When players collide

Players in our rpg take their creations very seriously. I mean, we're investing our creative selves in characters & settings & plots. The sense of ownership can get intense. I know at least one player who, if he feels he's getting "too close" to his own character, will kill that one off & start fresh just to maintain some distance. You think creating a character is hard? Try offing one--not easy to do.

Sometimes players collide. Something in the game will set somebody off--how a character is handled in a scene, how a plot twist affects other characters, or even just how slow a player is to respond to action in the game. Your first line of defense is the set of game-rules. Doesn't help? Then you hope whoever's arguing is willing to negotiate. No? Your last recourse is to turn to the game-owner & hope he can sort things out.

What you don't do is start attacking somebody personally. Believe me, I know. I haven't been cussed out that bad since the last time I wound a guy up & then said "no" (which was at least 10 years ago, and I forgot how much it stung). When it does happen, if you're smart, you walk away. Let the one who's angry calm down. Hey, we're all supposed to be friends, right? So wait for your "friend" to get a grip. If negotiation is possible, look for a compromise. Blackmail is not an option. (Blackmail usually runs in the form of "if I don't get my way, I'm quittin' the game." My response to blackmail is "don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.")

Things will eventually sort themselves out and the game will move on. The smart player just lets the insults & the arguing slide. Forgive & forget. But here's a major tip if you want to cut off conflict before it begins: Talk to your game-mates. If you know something's coming that may be contraversial, let whoever will be affected know ahead of time. But also realize that, in the dynamics of the game, that isn't always possible. The element of surprise can be a key factor in story development! When you can let people know, though, it will pay off in less arguing and (hopefully) more cooperation.

Bottom line, rpg-ing is a cooperative venture. We don't play in a vacuum. If you're off by yourself playing in NPC-land, why bother? It's the interaction among players & characters that makes this fun. You feed off each other's creative energies and, with luck, create something together that feels right and keeps you going. -Chyna
Photo source: copyright Cloud 9 "The Tribe"