's personality is like, he will either forget out that later on or just eschew it to begin with and slip straight into his typical Jerkass persona. Always cynical, always trying to take lead of the group, and ALWAYS automatically hostile towards Leon's character. Needless to say, it gets old really fast.
3.) Don't assume that the campaign is all about you. Don't you just love it when you come up to a situation that could easily be solved with a little teamwork, but you can't make that suggestion due to being drowned out by:
"My character does THIS."
"No, MY character does THIS."
"That won't work, it's better if MY character does THIS."
"But then MY character can't do THIS!"
etc.?
...Yeah, me neither. Don't forget that you're a PARTY of people, not just yourself and a group of meat-shields. Take the time to stop and let other people speak or act. You'd be surprised how much further you can go in a campaign when you don't waste time arguing.
I'll be posting more as the ideas come along.
Anyway, my question to my fellow Escapists is this: what're some other gaming taboos that you've dealt with, and can you give examples/experiences of why it's bad?