In a sense, a role-playing game is an endeavor of hope as well as
entertainment. The GM offers their carefully crafted world background,
plot ideas, and NPCs for the players to inter-relate with. The players
bring their enthusiasm and various viewpoints, as expressed through
their player characters, for the GM to have the world react to. Each
person involved is doing the best they can to help make this new game
a fun and entertaining place to share.
It is that very sense of optimism and excitement that this article
hopes to assist. All too often small, unimportant issues can get overblown
into huge, game- and friendship-shattering stumbling blocks. If steps
can be taken early on when misunderstanding first occurs, perhaps the
small issues can be dealt with immediately, and never be allowed to grow
into something destructive.
Individual issues should be dealt with individually, of course,
and we will make some suggestions on how to deal with some of the most
common ones later. However, the one thing which seems most important
in situations like this, at least to us, is that communication actually
occur between people. It sounds simple... but all too often what
you think you said is not what someone else heard.
How to talk to your fellow players
Role-playing gaming isn't about winning or losing against your
fellow players. Treat them the way you'd like to be treated -- as friends
rather than opponents.
Pause before you speak. Would what you're about to say hurt your
feelings if it was said to you? If so... don't say it to someone else.
Being kind to people you're supposed to like isn't really that hard.
Don't assume you perfectly understand, or are understood. Ask
questions sometimes so people can clarify their points to you.
If you're getting angry about an issue, take a ten minute cool-down
break. There's very little in life that can't wait another ten minutes.
If you're still angry, consider this -- very few issues are worth
breaking up a friendship. Is that really what you want to do?
Statistics suggest you cannot always be right -- sometimes other
folks have good points too. Simple courtesy would suggest you let them
have their way sometimes too.
If an argumentation technique wouldn't work for you (i.e. calling
names, making demands), why do you think it'll work for anyone else?
If it's not fun... why are you doing it?
Back to the GMing FAQ page.