So, first we have Luiz's character Tatsuaki "Joe", who's all "BANZAIIIII" getting into fights, and attracting loads of attention to us. He's like "WHY YOU NO FIGHT MOAR! RAR!" They understand each other in their own way, but it must frustrate Joe to no end, that Tasha is ever the "coward". It's the kind of opposite playing styles that really creates stories within stories. Not to continuously drag up old games, but Damona's brother was a hardcore fanatical hyper religious self righteous priest. She was a berzerking dual wielding swashbuckling slut with a head for science, loose morals and a heart of gold. It was an RP goldmine. I can see that same fertile ground with these two characters.
If that were the only dichotomy to develop, then that would be a perfect setting. Luiz is really coming into his own as a gamer, and needs very little encouragement. I do sense when he gets tired, that he has to stare at his dice and numbers more, to make sense of things, but since it's second nature to me, I just glance it over, and call out numbers, for him. This only really happens late at night, though.
The road blocks I'm running into come in when we analyze my human role in the group. Some of the other members of the group are new players, they're all enthusiastic, but differently engaged, some go through the world in a slightly puzzled sort of way, some have a hard time keeping interested at all. My role in the group, I feel, is to kinda guess at where GM is going, gamewise, and help translate it to my fellow players, without strongly leading anywhere, but keeping things moving, all the same. I play a different role than my intention, being flirty and funny to play off Delphinia, and keep her interested, and I have a lot of "HMMMMMMM, what do YOU think" kind of moments, trying to get everyone's gears turning and problem solving. I'm really careful to not be aggressive, and all alpha gamer. In my old crew, we spent a lot of time competing for attention, and it wasn't very polite, with everyone talking and moving and rolling dice, hopping up, shouting, swinging things, making diagrams with pretzel nuggets, that sort of thing. Very much a change of pace, here, but I really like it. I've been in on developing groups, many times, but this might be the first time I'm with a bunch of developing gamers, too. I can only hope that everyone gains a love for it that I have, and I'm really trying to help create a great experience, as a fellow player. I hope, soon, I can lay off the "Scooby Doo" narration, though, and get down to the more advanced gaming stuff. Like fucking with the GM. :)
I feel like I have to rant a little. This is not about changing anyone's playing, or forcing a group to be what constitutes as a "good group" in my eyes. Everyone's different, and I'm now playing with three earnest non gamers, so take this rant for the jaded uppity bullshit that it is, and with many grains of salt. I just have to get it off my chest, though, then I'll be fine.
I hate when people don't pay attention. I HATE IT. You're at the table. There's nothing but you, some snackies, papers, and the other people. You're all focused on the same goal, which is whatever's going on in the game. Why do I have to explain fourteen times where I'm walking to, did we take the car or didn't we? What time is that thing happening? Are we in a parking lot? It really sucks me dry to have to constantly re-explain the situation (not the rules, but simple things, like "we walked there? I thought we drove? I want to sit on the car! The car's not there? Where are we? Are we inside?"), or sit through the re-explanation of the setting. I'm all into it, and then we have to go out of character to set things straight over and over, because people are listening to the ice cream truck music in their heads, or fooling with their phones. People, it's like 2-3 hours a month, let's try, ok? But, again, I must temper this with understanding. I get the sense that the two other women are there simply to make their SO's happy. If I was forced to sit through some TV award show, or a shitty move, I'd be all "duhhhhhhhhhhhh" too. So, it is what it is. The hardcore gamer core of me goes "fuck, I wanna play a real game, sometimes. Is it too much to ask for only the people that wanna be here, be here?" The social friendly part of me, who genuinely likes and adores these people goes "aww, it's nice to just have them around." I bet other gamers go through it. Hell, I had this problem when Irv first started playing WoW. It's an adjustment period. He got into WoW and learned stuff all on his own, after a short time. I'm patient. I was frustrated at first, though. Like now, only the frustration for this is minor compared to when Irv entered into "my world", so long ago. I have had much worse gaming groups. Ones that ended with our characters all killing each other, and the group fighting in real life. Like, fantasy bullshit that ended with RL drama (the story of the clanking schizophrenic dwarf. I might use this blog, sometime, to relate old memories, too.). This is nothing, really. Just a blip.
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