Re: Lacking Courage

From: Mike Holmes <mike_c_holmes_at_...>
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:10:07 -0500

>From: Ashley Munday <aescleal_at_...>

>First caveat is: Do you want to? If you've been
>playing with the same bunch of players for 20 years
>there's probably a good accomodation between you by
>now, so why change something that's working?

I'm not sure I agree with everything that Ash says here, but this is sound. And actually the original poster had it right, it's about whether or not you want to convert the players, not the characters (as Ash points out, that's pretty easy, really). Converting players is, well, almost impossible in the context of this example. That is, unless the players have expressed that they're not liking the style of play that the current system supports, then they're unlikely to like what HQ supports.

That's not to say that they never could like it. Merely that, as people have said, it's largely about expectations. Changing those in a game is really difficult. In fact, if you start over with new characters, and the same group, and HQ rules, you'll probably largely have the same problem.

There are ways around this, but it's long and complicated, and doesn't always work. The best is to start a new game with an entirely different group, get it working like you want from play from HQ, and then bring over players from the original group one by one. So that they can see what it is that the expecations of the new group are.

Further, people often think that talking about these issues can help, but in the vast majority of cases it ranges from unhelpful to damaging to talk about such issues before play. Players usually get defensive about their play style, even if it's not being attacked (it's very easy to fall into confrontational rhetoric, too, so that makes this even more likely). So my advice is largely to "show, don't tell."

Yes this is a long drawn out process, and it may not work at all. In the long run, you may be far better off just starting a new group. I'm not saying to stop playing RQ, but to play HQ with a different group as well. Starting with a new group that doesn't have set expectations of play means that you simply don't have these problems. Over the years, as my preferences have manifested, I've had to give up playing with some players who simply don't prefer the sort of game that I run now. That's too bad, but trying to force things to work can be a collossal waste of people's time (I know, I've done that, too).

It's like you've got a buddy, and you like snow skiing, and he likes water skiing. Sure you can try to enjoy each other's company doing one or the other, and having one of you dissapointed in the shared activity. Or you can just go to a movie you both will enjoy. Don't assume that just because you're social with somebody that they can always enjoy the same things you do, or will based just on your company.

Now, all that said, sometimes it turns out that some players are extrememly philosophical and open-minded, and would jump at a chance to try something different. But I sense that if this were your case, CJ, there wouldn't be the trepidation about changing games? That is, given your example, I think you've got a group with pretty set expecations of what RPG play means.

Mike

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