hi hi
Now that I've had a chance to rest and reflect on the last game session, I want to go over a few things. It seemed like people had mostly resolved the meta-conflict that arose after the game session ended, but hopefully if something like that does come up again, we can resolve it a little bit more cooperatively. Remember, while this is Fallout, this is also Friendship is Magic. If people are getting their feelings hurt or feel like their fun is being spoiled, its in everyone's best interest to work together and keep things from breaking down.
Conflict between characters is ok, conflict between players is not.
Players are not their characters, but you do control your character's actions. Its important to find a balance between what your character would do, and getting along enough that the story can progress forward without anyone needing to leave the game. You don't have to agree on everything, but try not to antagonize each other at the very least. I've GM'd games where characters got into full out brawls with each other, and one game where a character was exiled from the party, but in both cases, the players were working together to create dramatic tension and it didn't grind the game to a halt. (In the latter example, the exiled character turned into a villain for a few sessions before returning to the party, having been redeemed.)
When characters are fighting amongst themselves, it really helps if the players are cooperating to give each other more options instead of laying out ultimatums and leaving no wiggle room to back down or work around. Often times, if you think about it, you'll find ways that you can take the story in different directions while still being true to your character. Conflict can be fun and exciting, but there should usually be the possibility of a resolution, even if it is a little ways down the road.
Second, try to be at least somewhat accommodating to other character's goals and motivations. The game isn't likely to revolve around any one character, unless the players decide that should be the case. I'm trying to do my part to give everyone some time to shine, so if you feel your character isn't getting a chance to contribute, let me know between sessions and I'll try to find some better ways to fit your character in to the story.
Its especially hard when roleplaying over IRC to judge the mood and intent of people, since you miss out on all the visual cues, the laughter, groans of frustration, smiles and frowns, that you would get if we were all sitting around a table. Just try to keep that in mind, and give people the benefit of the doubt. (Its especially nerve wracking for the GM, since I usually rely on those kinds of cues to tell if something I did was positively received or not.
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I really want to make this game as fun as possible, so please, let me know if you have any concerns. Catch me on IRC, leave a reply here or send me a PM.
