Combat Monkeys as Second Class Citizens...

Balbinus · February 21, 2007, 11:21:13 AM

Quote from: RedFoxYup. Thing is, those games without any butt-kicking are going to bore the butt-kickers.

S'fine if you don't have any butt-kickers in your group, but most have at least one.

I've never been in a group that didn't have at least one player who would get restless without regular butt-kicking.

That doesn't read entirely right, but I'll let it stand...

Balbinus · February 21, 2007, 11:22:33 AM

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalTrue but the problem with butt-kickers is that they inevitably tend to drag the game to their level. You can introduce subtle politicking into an action game but if you start having gonzo action scenes in your dramas then the drama element tends to go out the window.

I think THAT is the sense in which combat monkeys are second class citizens. Their interests are deemed low brow compared to a lot of the other stuff. In the context of the OP that attitude makes no sense at all.

The interesting challenge is integrating the butt kicking, which is a real challenge sometimes. Making it make sense and not having the social fu characters suddenly become bystanders or incompetents during the butt kicking scenes.

Mr. Analytical · February 21, 2007, 11:22:57 AM

Quote from: BalbinusI've never been in a group that didn't have at least one player who would get restless without regular butt-kicking.

That doesn't read entirely right, but I'll let it stand...

Do you not think that's true of the current group? I think everyone's quite well behaved even when there isn't any combat. It could be that once they step out of earshot it's "Oh my god! nothing happened AGAIN!" but I don't get that impression.

RedFox · February 21, 2007, 11:27:00 AM

Quote from: BalbinusThe interesting challenge is integrating the butt kicking, which is a real challenge sometimes. Making it make sense and not having the social fu characters suddenly become bystanders or incompetents during the butt kicking scenes.

Thus why facilitating evenly for the group's range of interests is best. Don't have a game of courtly intrigue, have a game of courtly intrigue and swashbuckling adventure. If everybody knows the whole gamut's being covered up front, there won't be issues where some folks are upset because they've suddenly been sidelined. Butt-kickers or social monsters.

That's GMing 101, folks.

Balbinus · February 21, 2007, 11:38:59 AM

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalDo you not think that's true of the current group? I think everyone's quite well behaved even when there isn't any combat. It could be that once they step out of earshot it's "Oh my god! nothing happened AGAIN!" but I don't get that impression.

Ours has a higher than normal tolerance, but I don't think it's coincidence that when a high intrigue game ends we tend to play a butt kicking game. Essentially, I think that rather than just mix it in we schedule butt kicking, but I think if we ran consecutive high intrigue games for say three months some players would get restive.

The other thing with combat by the way is that it's easy, involving five players in a fight is simple, involving five players in a social conflict not quite so much.

That said, I like our approach, I think it's good to have pure intrigue games, some games with a high butt kicking element and some that mix, variety keeps things fresh.