Should Socially Adept Players Be Rewarded in RPGs?

RPGPundit · February 02, 2011, 11:13:34 PM

Quote from: Seanchai;436912I'm not sure what you think is happening is actually happening. Because if you're okay with and recognize this mismatch, there's no point in penalizing socially inept players other than to be an ass to socially inept players ('cause you're socially inept yourself).

Seanchai

You'd penalize socially inept players for the same reason that you would penalize tactically inept players, or resource-management-inept players, or awareness-disabled players.

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RPGPundit · February 02, 2011, 11:15:51 PM

Quote from: Venosha;437024Pundit: Understanding your reward/punishment mechanism for these situations, do you hope that your punished players will soon buck up to the role play challenge? I mean debate classes and etiquette schooling could take some time to master for socially improved behavior.

Or do you hope they get tired of being dumped on and eventually leave your game? Is there a possibility that they suck at one aspect of the game and excel at another, but your distain for their lack of skill in one area overshadows the rest of their potential?

If I hoped people would leave my game, I'd just kick them out. The idea is for them to get the point and hopefully shape up and understand that just saying "I roll my +14 diplomacy" is not enough in and of itself.

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RPGPundit · February 02, 2011, 11:18:39 PM

Also, I don't believe anyone here is arguing that "one should ONLY say things in character voice, and never say what you do"; that's just a straw man the other side is trying to haul out here.

I think its safe to say that everyone who has spoken in favour of the OP here has been arguing that you should describe what you do AND speak in character voice. My original point was not even limited to speech-making; you can fuck up social interaction in an RPG without ever saying anything, or long before you do, by DOING stuff that requires no speech at all, at the wrong time, in the wrong way, or to the wrong people.

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Seanchai · February 03, 2011, 11:32:50 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;437071You'd penalize socially inept players for the same reason that you would penalize tactically inept players, or resource-management-inept players, or awareness-disabled players.

No. I don't care if folks "roleplay" at the table - that's their choice to make. Moreover, I don't seek to penalize players. I don't use penalties in some Pavlovian gaming table experiment to change their personality.

Quote from: RPGPundit;437072The idea is for them to get the point and hopefully shape up and understand that just saying "I roll my +14 diplomacy" is not enough in and of itself.

I'm not sure a few sessions of D&D is going to magically turn someone who is socially inept into a charismatic character actor.

Quote from: RPGPundit;437073Also, I don't believe anyone here is arguing that "one should ONLY say things in character voice, and never say what you do"; that's just a straw man the other side is trying to haul out here.

When you argue that players need to roleplay or be penalized and don't consider third person descriptions of what a character says or does either a) roleplaying or b) sufficient to avoid the penalty, yes, you absolutely are arguing that players must speak in-character.

Seanchai

RPGPundit · February 03, 2011, 03:22:05 PM

Quote from: Seanchai;437164When you argue that players need to roleplay or be penalized and don't consider third person descriptions of what a character says or does either a) roleplaying or b) sufficient to avoid the penalty, yes, you absolutely are arguing that players must speak in-character.

Seanchai

I am indeed, I don't deny it; what I have issue with is the completely incorrect idea that I think that its the ONLY thing that should be happening.

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