We all
have had to deal with problem players. Heck, most of us have probably been a
problem player at one time or another in our lives (of late, I am given to
rules-lawyering). There have been a lot great articles and such written on the
subject of how to deal with the issue of the problem player, but upon perusing
various role-playing groups I feel that people default to “boot the player” far
more often than is good for the game. We exist in a golden age of nerdery;
people actually want to get into this stuff.
With the expanding participant
demographics, it is only logical to assume that people with differing tastes,
desires, and expectations of what is or is not appropriate in a roleplaying
game are going to come together, and contention and strife can be expected as a
result. Individuals that come into tabletop roleplaying from MMOs are going to
have different ideas about how the game should be played then someone coming to
gaming from a roleplay by post background. The depth of character development,
the manner in which treasure is divvied out, and the very style of play are all
likely to be different. Heck, after forty years of game design it is hard to
find two veteran tabletop gamers who view these things the same way. Ever had
an OD&D grognard and a 3.X fanatic in the same party? Things get real
messy, real fast.
I am not going to attempt to
identify the different types of problem players and give novel solutions for
their behavioral issues here. That topic has been done elsewhere far better
than I ever could examine the subject. If you are interested in this, it is my
(in no way) humble opinion that the Vampire:
The Masquerade Storyteller’s Handbook covered this subject the in
the most complete and useful way ever published. In this article, I would like
to attack the problem at its source by talking about what is likely the most
overlooked aspect of your game: Session Zero. So, my stalwart reader, let us
dive in and explore how we can avert (to the best of our abilities) the problem
player.
Genre
Okay,
so this one probably goes without saying, but the first thing your group needs
to decide is what genre they want to play. This seems easy at face value, but
different players come in loaded with conflicting concepts about what each
genre entails. Say we are playing in a science fiction game, how expansive do
we want the universe to be? Is space travel easy or difficult? Is the future
expensive? How vast is the playing field? Is it galaxies, star systems, or as
small as the immediate planets around the characters homes? Are their
extra-terrestrial species? I could go on like this forever.
Regardless
of genre, these issues (or their genre equivalent) will come up, and, in my
experience, a large amount of problem player behavior stems from a fundamental
misunderstanding about the confines of the genre being played. Before you talk
about anything else with your players, make sure that this topic has been properly
exhausted. Don’t let pencil touch character sheet until everyone understands
and, most importantly, has agreed to the conceits of the genre in which you are
working.
Rule Heavy or Rules Light?
The distinction
between running a rules heavy and a rules light game is another important way
to stop problem behavior before it begins. Everyone hates rules lawyers, heck I
do and I often am one. There are some times when such a thing can be very
helpful, however. In a campaign (or system) where there are rules for every
conceivable circumstance, it is almost impossible for one person to keep all of
them straight. As such, if your party is committed to obeying printed rules,
having a rules lawyer player is pretty useful.
By the
same token, if you and your players enjoy the sort of free form gaming
experience that comes with playing in a rules light environment, this sort of
behavior is anathema to the culture of the game. For the sake of time, it is often
easier for the Dungeon Master to simply make a ruling and move on than it is to
spend time pouring over rulebooks to find the printed mechanic. Some players
may not like this “fast and loose” approach, however, so if you are the kind
of DM who prefers this, it is important to get that out in the open before play
even begins. By discussing this in session zero, you can avoid future arguments
about “what the book says,” because you were able to establish parameters as a
group for how to adjudicate these circumstances.
Be aware, though, that you should take notes
about what rulings you have made so you can stay consistent. Even players who
have agreed to a rules light style of play will begin to become upset it there
is a lack of consistency in the game. Dungeon Master fiat is powerful and, not
to sound like Uncle Ben, with great power comes great responsibility.
Role-playing or Roll Playing?
I like
a good dungeon crawl as much as the next guy. I mean seriously, this is
probably how majority of us (especially people that started gaming in second
edition or earlier) began their roleplaying careers. The endless onslaught of
monsters and treasure is, in many respects, the backbone of Dungeons and
Dragons and those tabletop games that emulate it. Not all games are like that,
however, and even within a system that lends itself well to the dungeon crawl,
not all players enjoy this style of game. If you have player that rolls a
character who is particularly suited for social circumstances, you are going to
have a lot of problems with that player if all the party does is hack and slash
their way through a labyrinth of antagonists.
As much as is possible, establish before the
game starts where you want the balance of play to be. Some groups may only see
combat as a means to further more interesting roleplaying experiences, and if
that is the case, combat should not be the major focus of the campaign. Not
every Dungeon Master, by the same token, is comfortable crafting the elaborate
campaign setting necessary to facilitate a more conceptual game, and that is
alright too. Session zero will often reveal that the gaming group is not well
suited for each other, and learning this early can save a lot of time and
frustration in the long run.
Cooperative World-building or DM Control?
World-building
gets overlooked a lot more than people realize. We often take for granted that
the Dungeon Master has his/her campaign world all laid out, and that we as
players just need to be dropped into this extant world of imagination. Often,
however, players want to feel more invested in the campaign setting, and this
is facilitated by allowing them to have some input into the various cultures,
countries, and geography of the world.
It is
perfectly fine if you come to the table with binders full of history, political
factions, geographic features, and endless maps, but this may make players feel
like they have little reference for the goings on of the campaign setting. Even
if you provide your players with a primer on the setting, it is highly unlikely
that more than a couple (if any) of them will actually read it. If you want
your game to be immersive, allowing players to add their own ideas to the world
can help them feel invested. This is not going to be the case for every group,
so it is necessary to talk about it prior to character creation.
Taboos
I have
saved what I feel to be the most important aspect for last. More games become
derailed and hostile because of a disagreement on what is or is not proper
subject matter during play than any other reason. Recently in a D&D
Facebook game I follow, the subject of rape reared its ugly head. As the thread
grew and became more hostile, I realized that this is a great example of the
kind of behavior that needs to be specifically talked about prior to play
commencing. I am sure we have all been in a party where one player acts in such
a way as to make us feel profoundly unsettled, uncomfortable, or afraid. Given
that gaming is supposed to be a cooperative and enjoyable experience, it is
best for everyone that a culture of mutual understanding is cultivated.
Even though you are playing a
chaotic evil character, it is important to understand that your desire to
decapitate the goblin baby is likely to make someone at the table
uncomfortable. For people that have been through traumatic experiences, the
description of a particularly violent act could open up a veritable Pandora’s
Box of memories that they are having difficulty not reliving to begin with, and
by bringing them up you have ruined the escapist nature of the game for them.
So please, talk explicitly about what are and are not acceptable topics at your
gaming table with your players. If someone states that a certain thing unnerves
them, don’t demand justification and don’t push the subject. Remember, we are
all here to have fun and leave the table feeling better about ourselves than when
we sat down at it. Don’t be the person that takes that away from someone.
Strong on his mountain (er… at his desk),
PJ
No comments:
Post a Comment