Greetings!
Aaron Clarey is an economics guy that is a professional in the financial industry, as well as being a published author of several books. Aaron Clarey has run his YouTube program now for many years, where he regularly discusses economic topics, current events, social issues, international travel, and being a successful, independent man. He is also a gamer, and has been an enthusiast of Dungeons & Dragons for years, since the 1980's.
Here, in his program, he discusses some of his recent "adventures" while attending TTRPG sessions at various local game stores in his area. Aaron Clarey is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
It's sad that the Captain (Aaron Clarey) spent so much time away from gaming only to come back to this mess.
There's nothing quite like sitting around a table with friends and playing an RPG.
Buh-but you c-cannot c-call them mentally ill anymore!
Yeah, it's always a bad idea when someone brings along his girlfriend, especially when she isn't really interested in the game. However, I've also had good experiences with female players, so I can't generalize. It's nothing new that the hobby attracts mentally unbalanced people, as this has been a problem for decades. I think things started to go downhill after the introduction of "storytelling" games.
Man, I haven't watched Aaron Clarey in years. It's always jarring to see how people have aged after not seeing them for a while.
Quote from: Svenhelgrim on February 11, 2024, 03:49:42 AM
It's sad that the Captain (Aaron Clarey) spent so much time away from gaming only to come back to this mess.
There's nothing quite like sitting around a table with friends and playing an RPG.
Greetings!
Yeah, it is awesome that Clarey is getting back into gaming! He clearly loves D&D for sure.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
The bored GF has been the bane of groups and games for decades.
I successfully got my wife into TTRPGS. Which was harder than most because she has severely bad Dylsexia and Dyscalcula but it was still possible. I just have to read her character sheet for her. If people want to join in they will. So don't try to force it on people who don't want to join in. In general I'd only take my girlfriend to a group if I knew she'd be interested in it. I wouldn't take her if she was just going to hang around and have a strop. I've no idea why others would do that. It can't be fun for the group or the girl. Just tell her to go do something else for 4-6 hours a week. It's not hard.
The problem with mental illness is that the layman has no fucking clue how mental health works. They think metal illness means someone acts like a clown and can be treated with talk therapy. In reality, the dangerously mentally ill go around murdering people with shotguns, sawing people's heads off on public transportation, drown their own children, kill themselves, and generally present a danger to themselves and potentially others. Others are harmless but cannot live a normal life unless they take their meds everyday. Every person is different. But mental illness is pretty much everywhere to some degree and so much of it goes undiagnosed until something happens that cannot be ignored. I was abused by a mentally ill person for years and have struggled with depression and suicide ideation in the past.
Whenever I read idiots online demonstrating their insulting ignorance of mental health issues, I want to punch them through the screen. But they're fucking everywhere and you can't educate them until a psychopath is running at them with a chainsaw. And these kinds of idiots are everyone in government and the mental health field, the organizations that are supposed to be responsible for keeping this in check. No surprise that mental illnesses are skyrocketing.
He pretty early distinguishes between genuine mental illness and people who adopt various descriptors as ways of making themselves the center of attention. I don't think he really goes into it in the detail that such a topic deserves (why do people on the fringes of behavior and emotion try to run as far away, carrying as many identity flags related to mental illness and/or sexual or political identities instead of grouping into one of the many useful and normal areas of sociological organization as best they can, as was normal for decades in at least America?), but he's definitely not just pooping on the mentally ill.
I haven't messed around with any organized play in many years (not since Pathfinder 1), but I definitely noticed at that time that the quality of gamers at the table was a lower than it was just a few years prior. I dismissed it as a geographical thing (I had since relocated), but I did try five different venues around town over a couple years, and eventually decided that none of them would serve as regular things. I haven't tried organized play, which I could be interested in, or just pick-up-grouping a group, since then, and it seems like the latter would always be rough, and much tougher in the current environment.
Here would be what I would try if I did want to find a group in a game store, though. I'd look for game stores on google maps, and I'd look for ones that are suburban or exurban, even if that was a drive. And I'd try a few of those out and see. Real life dangerhairs are uncommon, and while gaming stores WILL draw them, they are often going to form their own groups- meaning that I wouldn't expect every place to have them in similar numbers. It's hypothetical though- I run with RL people these days and have for years.
Quote from: SHARK on February 11, 2024, 03:41:13 AM
Greetings!
Aaron Clarey is an economics guy that is a professional in the financial industry, as well as being a published author of several books. Aaron Clarey has run his YouTube program now for many years, where he regularly discusses economic topics, current events, social issues, international travel, and being a successful, independent man. He is also a gamer, and has been an enthusiast of Dungeons & Dragons for years, since the 1980's.
Here, in his program, he discusses some of his recent "adventures" while attending TTRPG sessions at various local game stores in his area. Aaron Clarey is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
My advice to Aaron is the same I would give to anyone else with his issue. Do not go and seek RPG pals at a gaming store. Instead recruit people who are already your friends/close acquainted to play a table top game with you. In my experience it was a whole lot easier to teach people I get along with than try to learn to get along with weirdos who already know rules.
One of the games I was DM'ing for Adventurer's League for the before times had a couple playing, the guy was into D&D. His girlfriend would play but to be honest, her IQ was in the lower 80's and she had problems adding two numbers together. It ended up with her auto attacking. It was not fun to deal with as a DM.
I just watched his video. Perhaps try to filter out some of that nonsense, by running a ruleset that is known for being hardcore. If they sign up, and start the nonsense; tell them to role a perception check, followed by an initiative check, followed by the BBG showdown, in the very first session. If they survive the encounter, monitor their behavior. Every time they start going sideways, take them straight into a BBG encounter. No mercy. Let the dice decide.
They should either change their ways, or remove themselves promptly. Any who do change, might be worth your effort. The rest, not so much.
This guy is hilarious. Love the video.
I've run games in stores and solicited players on left-leaning boards. The easiest filter is to run something that's not 5e and that's not a trendy indie darling. I live in a very lefty city, and I've never had a significant problem using this filter.
Jesus fuck what was this bullshit?!
I thought I'd be hearing a Bill Rufo type or at least an Ackerman type, making an intelligent argument about society, and instead I got old garage grandpa complaining about playing in FLGS and being surprised that its mostly freaks at the FLGS. The video in no way matches the way you described it. There's no thinking complaints here, just personal griping.
I have news for Aaron Clarey, there was a lot of BO at game conventions in the 80s even if he chooses not to remember.
Quote from: Kerstmanneke82 on February 11, 2024, 04:03:09 AM
Buh-but you c-cannot c-call them mentally ill anymore!
Morally Challenged.
Quote from: RPGPundit on February 12, 2024, 05:11:16 PM
Jesus fuck what was this bullshit?!
I thought I'd be hearing a Bill Rufo type or at least an Ackerman type, making an intelligent argument about society, and instead I got old garage grandpa complaining about playing in FLGS and being surprised that its mostly freaks at the FLGS. The video in no way matches the way you described it. There's no thinking complaints here, just personal griping.
It depends on where your FLGS is. The schools have got the Hitler Youth program... I mean Gay Straight Alliance clubs going so there is only one boy wearing a dress at the hobby shop. I've got a cop, a manager, a mechanic and a lab tech in my game, mostly moderate and one pinko. It's tolerable, and I live in a purple area.
Yeah, the guy's video seems to be able to be summed up with "don't play with randos" and I already don't, so. Only play with people you know. That's hardly new, either. Even before 5e filled up the place with critical role fans, there were plenty of people floating around who you would not want to play with.
Many of the video's commenters said that the people who play at the LGS are there because they don't get invited into local groups. Is that anyone's experience? The LGS here is friendly to MTG players and doesn't want RPGs taking table space away from the MTG crowd so I wouldn't know.
Quote from: Valatar on February 13, 2024, 04:35:57 PM
Yeah, the guy's video seems to be able to be summed up with "don't play with randos" and I already don't, so. Only play with people you know. That's hardly new, either. Even before 5e filled up the place with critical role fans, there were plenty of people floating around who you would not want to play with.
Critical Role fans are the fucking worse. You have guys come up with three pages of back story and they expect to be the main character. I ten of those fuckers show up at the hobby shop, I kept 4 of them for session two when I told them the area will write their story, I'm not going to be customizing the adventure for each and every person.
Quote from: honeydipperdavid on February 13, 2024, 06:16:08 PM
Quote from: Valatar on February 13, 2024, 04:35:57 PM
Yeah, the guy's video seems to be able to be summed up with "don't play with randos" and I already don't, so. Only play with people you know. That's hardly new, either. Even before 5e filled up the place with critical role fans, there were plenty of people floating around who you would not want to play with.
Critical Role fans are the fucking worse. You have guys come up with three pages of back story and they expect to be the main character. I ten of those fuckers show up at the hobby shop, I kept 4 of them for session two when I told them the area will write their story, I'm not going to be customizing the adventure for each and every person.
I've not experienced the three page backstory characters, but I've played with people online that have a terrible case of "main character syndrome". They have to speak all the time. Commenting on what other people are doing. Narrating every single thing they do, even when they are not with the other characters that are currently roleplaying their actions. They have to insert themselves into every situation. They get jealous if someone else deals the final blow in a Boss fight.
And, for some odd reason, the times that I've encountered they always refer to their character in third person. So, "Conan does this and does that. Conan smirks and laughs at the other heroes. While this is going on, Conan is just sharpening his sword."
It's terrible. That's narrating not roleplaying. Perhaps that's why they feel like they can interject even when their character is not around, since they see this as a movie and not a roleplaying game.
Quote from: Cipher on February 13, 2024, 06:56:34 PM
Quote from: honeydipperdavid on February 13, 2024, 06:16:08 PM
Quote from: Valatar on February 13, 2024, 04:35:57 PM
Yeah, the guy's video seems to be able to be summed up with "don't play with randos" and I already don't, so. Only play with people you know. That's hardly new, either. Even before 5e filled up the place with critical role fans, there were plenty of people floating around who you would not want to play with.
Critical Role fans are the fucking worse. You have guys come up with three pages of back story and they expect to be the main character. I ten of those fuckers show up at the hobby shop, I kept 4 of them for session two when I told them the area will write their story, I'm not going to be customizing the adventure for each and every person.
I've not experienced the three page backstory characters, but I've played with people online that have a terrible case of "main character syndrome". They have to speak all the time. Commenting on what other people are doing. Narrating every single thing they do, even when they are not with the other characters that are currently roleplaying their actions. They have to insert themselves into every situation. They get jealous if someone else deals the final blow in a Boss fight.
And, for some odd reason, the times that I've encountered they always refer to their character in third person. So, "Conan does this and does that. Conan smirks and laughs at the other heroes. While this is going on, Conan is just sharpening his sword."
It's terrible. That's narrating not roleplaying. Perhaps that's why they feel like they can interject even when their character is not around, since they see this as a movie and not a roleplaying game.
Those are two separate things. Third person narration is role playing. It's not acting. The other thing is main character syndrome and yeah it sucks.
Quote from: rytrasmi on February 13, 2024, 07:01:59 PM
Quote from: Cipher on February 13, 2024, 06:56:34 PM
Quote from: honeydipperdavid on February 13, 2024, 06:16:08 PM
Quote from: Valatar on February 13, 2024, 04:35:57 PM
Yeah, the guy's video seems to be able to be summed up with "don't play with randos" and I already don't, so. Only play with people you know. That's hardly new, either. Even before 5e filled up the place with critical role fans, there were plenty of people floating around who you would not want to play with.
Critical Role fans are the fucking worse. You have guys come up with three pages of back story and they expect to be the main character. I ten of those fuckers show up at the hobby shop, I kept 4 of them for session two when I told them the area will write their story, I'm not going to be customizing the adventure for each and every person.
I've not experienced the three page backstory characters, but I've played with people online that have a terrible case of "main character syndrome". They have to speak all the time. Commenting on what other people are doing. Narrating every single thing they do, even when they are not with the other characters that are currently roleplaying their actions. They have to insert themselves into every situation. They get jealous if someone else deals the final blow in a Boss fight.
And, for some odd reason, the times that I've encountered they always refer to their character in third person. So, "Conan does this and does that. Conan smirks and laughs at the other heroes. While this is going on, Conan is just sharpening his sword."
It's terrible. That's narrating not roleplaying. Perhaps that's why they feel like they can interject even when their character is not around, since they see this as a movie and not a roleplaying game.
Those are two separate things. Third person narration is role playing. It's not acting. The other thing is main character syndrome and yeah it sucks.
Third person narration puts a barrier between the Player and the character. It is considerably easy to not think as the character if this barrier is in place. By definition, roleplaying is pretending to be a particular character and act as that character would.
Kids in the playground don't do: "Batman does this and batman does that!" They say: "I am Batman! I am the night! You will not get away with this, Joker!".
Same with Cops and Robbers. You don't go "My cop shoots at the robber" you go "Bang! Bang!" and do a pistol with your fingers.
You don't have to method act, do a funny voice or weird accent but if you say: "Conan does" instead of "I do" then you are not really roleplaying. Now, I am not going to go into every single game and police how they roleplay. That's up to each game and each group. But, there is a difference.
If people just want to have fun with friends, throw some dice and have some beers and pretzels, then that's fine. But, that's a different game than a game where the Players want to roleplay and immerse themselves into the experience of getting into the mindset of a living entity in an imaginary world and seeing that world through their character's eyes.
Death is cheap if a character dies. Death is meaningful if
you are about to die. Like with all games, adults and even children, understand the difference between the character dying and you dying. If you see yourself as the character you would take decisions to avoid death. It's the same reason why people with sparring gear are extremely violent when training medieval swordfighting. Because, they
know nothing is going to happen. In a real life duel with sharp swords, people fought with caution. Specially in the medieval times, where even a cut could doom you due to infection.
But, I do agree that one thing is third person narration and another is main character syndrome. I do believe its easier to fall into that pitfall if you do this, since only the Narrator in a book would refer to characters in third person, and the narrator is omniscient. The same with a Director in a movie or TV Show, and thus the need to comment on everything, if your character is in another place.
In my experience, this almost never happens when people do an effort to get immersed. They stay quiet and pay attention when their character is not around, as they understand they, the Players, are audience at this particular point in time in the session, since their character is elsewhere and thus they are less likely to crack a joke or say anything.
I dunno man I've played with some pretty old grogs and I'm getting up there myself. Both styles are role playing in my book. Some do one or the other, some do both, some mix it up. I don't want to turn this into some epic internet argument, so peace out.
The first thing I do with any new player that uses third person is to correct them so they say "I do this." Problem solved in a session.
Quote from: Cipher on February 13, 2024, 07:18:58 PM
Third person narration puts a barrier between the Player and the character. It is considerably easy to not think as the character if this barrier is in place. By definition, roleplaying is pretending to be a particular character and act as that character would.
Role playing is making decisions for your character as if the character was a real thing in the imaginary world. That's it. How you communicate your decisions to the group is a matter of taste, game flow, excitement of the moment, and a host of other factors of varying importance. You are confusing "immersion" as a synonym for "role playing". It's true that most people who highly value immersion don't see any point in role playing that doesn't include it, but they are two distinct things.
First vs third person is a non issue. One can roleplay in third person and play act in first person with no roleplaying whatsoever. In a roleplaying game players declare character actions, the GM adjudicates the result and narrates the outcome. If players are narrating instead of declaring actions than you have yourself a storytelling by committee circle jerk instead of a roleplaying game.
Quote from: Steven Mitchell on February 13, 2024, 08:55:34 PM
Quote from: Cipher on February 13, 2024, 07:18:58 PM
Third person narration puts a barrier between the Player and the character. It is considerably easy to not think as the character if this barrier is in place. By definition, roleplaying is pretending to be a particular character and act as that character would.
Role playing is making decisions for your character as if the character was a real thing in the imaginary world. That's it. How you communicate your decisions to the group is a matter of taste, game flow, excitement of the moment, and a host of other factors of varying importance. You are confusing "immersion" as a synonym for "role playing". It's true that most people who highly value immersion don't see any point in role playing that doesn't include it, but they are two distinct things.
The literal dictionary definition of roleplaying is:
"Act out or perform the part of a person or character, for example as a technique in training or psychotherapy."
When children roleplay in the playground as characters from the media they consume, they never speak in third person.
Ever. That was the first time we all roleplayed before playing a TTRPG.
This is also true in therapy. The reason why it has to be in first person in therapy, is because it is mainly used so the client can get an idea of the mindset of the person he is roleplaying as. A very common example is a couple. The therapist will ask them to roleplay as the other person. So, the man will speak as if he was his wife and the woman will speak as if she was her husband. If things go well, both of them realize how much they were communicating pass each other because they never stopped to think like the other and how their words are getting received.
Only when playing TTRPGs do people claim roleplaying can be done in third person. I am not saying you are
playing the game wrong. You do whatever you want to do in your games. But, by definition, it is not 'roleplaying'.
Also, in TTRPGs, you add a system with conflict resolution mechanics to avoid the "That shot hit you, robber!" and "No it didn't! I dodged it!". So, the dice adjudicate and inform the resolution. That is the 'G' part of TTRPG.
Quote from: Grognard GM on February 13, 2024, 08:14:09 PM
The first thing I do with any new player that uses third person is to correct them so they say "I do this." Problem solved in a session.
This is the way!
Cipher, pretend elf role playing is neither therapy nor training, as you of all people should know based on your recent experiences with people trying to use the game to push you into their zone. So your definitional appeal to authority is moot.
While I guess not as common as it once was, back in the day it was not unusual for one person to have more than one character, or character plus a couple of henchmen that they also ran. Usually you would be your main character in the latter case, but still say what your henchman do.
The stock I print on is not the stock I cook a broth from, nor is it the stock I shoulder when shooting. Specific fields or applications will demand specific definitions of otherwise common terms.
The best concept or defenition(s) of roleplaying, as it pertains to roleplaying games that I have found come TheAngryGM.
Quote from: TheAngryGM: https://theangrygm.com/tao-of-dice/
Roleplaying means making choices based on an assumed role and an imaginary situation. Roleplaying is making the choices you would make if you really were Ardrick the fighter and your hometown really was under attack by savagely evil orcs.
Quote from: TheAngryGM: https://theangrygm.com/angry-office-hours-2/
Roleplaying is about projecting yourself into a role. It's imagining yourself as someone else and trying to act as that person or thing. Part of every choice is reflecting the personality, motivations, hopes, and fears of your in-game persona.
Quote from: TheAngryGM: https://theangrygm.com/ask-angry-november-2023-mailbag/
Freeform roleplaying isn't gaming.
Thus, an actor's award winning performance reading a script is not roleplaying, and a roleplaying game is more than a game with roleplaying.
Quote from: Steven Mitchell on February 13, 2024, 10:03:02 PM
Cipher, pretend elf role playing is neither therapy nor training, as you of all people should know based on your recent experiences with people trying to use the game to push you into their zone. So your definitional appeal to authority is moot.
I find this comment very strange. I am not sure why would you bring that topic up since this has nothing to do with it and I am not calling people names. I even agreed that "main character syndrome" and "3rd person narration" were two different and unrelated things when it was pointed out to me. So I had that experience and created a thread about it and that means I can no longer have an opinion?
Indeed, its not therapy. This is why I primarily used the first roleplaying experiences most people had. Cops and robbers in the playground. Twice I talked about it. Since the dictionary definition that I used in my second post about this topic included the psychological usage of the term,
then I included.
Just to make it clear that, in every example of the activity, roleplaying is done in 1st person. Only in TTRPGs is it referred to in the same manner as 3rd person narration.
This has nothing to do with trigger warnings. I am not making judgements here. I am not saying people are playing it wrong or that they are isms or bigots or other expletives if they play this way. I specifically said that I am not going to police other groups. People can play however they want. I also specifically said that some groups enjoy just throwing dice, cracking jokes all the time and narrating. They are having their own fun. I wouldn't enjoy a goofy game like the way a lot people play D&D where its almost like a boardgame, where players are more focused on the numbers and dice, narrate all their actions, instead of roleplaying their actions and crack jokes and meme all the time.
I am not sure why you claim that I tried to appeal to authority here. I think you are confused on what that means.
Appeal to authority is:
"I've been roleplaying since the hobby started. I was at the table Gygax ran when he invented the hobby. Therefore, I know what roleplay is and you don't". I never said anything of the sort. I am, however, using the dictionary definition of the word and its implementation. In every example of what "roleplaying" means, be it academic or pragmatic, it is always in 1st person. Only in TTRPGs is 3rd person narration considered roleplaying. And I am not the only one that thinks this, so not even in TTRPGs is 3rd person narration universally accepted as the same as roleplaying, as you can see on comments on this very thread.
I am sure people that play this way are having fun. I am happy for them. I don't really enjoy that. I am not militant either. It's OK to talk out of character every now and then. Crack a joke, take a break to go to the bathroom or refill your drink or whatever. But, if someone narrates their character actions all the time, then they are narrating and they are not roleplaying.
"pretend elf role playing" Exactly. Pretend to be the elf. When children play "make believe" or "pretend" they say: "I am Link, the elf! and I will defeat Ganon and save Zelda!". They don't say: "Link will save Zelda and goes over to Ganon and swings the Master Sword at him!". That type of example usually goes when the kid is alone and playing with toys. So the toy will save Zelda, not 'him'.
You can do whatever you want. In the first example, the child is roleplaying as Link. See themselves as Link and act and talk like they believe Link would. They understand and always know they are
not Link. In the second example, the child is narrating what Link does. If people enjoy using 3rd person narration instead of 1st person roleplaying, I am not sure they would be upset. But, of course, this is the internet and people are used to feel judged or chastised when someone disagrees. I am not doing that. Play whichever way you want. But, let us be clear here.
Roleplaying game sessions will involve narration at different points. Specially from the GM. Stuff like setting a scene requires narration. I am just calling a spade a spade. Roleplaying is not the same as Narration.
I prefer to roleplay and prefer groups were the players roleplay. It has nothing to do with LARPing, method acting, doing voices or accents.
I'll have to leave some disclaimers here since, it appears that I have to:
*I am not hating on playing toys or minis. Wargames and boardgames are super cool. I don't have a problem using minis and mats with roleplaying games.
*I am not hating on people narrating. I do have a problem with the "main character syndrome" but I agreed that
I was wrong and those are two different unrelated situations that happened at the same time in my example.
Quote from: JeremyR on February 13, 2024, 10:08:15 PM
While I guess not as common as it once was, back in the day it was not unusual for one person to have more than one character, or character plus a couple of henchmen that they also ran. Usually you would be your main character in the latter case, but still say what your henchman do.
This is a great example of moments the roleplaying session requires narration. I would roleplay as my character and narrate what my henchmen say.
I must admit, I never actually have played in games like that. Back in the AD&D2e games where the Fighter attracted henchmen, the DM would roleplay as them, but they would follow my directions and I would roll their dice for anything that called for it.
However, I think narrating their actions and roleplaying my character would work perfectly fine, as well.
Quote from: Cipher on February 13, 2024, 09:33:25 PM
The literal dictionary definition of roleplaying is:
"Act out or perform the part of a person or character, for example as a technique in training or psychotherapy."
Oh, come on man...
Me: Types "define roleplaying" into search engine
Computer: <beep, boop, beep, blurp...>
Quote
Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
role play
/ˈrōl ˌplā/
noun
noun: roleplay
another term for role playing.
verb
verb: roleplay
1.
act out or perform the part of a person or character, for example as a technique in training or psychotherapy.
"study participants role-played as applicants for community college"
2.
participate in a role-playing game.
"one to six players can role-play as any of over 100 characters"
If you're gonna quote the dictionary, then quote the dictionary.
Anyway, as you can see from this here dictionary right here, we are all correct. We all win!
(https://i.imgflip.com/1z38yt.gif)
As an aside, where I see this strict, exclusive definition of roleplay being uniformly accepted is in video games. People will spin up "RP" servers where first-person role playing is a major component, if not the main goal. However, in computer games, third person narration is not required, and probably not even welcome, because the screen does all the work.
Quote from: RPGer678 on February 13, 2024, 05:56:09 PM
Many of the video's commenters said that the people who play at the LGS are there because they don't get invited into local groups. Is that anyone's experience? The LGS here is friendly to MTG players and doesn't want RPGs taking table space away from the MTG crowd so I wouldn't know.
Not my experience either. Even at cons I never had any problems. Others I have heard have. But I kept dodging the bullet. But that was back in the 90s so odds are things have changed a little since. But I've been to our local game store and never seen any problems.
Quote from: Jam The MF on February 12, 2024, 04:02:48 PM
I just watched his video. Perhaps try to filter out some of that nonsense, by running a ruleset that is known for being hardcore. If they sign up, and start the nonsense; tell them to role a perception check, followed by an initiative check, followed by the BBG showdown, in the very first session. If they survive the encounter, monitor their behavior. Every time they start going sideways, take them straight into a BBG encounter. No mercy. Let the dice decide.
They should either change their ways, or remove themselves promptly. Any who do change, might be worth your effort. The rest, not so much.
I'm sorry, but your suggested solution just seems too passive-aggressive for me. If you have a problem player, you first take them aside and talk to them, then if they don't shape up you eject them from your game. The rest of your players, the good ones you want to keep around, will get up and walk if you cater to the one problem player (who is most likely pissing everyone else off at the table as well). You can be sympathetic towards a problem player, but as GM you also have a responsibility to the rest of the players at your table as well.
Quote from: jeff37923 on February 14, 2024, 01:15:04 AM
I'm sorry, but your suggested solution just seems too passive-aggressive for me.
I'm with jeff on this one. If you don't want someone at your table, don't bother trying to judo them into leaving themselves, just kick them. If you're running the game, it's your table, the players are guests.
If you really want to understand how to role play like a bunch of children, just watch these videos: https://youtu.be/2hRnnJtEUSg?si=cbQNL9YmKXcLXAsA&t=6351 (https://youtu.be/2hRnnJtEUSg?si=cbQNL9YmKXcLXAsA&t=6351)