Re: Introducing new players

From: Benedict Adamson <yahoo_at_...>
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:36:52 +0000


CJ wrote:
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> I'm constantly struggling to enthuse local players to try HQ.
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> I realised the kind of stories i wanted to tell were better suited to HQ
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> My players

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> we also had one player who actively disliked HQ, and appeared to be trying to sabotage to get back to playing RQ.
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> He is a powergamer

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You talk about 'my players', suggesting you have a small fixed number of   players to choose from. That you have one player who 'sabotages' play further suggests that.

A powergamer who does not like playing HQ is like a harpsicordist who does not like the sounds that a piano makes: not a wrong opinion, merely an opinion that is explicable in terms of the difference between them. Forcing such a harpsicordist to play a piano would be foolish.

In our game group, I've repeatedly argued that we should be part of a gaming club, rather than playing in our homes. This is so we have a pool of potential recruits, ensuring we can always make up numbers if players must leave. It also allows us to be a little more choosy about who we play with: we all like playing in the HQ style.

So, do you have a fixed group of players? If so, perhaps you all need to be more explicit about the 'social contract' of your group. With a fixed group you all must agree on the kinds of games you will play, which might require some compromises.

Your difficult player wants to play a powergamer-friendly game. You want to play a more narrative game. What kind of game do the other members of your group want to play? If the powergamer is a minority of one, they need accept that the group does not want to play in that style. If any playing style has a sizeable minority, you might alternate between RQ and HQ; if everyone knows that their favoured game style will be satisfied soon, they are much more likely to cooperate when playing in their disfavoured style. And if you are in a minority of one, even after trying to introduce HQ, perhaps you should not be pushing a game on people who do not want to play it.

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