Downtown Khazan: Ice Cold Utopia

[Dalak]

I have a question for any who would answer: Do you know anyone who'd rather no one have any fun if they aren't having any? I learned how to game in high school despite a guy like that, and in nearly every large group of people trying to enjoy a game (MtG, D&D, etc) there's at least one. It's far worse when they are the ones running the game, I've had a LARP group self-destruct over that.

Since I've never found a way to easily deal with them other than kicking them out or ignoring them (Which doesn't really help), any tips?

[Iron_Twister]

not sure if me and nik are the only ones reading "beastars" but if we are, you guys need to read it.

damn good **** going on in this one.

I probably need to.

Had read Fire Punch and...Yeah, it's a grim one. Post apocalyptic story with all the negatives of such a setting (though this time it's actually a surprising change as it depicts an Ice Age than nuclear wasteland) but with superpowers.

Then it gets too weird and kind of annoying later on cause...I really think one character suddenly turned what was a pretty dark and messed up story into something that dwells on a lot of black comedy that comes off as jarring among other things.

spoilers:

Togata, the character in question, immediately takes nearly every character thus far to do exactly what she wants (create a film) and quickly proves to be the most dangerous character despite having literally coming out of nowhere. She kills off mooks and two of the sorta empire's best soldiers with ease and curbstomps a character that was built to be rather dangerous twice. She is portrayed as so much a threat that most characters admit they can't stop her. And she's an 300 year old immortal who has a healing factor that apparently only bothers to show up because she's bored since losing her entire collection of movies and finds a dude whose on fire hell bent on revenge to be a worthy plot to film...But by god, she's going to make the story go the way she wants it, forcing both sides to follow essentially her script. It gets really bad when she finds the target of Fire Punch's revenge to be a current mental wreck and realizing it doesn't make an interesting fight, forces the empire to release some of their worse criminals just so Fire Punch gets a real fight or else she'll blow up buildings. Oh, and she'll never stop with the movie references.

end of spoilers

I haven't finished Fire Punch...But I'm not sure if I want to continue.

[Iron_Twister]

I have a question for any who would answer: Do you know anyone who'd rather no one have any fun if they aren't having any? I learned how to game in high school despite a guy like that, and in nearly every large group of people trying to enjoy a game (MtG, D&D, etc) there's at least one. It's far worse when they are the ones running the game, I've had a LARP group self-destruct over that.

Since I've never found a way to easily deal with them other than kicking them out or ignoring them (Which doesn't really help), any tips?

Hmmm, months back was in a RP and a newcomer came during an event. The group played things out as usual in character...Then I get a PM from the newcomer who begged me to not be in character for this one event, rather seeing things snowball to the worst so we can get to the juicy stuff.

...The RP died not long after that as even I felt a little miffed.

[The MunchKING]

I have a question for any who would answer: Do you know anyone who'd rather no one have any fun if they aren't having any? I learned how to game in high school despite a guy like that, and in nearly every large group of people trying to enjoy a game (MtG, D&D, etc) there's at least one. It's far worse when they are the ones running the game, I've had a LARP group self-destruct over that.

Since I've never found a way to easily deal with them other than kicking them out or ignoring them (Which doesn't really help), any tips?

I'm guessing "12 feet of sharpened steel applied to whichever body part offended you most" isn't the answer you're looking for.

[Nik Hasta]

I really like Fire Punch, partly because of how unrepentantly weird it is. The whole back end of the story is really quite out there.

Beastars is also good, if very Japanese in its ideology.

[Dalak]

Hmmm, months back was in a RP and a newcomer came during an event. The group played things out as usual in character...Then I get a PM from the newcomer who begged me to not be in character for this one event, rather seeing things snowball to the worst so we can get to the juicy stuff.

...The RP died not long after that as even I felt a little miffed.

Yeah, even if they aren't in charge they can help to kill enthusiasm for the game which shuts it down in many cases. Sorry you had it happen to you too.

I'm guessing "12 feet of sharpened steel applied to whichever body part offended you most" isn't the answer you're looking for.

Nah, even if the person is next to me in a room I wouldn't go to prison just for the satisfaction of saying "NO! THIS IS WHAT A CRITICAL HIT REALLY IS!! STOP ARGUING WITH THE DM BODIE!"

[Iron_Twister]

I really like Fire Punch, partly because of how unrepentantly weird it is. The whole back end of the story is really quite out there.

Beastars is also good, if very Japanese in its ideology.

No probs, more power to ya. Admittedly looking at Fire Punch that way than how it started out looking does make the really weird bits unusual...But I can sorta enjoy it despite how it got jarring quick. It's probably something I'll get used to if I look into it some more.

And looks like another manga to binge read in my freetime to add!

[Iron_Twister]

Yeah, even if they aren't in charge they can help to kill enthusiasm for the game which shuts it down in many cases. Sorry you had it happen to you too.

We were losing steam as the thread was kinda getting stale but that additional didn't do us some good. It certainly didn't help early on we had a member whose character is a giant who uses archery and is out best hitter...Who suddenly poofed on us.

...Online RP is kinda delicate like that.

[Dalak]

We were losing steam as the thread was kinda getting stale but that additional didn't do us some good. It certainly didn't help early on we had a member whose character is a giant who uses archery and is out best hitter...Who suddenly poofed on us.

...Online RP is kinda delicate like that.

Yeah, it's not like you can head to their place a few days later and see what's wrong. I'm currently waiting on a friend in FL to either wake up or get back near a computer so we can play some Pathfinder, so I feel your pain.

[Sharpandpointies]

I have a question for any who would answer: Do you know anyone who'd rather no one have any fun if they aren't having any? I learned how to game in high school despite a guy like that, and in nearly every large group of people trying to enjoy a game (MtG, D&D, etc) there's at least one. It's far worse when they are the ones running the game, I've had a LARP group self-destruct over that.

Since I've never found a way to easily deal with them other than kicking them out or ignoring them (Which doesn't really help), any tips?

If you can find out what they WOULD consider 'fun' (other than making everyone else miserable) try to find a way to engage them by putting 'that' into the game.

If you can't, or if what they would consider fun would NOT be what the rest of the group considers fun, kick 'em. The GM needs to consider the fun of the majority of the group -- including themselves -- over the individual.

[Dalak]

If you can find out what they WOULD consider 'fun' (other than making everyone else miserable) try to find a way to engage them by putting 'that' into the game.

If you can't, or if what they would consider fun would NOT be what the rest of the group considers fun, kick 'em. The GM needs to consider the fun of the majority of the group -- including themselves -- over the individual.

Thanks for the advice, I'm rarely the GM but as I've been getting more opportunities to practice (Regular GM had a bad break up, so I'm running a One-Shot while he gets his mind right) I really appreciate it.

[Sharpandpointies]

Thanks for the advice, I'm rarely the GM but as I've been getting more opportunities to practice (Regular GM had a bad break up, so I'm running a One-Shot while he gets his mind right) I really appreciate it.

I could go into great detail -- and have, on Sharker's website -- but it boils down to the idea that the group is there to have fun, just like any 'team activity'. If someone is there to actively undermine that fun (either by deciding that there can be only one winner and it's them, or having a massive ego trip all over everyone, or disrupting everyone's plans 'for shits and giggles', or whatever), they don't belong there.

The trick is figuring out they're doing it on purpose, or (if not) that they won't change. So one really needs to talk to them a little, maybe one-on-one (because people who feel they're being called out in public automatically go defensive), and see what's up. Maybe they're bored, because the game isn't giving them what they want. Maybe that can be rectified so that everyone is happy! Which is great. Maybe they didn't even realize they were doing it.

Maybe their argument is 'but I'm playing in character!' at which point it's perfectly within the GM's right to say 'Yeah, but it's disrupting everyone else's fun, so I'm going to need to ask you to either change how you play THAT character, or change characters'.

And in the end, if it looks like they're doing it 'just because' or they won't change, then *hoof*. No drama, no 'horrible torturous things happen to that character' (because that's just going to make any hard feelings harder, and it's better to take the high road anyway). Just...player gets kicked, character 'leaves' or something (if they have to die, make it dramatic and awesome, it's not the character's fault the player was a doofus).

Because the GROUP is supposed to be having fun, not 'an individual'. And it's the GM's job (and the other the players' job as well, let us not ignore that) to ensure EVERYONE is having fun...including the GM.

^_^

[Dalak]

Again: Thank you very much Sharp! While I hope never to need this particular advice from the position of GM it's good to know.

[Gryphon]

[Tami]

If anyone lives in the path of the Hurricane, stay safe. Hopefully everyone evacuated.