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Home (not house) rules you use when hosting
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 12:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whill wrote:
garhkal wrote:
I've often struggled over how to punish meta-gaming like it before..

LOL. Oh, the tribulations of an evil GM. "How do I punish players just right?"


Well, some people don't like players acting on out of character knowledge. Whether its using what THEY have read say in a novel, or via reading a module, to influence what their character does unduely. OR by using info the player is party to (like the DM has one of the characters off on his own get into hot water, and the rest just 'happen to decide to go check on said friend')..
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Telsij
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since I lived in a different borough than the other players in my longest running RPG group, I rarely hosted, BUT when I did, I requested only that:

- Shoes were off in the house.

- Whenever appropriate, we feature a "cutaway" to the Sullustan character of a friend who had left our RPG group, though this character eventually re-appeared as a recurring NPC -- and a traitor! Because we each rotated in a turn as GM after every complete adventure, we wound up incorporating a cutaway to this character fairly often (at least once per adverture, though not every session). After a while it became comedy relief, in part because the friend of ours whose PC this had been wasn't the best actor, let's say. And so, the Sullstan always wound up with terrible line readings, as befitting his established persona. For example, his heel turn was announced with an overly dramatic and especially obvious/corny, "You though I was your friend... but you were WRONG!!!"
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Dredwulf60
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 1:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whill wrote:
garhkal wrote:
I've often struggled over how to punish meta-gaming like it before..

LOL. Oh, the tribulations of an evil GM. "How do I punish players just right?"


Indeed.

It was rather bothersome; 2 players in particular; always trying to be helpful.

Say they were separated from the group and someone is trying to figure out a puzzle to open the door...he pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts; then suddenly player-not-there says "Remember the old man said_____; so you probably should push the blue button!"

That's when the rule would be invoked; fruit of the poisoned tree!

Yeah, it was a real sting sometimes, especially if the blue button WAS the answer. But it was effective. Incidents quickly were reduced to almost nil; particularly by a warning "SHUSH!" by the player who didn't want his characters actions artificially restricted by someone else's indiscretion.
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kalamaro
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 2:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

when i mastering a game, i need coffe ; smoking is not allowed but players can may ask a stop for both when is a non combat situation
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Naaman
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Metagaming is hard to control...

Ive always had an excellent memory, for example, so my characters have "benefited" from knowledge that THEY acquired, but that I retained over the course of weeks or months of play, whereas other charcters who received the same knowledge did not get that "benefit," evin if the character should have reasonably remembered.

I dont generally worry about metagaming simply because I allow for the assumption that the characters have "off camera" time to collaborate, preplan, train or otherwise discuss possible eventualities, and the "metagaming" is merely a " flashback or memory/cutscene in the ongoing story.

In some cases, of course, this isnt apllicable, and I will enforce the no-metagaming rule.
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Wajeb Deb Kaadeb
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My rule, no matter what RPG I play, is: Everyone shows up or we don't play.

I put a lot of work into games in between sessions. It is disrespectful to all of us to commit to a date and then blow it off because you found something better to do or had to wash the dishes.

I think the least a player can do is show up when he commits.
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 12:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Naaman wrote:
Metagaming is hard to control...
.


Which type of metagaming you on about?

Players are separated, and one gets in trouble, so the other's Miraculously know where he is and come to his aid?
Player on his own gets in trouble, and others chime in when their players can't (or shouldn't) be there to give info/advice?
Player using knowldge HE read/knows, for his character but there's no way the character would (like say the new fandango ship you are using, was read off a website, and he's also read that site so knows its stats/weaknesses)?
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Naaman
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 1:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Any kind, really. A cunning enough player can even disguose his metagaming as a series of apparently "random" guesses, all the while the player knows exactly what whants to achieve (using his personal knowledge), but is simply roleplaying as though the character is ignorant and just "stumbling upon" the right choices.

The player, for example could use his perspnal lnowledge of a ship's layout to "find" the nearest escape pod simply by "randomly" choosing a door, going through it and asking the GM to draw the what he sees, then "randomly" selecting the next correct door etc, etc, until he "discovers" the escape pods.

For players chiming in, yes: that can be attributed to a flashback/memory of some off-camera planning, training together, etc. In some case, not possible, of course and so metagaming not allowed.

As for players knowing where their buddy is, orthat he is in trouble, depending on the circumstances of how the characters were separated, I could go either way. Is it possible/likely that they could have had some off camera time to set up a check-in schedule or a regroup/rally point set up and the one character missed his check in or failed to make the appointed meeting? Etc, etc...
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Dredwulf60
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PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2017 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wajeb Deb Kaadeb wrote:
My rule, no matter what RPG I play, is: Everyone shows up or we don't play.

I put a lot of work into games in between sessions. It is disrespectful to all of us to commit to a date and then blow it off because you found something better to do or had to wash the dishes.

I think the least a player can do is show up when he commits.


In my experience, this can backfire.

I used to do this, but when one cancels and the game is postponed...then another cancels, and it's postponed again, we started getting into a tricky situation where some players think: "Why should I make sacrifice in my schedule when we probably won't end up playing anyway.?"

and

"Well we cancelled so Dave could go to see a movie, and then we cancelled because Joe had an overtime shift, then we cancelled because Tim's wife's playoff game, so I'm sure the game will be cancelled because I need to get my dog groomed that day."

Then we get to the assumption that the game rarely happens, so no one plans FOR it.

I then went with the opposite philosophy. The game goes on. If you can't make it, arrange your character to be controlled by another player; all things he does or gets done to him are binding, so make sure its a player you trust. (or the character just lurks in the background not saying or doing much...but might still get killed in certain circumstances)

Then, if the game is exciting enough, they HATE to miss a session and will PLAN to be there. Hearing the stories of the great one they missed is VERY compelling on future planning.

Later I tempered the philosophy a little, as playing a session with one player having to control all characters is a bit extreme, even if very rare.
Now we go with a quorum based on the number of usual players; ie if the gaming group has 5 players, we cancel if 3 or more can't make it.
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evilnerf
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PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2017 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I run a lot of online games. If I say your name twice, and you do not respond, you are officially delaying your action.

I have had players who have a problem with this.
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Wajeb Deb Kaadeb
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PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2017 10:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dredwulf60 wrote:
Wajeb Deb Kaadeb wrote:
My rule, no matter what RPG I play, is: Everyone shows up or we don't play.

I put a lot of work into games in between sessions. It is disrespectful to all of us to commit to a date and then blow it off because you found something better to do or had to wash the dishes.

I think the least a player can do is show up when he commits.


In my experience, this can backfire.


I establish this rule as soon as someone says that they want to play in our game.

It's worked well in the decades that I've used the rule.

I try not to come off draconian about it. I present it reasonably. "Hey, the reason we have this rule is that everybody is busy. Everybody has lives. We all sacrifice to be here."

There's a certain amount of peer pressure to attend. If you don't make it, and the others can't play because of you, then next time we play, you're probably going to hear about it from the others.

Also, because of this rule, people are usually pretty damn sure they can come when they commit to the game.

Sure, every once in a while, something pops up. When it does, we accommodate.

And, we will play if the person who is not coming can be "played around", meaning his character is left on the ship, or with the droids, or whatever.




Here's the way I feel about it.

If it's important to you, then you'll come. If you've got a yoga class, then you make that class. If you've got a poker night, then you go to that. Our game should be no less important to you.

As GM, I work hard outside of the game to make the game fun and exciting for all of us. Give me a little respect in just freakin' showing up to the game.

All of the other players have families, children, work, and lives. Somebody always has to sacrifice, even if its just a little. You disrespect them and their time if you don't show up.

And, if you don't show up often, then (even if you are a close friend) maybe you shouldn't be playing. If you can prioritize the game a bit more, then you're welcome to come back. But, right now, maybe you're too busy to play with us. Let us know if you think you can start making our games, and we'll welcome you back.





Quote:
"Well we cancelled so Dave could go to see a movie...


Yeah, see...this is why I have the rule. That's ridiculous. You need a legitimate reason to cancel in our game. If you went to a movie instead, well, you need to find another game.

Now, if your kid came down with the flu and your wife was working that night, we all understand. We'll postpone. But, these occurrences should happen very infrequently.




Quote:
Then we get to the assumption that the game rarely happens, so no one plans FOR it.


The idea is to make the game time important to the players--make it a real commitment.

It's about respecting everyone's sacrifice they made to be there: respecting my time that I put into the game in-between sessions, and respecting that all the other players had other things that they could have done, but they committed to and prioritized the game session.





Quote:
Then, if the game is exciting enough, they HATE to miss a session and will PLAN to be there. Hearing the stories of the great one they missed is VERY compelling on future planning.


That's the goal, right? To make every game session enjoyable and the overall campaign addicting.

Part of that, for us, is not having to deal with a missing person.

I don't like other people running characters for other players.

With a game like Star Wars, it's a little easier to have a missing player as that character can stay on the ship or even be on another world and can easily join back up with the group next game session.

In a game like D&D, it's much harder to leave a character with the horses while the rest of the part delves off into the dungeon. It's not easy to rejoin the character with the party.





One thing I have done, when a player cancels, is say something like, "OK, well, we're going to leave your character in the town. You're going to have to skip the next couple of game sessions until the party gets through the dungeon and can join back up with you."

This kinda turns the tables on a player that likes the game but doesn't prioritize it. Now, he's got a penalty. He can't play until we are ready to see his character again. Sometimes, a dungeon may take six sessions or so. Playing once a month--that's a long time not to play.



Another thing I'll do, as above, but if I have an NPC for a player to run, I'll let him come and play the NPC. Player want to play their own characters, but if they are forced to play NPCs for a while--until the party can make it back to join up with the missing character--they can end up playing that NPC for much more than a game session or two.
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2017 2:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dredwulf60 wrote:

I then went with the opposite philosophy. The game goes on. If you can't make it, arrange your character to be controlled by another player; all things he does or gets done to him are binding, so make sure its a player you trust. (or the character just lurks in the background not saying or doing much...but might still get killed in certain circumstances)


Exactly. If you have 5 players, and one cancels, there's no reason to call off the game for the other 4. Game on with that pc being missing, captured, back at home base or something..
Eventually if they miss enough games they will start falling way back in CP awards (or XP for adnd like games) and thus will start showing back up or they will fall so far behind they might as well drop out entirely..

Dredwulf60 wrote:

Later I tempered the philosophy a little, as playing a session with one player having to control all characters is a bit extreme, even if very rare.
Now we go with a quorum based on the number of usual players; ie if the gaming group has 5 players, we cancel if 3 or more can't make it.


One Player controling his own and one other player's PC i can see. BUT 3 or more.. No dice here too..

Quote:
Now, if your kid came down with the flu and your wife was working that night, we all understand. We'll postpone. But, these occurrences should happen very infrequently.


Or cause of being military "you were called into Duty shifts/put on security watch due to Force protection levels being raised.."
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